Friday, November 30, 2007
How to Become a Bass Tournament Angler
How to Become a
Bass Tournament Angler
By Ken Warren
Have you ever thought about becoming a bass tournament fisherman? Ok, well if you fish for bass that is probably a dumb question. With all of the fishing shows we grew-up watching, and with the increasing TV coverage of pro tournaments it is fair to say, all bass fishermen have thought about competing. With some the daydream stops, however, when perceived reality hits home. One of the following things may stop you. Perhaps you don t have a boat, or maybe it is not what you think of as a tournament boat. Or it could be that entry fees seem too expensive. Also, daunting is the idea that some of the fishermen live on that body of water and I don t have a chance. Ok, well chances are that one of those ideas has stopped you if you have not given tournament fishing a try. Let s examine each of them and see if it is really a concern.
I don t have a boat. Ok, but owning a boat is not a requirement. You can still participate in one of two ways. You can enter a draw or pro-am
tournament. These are essentially the same except for in a true draw everyone competes in the same class, while in a pro-am the boaters are not competing against the non-boaters. So you can sign-up as a non-boater and then you will be paired up with a boater before the tournament. There are usually plenty of boaters but occasionally there are too many non-boaters and that is a risk one has too take. If this occurs, unfortunately, some non-boaters can t fish. To reduce this some circuits will guarantee you a seat if you sign-up with a boater. Some will guarantee you a spot next time if you get bumped or try to ensure it does not happen twice in the same season. Even if you have a boat, going as a non-boater can be a great way to learn the ropes or become familiar with a new lake. Another option is find a friend who does have a boat and compete together on a team circuit. This way you know you have a seat and you also know your partner and how to get along with them.
I have a boat but it did not cost $25,000. Smaller boats are accepted as long as they meet the requirements. This varies with each circuit but normally includes things such as: no tiller steering, must have kill switch and live-well, and be a minimum of 16ft. Ask yourself would it be comfortable for two people to fish from for 8 or 9 hours? If the answer is, yes, then it is probably all right.
Entry fees are expensive. Well, expensive is a relative term. Some events cost a few hundred dollars to enter, but this is not were you start unless you have a lot of stupid money lying around. Some entries are as little as $10 to $20. These low fees can be found with some local clubs. Ask around at tackle stores to see what clubs are in the area. Normally, they have regular meetings and welcome new members and visitors. Pairing of boaters and non-boaters is usually done at the meetings so you can miss the pitfall mentioned before. Some trails are very affordable while at the same time offering good prizes and payouts. Remember, however, cheap fees equal small payouts so cheaper is not necessarily better, but as the fees go up so do the payouts and so does the amount of competition. So, you will have to decide for yourself where you are comfortable.
I don t have a chance against those guys. It is true some guys are hard to beat on a certain body of water. How did they get that way. They had to start somewhere and now most have moved on to higher payout
tournaments. If you start at the club level or at the entry-level circuit with low fees then you should be able to be competitive after a few tournaments.
Ok, so how do I find tournaments? As was mentioned before ask around at the local tackle store. They should be able to point you to local clubs. You can find BASS Federation clubs on the web at http://www.bassmaster.com. Or if you are looking for a circuit try the American Bass Anglers Tournament Trail at http://www.americanbassanglers.com. This is the largest circuit out there for the weekend angler and a great place to get started. The entry fees are relatively low and they have a lot of good sponsors. There are over 600 tournaments in 75 districts across the US. With this size there should be one close to most everyone. With ABA you fish a draw tournaments in one or more districts and accumulate points as well as the payout and prizes. If you fish 5 tournaments and end up in the top 500 in points you are invited to their national championship. There you qualify for 1 of 3 fully rigged Triton boats valued at near $45,000 each. One is given away at a drawing to those who fished the 5 tournaments. Chances are around 1 in 1000. Not to bad for that kind of value.
Ok, so it should seem easier now and I hope this was helpful with putting tournament fishing in perspective. One last thing, it is not always about winning. The friendships you make and the good times you have before, after, and during the competition will last a long time and make you a better fisherman, win or lose. Please check the rules and requirements for each tournament as the guidelines stated here were simply that, guidelines. Each organization has some difference. The rules have to be enforced to ensure fair competition, so be sure you are familiar with them.
Bass Tournament Angler
By Ken Warren
Have you ever thought about becoming a bass tournament fisherman? Ok, well if you fish for bass that is probably a dumb question. With all of the fishing shows we grew-up watching, and with the increasing TV coverage of pro tournaments it is fair to say, all bass fishermen have thought about competing. With some the daydream stops, however, when perceived reality hits home. One of the following things may stop you. Perhaps you don t have a boat, or maybe it is not what you think of as a tournament boat. Or it could be that entry fees seem too expensive. Also, daunting is the idea that some of the fishermen live on that body of water and I don t have a chance. Ok, well chances are that one of those ideas has stopped you if you have not given tournament fishing a try. Let s examine each of them and see if it is really a concern.
I don t have a boat. Ok, but owning a boat is not a requirement. You can still participate in one of two ways. You can enter a draw or pro-am
tournament. These are essentially the same except for in a true draw everyone competes in the same class, while in a pro-am the boaters are not competing against the non-boaters. So you can sign-up as a non-boater and then you will be paired up with a boater before the tournament. There are usually plenty of boaters but occasionally there are too many non-boaters and that is a risk one has too take. If this occurs, unfortunately, some non-boaters can t fish. To reduce this some circuits will guarantee you a seat if you sign-up with a boater. Some will guarantee you a spot next time if you get bumped or try to ensure it does not happen twice in the same season. Even if you have a boat, going as a non-boater can be a great way to learn the ropes or become familiar with a new lake. Another option is find a friend who does have a boat and compete together on a team circuit. This way you know you have a seat and you also know your partner and how to get along with them.
I have a boat but it did not cost $25,000. Smaller boats are accepted as long as they meet the requirements. This varies with each circuit but normally includes things such as: no tiller steering, must have kill switch and live-well, and be a minimum of 16ft. Ask yourself would it be comfortable for two people to fish from for 8 or 9 hours? If the answer is, yes, then it is probably all right.
Entry fees are expensive. Well, expensive is a relative term. Some events cost a few hundred dollars to enter, but this is not were you start unless you have a lot of stupid money lying around. Some entries are as little as $10 to $20. These low fees can be found with some local clubs. Ask around at tackle stores to see what clubs are in the area. Normally, they have regular meetings and welcome new members and visitors. Pairing of boaters and non-boaters is usually done at the meetings so you can miss the pitfall mentioned before. Some trails are very affordable while at the same time offering good prizes and payouts. Remember, however, cheap fees equal small payouts so cheaper is not necessarily better, but as the fees go up so do the payouts and so does the amount of competition. So, you will have to decide for yourself where you are comfortable.
I don t have a chance against those guys. It is true some guys are hard to beat on a certain body of water. How did they get that way. They had to start somewhere and now most have moved on to higher payout
tournaments. If you start at the club level or at the entry-level circuit with low fees then you should be able to be competitive after a few tournaments.
Ok, so how do I find tournaments? As was mentioned before ask around at the local tackle store. They should be able to point you to local clubs. You can find BASS Federation clubs on the web at http://www.bassmaster.com. Or if you are looking for a circuit try the American Bass Anglers Tournament Trail at http://www.americanbassanglers.com. This is the largest circuit out there for the weekend angler and a great place to get started. The entry fees are relatively low and they have a lot of good sponsors. There are over 600 tournaments in 75 districts across the US. With this size there should be one close to most everyone. With ABA you fish a draw tournaments in one or more districts and accumulate points as well as the payout and prizes. If you fish 5 tournaments and end up in the top 500 in points you are invited to their national championship. There you qualify for 1 of 3 fully rigged Triton boats valued at near $45,000 each. One is given away at a drawing to those who fished the 5 tournaments. Chances are around 1 in 1000. Not to bad for that kind of value.
Ok, so it should seem easier now and I hope this was helpful with putting tournament fishing in perspective. One last thing, it is not always about winning. The friendships you make and the good times you have before, after, and during the competition will last a long time and make you a better fisherman, win or lose. Please check the rules and requirements for each tournament as the guidelines stated here were simply that, guidelines. Each organization has some difference. The rules have to be enforced to ensure fair competition, so be sure you are familiar with them.
Fishing New Water
Fishing New Water
If you love the sport of fishing, at one time or another you are going to venture out to a body of water you are not familiar with. You maybe going on vacation or pre-fishing for an up coming tournament event. It doesn't matter what species of fish you are targeting. It could be Bass, Trout, Muskie, Pike, Walleye, Cats, Pan fish or others. If you have a basic understanding of the fish, then you are going to be fine. The habit's of the fish do not very that much from one body of water to the next. The same tackle you are presently using will be just fine. Before you venture to a new body of water, I suggest that you purchase a topographical map of the new location. Spend some time reviewing it. It is just as important for you to spend time in your living room, as it is on the water. The more time you spend in preparation reviewing the new water, the more success you well have. After you review the map and see the layout of the new water, you need to mark some areas on the map you feel will be promising. Once you show up at the new location, have your map in hand, and talk to the tackle store and boat rental personnel, ask for their advice. They are more than happy to help you out. Ask how the fishing has been? Ask them about the species you are after, and where to go? Review the areas you have marked on your map and see if you have chosen some of the same areas. Find out what type of bait has been working the best for the fish you are after. If you don't have a lot of time to spend at the new water, you may want to hire a guide that specializes in your species.
You have done all your homework. You have asked the locals what is working and where. Once on the water, it is all up to you. For example, if you are after Bass, you have taken the advise of the locals, you need to ask your self, is it a top water bite? Are
the fish deep instead of shallow? Are the fish in the brush, or are they in the rocks? Are the fish eating the crank bait or plastics? Are they holding on the points or on the deep ledges? If we knew every time where they where and what they are eating, we would all be millionaires. The more understanding you have of the fish, the more success you are going to have. So do your homework.
Don't be afraid to venture out to the new water. Some days you are going to very well and other days not so good, but that's fishing. The main thing is that you have a good time doing what you love, fishing. If you can catch a few, then that is even better. Do your homework and head out. Remember to only take what you need and release the rest. We all need to practice conservation. We need to make sure there are plenty of fish out there for our kids.
Tight Lines and God Bless
Larry Elshere
If you love the sport of fishing, at one time or another you are going to venture out to a body of water you are not familiar with. You maybe going on vacation or pre-fishing for an up coming tournament event. It doesn't matter what species of fish you are targeting. It could be Bass, Trout, Muskie, Pike, Walleye, Cats, Pan fish or others. If you have a basic understanding of the fish, then you are going to be fine. The habit's of the fish do not very that much from one body of water to the next. The same tackle you are presently using will be just fine. Before you venture to a new body of water, I suggest that you purchase a topographical map of the new location. Spend some time reviewing it. It is just as important for you to spend time in your living room, as it is on the water. The more time you spend in preparation reviewing the new water, the more success you well have. After you review the map and see the layout of the new water, you need to mark some areas on the map you feel will be promising. Once you show up at the new location, have your map in hand, and talk to the tackle store and boat rental personnel, ask for their advice. They are more than happy to help you out. Ask how the fishing has been? Ask them about the species you are after, and where to go? Review the areas you have marked on your map and see if you have chosen some of the same areas. Find out what type of bait has been working the best for the fish you are after. If you don't have a lot of time to spend at the new water, you may want to hire a guide that specializes in your species.
You have done all your homework. You have asked the locals what is working and where. Once on the water, it is all up to you. For example, if you are after Bass, you have taken the advise of the locals, you need to ask your self, is it a top water bite? Are
the fish deep instead of shallow? Are the fish in the brush, or are they in the rocks? Are the fish eating the crank bait or plastics? Are they holding on the points or on the deep ledges? If we knew every time where they where and what they are eating, we would all be millionaires. The more understanding you have of the fish, the more success you are going to have. So do your homework.
Don't be afraid to venture out to the new water. Some days you are going to very well and other days not so good, but that's fishing. The main thing is that you have a good time doing what you love, fishing. If you can catch a few, then that is even better. Do your homework and head out. Remember to only take what you need and release the rest. We all need to practice conservation. We need to make sure there are plenty of fish out there for our kids.
Tight Lines and God Bless
Larry Elshere
Does Fishing Pressure Make a Difference?
Does Fishing Pressure Make a Difference?
Well this is a very common question among fishing experts and the weekend angler. I would like to key you in on a little thing that I believe to be true. Fishing pressure does have a huge impact on Bass fishing across the nation. I found this out first hand. Here’s my little story of why fishing pressure has so much to do with the way bass react at certain times.
I have fished Lakes Casitas almost everyday since school got out, June 15th. The
fishing has been very tough and not many fish are being caught, and the few that are, are small fish. Lake Casitas has had some type of tournament for the last 2 months every weekend. If it’s a big invitational or a little club tourney, it is getting hammered every weekend by the anglers. Either the tourney is in the day or at night. The fish have no breaks what so ever. This is making the fishing for us tourney anglers tough and the weekend anglers also.
I have been fishing this summer and picking off a few fish here and there, but if you don’t catch fish worth while you lose confidence. That has been the case for me. I have had the worst year of bass fishing in my life of bass fishing. This is due to the enormous amount of pressure on the lake.
Lake Casitas started out the year with a bang. There were many bass over 10 pounds brought to the scales and even a few over 15 pounds. The tourneys came along and the pressure drove them away and made the fish tougher and tougher to catch. Now days, you can barely pick off a few small scraper bass just to keep the rod bent.
I got invited to go and fish a private pond on some land a little ways from Casitas. My expectations weren’t that I was going to do well, due to the time of the year and the owner fishing it all the time. Well he, Morgan the owner, told me that he has fished it maybe 5 times his whole time being there and owning it. He has a few people come and fish it every once in a while. My hopes got higher and higher.
I made my first few casts of the day and the bite was pretty good. My first cast produced me a small bass. As the day moved on and on, the bite kept getting better and better. By the time I had put down the worming rod, I picked up the cranking rod. In three casts I had 3 fish. Awesome! I made a few more quick casts and nailed one more to end the day. By the end of the I had 40 bass all the way from half a pound to four pounds.
In both of these cases, at Lake Casitas and the farm pond was I fishing with the same baits. Drop-Shotting worms and crankbaits. But the less pressure on the pond allowed me to go nuts on the bass. The heavy pressure at Casitas has made for the fishing to be terrible, but the pond was on fire. The same conditions and structures, but the fishing pressure has the fish acting different. In my eyes, if someone fished the pond everyday or as much as Casitas is fished, the bite there would be just as tough.
The weekdays are some of the best times to go. The pressure is off a little and the bass are more willing to bite your bait. I went out one week and nailed huge bass on live crawdads, then went out on Saturday, fished the same spots but the fish knew it was weekend and they quit biting. This show me that the best fishing is during the weekdays and not on weekends.
If you are fishing a lake and the bite is terrible, just think of the type of fishing pressure the lake is receiving at the given time. That’s what makes Lake Casitas such a hard lake to fish. If you can catch fish consistently all year round and under the given pressure you are definitely doing something correct or found some fish willing to bite. I hope this helps clear up some of the confusion as to why the bite is better at one lake from another. I have experienced this by just spending one day at a Pond and a whole month at Casitas, and comparing the results. Pressure is a major role in the way bass act and bite. Remember this, it will make you understand the fish better and help you choose the better times to go and fish your lakes or ponds.
Eric Elshere
Well this is a very common question among fishing experts and the weekend angler. I would like to key you in on a little thing that I believe to be true. Fishing pressure does have a huge impact on Bass fishing across the nation. I found this out first hand. Here’s my little story of why fishing pressure has so much to do with the way bass react at certain times.
I have fished Lakes Casitas almost everyday since school got out, June 15th. The
fishing has been very tough and not many fish are being caught, and the few that are, are small fish. Lake Casitas has had some type of tournament for the last 2 months every weekend. If it’s a big invitational or a little club tourney, it is getting hammered every weekend by the anglers. Either the tourney is in the day or at night. The fish have no breaks what so ever. This is making the fishing for us tourney anglers tough and the weekend anglers also.
I have been fishing this summer and picking off a few fish here and there, but if you don’t catch fish worth while you lose confidence. That has been the case for me. I have had the worst year of bass fishing in my life of bass fishing. This is due to the enormous amount of pressure on the lake.
Lake Casitas started out the year with a bang. There were many bass over 10 pounds brought to the scales and even a few over 15 pounds. The tourneys came along and the pressure drove them away and made the fish tougher and tougher to catch. Now days, you can barely pick off a few small scraper bass just to keep the rod bent.
I got invited to go and fish a private pond on some land a little ways from Casitas. My expectations weren’t that I was going to do well, due to the time of the year and the owner fishing it all the time. Well he, Morgan the owner, told me that he has fished it maybe 5 times his whole time being there and owning it. He has a few people come and fish it every once in a while. My hopes got higher and higher.
I made my first few casts of the day and the bite was pretty good. My first cast produced me a small bass. As the day moved on and on, the bite kept getting better and better. By the time I had put down the worming rod, I picked up the cranking rod. In three casts I had 3 fish. Awesome! I made a few more quick casts and nailed one more to end the day. By the end of the I had 40 bass all the way from half a pound to four pounds.
In both of these cases, at Lake Casitas and the farm pond was I fishing with the same baits. Drop-Shotting worms and crankbaits. But the less pressure on the pond allowed me to go nuts on the bass. The heavy pressure at Casitas has made for the fishing to be terrible, but the pond was on fire. The same conditions and structures, but the fishing pressure has the fish acting different. In my eyes, if someone fished the pond everyday or as much as Casitas is fished, the bite there would be just as tough.
The weekdays are some of the best times to go. The pressure is off a little and the bass are more willing to bite your bait. I went out one week and nailed huge bass on live crawdads, then went out on Saturday, fished the same spots but the fish knew it was weekend and they quit biting. This show me that the best fishing is during the weekdays and not on weekends.
If you are fishing a lake and the bite is terrible, just think of the type of fishing pressure the lake is receiving at the given time. That’s what makes Lake Casitas such a hard lake to fish. If you can catch fish consistently all year round and under the given pressure you are definitely doing something correct or found some fish willing to bite. I hope this helps clear up some of the confusion as to why the bite is better at one lake from another. I have experienced this by just spending one day at a Pond and a whole month at Casitas, and comparing the results. Pressure is a major role in the way bass act and bite. Remember this, it will make you understand the fish better and help you choose the better times to go and fish your lakes or ponds.
Eric Elshere
Crankbait Fishing for Bass, Walleye, and the Pike Family
Crankbait Fishing for Bass, Walleye, and the Pike Family
by Charles Stuart
If you have never tried to use a crankbait for catching bass, walleye or any of the pike family, or have had little or no success, read on, I might convince you to give it another try.
To begin, let us focus on the largest member of the sunfish family, the bass. During certain times of the day bass like to move into deeper water. There are many reasons
why this "transition" from shallow to deep water occurs, one of which is to get away from the fishermen who pound the shoreline with a variety of lures that they get to see week in and week out! When you cannot find the fish you are looking for from the shoreline, start looking to deep-water structure.
The structure could include, large rocks, areas of sunken forest, abandoned cars or building ruins that were flooded by the Corp of Engineers when constructing a new watershed or reservoir. Often this information can be obtained from survey maps of a lake or reservoir prior to impounding. Once you have established the depth you want to fish, select your crankbait according to its capabilities. Most of you will know that the larger the plastic "bill" on the nose of the bait, the deeper it will dive. I like to paint the number of feet a lure will dive on the belly of the lure. This helps when it comes to selection time. If I am fishing in 20 feet of water I like to start with any two brightly colored crankbaits I have to hand. The reason for brightness as opposed to color selection is that I am looking for a lure that will reflect even a little light in the darkness of deep water. The first crankbait will run at between 15 and 18 feet. With this lure I will determine if the fish are looking upward and are in a feeding pattern off the bottom of the water. If the first choice fails the second lure of choice would be a crankbait that can dive deeper that the depth I am fishing. The reason is simply, I want to present frantic baitfish bumping into structure. This lure will make small thumping sounds as it hits solid objects, or if it strikes the lake bottom the lure will cause clouds of silt, gravel or sand to billow up in the water. The noise and vibration will attract fish and provoke a strike. If I cannot get to the fish because they are in 30 or 40 feet of water, I attach a crankbait to a one-ounce Carolina rig, exchanging the worm hook for the crankbait. In a shallow situation, crankbait color choice becomes vital, as the lure can be seen more clearly. Try to match the size and color of the baitfish to the size of your lure. As with any crankbait lure presentation always start moving the lure quickly. If no strikes come, change your retrieve to a stop and go or slow it down to a crawl. Once the fish "tell you" how they want the bait, you will have found the pattern to fish and will catch more of them as a result.
Walleye and Pike are two fish that will strike at crankbaits in many situations. Walleye like deep water, really deep water, so once again, you must find a way to get your bait down to the fish. Fishing from a boat is the most productive way to catch them, trolling lures behind a boat with a Plano board at depths of 30, 40, or 50 feet. For our shore-bound anglers, you should use heavy weights attached to the line in a similar fashion to the Carolina rig mentioned previously and use various speeds of retrieval, until you find the speed they like. Whilst I do not think color is important to a walleye, scent or fish paste on the crankbait can be an additional incentive for them to strike at the lure.
Northern pike and pickerel will hit crankbaits at any level, remembering that the pike family prefers cold water. The best pike fishing is during the fall and winter. At that time, the fish get closer to the shoreline and feed ferociously. Their teeth are sharper during the colder months, so use wire leaders, or you will lose your crankbait! Best crankbait color for any pike in my opinion is white and red. Muskie's should be fished for with a lure presentation similar to that for walleye. You should however, upgrade to the largest lures you can find 10 or 12 inches is not too small for a muskie! (NB saltwater lures will work well) and if you have feather dressed treble hooks, so much the better, the muskie seems to like feathers! Lures retrieved over points and drop-offs will bring these monsters out of hiding. Just remember to carry some heavy duty gloves, long nosed pliers and a damp cloth the handle these fish. If you are under 16, I strongly suggest you take an adult with you. Muskie's, like sharks can inflict severe wounds unless they are handled firmly and quickly. Take pictures if you have to and release them as soon as possible as muskie's have a tendency to die quickly if not returned to the water.
by Charles Stuart
If you have never tried to use a crankbait for catching bass, walleye or any of the pike family, or have had little or no success, read on, I might convince you to give it another try.
To begin, let us focus on the largest member of the sunfish family, the bass. During certain times of the day bass like to move into deeper water. There are many reasons
why this "transition" from shallow to deep water occurs, one of which is to get away from the fishermen who pound the shoreline with a variety of lures that they get to see week in and week out! When you cannot find the fish you are looking for from the shoreline, start looking to deep-water structure.
The structure could include, large rocks, areas of sunken forest, abandoned cars or building ruins that were flooded by the Corp of Engineers when constructing a new watershed or reservoir. Often this information can be obtained from survey maps of a lake or reservoir prior to impounding. Once you have established the depth you want to fish, select your crankbait according to its capabilities. Most of you will know that the larger the plastic "bill" on the nose of the bait, the deeper it will dive. I like to paint the number of feet a lure will dive on the belly of the lure. This helps when it comes to selection time. If I am fishing in 20 feet of water I like to start with any two brightly colored crankbaits I have to hand. The reason for brightness as opposed to color selection is that I am looking for a lure that will reflect even a little light in the darkness of deep water. The first crankbait will run at between 15 and 18 feet. With this lure I will determine if the fish are looking upward and are in a feeding pattern off the bottom of the water. If the first choice fails the second lure of choice would be a crankbait that can dive deeper that the depth I am fishing. The reason is simply, I want to present frantic baitfish bumping into structure. This lure will make small thumping sounds as it hits solid objects, or if it strikes the lake bottom the lure will cause clouds of silt, gravel or sand to billow up in the water. The noise and vibration will attract fish and provoke a strike. If I cannot get to the fish because they are in 30 or 40 feet of water, I attach a crankbait to a one-ounce Carolina rig, exchanging the worm hook for the crankbait. In a shallow situation, crankbait color choice becomes vital, as the lure can be seen more clearly. Try to match the size and color of the baitfish to the size of your lure. As with any crankbait lure presentation always start moving the lure quickly. If no strikes come, change your retrieve to a stop and go or slow it down to a crawl. Once the fish "tell you" how they want the bait, you will have found the pattern to fish and will catch more of them as a result.
Walleye and Pike are two fish that will strike at crankbaits in many situations. Walleye like deep water, really deep water, so once again, you must find a way to get your bait down to the fish. Fishing from a boat is the most productive way to catch them, trolling lures behind a boat with a Plano board at depths of 30, 40, or 50 feet. For our shore-bound anglers, you should use heavy weights attached to the line in a similar fashion to the Carolina rig mentioned previously and use various speeds of retrieval, until you find the speed they like. Whilst I do not think color is important to a walleye, scent or fish paste on the crankbait can be an additional incentive for them to strike at the lure.
Northern pike and pickerel will hit crankbaits at any level, remembering that the pike family prefers cold water. The best pike fishing is during the fall and winter. At that time, the fish get closer to the shoreline and feed ferociously. Their teeth are sharper during the colder months, so use wire leaders, or you will lose your crankbait! Best crankbait color for any pike in my opinion is white and red. Muskie's should be fished for with a lure presentation similar to that for walleye. You should however, upgrade to the largest lures you can find 10 or 12 inches is not too small for a muskie! (NB saltwater lures will work well) and if you have feather dressed treble hooks, so much the better, the muskie seems to like feathers! Lures retrieved over points and drop-offs will bring these monsters out of hiding. Just remember to carry some heavy duty gloves, long nosed pliers and a damp cloth the handle these fish. If you are under 16, I strongly suggest you take an adult with you. Muskie's, like sharks can inflict severe wounds unless they are handled firmly and quickly. Take pictures if you have to and release them as soon as possible as muskie's have a tendency to die quickly if not returned to the water.
"Fishing The Valley"
"Fishing The Valley"
By: Vic Carrao
The Fraser Valley offers many unique fishing opportunities, river fishing for Salmon and Sturgeon, Carp fishing in our local sloughs and fly fishing for Trout and Whitefish in lakes and rivers. All these fisheries provide excellent opportunities for those willing to put in the time to learn, how, when, where to fish them. The angling opportunities the Fraser Valley offers are world class. I spend most of my time guiding anglers from around the world. I have never yet heard someone say where they live the fishing is better or the scenery more beautiful. You soon realize what we have is very special, even on a slow day; our quality of angling is much higher than most places in the world. Could you image spending 5 days fishing to catch 2 fish and then say that's was great fishing. I can't, but many places in this world it is considered normal and even above average.
Over the next few months I will be writing a series of fishery forecasts with a few tips on where, when and how to catch your favorite fish. Please feel free to email us at sts@guidebc.com or browse though our website.
There are several fisheries in August that provide good to excellent fishing opportunities for salmon; the two most notable are Sockeye & Chinook salmon. The Fraser and Vedder River's are two most productive salmon rivers in SE British Columbia. The Fraser is now loaded with Sockeye with good chances at catching a trophy Chinook. The preferred methods to catch these feisty fish are bottom bouncing, bar fishing and fly-fishing. The area between Chilliwack and Hope is one of the most productive salmon grounds on the Fraser. There are many access points to these productive fishing grounds for those with a boat, with limited access for shore anglers. Hope and Agassiz provide the best shore access points with Gill rd, Peg leg, Haig bar and Jones Creek being the most popular. Recently a book call Fishing Fever was published which shows most of the popular angling areas and access points for the Fraser River. Fishing Fever is available at most of the local tackle stores located throughout the lower mainland.
One fishery that is over looked by most anglers is the Jack fishery on the Fraser. A Jack is immature salmon usually less than 5 lbs. The Fraser has excellent fishing for Chinook Jacks by mid August with very few anglers targeting them. The most productive method to catch Jacks is bar fishing but don't over look hooking them with a fly as well. For bar fishing the set up is the same as used for large Chinook but on a smaller scale, Rod, reel and bar rig with a spin n glo. The key to catching Jacks is to scale down your spin n glo to a # 4 or 6 and add some cured salmon roe. Jacks travel close to shore so use less weight and keep your casts short. This is a great fishery for kids as they can reel them in without help from Mom or Dad. My kids use 6 ft ugly sticks that can handle even the larger Chinook if one happens to grab the bait and lure.
Another fishery that is over looked by many local anglers is the early run of Coho that migrate up the Vedder River. As early as the first week in August Coho start to arrive into this river. The Vedder canal is a great place to target early Coho as well as the confluence of the Vedder. Fishing the deeper pools is a good place to start, there's always a chance at hooking a larger Chinook as well. Casting spinners and float fishing with cured salmon roe are the two most productive methods for the canal. The
confluence is best fished by trolling with Gibbs Kit-A-Mat or Tee Spoon. By late August the Coho fishing can be very good especially at the confluence of the Sumas canal. Watch for the boundary signs located at the entrance to the Fraser River, as there is no fishing for Coho in the Fraser so you must fish above the boundary in the Sumas.
By all indications we should be fishing for Sockeye and Chinook on the Fraser. This is the best fishery in the Valley for catching quantity of salmon. On a good day it's not that difficult to hook 10 or more Sockeye per person with a good chance at a larger Chinook salmon. The Fraser also offers fair to great fishing for Sturgeon through August with peak fishing beginning late August through to November. The Chehalis River has reasonable fishing for summer run Steelhead and Chinook. The key to success on this river totally dependent on water levels. The Chehalis river fishes best just after a heavy rain. The Vedder River has fair to good fishing for Chinook with the Coho beginning to enter by mid August. By late August or early September good numbers of Coho are in the river system with late run Chinook and early chum not far behind. The Harrison river begins to fish well for Sockeye by early August with best fishing late August early September. The Harrison also offers fair to good fishing for Cutthroat Trout throughout the summer and fall. The Stave River begins to see an early run of Coho in mid August but peak fishing is late September early October.
Hope to see you on the water
Vic Carrao
http://www.guidebc.com
By: Vic Carrao
The Fraser Valley offers many unique fishing opportunities, river fishing for Salmon and Sturgeon, Carp fishing in our local sloughs and fly fishing for Trout and Whitefish in lakes and rivers. All these fisheries provide excellent opportunities for those willing to put in the time to learn, how, when, where to fish them. The angling opportunities the Fraser Valley offers are world class. I spend most of my time guiding anglers from around the world. I have never yet heard someone say where they live the fishing is better or the scenery more beautiful. You soon realize what we have is very special, even on a slow day; our quality of angling is much higher than most places in the world. Could you image spending 5 days fishing to catch 2 fish and then say that's was great fishing. I can't, but many places in this world it is considered normal and even above average.
Over the next few months I will be writing a series of fishery forecasts with a few tips on where, when and how to catch your favorite fish. Please feel free to email us at sts@guidebc.com or browse though our website.
There are several fisheries in August that provide good to excellent fishing opportunities for salmon; the two most notable are Sockeye & Chinook salmon. The Fraser and Vedder River's are two most productive salmon rivers in SE British Columbia. The Fraser is now loaded with Sockeye with good chances at catching a trophy Chinook. The preferred methods to catch these feisty fish are bottom bouncing, bar fishing and fly-fishing. The area between Chilliwack and Hope is one of the most productive salmon grounds on the Fraser. There are many access points to these productive fishing grounds for those with a boat, with limited access for shore anglers. Hope and Agassiz provide the best shore access points with Gill rd, Peg leg, Haig bar and Jones Creek being the most popular. Recently a book call Fishing Fever was published which shows most of the popular angling areas and access points for the Fraser River. Fishing Fever is available at most of the local tackle stores located throughout the lower mainland.
One fishery that is over looked by most anglers is the Jack fishery on the Fraser. A Jack is immature salmon usually less than 5 lbs. The Fraser has excellent fishing for Chinook Jacks by mid August with very few anglers targeting them. The most productive method to catch Jacks is bar fishing but don't over look hooking them with a fly as well. For bar fishing the set up is the same as used for large Chinook but on a smaller scale, Rod, reel and bar rig with a spin n glo. The key to catching Jacks is to scale down your spin n glo to a # 4 or 6 and add some cured salmon roe. Jacks travel close to shore so use less weight and keep your casts short. This is a great fishery for kids as they can reel them in without help from Mom or Dad. My kids use 6 ft ugly sticks that can handle even the larger Chinook if one happens to grab the bait and lure.
Another fishery that is over looked by many local anglers is the early run of Coho that migrate up the Vedder River. As early as the first week in August Coho start to arrive into this river. The Vedder canal is a great place to target early Coho as well as the confluence of the Vedder. Fishing the deeper pools is a good place to start, there's always a chance at hooking a larger Chinook as well. Casting spinners and float fishing with cured salmon roe are the two most productive methods for the canal. The
confluence is best fished by trolling with Gibbs Kit-A-Mat or Tee Spoon. By late August the Coho fishing can be very good especially at the confluence of the Sumas canal. Watch for the boundary signs located at the entrance to the Fraser River, as there is no fishing for Coho in the Fraser so you must fish above the boundary in the Sumas.
By all indications we should be fishing for Sockeye and Chinook on the Fraser. This is the best fishery in the Valley for catching quantity of salmon. On a good day it's not that difficult to hook 10 or more Sockeye per person with a good chance at a larger Chinook salmon. The Fraser also offers fair to great fishing for Sturgeon through August with peak fishing beginning late August through to November. The Chehalis River has reasonable fishing for summer run Steelhead and Chinook. The key to success on this river totally dependent on water levels. The Chehalis river fishes best just after a heavy rain. The Vedder River has fair to good fishing for Chinook with the Coho beginning to enter by mid August. By late August or early September good numbers of Coho are in the river system with late run Chinook and early chum not far behind. The Harrison river begins to fish well for Sockeye by early August with best fishing late August early September. The Harrison also offers fair to good fishing for Cutthroat Trout throughout the summer and fall. The Stave River begins to see an early run of Coho in mid August but peak fishing is late September early October.
Hope to see you on the water
Vic Carrao
http://www.guidebc.com
Thursday, November 29, 2007
FREE $300 Bass Pro or Cabela’s Gift Card
Title: FREE $300 Bass Pro or Cabela’s Gift Card
Post: Your hunting expertise is valuable to us, and we'd like you to take a brief survey on your personal experience with riflescopes. Upon completion, you'll be entered for a chance to win a $300 gift card or one of our other great prizes. Details below.
http://www.trophyresearch.com/optics
It is people like you that help the industry change for the better. Please take a couple of minutes and complete the survey. You have a great chance to win.
1-First Place Prize - $300.00 Bass Pro Shops or Cabela's Gift Card. Your choice.
10-Second Place Prizes - Knight & Hale slate calls. $19.95 Retail
This survey will be active until December 4th, so don't delay. You will be notified via email within 14 days. Prizes will be sent out within 4 to 6 weeks. Thanks again for being part of "The Inner Circle of The Great Outdoors".
Post: Your hunting expertise is valuable to us, and we'd like you to take a brief survey on your personal experience with riflescopes. Upon completion, you'll be entered for a chance to win a $300 gift card or one of our other great prizes. Details below.
http://www.trophyresearch.com/optics
It is people like you that help the industry change for the better. Please take a couple of minutes and complete the survey. You have a great chance to win.
1-First Place Prize - $300.00 Bass Pro Shops or Cabela's Gift Card. Your choice.
10-Second Place Prizes - Knight & Hale slate calls. $19.95 Retail
This survey will be active until December 4th, so don't delay. You will be notified via email within 14 days. Prizes will be sent out within 4 to 6 weeks. Thanks again for being part of "The Inner Circle of The Great Outdoors".
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Canyon Pocket Water
Canyon Pocket Water
By: Jason Akl
Some of our favorite trout streams across America that are suppose to be a sure bet for catching trophy trout are not always able to live up to all the expectations placed on them. Especially during the hot summer months these special rivers see hundreds or even thousands of anglers that drift endless amounts of dries, nymphs and streamers in every possible color and pattern. The fish in these so-called hotspots become wise to anglers; and the chance of catching a trophy becomes slim due to the increased angler pressure. The answer to catching trophy trout in these rivers is sometimes as easy as taking a hop, skip and a short climb.
Some of the best fishing opportunities in every river can be found in what is known as pocket water. Canyon pocket water is easy to identify from other sections of the river because it has an almost white water rapids appearance. With fast deep runs cutting between steep canyon walls, the fish that are in these pocket waters are usually some of the biggest found in the river. Their large size is usually coupled with a bad disposition for flies trying to travel throughout their respective pools. One of the main reasons that pocket water is so productive is because of the extremely rough terrain to get to the fishable water. One of the key concepts that I try to follow when fishing pocket water is that the harder I have to work to get to a spot, usually the better the fishing will be when I get there. I want to inject a word of caution to all: fishing canyon pocket water is not for the faint of heart. Most of the best pools in the canyons have long hikes through treacherous stretches of rock that can come in the form of massive boulders or algae covered wash rocks. Another good idea to follow is to not wear your waiters when trying to fish this type of water. With the rough terrain, steep slopes, and fast flowing water, a slip in your waiters on could prove deadly.
To be a successful pocket water fisherman, one must master a wide range of techniques to coax the fish to bite. First of all, learning a good roll cast will make your days on the water go much more smoothly. You will be spending most of your time down in the canyons or near thick brush, so there will not be room for long back-casts.
Paying attention to the water is the next most important point to consider. Some fish will be found in the white wash of the rapids, but an equal number of fish can be found on the outsides or breaks of fast pools. Targeting these fish is rather easy; simply search out points of breaks in the current and slow water and you will find actively feeding fish. Current breaks can come in many different forms. When fishing canyon pocket water you will usually find them behind large rocks or at the bottom of small waterfalls. As for fly selection, I find it best to use weighted streamers that contrast the water color. If the river I am going to be fishing is clear, I like to use a black or olive pattern; and if the river has a dark tint to it, I use a white or tan streamer. I have had some of my best luck using wooly bugger and cone-head leech patterns. Check with your local stream's regulations before going out to fish the pocket water of your favorite river. Some rivers do not allow certain types of weights to be used in flies, so you might have to purchase some lead-free alternatives. When fishing canyon pocket water I use an upstream and cross direction to my casting. The instant the fly retrieve, stripping a few inches at a time. I try to keep the rod facing upstream so that the fly faces into the oncoming water hits the water I start my this gives it the longest drift possible. If the first few drifts go unnoticed by fish I usually cast again across and upstream. This time I let the fly sink and drift unaltered until it reaches the half-way point of the pocket that I am fishing. Once it hits this point, I start again actively stripping in the fly upstream- back to myself.
On a recent trip out to Yellowstone National Park I spent the first two days fishing what I call "brochure spots". These are spots on well known rivers that have easy car access coupled with low rolling meadows providing anglers with easy walking and casting on the river. Sure, my fishing partner
and I caught fish but not anything that would justify a twenty-hour drive and two eight-hour fishing days. On our third day in the park, we decided to try the same river but this time fishing the river's canyons and its pocket water. As we parked the car in the early morning fog we looked for a spot that would allow us to enter the canyon below the fast running water but still a good distance from the beaten paths of the meadows. We hiked down the side of a steep cliff to the rivers edge where we positioned ourselves on some small boulders. We noticed immediately that there was a fewer number of tracks on the river bank. Our first casts into a large pool yielded nothing and raised some doubts into our minds about our choices but those doubts were soon to be settled. In a small intermediate run with a downed pine I swung a large black leech streamer downstream and was surprised with a beautiful 14 inch cutthroat. Minutes later I was again dumbfounded, this time I hooked a majestic 15 inch cutthroat. Within a matter of fifteen minutes and three meandering river bends my friend and I had already eclipsed the amount of fish caught in our first two days of fishing. Not only were the hits coming continuously, but the size of fish being caught was significantly better than that of the previous days. The further we worked our way up the canyon, the rougher the walk became and the fewer tracks that were present.
Near the end of out day's journey, we entered a narrowing portion of the canyon where the water became increasingly fast. After some careful wading and exploring, we came upon a deep hole which I have never seen the likes of before. It was turquoise in color and incased by a solid rock canyon on three sides it also looked to be deeper than anything we had fished all day. We positioned ourselves on top of a weathered granite boulder and began to swing our flies into the large pool. The fish were every where that our flies seemed to go. We spent the better part of two hours fishing off of this rock, changing flies every so often to keep the fish interested. We landed multiple fish in the 16-18 inch class and could have spent the rest of the week fishing this spot. This deep pocket had something special about it. It looked like the fishing hole that you have been dreaming about for years, but was so much more because it was real and we were there in that moment doing what we both enjoyed the most.
On the walk back we laughed to ourselves about our great day and wondered why others had not tried tapping into this wonderful fishery. Inside I know we both were thankful that others didn't know or want to venture to the canyon pocket water. For now we would always have a place to go where we could fish by ourselves and at the same time have the chance to land a real trophy trout.
Tight lines and Smooth Threads,
Jason Akl
By: Jason Akl
Some of our favorite trout streams across America that are suppose to be a sure bet for catching trophy trout are not always able to live up to all the expectations placed on them. Especially during the hot summer months these special rivers see hundreds or even thousands of anglers that drift endless amounts of dries, nymphs and streamers in every possible color and pattern. The fish in these so-called hotspots become wise to anglers; and the chance of catching a trophy becomes slim due to the increased angler pressure. The answer to catching trophy trout in these rivers is sometimes as easy as taking a hop, skip and a short climb.
Some of the best fishing opportunities in every river can be found in what is known as pocket water. Canyon pocket water is easy to identify from other sections of the river because it has an almost white water rapids appearance. With fast deep runs cutting between steep canyon walls, the fish that are in these pocket waters are usually some of the biggest found in the river. Their large size is usually coupled with a bad disposition for flies trying to travel throughout their respective pools. One of the main reasons that pocket water is so productive is because of the extremely rough terrain to get to the fishable water. One of the key concepts that I try to follow when fishing pocket water is that the harder I have to work to get to a spot, usually the better the fishing will be when I get there. I want to inject a word of caution to all: fishing canyon pocket water is not for the faint of heart. Most of the best pools in the canyons have long hikes through treacherous stretches of rock that can come in the form of massive boulders or algae covered wash rocks. Another good idea to follow is to not wear your waiters when trying to fish this type of water. With the rough terrain, steep slopes, and fast flowing water, a slip in your waiters on could prove deadly.
To be a successful pocket water fisherman, one must master a wide range of techniques to coax the fish to bite. First of all, learning a good roll cast will make your days on the water go much more smoothly. You will be spending most of your time down in the canyons or near thick brush, so there will not be room for long back-casts.
Paying attention to the water is the next most important point to consider. Some fish will be found in the white wash of the rapids, but an equal number of fish can be found on the outsides or breaks of fast pools. Targeting these fish is rather easy; simply search out points of breaks in the current and slow water and you will find actively feeding fish. Current breaks can come in many different forms. When fishing canyon pocket water you will usually find them behind large rocks or at the bottom of small waterfalls. As for fly selection, I find it best to use weighted streamers that contrast the water color. If the river I am going to be fishing is clear, I like to use a black or olive pattern; and if the river has a dark tint to it, I use a white or tan streamer. I have had some of my best luck using wooly bugger and cone-head leech patterns. Check with your local stream's regulations before going out to fish the pocket water of your favorite river. Some rivers do not allow certain types of weights to be used in flies, so you might have to purchase some lead-free alternatives. When fishing canyon pocket water I use an upstream and cross direction to my casting. The instant the fly retrieve, stripping a few inches at a time. I try to keep the rod facing upstream so that the fly faces into the oncoming water hits the water I start my this gives it the longest drift possible. If the first few drifts go unnoticed by fish I usually cast again across and upstream. This time I let the fly sink and drift unaltered until it reaches the half-way point of the pocket that I am fishing. Once it hits this point, I start again actively stripping in the fly upstream- back to myself.
On a recent trip out to Yellowstone National Park I spent the first two days fishing what I call "brochure spots". These are spots on well known rivers that have easy car access coupled with low rolling meadows providing anglers with easy walking and casting on the river. Sure, my fishing partner
and I caught fish but not anything that would justify a twenty-hour drive and two eight-hour fishing days. On our third day in the park, we decided to try the same river but this time fishing the river's canyons and its pocket water. As we parked the car in the early morning fog we looked for a spot that would allow us to enter the canyon below the fast running water but still a good distance from the beaten paths of the meadows. We hiked down the side of a steep cliff to the rivers edge where we positioned ourselves on some small boulders. We noticed immediately that there was a fewer number of tracks on the river bank. Our first casts into a large pool yielded nothing and raised some doubts into our minds about our choices but those doubts were soon to be settled. In a small intermediate run with a downed pine I swung a large black leech streamer downstream and was surprised with a beautiful 14 inch cutthroat. Minutes later I was again dumbfounded, this time I hooked a majestic 15 inch cutthroat. Within a matter of fifteen minutes and three meandering river bends my friend and I had already eclipsed the amount of fish caught in our first two days of fishing. Not only were the hits coming continuously, but the size of fish being caught was significantly better than that of the previous days. The further we worked our way up the canyon, the rougher the walk became and the fewer tracks that were present.
Near the end of out day's journey, we entered a narrowing portion of the canyon where the water became increasingly fast. After some careful wading and exploring, we came upon a deep hole which I have never seen the likes of before. It was turquoise in color and incased by a solid rock canyon on three sides it also looked to be deeper than anything we had fished all day. We positioned ourselves on top of a weathered granite boulder and began to swing our flies into the large pool. The fish were every where that our flies seemed to go. We spent the better part of two hours fishing off of this rock, changing flies every so often to keep the fish interested. We landed multiple fish in the 16-18 inch class and could have spent the rest of the week fishing this spot. This deep pocket had something special about it. It looked like the fishing hole that you have been dreaming about for years, but was so much more because it was real and we were there in that moment doing what we both enjoyed the most.
On the walk back we laughed to ourselves about our great day and wondered why others had not tried tapping into this wonderful fishery. Inside I know we both were thankful that others didn't know or want to venture to the canyon pocket water. For now we would always have a place to go where we could fish by ourselves and at the same time have the chance to land a real trophy trout.
Tight lines and Smooth Threads,
Jason Akl
The Float and Fly, A Historical and Sporting View
The Float and Fly, A Historical and Sporting View
by Jim Dicken
There has been a LOT of talk about the Float and Fly lately in magazines and on regional TV shows. The "Newest" tactic to catch big fish!
Reality is that the "Float and Fly" has been around for years. It was originally a way to catch crappie in the winter. Fishermen used the rig to fish small jigs and minnows for crappie. The problem was that in East Tennessee where the technique originated, crappie and smallmouth seem to like to inhabit the same areas of the lake during winter. Winter Crappie fishermen were breaking off a LOT of small jigs thanks too smallmouth bass, and not just any smallmouth bass, but BIG smallmouth.
Many anglers have used the Float and Fly and others have used some form of it over the years. However the real genesis of the "Float and Fly" was a gentleman who ran a tackle store in East Tennessee. Charlie Nuckols kept hearing his winter customers cursing those darn smallmouth and decided to see if he could figure out a way to
catch some nice smallmouth using a crappie style rig.
I don't know what kind of rig he used, but it worked. Other guides, and fishermen learned the way of the Float and Fly and each brought his or her own outlook to the rigging of the Float and Fly.
Bob Coan of Celina Tennessee is probably one of the most studied on the subject of the Float and Fly. (Matter of fact most of the information for this article is from Bob) Bob has developed his own rig, and can at times get a bit persnickety when folks try to tell him that they can do it differently.
The bobber is your basic foam/ styrofoam bobber with weighted bottom. Bob takes the bobber and removes the guts carefully. He then cuts the bobber in half and takes a cigarette or other available hot item and creates a depression in the middle of the bobber for the weight to fit into. He inserts the weight from the bottom into the middle of the bobber and puts the bobber back together, and glues the 2 halves back together. (If you don't like the idea of tearing apart a bobber, Dale Hollow One Stop in Celina Tennessee, sells a Bob's Bobber that was designed based on Bob's idea. You can purchase the bobber on line at www.punisherjigs.com)
What the Bob's bobber is designed to do is to lie over on its side when there is no weight pulling it down. The idea being that when a smallmouth comes up from under the bobber the bobber without weight on it will lay over indicating a strike. Most times the bobber will sink when a smallie is on, but occasionally the smallmouth are under the bait coming up and this gives you just a slight edge in hooking the fish.
The idea of the swivel is to keep the bait at a specific level and to reduce the amount of stress on the line. This is accomplished by not having to wrap your line around the bobber and creating a stress point by creating that concentrated coiling around the bobber shaft.
Now you are ready to fish. But why does this work so well.
Bob contends that it is the basic fishing premise that Buck Perry made famous. Depth control plus speed control will get the fish to bite. Put the bait in front of the fish at a speed he wants and you have him. In winter Bass will suspend in 10 to 14 feet of water along many rock banks and around cover. Think of water in winter like being at 5000 feet and trying to exercise. Water is thicker to the fish and harder to move through when it is cold. It is the same way for bait fish. By putting the bait in front of the fish and moving it at the same rate of speed as the larger fish you are mimicking the actual way that bait fish relate to cover, structure and to other fish. It's the opportunity to feed without exerting much energy.
Just about any type of jig will work in the 16th and 32nd ounce range. However, Bob swears by the Duck Feather most of the early season of December and January. The scale pattern mimics a bait fish, and when a little garlic is put on the bait everything seems to work. Most days at least one 4 pounder will be caught, and fish up to 7 pounds have been brought successfully to the boat. Bob uses the Punisher Jig Float Fly made in Celina Tennessee. (www.punisherjig.com)
It is those break offs on Dale Hollow that really get your blood pumping though. When you are fishing a lake that has produced the top 3 Smallies of all time, each break off is a rush of adrenalin. What did I MISS?
I have talked about the rig, but probably one of the most important aspects of the Float and Fly method is the Rod. You have to use a long rod made for this kind of fishing. A Noodle Rod will work, but as Bob likes to say, I never have caught a
Noodle on one of those Noodle Rods. Bob prefers to use the Float and Fly rods made by All Pro. Rods come in 8 foot to 11 foot lengths. My personal favorite is a 9' 6" Rod given to me by Bob. It works well for me, because I am tall and have a slightly longer reach that allows me to use leaders up to 15 feet in length. Longer rods are for both longer leaders and shorter people. The 8 foot rods are tournament legal. An important aspect when winter fishing for bass during a tournament, as many tournaments have an 8' Rod Length limit.
The rod is what you fight the fish with. It takes most of the strain of the fight by bending easily and creating pressure on the fish. Keeping the rod bent is very important. If it straightens out with a fish on, most likely the fish will have enough slack to spit the lure out.
The trolling motor that you use plays a big part in fishing the Float and Fly. On windy days you need to be able to concentrate on the cast not on the boat position. Bob swears by one of the newer trolling motors put out by Motor Guide. It is called the Pinpoint. This motor will sense the distance from the bank, or control your boat based on a specific depth or hold you over a channel. If you want to fish 50 feet from the bank you set it and "Forget IT" and the motor does the work of keeping you parallel to the bank without you taking time away from fishing.
We have talked about all the aspects of the Float and Fly except for the reel. Spinning reels are the only way to go. It is almost impossible to throw a 32nd or 16th ounce jig with a baitcaster, and the best spinning reels have a trigger. It is much easier to get all that line behind you if you can just pick it all up and back cast it behind you, and then pull the trigger to make the forward cast.
Making the cast is the hardest part of this system. You have up to 12 to 15 feet of line and a small jig to get out. First step is to work this into the water in front of you and then to back cast. The back cast should end with the bait stretched out behind you in the lake. Wait until you hear the bait hit the water. This makes the forward cast work because with the jig in the water you are pulling everything in a straight line. It will also prevent wind knots. Cast to within a few feet of the bank and then work the jig out away from the bank until the bobber stands up. Then point the rod at the bobber and shake it like you are shaking your finger at a naughty child. This will make the bait flit around in the water like a nervous bait fish. When the bobber sinks or lays over you have a bass and set the hook. Sweep the rod straight UP not to the side. You want the jig to stay straight up and to hook the fish in the roof of the mouth.
Bingo you got the Float and Fly.
NOW the basic mistakes most folks make. You can NOT use a slip bobber for this method. A 32nd or 16th ounce weight is not enough to pull the line through the bobber, and adding weight will take it down, but then when you work it back to the boat, you end up with the bait working its way up the line shallower than you want. The key to the system is DEPTH and keeping the bait in front of the fish. As you work a slip bobber to the boat, the bait rises out of the strike zone. NO you cannot work this on a 7 foot rod in shallower water with shallower fishing. The rod is the key. The limberness of the rod keeps the BIG fish from either breaking you off or in straightening the hook on the jig.
Stick with what I have described here and you will catch fish. Better yet try a Float and Fly trip with Bob Coan or one of the guides he works with. You won't be sorry.
Bob Coan can be reached at 1-866-233-2471
Or E-mail Bob at bcoan@twlakes.net
Bob is a guide on Dale Hollow Lake
You can see his website at http://www.1fghp.com/bobcoan.html
Written by Jim Dicken
Owner Fishing Guides Home Page http://www.1fghp.com
Editor Fishin.com
by Jim Dicken
There has been a LOT of talk about the Float and Fly lately in magazines and on regional TV shows. The "Newest" tactic to catch big fish!
Reality is that the "Float and Fly" has been around for years. It was originally a way to catch crappie in the winter. Fishermen used the rig to fish small jigs and minnows for crappie. The problem was that in East Tennessee where the technique originated, crappie and smallmouth seem to like to inhabit the same areas of the lake during winter. Winter Crappie fishermen were breaking off a LOT of small jigs thanks too smallmouth bass, and not just any smallmouth bass, but BIG smallmouth.
Many anglers have used the Float and Fly and others have used some form of it over the years. However the real genesis of the "Float and Fly" was a gentleman who ran a tackle store in East Tennessee. Charlie Nuckols kept hearing his winter customers cursing those darn smallmouth and decided to see if he could figure out a way to
catch some nice smallmouth using a crappie style rig.
I don't know what kind of rig he used, but it worked. Other guides, and fishermen learned the way of the Float and Fly and each brought his or her own outlook to the rigging of the Float and Fly.
Bob Coan of Celina Tennessee is probably one of the most studied on the subject of the Float and Fly. (Matter of fact most of the information for this article is from Bob) Bob has developed his own rig, and can at times get a bit persnickety when folks try to tell him that they can do it differently.
The bobber is your basic foam/ styrofoam bobber with weighted bottom. Bob takes the bobber and removes the guts carefully. He then cuts the bobber in half and takes a cigarette or other available hot item and creates a depression in the middle of the bobber for the weight to fit into. He inserts the weight from the bottom into the middle of the bobber and puts the bobber back together, and glues the 2 halves back together. (If you don't like the idea of tearing apart a bobber, Dale Hollow One Stop in Celina Tennessee, sells a Bob's Bobber that was designed based on Bob's idea. You can purchase the bobber on line at www.punisherjigs.com)
What the Bob's bobber is designed to do is to lie over on its side when there is no weight pulling it down. The idea being that when a smallmouth comes up from under the bobber the bobber without weight on it will lay over indicating a strike. Most times the bobber will sink when a smallie is on, but occasionally the smallmouth are under the bait coming up and this gives you just a slight edge in hooking the fish.
The idea of the swivel is to keep the bait at a specific level and to reduce the amount of stress on the line. This is accomplished by not having to wrap your line around the bobber and creating a stress point by creating that concentrated coiling around the bobber shaft.
Now you are ready to fish. But why does this work so well.
Bob contends that it is the basic fishing premise that Buck Perry made famous. Depth control plus speed control will get the fish to bite. Put the bait in front of the fish at a speed he wants and you have him. In winter Bass will suspend in 10 to 14 feet of water along many rock banks and around cover. Think of water in winter like being at 5000 feet and trying to exercise. Water is thicker to the fish and harder to move through when it is cold. It is the same way for bait fish. By putting the bait in front of the fish and moving it at the same rate of speed as the larger fish you are mimicking the actual way that bait fish relate to cover, structure and to other fish. It's the opportunity to feed without exerting much energy.
Just about any type of jig will work in the 16th and 32nd ounce range. However, Bob swears by the Duck Feather most of the early season of December and January. The scale pattern mimics a bait fish, and when a little garlic is put on the bait everything seems to work. Most days at least one 4 pounder will be caught, and fish up to 7 pounds have been brought successfully to the boat. Bob uses the Punisher Jig Float Fly made in Celina Tennessee. (www.punisherjig.com)
It is those break offs on Dale Hollow that really get your blood pumping though. When you are fishing a lake that has produced the top 3 Smallies of all time, each break off is a rush of adrenalin. What did I MISS?
I have talked about the rig, but probably one of the most important aspects of the Float and Fly method is the Rod. You have to use a long rod made for this kind of fishing. A Noodle Rod will work, but as Bob likes to say, I never have caught a
Noodle on one of those Noodle Rods. Bob prefers to use the Float and Fly rods made by All Pro. Rods come in 8 foot to 11 foot lengths. My personal favorite is a 9' 6" Rod given to me by Bob. It works well for me, because I am tall and have a slightly longer reach that allows me to use leaders up to 15 feet in length. Longer rods are for both longer leaders and shorter people. The 8 foot rods are tournament legal. An important aspect when winter fishing for bass during a tournament, as many tournaments have an 8' Rod Length limit.
The rod is what you fight the fish with. It takes most of the strain of the fight by bending easily and creating pressure on the fish. Keeping the rod bent is very important. If it straightens out with a fish on, most likely the fish will have enough slack to spit the lure out.
The trolling motor that you use plays a big part in fishing the Float and Fly. On windy days you need to be able to concentrate on the cast not on the boat position. Bob swears by one of the newer trolling motors put out by Motor Guide. It is called the Pinpoint. This motor will sense the distance from the bank, or control your boat based on a specific depth or hold you over a channel. If you want to fish 50 feet from the bank you set it and "Forget IT" and the motor does the work of keeping you parallel to the bank without you taking time away from fishing.
We have talked about all the aspects of the Float and Fly except for the reel. Spinning reels are the only way to go. It is almost impossible to throw a 32nd or 16th ounce jig with a baitcaster, and the best spinning reels have a trigger. It is much easier to get all that line behind you if you can just pick it all up and back cast it behind you, and then pull the trigger to make the forward cast.
Making the cast is the hardest part of this system. You have up to 12 to 15 feet of line and a small jig to get out. First step is to work this into the water in front of you and then to back cast. The back cast should end with the bait stretched out behind you in the lake. Wait until you hear the bait hit the water. This makes the forward cast work because with the jig in the water you are pulling everything in a straight line. It will also prevent wind knots. Cast to within a few feet of the bank and then work the jig out away from the bank until the bobber stands up. Then point the rod at the bobber and shake it like you are shaking your finger at a naughty child. This will make the bait flit around in the water like a nervous bait fish. When the bobber sinks or lays over you have a bass and set the hook. Sweep the rod straight UP not to the side. You want the jig to stay straight up and to hook the fish in the roof of the mouth.
Bingo you got the Float and Fly.
NOW the basic mistakes most folks make. You can NOT use a slip bobber for this method. A 32nd or 16th ounce weight is not enough to pull the line through the bobber, and adding weight will take it down, but then when you work it back to the boat, you end up with the bait working its way up the line shallower than you want. The key to the system is DEPTH and keeping the bait in front of the fish. As you work a slip bobber to the boat, the bait rises out of the strike zone. NO you cannot work this on a 7 foot rod in shallower water with shallower fishing. The rod is the key. The limberness of the rod keeps the BIG fish from either breaking you off or in straightening the hook on the jig.
Stick with what I have described here and you will catch fish. Better yet try a Float and Fly trip with Bob Coan or one of the guides he works with. You won't be sorry.
Bob Coan can be reached at 1-866-233-2471
Or E-mail Bob at bcoan@twlakes.net
Bob is a guide on Dale Hollow Lake
You can see his website at http://www.1fghp.com/bobcoan.html
Written by Jim Dicken
Owner Fishing Guides Home Page http://www.1fghp.com
Editor Fishin.com
Bucktail Lures - Rigging and Jigging
Bucktail Lures - Rigging and Jigging
— by Capt. Al Lorenzetti
For every serious fisherperson, another story about the bucktail lure must also exist. There have been books and articles too numerous to count written about the subject.
I have read many myself, some good and some bad, but in every one that I can remember, there was always something new to be offered. Over the years, I have incorporated these little tricks and variations with my own hard earned experience. This has allowed me to develop a system and technique that works well for me in the areas that I fish. The bucktail is a very basic lure, in itself just a few hairs tied to a leadhead jig. It will no doubt catch a bluefish if thrown into a school in a feeding frenzy, but, it will do much more than that if some subtle but important variations are considered. Depth of water, current conditions, target species and their diet should all be considered in organizing a system and technique that will work the best at a given time in a given area. Probably the most important consideration in fishing a bucktail is the fact that the lure has no built in action. It will either drag across the bottom or run a straight line if retrieved. If fished this way it will catch fish but success will improve astronomically if some sort of action is added by the angler. This translates into work and constant attention to technique, fishing a bucktail is not laid back lazy fishing.
What is most amazing about a bucktail is its versatility. It will catch almost any game fish. I have used it successfully in catching everything from white perch in tidal streams to tuna in bluewater. In these instances, the only difference was the size of the lure and a different style of retrieve. I most commonly use the bucktail to catch weakfish, fluke, bass and bluefish. In choosing the correct size bucktail to use, three considerations must be taken into account: the size of the target fish, the depth of water and the amount of current. I have found bucktails to be most effective when worked on or very near the bottom as most fish are generally bottom feeders. An exception to this rule would be bluefish, but even they will move to the bottom to feed. The rule of thumb to apply is simple: use the lightest, smallest bucktail possible that will still allow the lure to remain on or very near the bottom. With deeper water and swift current, larger weight versions must be used. This becomes a limiting factor if the target specie is small. The size of the bucktail that must be used may just be too large to attract the fish you are looking to catch. Something to think about here would be line size. Lighter, small diameter line will not require as much weight as it has less of a drag coefficient in passing through the moving water. I will rarely use greater than 15 lb. test line in working bucktails and often use lighter line of 10 lb. or 12 lb. test. Bucktail head weights come in a great variety of sizes from 1/16 ounce to 6 ounce but most commonly used for inshore saltwater fishing are those from 1/4 ounce to 1 1/2 ounce.
Head shape can vary greatly, ball, bullet, flat, tapered, "smiling bill" etc.. I usually stick with the "smiling bill" or ball design. I must say that I have not really seen a great difference in productivity regarding head design other than when fishing a hard current, a more streamlined head such as the bullet design, will hold bottom more effectively. For fluke, smaller is better and I have most success with 1/4 ounce to 3/4 ounce bucktails. This is not saying that a large fluke of five pounds or more wouldn't take a 2 ounce bucktail but it would also ingest a 1/2 ounce version. It is more likely that a large fish will attack a smaller lure than a small fish attack a large lure. In addition, there are more small fish that fit in a frying pan just perfectly! This is something to consider in all bucktail fishing. Bluefish and weakfish tend to run in schools with most fish all of similar size. For either specie when under four pounds, I prefer bucktails of 1/2 ounce to 3/4 ounce. When the larger specimens of 5 to 15 pounds are around, I then switch to 1 to 1 1/2 ounce weights.
Bass can be a great challenge in that their size can vary greatly from little schoolies of 2 to 3 lbs. up to cows of 40 lbs. or more. I would bet that most bucktail caught bass would average between 5 and 15 lbs. therefore I usually start out with a 1 1/2 ounce bucktail and move up or down in weight depending upon my success or the size of any fish that I might catch. In my opinion, the most critical factor in being successful with a bucktail is the presentation or action imparted by the angler. This is such a crucial factor that it can account for anything from getting skunked to enjoying a fishing bonanza. I have seen two individuals fishing the same bucktail on the same outfit on the same boat, each with totally opposite results. The difference was all in the action imparted to the lure. My favorite method for fishing the bucktail is to bounce the lure with a twitch of the wrist, letting the lure fall back to the bottom until the "bump" signals that it has come to rest. This can be done by simply working the rod without retrieving line when there is a good drift, or taking a couple of cranks in between lifts when stationary or when tidal movement is very slow. I continue the process varying the speed and height of the lift and time on the bottom. I will try different combinations for short intervals of time. For example, a sharp lift of one foot, a slow drop back and one second at rest on the bottom. I will repeat this motion for ten or fifteen cycles. I might then alter the pattern to slow lift of one foot, followed by the same slow drop back and one second of rest on the bottom. I always vary only one factor at a time so that when I get a strike, I will know which aspect of the action in my retrieve is the most enticing. I may therefore be able to accentuate this action, knowing exactly what it is. In general, the most productive retrieve I have utilized is the fast, short twitch followed by a slow controlled drop-back with a one half to full one second rest on the bottom.
As you might guess from this discussion, the manner in which the lure is worked on the retrieve is what catches the fish. Each different specie of fish and set of conditions will generally require a slight variation in the action to be most productive. It is most
important to experiment in order to find the most enticing action and then to duplicate that exact action on every cast and retrieve. Invariably the strike will come at the end of the drop back or as the lure sits on the bottom. The angler must be ready to set the hook with a sharp lift as soon as the strike is felt. An artificial lure will be spit out as quickly as it was hit and therefore speed is of the essence. For this reason, the slow controlled drop-back is most productive. In lowering the tip of the rod slowly, no slack is produced in the line and even the slightest strike will be felt. In addition, it will allow the "bump" of the jig on the bottom to be felt and prevent any delay in setting the hook.
Graphite rods with their great sensitivity and strength are exceptional for fishing bucktails. My favorites are the Penn Power Stick bait-casting outfits matched to the size of the lure. For 3/4 ounce or less I use the PBC-60M rod with Penn 1000 or Penn 920 reel and 10 lb. test Ande line. For 1 ounce and heavier lures I use the Penn PPG-4971 rod with Penn 930 reel and 15 lb. Ande line. I keep all my bucktail hooks needle sharp so as to insure deep penetration and firm hook setting. As you can tell, conventional revolving spool reels are my favorite for this type of fishing. However, when jigging also requires a fast retrieve, I will shift to spinning gear which generally has a faster retrieve ratio. My favorite for this situation for all lures up to 1 1/2 ounce is the Penn PSG-4871 rod with 4400 SS reel spooled with 10 lb. test Ande "Classic" line which is very soft and well suited to spinning gear.
Another consideration when using bucktails is line twist that is produced by the jigging action. In working the lure as I have described, occasionally the bucktail will make a complete roll of 360 degrees. This will put a turn in your line and eventually produce problems with the line twisting around the tip of the rod and casting difficulties. To prevent this from happening, I pre-rig all my bucktails with a small barrel swivel at the end of a short trace of leader material that is appropriate to the size of the lure. I generally use about one foot of 20 lb. test mono and a barrel swivel rated at 50 to 75 lb. test. To prevent "chopoffs" when bluefish are my primary target, I substitute plastic coated multi-strand wire as my leader material. The actual appearance of the bucktail in addition to the way it is worked is what determines its overall effectiveness. Considerations in this regard would include jig color, length of hair and whether or not it is "tipped off" with some kind of additional attractant. Most bucktails commercially produced are of fairly good quality. When purchasing bucktails, the most important consideration in addition to color or head shape, is quality construction. Make sure the winding that holds the hair in place is well tied and coated to prevent abrasion damage and that the hook is of good quality. A visual inspection to details will usually suffice but actual use will be the true test of quality. I have recently been using the "Fin Strike" bucktail and it has proven to be excellent in both quality and effectiveness.
The most common bucktail colors available are white, red/white and yellow. I use white most often with excellent results. Yellow has been very productive for me in years when blowfish are abundant. I believe the yellow bucktail can be taken for a small blowfish on the run, and many gamefish will feed upon these tasty morsels. A good habit to get in to is to check the stomach contents of any fish that are kept and cleaned. It will allow you to determine what they are feeding upon and therefore you can "match the hatch" the next time out. This past year, bright green bucktails appeared in the tackle shops. I gave them a try and they have worked well. I have had good catches of small weakfish and fluke using the bright green version in 1/2 ounce size. "Tipping off" the bucktail jig with a piece of squid, pork rind or even a small jelly worm, greatly enhances its effectiveness. I find the pork rind to be the most convenient since it does not have to be maintained as does fresh bait, is always available in my tackle box, and is so tough that one piece will last all day. I always trim the size of the pork rind to match the size of the bucktail. In addition, I split the tail to give it a greater fluttering action. Most varieties of pork rinds available in tackle shops will not be the exact size or shape for your needs but a sharp knife will produce just what is required. For this reason I purchase the largest rinds, the "striper/muskie" strips, and cut them down to size. Remember to punch a hook hole in the leading end with the tip of the knife.
One last little trick worth mentioning concerns short hitting fish. On a number of occasions for reasons I have yet to figure out, the fish seem to not really mouth the lure firmly when they strike. The result is many hits but few hookups. When this occurs I have improved my results by trimming back the hairs on the lure. I will thin out the hair by cutting some away right up front where they are tied to the lead head and additionally cut and taper the ends of the hair so they end right at the bend in the hook. This effectively moves the hook back into the strike zone of these short hitting fish and will produce more hookups. Hopefully you will find more good than bad in what I have written regarding the bucktail. At least it may provide some food for thought and give you something to add to your bag of tricks.
Good Fishing Capt. Al Lorenzetti © Al Lorenzetti 1991
Published in "The Fisherman" 1991
— by Capt. Al Lorenzetti
For every serious fisherperson, another story about the bucktail lure must also exist. There have been books and articles too numerous to count written about the subject.
I have read many myself, some good and some bad, but in every one that I can remember, there was always something new to be offered. Over the years, I have incorporated these little tricks and variations with my own hard earned experience. This has allowed me to develop a system and technique that works well for me in the areas that I fish. The bucktail is a very basic lure, in itself just a few hairs tied to a leadhead jig. It will no doubt catch a bluefish if thrown into a school in a feeding frenzy, but, it will do much more than that if some subtle but important variations are considered. Depth of water, current conditions, target species and their diet should all be considered in organizing a system and technique that will work the best at a given time in a given area. Probably the most important consideration in fishing a bucktail is the fact that the lure has no built in action. It will either drag across the bottom or run a straight line if retrieved. If fished this way it will catch fish but success will improve astronomically if some sort of action is added by the angler. This translates into work and constant attention to technique, fishing a bucktail is not laid back lazy fishing.
What is most amazing about a bucktail is its versatility. It will catch almost any game fish. I have used it successfully in catching everything from white perch in tidal streams to tuna in bluewater. In these instances, the only difference was the size of the lure and a different style of retrieve. I most commonly use the bucktail to catch weakfish, fluke, bass and bluefish. In choosing the correct size bucktail to use, three considerations must be taken into account: the size of the target fish, the depth of water and the amount of current. I have found bucktails to be most effective when worked on or very near the bottom as most fish are generally bottom feeders. An exception to this rule would be bluefish, but even they will move to the bottom to feed. The rule of thumb to apply is simple: use the lightest, smallest bucktail possible that will still allow the lure to remain on or very near the bottom. With deeper water and swift current, larger weight versions must be used. This becomes a limiting factor if the target specie is small. The size of the bucktail that must be used may just be too large to attract the fish you are looking to catch. Something to think about here would be line size. Lighter, small diameter line will not require as much weight as it has less of a drag coefficient in passing through the moving water. I will rarely use greater than 15 lb. test line in working bucktails and often use lighter line of 10 lb. or 12 lb. test. Bucktail head weights come in a great variety of sizes from 1/16 ounce to 6 ounce but most commonly used for inshore saltwater fishing are those from 1/4 ounce to 1 1/2 ounce.
Head shape can vary greatly, ball, bullet, flat, tapered, "smiling bill" etc.. I usually stick with the "smiling bill" or ball design. I must say that I have not really seen a great difference in productivity regarding head design other than when fishing a hard current, a more streamlined head such as the bullet design, will hold bottom more effectively. For fluke, smaller is better and I have most success with 1/4 ounce to 3/4 ounce bucktails. This is not saying that a large fluke of five pounds or more wouldn't take a 2 ounce bucktail but it would also ingest a 1/2 ounce version. It is more likely that a large fish will attack a smaller lure than a small fish attack a large lure. In addition, there are more small fish that fit in a frying pan just perfectly! This is something to consider in all bucktail fishing. Bluefish and weakfish tend to run in schools with most fish all of similar size. For either specie when under four pounds, I prefer bucktails of 1/2 ounce to 3/4 ounce. When the larger specimens of 5 to 15 pounds are around, I then switch to 1 to 1 1/2 ounce weights.
Bass can be a great challenge in that their size can vary greatly from little schoolies of 2 to 3 lbs. up to cows of 40 lbs. or more. I would bet that most bucktail caught bass would average between 5 and 15 lbs. therefore I usually start out with a 1 1/2 ounce bucktail and move up or down in weight depending upon my success or the size of any fish that I might catch. In my opinion, the most critical factor in being successful with a bucktail is the presentation or action imparted by the angler. This is such a crucial factor that it can account for anything from getting skunked to enjoying a fishing bonanza. I have seen two individuals fishing the same bucktail on the same outfit on the same boat, each with totally opposite results. The difference was all in the action imparted to the lure. My favorite method for fishing the bucktail is to bounce the lure with a twitch of the wrist, letting the lure fall back to the bottom until the "bump" signals that it has come to rest. This can be done by simply working the rod without retrieving line when there is a good drift, or taking a couple of cranks in between lifts when stationary or when tidal movement is very slow. I continue the process varying the speed and height of the lift and time on the bottom. I will try different combinations for short intervals of time. For example, a sharp lift of one foot, a slow drop back and one second at rest on the bottom. I will repeat this motion for ten or fifteen cycles. I might then alter the pattern to slow lift of one foot, followed by the same slow drop back and one second of rest on the bottom. I always vary only one factor at a time so that when I get a strike, I will know which aspect of the action in my retrieve is the most enticing. I may therefore be able to accentuate this action, knowing exactly what it is. In general, the most productive retrieve I have utilized is the fast, short twitch followed by a slow controlled drop-back with a one half to full one second rest on the bottom.
As you might guess from this discussion, the manner in which the lure is worked on the retrieve is what catches the fish. Each different specie of fish and set of conditions will generally require a slight variation in the action to be most productive. It is most
important to experiment in order to find the most enticing action and then to duplicate that exact action on every cast and retrieve. Invariably the strike will come at the end of the drop back or as the lure sits on the bottom. The angler must be ready to set the hook with a sharp lift as soon as the strike is felt. An artificial lure will be spit out as quickly as it was hit and therefore speed is of the essence. For this reason, the slow controlled drop-back is most productive. In lowering the tip of the rod slowly, no slack is produced in the line and even the slightest strike will be felt. In addition, it will allow the "bump" of the jig on the bottom to be felt and prevent any delay in setting the hook.
Graphite rods with their great sensitivity and strength are exceptional for fishing bucktails. My favorites are the Penn Power Stick bait-casting outfits matched to the size of the lure. For 3/4 ounce or less I use the PBC-60M rod with Penn 1000 or Penn 920 reel and 10 lb. test Ande line. For 1 ounce and heavier lures I use the Penn PPG-4971 rod with Penn 930 reel and 15 lb. Ande line. I keep all my bucktail hooks needle sharp so as to insure deep penetration and firm hook setting. As you can tell, conventional revolving spool reels are my favorite for this type of fishing. However, when jigging also requires a fast retrieve, I will shift to spinning gear which generally has a faster retrieve ratio. My favorite for this situation for all lures up to 1 1/2 ounce is the Penn PSG-4871 rod with 4400 SS reel spooled with 10 lb. test Ande "Classic" line which is very soft and well suited to spinning gear.
Another consideration when using bucktails is line twist that is produced by the jigging action. In working the lure as I have described, occasionally the bucktail will make a complete roll of 360 degrees. This will put a turn in your line and eventually produce problems with the line twisting around the tip of the rod and casting difficulties. To prevent this from happening, I pre-rig all my bucktails with a small barrel swivel at the end of a short trace of leader material that is appropriate to the size of the lure. I generally use about one foot of 20 lb. test mono and a barrel swivel rated at 50 to 75 lb. test. To prevent "chopoffs" when bluefish are my primary target, I substitute plastic coated multi-strand wire as my leader material. The actual appearance of the bucktail in addition to the way it is worked is what determines its overall effectiveness. Considerations in this regard would include jig color, length of hair and whether or not it is "tipped off" with some kind of additional attractant. Most bucktails commercially produced are of fairly good quality. When purchasing bucktails, the most important consideration in addition to color or head shape, is quality construction. Make sure the winding that holds the hair in place is well tied and coated to prevent abrasion damage and that the hook is of good quality. A visual inspection to details will usually suffice but actual use will be the true test of quality. I have recently been using the "Fin Strike" bucktail and it has proven to be excellent in both quality and effectiveness.
The most common bucktail colors available are white, red/white and yellow. I use white most often with excellent results. Yellow has been very productive for me in years when blowfish are abundant. I believe the yellow bucktail can be taken for a small blowfish on the run, and many gamefish will feed upon these tasty morsels. A good habit to get in to is to check the stomach contents of any fish that are kept and cleaned. It will allow you to determine what they are feeding upon and therefore you can "match the hatch" the next time out. This past year, bright green bucktails appeared in the tackle shops. I gave them a try and they have worked well. I have had good catches of small weakfish and fluke using the bright green version in 1/2 ounce size. "Tipping off" the bucktail jig with a piece of squid, pork rind or even a small jelly worm, greatly enhances its effectiveness. I find the pork rind to be the most convenient since it does not have to be maintained as does fresh bait, is always available in my tackle box, and is so tough that one piece will last all day. I always trim the size of the pork rind to match the size of the bucktail. In addition, I split the tail to give it a greater fluttering action. Most varieties of pork rinds available in tackle shops will not be the exact size or shape for your needs but a sharp knife will produce just what is required. For this reason I purchase the largest rinds, the "striper/muskie" strips, and cut them down to size. Remember to punch a hook hole in the leading end with the tip of the knife.
One last little trick worth mentioning concerns short hitting fish. On a number of occasions for reasons I have yet to figure out, the fish seem to not really mouth the lure firmly when they strike. The result is many hits but few hookups. When this occurs I have improved my results by trimming back the hairs on the lure. I will thin out the hair by cutting some away right up front where they are tied to the lead head and additionally cut and taper the ends of the hair so they end right at the bend in the hook. This effectively moves the hook back into the strike zone of these short hitting fish and will produce more hookups. Hopefully you will find more good than bad in what I have written regarding the bucktail. At least it may provide some food for thought and give you something to add to your bag of tricks.
Good Fishing Capt. Al Lorenzetti © Al Lorenzetti 1991
Published in "The Fisherman" 1991
Color Selection
Color Selection
— by Roger Lee Brown (The Bass Coach)
How many of you anglers who walk into Tackle Shops, Discount Stores, K-Marts, Wal-Marts, etc., go straight to the sporting goods department, look for the fishing rods sticking up in the air to zero in on the Fishing Lures and Plastic Baits section?
Then, when you get there you start looking over all of the enormous selections of all the different baits and different colors that are offered by the many bait companies that are on the market today, and you’re not really sure of exactly what is really needed, so "The Big Question" comes to mind; "What colors do I really need?" especially when looking over all the plastic baits.
Well, let me tell you a little secret that most anglers don’t know!, and that is; "You don’t need a multitude of colors in your arsenal." That’s right! and let me say it again..... "You don’t need every color that you see!." Now, some anglers may suggest the comment; "well my partner and I use this certain color on this certain body of water, and it catches a lot of bass" or others may say; "I saw this magazine article from one of the top Pros, and he said to use this; yellow, spotted, half stripped, 7", curly tail, floating, thing-a-ma-jig plastic made by so & so, and I saw a picture in the magazine of the 14 lb. bass he caught off of this certain plastic bait, and now I’ve really got to have some of these." Now before we get started, let me explain something to you. The Bassin’ Industry is a "Multi-Billion Dollar Industry" in today's world and growing more and more every day. Most of the Pros that lecture these "Bass Seminars" have an obligation to their sponsors to demonstrate, promote, and to advertise their sponsored product (Nobody gives anything for free anymore!).
For example, attend one of their fishing seminars and just see if they don’t try to sell you on a "certain product", or the technique that they may use with this "certain bait." There are more Outdoor TV Fishing Shows, Outdoor Magazines (related to freshwater fishing), Bass Tournament Organizations, Bass Fishing Sites (on the World Wide Web), Bass Fishing Clubs, Bait and Tackle Manufacturers, Bass Boat Manufacturers, Rod Companies, Reel Companies, and it goes on and on and on, as there ever was before. (That’s probably why Bass Fishing is considered to be America’s #1 freshwater sport!) And ALL! of these companies are in the market to make money.
Now, let’s go even a step further, okay? What sells all of these products? Hmm, let’s see now, advertisement (Marketing) and promotion are about the two best ways of selling a product that I’m aware of and I’m sure that there are more, but first let’s concentrate on these two for just one moment. Let’s talk about fishing shows to give you an example! I’ve co-hosted several TV Fishing shows in the past and let me tell you that "Most,"of the time, (Not All!) but "Most" of the fish that you see being caught on the show are caught prior to the actual filming of a show. Yep! now you might ask yourself; "well I saw the guy set his hook and then reel in the bass." All I can say to you is this; "Don’t believe everything that you see!" with today’s editing equipment, professional camera personnel, and the right camera shots anything is possible. So let me explain how it works; #1, you cast out the sponsored bait product (whatever bait or baits the show is sponsored by, keeping in mind that the fish were actually caught prior to the show, and in most cases on totally different bait). #2, while you start your retrieve, you rare back with your rod like you just got a strike and pretend to set the hook! (on actually nothing at all). Then the camera will stop filming. #3, then, you simply reel your sponsored bait back in to the boat, grab a fish (in the case of a bass show, a bass) out of the livewell and place the hook of the "sponsored product" in the fish’s mouth. #4, Next you place the fish back into the water (with ease, and always keeping the slack out of your line), then you let the fish swim away from the boat. #5, then at this time, the camera starts rolling again and starts filming you fighting the fish back to the boat!...(Really quite simple!) That’s how Most! of the filming is done.
It’s not so much the bait, or color, or technique used to catch the bass during the filming, they just want to show you how much bass all of these "certain baits" can actually catch! (but do they really?), that’s called Marketing, OR!, take a look at the packages of most of the baits today. They have to look appealing on the shelves to
the consumer (this is called Packaging). Just keep this in mind!, most baits on the market today are made and packaged to catch anglers and not so much the fish.
Now, I’m telling you this because of all the different products and especially all the multitude of COLORS that you must decide on which ones to buy. Okay, let’s get back to the colors...... First of all I want you to understand that I am NOT saying that a certain color of a plastic bait will or will not work under any different circumstances, but I will say that you don’t really need no more than approximately 2 dozen colors of plastics to catch bass on any body of water throughout the United States. Now stop and think a minute! There are, without exaggeration, on today’s market thousands of colors and combinations of colors when it comes to plastic baits. Remember what I just said! I said only 2 dozen colors, and not hundreds of different colors!, whew!, what a money saver, Right!..... And, if you usually fish deeper than 20’ depths most of the time, you don’t even need to have that many colors. The reason is, is because the deeper a colored bait drops through the water it starts to loose the color of the bait itself. That’s right, the deeper it goes down into the water the color spectrum starts to diminish. In other words, if you had a multi-colored plastic worm and you cast it out letting it drop to a 25’ depth, the colors of that multi-colored plastic worm would be "Shades of Grays and Blacks" in that depth of water.
Just like scuba diving, when you get down to a certain depth everything looks Black and White!, well the same goes for colored plastics (Now, how many colors does an angler actually need when fishing these deeper patterns?) It doesn’t matter what color you throw into 20’ plus depths because "All Colors" will basically all look the same on the bottom. The only difference now will be is your shade variations.
So, why buy hundreds of different colors of plastic baits when they will all loose their color at deeper depths? (Makes no sense to me!) So there is a lesson to learned!, probably the most important factor to keep in mind when fishing with plastics is; "The Presentation" of the bait is what really counts! and not so much the color....... I teach my students presentations, techniques, as well as colors that they can use anywhere so they can be highly effective when it comes to catching bass on any body of water!
For more information on colors, baits, presentations, techniques, equipment, and just about anything you might want to learn about bass fishing, you owe it to yourselves to enroll into my 3-Day "On-Water" Bass Fishing School. You will not only learn what equipment, baits, and bass related items are really necessary to have but also how much money you can actually save yourselves by knowing what not to buy when it comes to baits and equipment.
Till next time! Take Care and God Bless!....."The Bass Coach"
— by Roger Lee Brown (The Bass Coach)
How many of you anglers who walk into Tackle Shops, Discount Stores, K-Marts, Wal-Marts, etc., go straight to the sporting goods department, look for the fishing rods sticking up in the air to zero in on the Fishing Lures and Plastic Baits section?
Then, when you get there you start looking over all of the enormous selections of all the different baits and different colors that are offered by the many bait companies that are on the market today, and you’re not really sure of exactly what is really needed, so "The Big Question" comes to mind; "What colors do I really need?" especially when looking over all the plastic baits.
Well, let me tell you a little secret that most anglers don’t know!, and that is; "You don’t need a multitude of colors in your arsenal." That’s right! and let me say it again..... "You don’t need every color that you see!." Now, some anglers may suggest the comment; "well my partner and I use this certain color on this certain body of water, and it catches a lot of bass" or others may say; "I saw this magazine article from one of the top Pros, and he said to use this; yellow, spotted, half stripped, 7", curly tail, floating, thing-a-ma-jig plastic made by so & so, and I saw a picture in the magazine of the 14 lb. bass he caught off of this certain plastic bait, and now I’ve really got to have some of these." Now before we get started, let me explain something to you. The Bassin’ Industry is a "Multi-Billion Dollar Industry" in today's world and growing more and more every day. Most of the Pros that lecture these "Bass Seminars" have an obligation to their sponsors to demonstrate, promote, and to advertise their sponsored product (Nobody gives anything for free anymore!).
For example, attend one of their fishing seminars and just see if they don’t try to sell you on a "certain product", or the technique that they may use with this "certain bait." There are more Outdoor TV Fishing Shows, Outdoor Magazines (related to freshwater fishing), Bass Tournament Organizations, Bass Fishing Sites (on the World Wide Web), Bass Fishing Clubs, Bait and Tackle Manufacturers, Bass Boat Manufacturers, Rod Companies, Reel Companies, and it goes on and on and on, as there ever was before. (That’s probably why Bass Fishing is considered to be America’s #1 freshwater sport!) And ALL! of these companies are in the market to make money.
Now, let’s go even a step further, okay? What sells all of these products? Hmm, let’s see now, advertisement (Marketing) and promotion are about the two best ways of selling a product that I’m aware of and I’m sure that there are more, but first let’s concentrate on these two for just one moment. Let’s talk about fishing shows to give you an example! I’ve co-hosted several TV Fishing shows in the past and let me tell you that "Most,"of the time, (Not All!) but "Most" of the fish that you see being caught on the show are caught prior to the actual filming of a show. Yep! now you might ask yourself; "well I saw the guy set his hook and then reel in the bass." All I can say to you is this; "Don’t believe everything that you see!" with today’s editing equipment, professional camera personnel, and the right camera shots anything is possible. So let me explain how it works; #1, you cast out the sponsored bait product (whatever bait or baits the show is sponsored by, keeping in mind that the fish were actually caught prior to the show, and in most cases on totally different bait). #2, while you start your retrieve, you rare back with your rod like you just got a strike and pretend to set the hook! (on actually nothing at all). Then the camera will stop filming. #3, then, you simply reel your sponsored bait back in to the boat, grab a fish (in the case of a bass show, a bass) out of the livewell and place the hook of the "sponsored product" in the fish’s mouth. #4, Next you place the fish back into the water (with ease, and always keeping the slack out of your line), then you let the fish swim away from the boat. #5, then at this time, the camera starts rolling again and starts filming you fighting the fish back to the boat!...(Really quite simple!) That’s how Most! of the filming is done.
It’s not so much the bait, or color, or technique used to catch the bass during the filming, they just want to show you how much bass all of these "certain baits" can actually catch! (but do they really?), that’s called Marketing, OR!, take a look at the packages of most of the baits today. They have to look appealing on the shelves to
the consumer (this is called Packaging). Just keep this in mind!, most baits on the market today are made and packaged to catch anglers and not so much the fish.
Now, I’m telling you this because of all the different products and especially all the multitude of COLORS that you must decide on which ones to buy. Okay, let’s get back to the colors...... First of all I want you to understand that I am NOT saying that a certain color of a plastic bait will or will not work under any different circumstances, but I will say that you don’t really need no more than approximately 2 dozen colors of plastics to catch bass on any body of water throughout the United States. Now stop and think a minute! There are, without exaggeration, on today’s market thousands of colors and combinations of colors when it comes to plastic baits. Remember what I just said! I said only 2 dozen colors, and not hundreds of different colors!, whew!, what a money saver, Right!..... And, if you usually fish deeper than 20’ depths most of the time, you don’t even need to have that many colors. The reason is, is because the deeper a colored bait drops through the water it starts to loose the color of the bait itself. That’s right, the deeper it goes down into the water the color spectrum starts to diminish. In other words, if you had a multi-colored plastic worm and you cast it out letting it drop to a 25’ depth, the colors of that multi-colored plastic worm would be "Shades of Grays and Blacks" in that depth of water.
Just like scuba diving, when you get down to a certain depth everything looks Black and White!, well the same goes for colored plastics (Now, how many colors does an angler actually need when fishing these deeper patterns?) It doesn’t matter what color you throw into 20’ plus depths because "All Colors" will basically all look the same on the bottom. The only difference now will be is your shade variations.
So, why buy hundreds of different colors of plastic baits when they will all loose their color at deeper depths? (Makes no sense to me!) So there is a lesson to learned!, probably the most important factor to keep in mind when fishing with plastics is; "The Presentation" of the bait is what really counts! and not so much the color....... I teach my students presentations, techniques, as well as colors that they can use anywhere so they can be highly effective when it comes to catching bass on any body of water!
For more information on colors, baits, presentations, techniques, equipment, and just about anything you might want to learn about bass fishing, you owe it to yourselves to enroll into my 3-Day "On-Water" Bass Fishing School. You will not only learn what equipment, baits, and bass related items are really necessary to have but also how much money you can actually save yourselves by knowing what not to buy when it comes to baits and equipment.
Till next time! Take Care and God Bless!....."The Bass Coach"
Big Baits Get Big Fish
Big Baits Get Big Fish
— by Eric Elshere
Big baits. These lures get a lot of attention these days. There are a ton of different types of baits that you can fish. Our personal favorites are 10’’ BASSTRIX and the 9’’ Osprey. These baits get bit. People think that these baits are too heavy or take too much work to use. This can be true if you aren’t using the right tackle.
To throw these baits we recommend a rod no shorter than 7 feet long. It should be Med. Heavy to extra heavy. You need a good reel that won’t break down on you. When throwing the heavy lures you need heavy line. We recommend at least 20 pound test line. For throwing the 10” BASSTRIX you should use 25 pound line. If you are throwing the 6” or the 8” still throw it on 20 pound test. The 9’’ Osprey is a bit lighter and it can be used on 20 or 25 pound just as well.
When using the BASSTRIX Swim baits you can use them in hundreds of ways. Larry and I prefer to cast it out and bounce the bottom with it. If you see big arches on the bottom, you can rest assure they will bite that bait on
the bottom. If not, try reeling it at a slow to medium speed right under the surface or just off the bottom. When fishing this bait look for a drop off or where they have a good concentration of trout. This will indeed make a difference. The Osprey is a shallow running bait and will sink very slowly. Therefore it can be used around weeds, sticks, rocks, and all other good stuff. We like to throw it around rock walls early in the morning. This is when you will get bit the best. Of course there is the time when you will see the bass chasing the trout on the surface. This is when you can get bit pretty darn easily. Throw past the target and bring it through the area.
When you get bite. This is a very neat time. Whatever you do don’t set the hook hard and upward. Reel as fast as you can and sweep the rod to the side. If you set the hook you will rip the bait out of the basses mouth or skin hook him. When you sweep the rod the hook is in for good. Make sure that you have a good friend by to grab the fish. If not, have a big net right by your side. The bass you hook could be that fish of a lifetime. It was true to Larry and I as we both caught our personal bests at 12# Eric, and 13.8# Larry. Get yourself some BASSTRIX and Osprey’s and hold on. The results are phenomenal.
— by Eric Elshere
Big baits. These lures get a lot of attention these days. There are a ton of different types of baits that you can fish. Our personal favorites are 10’’ BASSTRIX and the 9’’ Osprey. These baits get bit. People think that these baits are too heavy or take too much work to use. This can be true if you aren’t using the right tackle.
To throw these baits we recommend a rod no shorter than 7 feet long. It should be Med. Heavy to extra heavy. You need a good reel that won’t break down on you. When throwing the heavy lures you need heavy line. We recommend at least 20 pound test line. For throwing the 10” BASSTRIX you should use 25 pound line. If you are throwing the 6” or the 8” still throw it on 20 pound test. The 9’’ Osprey is a bit lighter and it can be used on 20 or 25 pound just as well.
When using the BASSTRIX Swim baits you can use them in hundreds of ways. Larry and I prefer to cast it out and bounce the bottom with it. If you see big arches on the bottom, you can rest assure they will bite that bait on
the bottom. If not, try reeling it at a slow to medium speed right under the surface or just off the bottom. When fishing this bait look for a drop off or where they have a good concentration of trout. This will indeed make a difference. The Osprey is a shallow running bait and will sink very slowly. Therefore it can be used around weeds, sticks, rocks, and all other good stuff. We like to throw it around rock walls early in the morning. This is when you will get bit the best. Of course there is the time when you will see the bass chasing the trout on the surface. This is when you can get bit pretty darn easily. Throw past the target and bring it through the area.
When you get bite. This is a very neat time. Whatever you do don’t set the hook hard and upward. Reel as fast as you can and sweep the rod to the side. If you set the hook you will rip the bait out of the basses mouth or skin hook him. When you sweep the rod the hook is in for good. Make sure that you have a good friend by to grab the fish. If not, have a big net right by your side. The bass you hook could be that fish of a lifetime. It was true to Larry and I as we both caught our personal bests at 12# Eric, and 13.8# Larry. Get yourself some BASSTRIX and Osprey’s and hold on. The results are phenomenal.
3 Bass Rigs You Really Ought to Learn!
3 Bass Rigs You Really Ought to Learn!
— by Roger Lee Brown (The Bass Coach)
Many of today’s anglers all to often seem to have the enthusiasm to get themselves all syke’d up for that big day of fishing the following day only to find themselves
coming in at the end of the day with only one or two bass caught. They will spend the day, usually casting, re-rigging, running, loosing lures, etc., but most of all getting frustrated because the fish aren’t cooperating. "Sound Familiar?" I, surely know this feeling and I’m sure that any angler reading this article has had the same feeling at some point and time. Now, don’t feel bad if this does happen to you because you are definitely not alone, there are probably millions of other anglers out there that this same problem happens to! But, there are a few "Tricks of the Trade" that you can use to help remedy this problem..... at least it works for me and many of my former bass angling students and charter clients that I have taught in the past.
I found that on certain days when the bass don’t seem to cooperate, I usually will put my action baits away and pull out the "Last Resort Rigs" which are the:
TEXAS RIG
CAROLINA RIG
FLOATING RIG
These three rigs are probably the most successful patterns for catching bass (Largemouth, Smallmouth, and Spotted Bass) that a angler can use just about "Anywhere and at Anytime." Now, some anglers may ask; "Why would I use all three of these rigs?" and the answer is really quite simple. It’s like using tools of the trade! A carpenter wouldn’t use a hammer to back out a screw, nor would he or she use a screw driver to pound nails (Well, at least most of them wouldn’t!....smile!....). The same goes with bass fishing, an angler should have the right Tools-of-the-Trade to do a specific job!
First, let’s talk about the Texas Rig. This rig was the first "Plastic Bait" rig that was used by most of the anglers when the sport of bass fishing really got started over 25 years ago! It is a simple rig to set up, and has produced more bass catches than any other artificial baits ever used, even today!
To rig a Texas Rig you will need line, a hook and a sinker.......That’s It! First, you put your sinker (usually a "bullet shaped slip sinker") onto the line with the smaller point of the weight going on first or "facing up." Then tie your hook (usually a off-set worm hook) to the end of the line after you put on the weight. Now you are ready
for your plastic baits (I always refer to artificial baits because I haven’t used live bait in many years) to be put on the hook.
This type of rig (Texas Rig) can be fished (or presented) just about anywhere you will find bass, it has certain advantages and disadvantages over the other two rigs that we will talk about, and I will give a few examples after we rig up the Carolina Rig and the Floating Rig.
So next, let’s rig the Carolina Rig.... With this rig you’ll need line (main reel line), a barrel swivel, about 6’ of leader line, a weight, glass or brass bead or rattle chamber, and a hook. I know this seems like a lot of stuff, but the results are incredible!
First, take your "Leader Line" (usually the same line that is on your reel already, but I would suggest at least a 2 lb. test lessor than your main line in case of a break-off..... Most of the time by using a lighter leader line, when it breaks it will break off at the leader line thus saving the other hardware on the rig) and tie one end of it to one end of the barrel swivel and then put it aside for a moment. Then, take your main line from your reel and first put on the weight (usually anywhere from a 1/2 oz. up to a l oz. bullet or egg sinker). Next, after the weight is on your main line, follow it with a rattle (rattle chamber, glass or brass bead) and then tie the end of the main line to the other end of the barrel swivel that you just put aside. After you tie to the swivel, tie your hook at the other end of the leader line giving you a 2’ to a 4’ leader. Now, we’re ready for the bait!
Next, let’s rig the Floating Rig! This "Floating Rig" can and will produce bass sometimes when all else fails...... It’s quite simple to rig and the results can be devastating! You will need a SMALL Barrel Swivel and a Hook for this rig. First, take about 3’ off of your main line for a leader line. Tie one end of your leader line to one end of the barrel swivel, then tie the other end of the barrel swivel to the main reel line. With this rig you leave off the weight!.... NO WEIGHT!!!!!..... Then finally, you tie the hook (preferably a "Light Wire" worm hook) with only allowing about a 1’ leader for the leader line. The reason for no weight and a light wire hook is to allow as much buoyancy as possible. This rig is designed mostly for Floating Worms and buoyant plastic artificial baits.
Now, let’s say that you were to fish around "Rip-Rap" (Rock Areas) around dams levees etc. You probable wouldn’t use a Texas Rig unless you put the lightest weight possible on it to keep it from getting it wedged in the rocks. Nor would you use a Carolina Rig because the heavier weight (1/2 oz. to 1.oz.) would most likely get hung up. So, the rig that makes the most sense would be the "Floating Rig." This rig will allow a slow presentation over the rock areas and the bass that may be around the rocks will come up after it. Also, this kind of rig is used better around branches, Lilly pads, thick surface vegetation etc.
Now, let’s say that we are working a "Downward" slope from about 3’ depth to a 20’ depth. The most sensible rig to use would be to use the Carolina Rig because it will stay in contact with the bottom contour and the deeper you work it, giving it line from your reel you can get a better "Bottom Presentation." A Texas Rig can be used for this also but the deeper you go with it the more it will lift off of the bottom.
Let’s say that you were going to work some pockets around a Bull Rush field. To accurately cast into the pockets a Texas Rig would be the most preferred because with the weight of it you can make accurate casts. A Floating Rig would also be recommended for this type of area as well.
Thick sloppy grass and vegetation areas, all three would work, but the Carolina Rig has produced some quality bass in areas like this over the other two rigs. Don’t worry about getting weeds on the Carolina Rig! Just give it a try and clean the weeds off of the rig and keep casting into these thick areas and "Hold On!"
These rigs can be used anywhere and just about under any circumstances. Remember this; most Bass Tournaments ever fished have paid out more money fishing these rigs than any other types of artificial baits ever used! So if you’re not using all three of these rigs, I promise, the results can be devastating! Just give them a try!
Till next time! Take Care and God Bless!....."The Bass Coach"
— by Roger Lee Brown (The Bass Coach)
Many of today’s anglers all to often seem to have the enthusiasm to get themselves all syke’d up for that big day of fishing the following day only to find themselves
coming in at the end of the day with only one or two bass caught. They will spend the day, usually casting, re-rigging, running, loosing lures, etc., but most of all getting frustrated because the fish aren’t cooperating. "Sound Familiar?" I, surely know this feeling and I’m sure that any angler reading this article has had the same feeling at some point and time. Now, don’t feel bad if this does happen to you because you are definitely not alone, there are probably millions of other anglers out there that this same problem happens to! But, there are a few "Tricks of the Trade" that you can use to help remedy this problem..... at least it works for me and many of my former bass angling students and charter clients that I have taught in the past.
I found that on certain days when the bass don’t seem to cooperate, I usually will put my action baits away and pull out the "Last Resort Rigs" which are the:
TEXAS RIG
CAROLINA RIG
FLOATING RIG
These three rigs are probably the most successful patterns for catching bass (Largemouth, Smallmouth, and Spotted Bass) that a angler can use just about "Anywhere and at Anytime." Now, some anglers may ask; "Why would I use all three of these rigs?" and the answer is really quite simple. It’s like using tools of the trade! A carpenter wouldn’t use a hammer to back out a screw, nor would he or she use a screw driver to pound nails (Well, at least most of them wouldn’t!....smile!....). The same goes with bass fishing, an angler should have the right Tools-of-the-Trade to do a specific job!
First, let’s talk about the Texas Rig. This rig was the first "Plastic Bait" rig that was used by most of the anglers when the sport of bass fishing really got started over 25 years ago! It is a simple rig to set up, and has produced more bass catches than any other artificial baits ever used, even today!
To rig a Texas Rig you will need line, a hook and a sinker.......That’s It! First, you put your sinker (usually a "bullet shaped slip sinker") onto the line with the smaller point of the weight going on first or "facing up." Then tie your hook (usually a off-set worm hook) to the end of the line after you put on the weight. Now you are ready
for your plastic baits (I always refer to artificial baits because I haven’t used live bait in many years) to be put on the hook.
This type of rig (Texas Rig) can be fished (or presented) just about anywhere you will find bass, it has certain advantages and disadvantages over the other two rigs that we will talk about, and I will give a few examples after we rig up the Carolina Rig and the Floating Rig.
So next, let’s rig the Carolina Rig.... With this rig you’ll need line (main reel line), a barrel swivel, about 6’ of leader line, a weight, glass or brass bead or rattle chamber, and a hook. I know this seems like a lot of stuff, but the results are incredible!
First, take your "Leader Line" (usually the same line that is on your reel already, but I would suggest at least a 2 lb. test lessor than your main line in case of a break-off..... Most of the time by using a lighter leader line, when it breaks it will break off at the leader line thus saving the other hardware on the rig) and tie one end of it to one end of the barrel swivel and then put it aside for a moment. Then, take your main line from your reel and first put on the weight (usually anywhere from a 1/2 oz. up to a l oz. bullet or egg sinker). Next, after the weight is on your main line, follow it with a rattle (rattle chamber, glass or brass bead) and then tie the end of the main line to the other end of the barrel swivel that you just put aside. After you tie to the swivel, tie your hook at the other end of the leader line giving you a 2’ to a 4’ leader. Now, we’re ready for the bait!
Next, let’s rig the Floating Rig! This "Floating Rig" can and will produce bass sometimes when all else fails...... It’s quite simple to rig and the results can be devastating! You will need a SMALL Barrel Swivel and a Hook for this rig. First, take about 3’ off of your main line for a leader line. Tie one end of your leader line to one end of the barrel swivel, then tie the other end of the barrel swivel to the main reel line. With this rig you leave off the weight!.... NO WEIGHT!!!!!..... Then finally, you tie the hook (preferably a "Light Wire" worm hook) with only allowing about a 1’ leader for the leader line. The reason for no weight and a light wire hook is to allow as much buoyancy as possible. This rig is designed mostly for Floating Worms and buoyant plastic artificial baits.
Now, let’s say that you were to fish around "Rip-Rap" (Rock Areas) around dams levees etc. You probable wouldn’t use a Texas Rig unless you put the lightest weight possible on it to keep it from getting it wedged in the rocks. Nor would you use a Carolina Rig because the heavier weight (1/2 oz. to 1.oz.) would most likely get hung up. So, the rig that makes the most sense would be the "Floating Rig." This rig will allow a slow presentation over the rock areas and the bass that may be around the rocks will come up after it. Also, this kind of rig is used better around branches, Lilly pads, thick surface vegetation etc.
Now, let’s say that we are working a "Downward" slope from about 3’ depth to a 20’ depth. The most sensible rig to use would be to use the Carolina Rig because it will stay in contact with the bottom contour and the deeper you work it, giving it line from your reel you can get a better "Bottom Presentation." A Texas Rig can be used for this also but the deeper you go with it the more it will lift off of the bottom.
Let’s say that you were going to work some pockets around a Bull Rush field. To accurately cast into the pockets a Texas Rig would be the most preferred because with the weight of it you can make accurate casts. A Floating Rig would also be recommended for this type of area as well.
Thick sloppy grass and vegetation areas, all three would work, but the Carolina Rig has produced some quality bass in areas like this over the other two rigs. Don’t worry about getting weeds on the Carolina Rig! Just give it a try and clean the weeds off of the rig and keep casting into these thick areas and "Hold On!"
These rigs can be used anywhere and just about under any circumstances. Remember this; most Bass Tournaments ever fished have paid out more money fishing these rigs than any other types of artificial baits ever used! So if you’re not using all three of these rigs, I promise, the results can be devastating! Just give them a try!
Till next time! Take Care and God Bless!....."The Bass Coach"
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Topwater Tactics
Topwater Tactics
By Rob Piorkowski
As I write this article, I'm not thinking about catching fish, but the one that got away. It was last year at this time, and I hooked and lost a truly big bass. I was fishing at a local lake, for less than an hour. I have been fishing for years, but I forgot the easiest rule of topwater baits. Of any fishing techniques, it is the easiest to remember, but
hardest to follow. The rule is "Don't set the hook, until you feel the fish". True, I had been casting only a short while, but the excitement of an early bass made me pull the lure away before I hooked the fish. Too many times the boil you see around your bait is the fish rising to take the bait, or going on top to collect its dinner on the way down. When it looks like the surface is erupting, and the adrenaline is flowing, its easy to pull the bait away. I've had many occasions where I let the bait sit after a hit, and proceed to catch the fish on the second strike. By relaxing and being patient, you will increase your hooking percentage tremendously.
As far as techniques for chugging baits, I like a variety of retrieves. Start out slow, and try different combinations of twitches. Once the bait hits the water, let it sit for a few seconds, then start a pattern of twitches. Another method is to immediately start twitching a retrieve, this way the fish will not get a good look at the bait. Either method works, it's the retrieve that will keep catching fish. For my twitch pattern, I like to vary between soft and hard jerks followed by reeling in about 3 feet of line. At the new location, start the twitch pattern and wait, if no action pull the bait to the next 3-foot interval. Sometimes, the range could be up to 6 feet; it will depend on conditions. Also, try explosive jerks to soft pulls that barely cause a ripple.
For chug baits, I prefer ones with a rattle. Shape doesn't bother me as much as color. I heard a saying once that went "Any color will work, as long as it's black". I do prefer dark colors, even when imitating shad or frogs.
Buzzbaits are on my list of favorites for topwater fishing. There are many versions, but I prefer a single bladed 3/8 ounce. My color choices are chartreuse, white or black. During the retrieve, I like to vary the speed, and even create the appearance of easy prey. Also try moving the rod tip around to change the direction of the bait. Have you ever saw action using a buzzbait, but didn't hook any fish? Try changing to a darker color, then cast back to the location. I've had fish push a white buzzbait away, but smack a black buzzbait minutes later. Also, for buzzbaits, I like to start retrieving before the bait hits the water. By doing this, the bait will be moving when it hits the surface, and be in the strike zone for the maximum amount of time.
For flyfishing, I prefer to use small, dark colored surface poppers. I've tried others, but I believe rubber legs catch the fish. For colors, I use black, green or a mix of several. The Accardo Bait Company makes many colors and styles that are great for bass and
bluegill fishing. Like fishing chug baits, I like to use an erratic retrieve. Try a variation of soft and hard twitches to find the pattern the fish prefer. Usually with the small poppers, I don't wait too long to set the hook. With such a small bait, the fish can taste then spit it out before you might feel the tug. I'll closely watch for surface action, then set the hook on sight of a disturbance.
Remember, the water doesn't have to be flat or calm to throw a topwater lure. A little chop or wave will help hide flaws in the baits. Also try bumping the baits into structure. I'll aim my cast to bang into logs, rocks of brush piles. Don't be afraid of losing baits, fish will instinctively hit a bait that bounces off a log or rock. Once you see and feel the action of topwater fishing, you'll also be hooked. And finally, when you get that first hit of the year, "Wait to feel the Fish". See ya on the water.
Rob Piorkowski
By Rob Piorkowski
As I write this article, I'm not thinking about catching fish, but the one that got away. It was last year at this time, and I hooked and lost a truly big bass. I was fishing at a local lake, for less than an hour. I have been fishing for years, but I forgot the easiest rule of topwater baits. Of any fishing techniques, it is the easiest to remember, but
hardest to follow. The rule is "Don't set the hook, until you feel the fish". True, I had been casting only a short while, but the excitement of an early bass made me pull the lure away before I hooked the fish. Too many times the boil you see around your bait is the fish rising to take the bait, or going on top to collect its dinner on the way down. When it looks like the surface is erupting, and the adrenaline is flowing, its easy to pull the bait away. I've had many occasions where I let the bait sit after a hit, and proceed to catch the fish on the second strike. By relaxing and being patient, you will increase your hooking percentage tremendously.
As far as techniques for chugging baits, I like a variety of retrieves. Start out slow, and try different combinations of twitches. Once the bait hits the water, let it sit for a few seconds, then start a pattern of twitches. Another method is to immediately start twitching a retrieve, this way the fish will not get a good look at the bait. Either method works, it's the retrieve that will keep catching fish. For my twitch pattern, I like to vary between soft and hard jerks followed by reeling in about 3 feet of line. At the new location, start the twitch pattern and wait, if no action pull the bait to the next 3-foot interval. Sometimes, the range could be up to 6 feet; it will depend on conditions. Also, try explosive jerks to soft pulls that barely cause a ripple.
For chug baits, I prefer ones with a rattle. Shape doesn't bother me as much as color. I heard a saying once that went "Any color will work, as long as it's black". I do prefer dark colors, even when imitating shad or frogs.
Buzzbaits are on my list of favorites for topwater fishing. There are many versions, but I prefer a single bladed 3/8 ounce. My color choices are chartreuse, white or black. During the retrieve, I like to vary the speed, and even create the appearance of easy prey. Also try moving the rod tip around to change the direction of the bait. Have you ever saw action using a buzzbait, but didn't hook any fish? Try changing to a darker color, then cast back to the location. I've had fish push a white buzzbait away, but smack a black buzzbait minutes later. Also, for buzzbaits, I like to start retrieving before the bait hits the water. By doing this, the bait will be moving when it hits the surface, and be in the strike zone for the maximum amount of time.
For flyfishing, I prefer to use small, dark colored surface poppers. I've tried others, but I believe rubber legs catch the fish. For colors, I use black, green or a mix of several. The Accardo Bait Company makes many colors and styles that are great for bass and
bluegill fishing. Like fishing chug baits, I like to use an erratic retrieve. Try a variation of soft and hard twitches to find the pattern the fish prefer. Usually with the small poppers, I don't wait too long to set the hook. With such a small bait, the fish can taste then spit it out before you might feel the tug. I'll closely watch for surface action, then set the hook on sight of a disturbance.
Remember, the water doesn't have to be flat or calm to throw a topwater lure. A little chop or wave will help hide flaws in the baits. Also try bumping the baits into structure. I'll aim my cast to bang into logs, rocks of brush piles. Don't be afraid of losing baits, fish will instinctively hit a bait that bounces off a log or rock. Once you see and feel the action of topwater fishing, you'll also be hooked. And finally, when you get that first hit of the year, "Wait to feel the Fish". See ya on the water.
Rob Piorkowski
Bucktail Lures - Rigging and Jigging
Bucktail Lures - Rigging and Jigging
— by Capt. Al Lorenzetti
For every serious fisherperson, another story about the bucktail lure must also exist. There have been books and articles too numerous to count written about the subject.
I have read many myself, some good and some bad, but in every one that I can remember, there was always something new to be offered. Over the years, I have incorporated these little tricks and variations with my own hard earned experience. This has allowed me to develop a system and technique that works well for me in the areas that I fish. The bucktail is a very basic lure, in itself just a few hairs tied to a leadhead jig. It will no doubt catch a bluefish if thrown into a school in a feeding frenzy, but, it will do much more than that if some subtle but important variations are considered. Depth of water, current conditions, target species and their diet should all be considered in organizing a system and technique that will work the best at a given time in a given area. Probably the most important consideration in fishing a bucktail is the fact that the lure has no built in action. It will either drag across the bottom or run a straight line if retrieved. If fished this way it will catch fish but success will improve astronomically if some sort of action is added by the angler. This translates into work and constant attention to technique, fishing a bucktail is not laid back lazy fishing.
What is most amazing about a bucktail is its versatility. It will catch almost any game fish. I have used it successfully in catching everything from white perch in tidal streams to tuna in bluewater. In these instances, the only difference was the size of the lure and a different style of retrieve. I most commonly use the bucktail to catch weakfish, fluke, bass and bluefish. In choosing the correct size bucktail to use, three considerations must be taken into account: the size of the target fish, the depth of water and the amount of current. I have found bucktails to be most effective when worked on or very near the bottom as most fish are generally bottom feeders. An exception to this rule would be bluefish, but even they will move to the bottom to feed. The rule of thumb to apply is simple: use the lightest, smallest bucktail possible that will still allow the lure to remain on or very near the bottom. With deeper water and swift current, larger weight versions must be used. This becomes a limiting factor if the target specie is small. The size of the bucktail that must be used may just be too large to attract the fish you are looking to catch. Something to think about here would be line size. Lighter, small diameter line will not require as much weight as it has less of a drag coefficient in passing through the moving water. I will rarely use greater than 15 lb. test line in working bucktails and often use lighter line of 10 lb. or 12 lb. test. Bucktail head weights come in a great variety of sizes from 1/16 ounce to 6 ounce but most commonly used for inshore saltwater fishing are those from 1/4 ounce to 1 1/2 ounce.
Head shape can vary greatly, ball, bullet, flat, tapered, "smiling bill" etc.. I usually stick with the "smiling bill" or ball design. I must say that I have not really seen a great difference in productivity regarding head design other than when fishing a hard current, a more streamlined head such as the bullet design, will hold bottom more effectively. For fluke, smaller is better and I have most success with 1/4 ounce to 3/4 ounce bucktails. This is not saying that a large fluke of five pounds or more wouldn't take a 2 ounce bucktail but it would also ingest a 1/2 ounce version. It is more likely that a large fish will attack a smaller lure than a small fish attack a large lure. In addition, there are more small fish that fit in a frying pan just perfectly! This is something to consider in all bucktail fishing. Bluefish and weakfish tend to run in schools with most fish all of similar size. For either specie when under four pounds, I prefer bucktails of 1/2 ounce to 3/4 ounce. When the larger specimens of 5 to 15 pounds are around, I then switch to 1 to 1 1/2 ounce weights.
Bass can be a great challenge in that their size can vary greatly from little schoolies of 2 to 3 lbs. up to cows of 40 lbs. or more. I would bet that most bucktail caught bass would average between 5 and 15 lbs. therefore I usually start out with a 1 1/2 ounce bucktail and move up or down in weight depending upon my success or the size of any fish that I might catch. In my opinion, the most critical factor in being successful with a bucktail is the presentation or action imparted by the angler. This is such a crucial factor that it can account for anything from getting skunked to enjoying a fishing bonanza. I have seen two individuals fishing the same bucktail on the same outfit on the same boat, each with totally opposite results. The difference was all in the action imparted to the lure. My favorite method for fishing the bucktail is to bounce the lure with a twitch of the wrist, letting the lure fall back to the bottom until the "bump" signals that it has come to rest. This can be done by simply working the rod without retrieving line when there is a good drift, or taking a couple of cranks in between lifts when stationary or when tidal movement is very slow. I continue the process varying the speed and height of the lift and time on the bottom. I will try different combinations for short intervals of time. For example, a sharp lift of one foot, a slow drop back and one second at rest on the bottom. I will repeat this motion for ten or fifteen cycles. I might then alter the pattern to slow lift of one foot, followed by the same slow drop back and one second of rest on the bottom. I always vary only one factor at a time so that when I get a strike, I will know which aspect of the action in my retrieve is the most enticing. I may therefore be able to accentuate this action, knowing exactly what it is. In general, the most productive retrieve I have utilized is the fast, short twitch followed by a slow controlled drop-back with a one half to full one second rest on the bottom.
As you might guess from this discussion, the manner in which the lure is worked on the retrieve is what catches the fish. Each different specie of fish and set of conditions will generally require a slight variation in the action to be most productive. It is most
important to experiment in order to find the most enticing action and then to duplicate that exact action on every cast and retrieve. Invariably the strike will come at the end of the drop back or as the lure sits on the bottom. The angler must be ready to set the hook with a sharp lift as soon as the strike is felt. An artificial lure will be spit out as quickly as it was hit and therefore speed is of the essence. For this reason, the slow controlled drop-back is most productive. In lowering the tip of the rod slowly, no slack is produced in the line and even the slightest strike will be felt. In addition, it will allow the "bump" of the jig on the bottom to be felt and prevent any delay in setting the hook.
Graphite rods with their great sensitivity and strength are exceptional for fishing bucktails. My favorites are the Penn Power Stick bait-casting outfits matched to the size of the lure. For 3/4 ounce or less I use the PBC-60M rod with Penn 1000 or Penn 920 reel and 10 lb. test Ande line. For 1 ounce and heavier lures I use the Penn PPG-4971 rod with Penn 930 reel and 15 lb. Ande line. I keep all my bucktail hooks needle sharp so as to insure deep penetration and firm hook setting. As you can tell, conventional revolving spool reels are my favorite for this type of fishing. However, when jigging also requires a fast retrieve, I will shift to spinning gear which generally has a faster retrieve ratio. My favorite for this situation for all lures up to 1 1/2 ounce is the Penn PSG-4871 rod with 4400 SS reel spooled with 10 lb. test Ande "Classic" line which is very soft and well suited to spinning gear.
Another consideration when using bucktails is line twist that is produced by the jigging action. In working the lure as I have described, occasionally the bucktail will make a complete roll of 360 degrees. This will put a turn in your line and eventually produce problems with the line twisting around the tip of the rod and casting difficulties. To prevent this from happening, I pre-rig all my bucktails with a small barrel swivel at the end of a short trace of leader material that is appropriate to the size of the lure. I generally use about one foot of 20 lb. test mono and a barrel swivel rated at 50 to 75 lb. test. To prevent "chopoffs" when bluefish are my primary target, I substitute plastic coated multi-strand wire as my leader material. The actual appearance of the bucktail in addition to the way it is worked is what determines its overall effectiveness. Considerations in this regard would include jig color, length of hair and whether or not it is "tipped off" with some kind of additional attractant. Most bucktails commercially produced are of fairly good quality. When purchasing bucktails, the most important consideration in addition to color or head shape, is quality construction. Make sure the winding that holds the hair in place is well tied and coated to prevent abrasion damage and that the hook is of good quality. A visual inspection to details will usually suffice but actual use will be the true test of quality. I have recently been using the "Fin Strike" bucktail and it has proven to be excellent in both quality and effectiveness.
The most common bucktail colors available are white, red/white and yellow. I use white most often with excellent results. Yellow has been very productive for me in years when blowfish are abundant. I believe the yellow bucktail can be taken for a small blowfish on the run, and many gamefish will feed upon these tasty morsels. A good habit to get in to is to check the stomach contents of any fish that are kept and cleaned. It will allow you to determine what they are feeding upon and therefore you can "match the hatch" the next time out. This past year, bright green bucktails appeared in the tackle shops. I gave them a try and they have worked well. I have had good catches of small weakfish and fluke using the bright green version in 1/2 ounce size. "Tipping off" the bucktail jig with a piece of squid, pork rind or even a small jelly worm, greatly enhances its effectiveness. I find the pork rind to be the most convenient since it does not have to be maintained as does fresh bait, is always available in my tackle box, and is so tough that one piece will last all day. I always trim the size of the pork rind to match the size of the bucktail. In addition, I split the tail to give it a greater fluttering action. Most varieties of pork rinds available in tackle shops will not be the exact size or shape for your needs but a sharp knife will produce just what is required. For this reason I purchase the largest rinds, the "striper/muskie" strips, and cut them down to size. Remember to punch a hook hole in the leading end with the tip of the knife.
One last little trick worth mentioning concerns short hitting fish. On a number of occasions for reasons I have yet to figure out, the fish seem to not really mouth the lure firmly when they strike. The result is many hits but few hookups. When this occurs I have improved my results by trimming back the hairs on the lure. I will thin out the hair by cutting some away right up front where they are tied to the lead head and additionally cut and taper the ends of the hair so they end right at the bend in the hook. This effectively moves the hook back into the strike zone of these short hitting fish and will produce more hookups. Hopefully you will find more good than bad in what I have written regarding the bucktail. At least it may provide some food for thought and give you something to add to your bag of tricks.
Good Fishing Capt. Al Lorenzetti © Al Lorenzetti 1991
Published in "The Fisherman" 1991
— by Capt. Al Lorenzetti
For every serious fisherperson, another story about the bucktail lure must also exist. There have been books and articles too numerous to count written about the subject.
I have read many myself, some good and some bad, but in every one that I can remember, there was always something new to be offered. Over the years, I have incorporated these little tricks and variations with my own hard earned experience. This has allowed me to develop a system and technique that works well for me in the areas that I fish. The bucktail is a very basic lure, in itself just a few hairs tied to a leadhead jig. It will no doubt catch a bluefish if thrown into a school in a feeding frenzy, but, it will do much more than that if some subtle but important variations are considered. Depth of water, current conditions, target species and their diet should all be considered in organizing a system and technique that will work the best at a given time in a given area. Probably the most important consideration in fishing a bucktail is the fact that the lure has no built in action. It will either drag across the bottom or run a straight line if retrieved. If fished this way it will catch fish but success will improve astronomically if some sort of action is added by the angler. This translates into work and constant attention to technique, fishing a bucktail is not laid back lazy fishing.
What is most amazing about a bucktail is its versatility. It will catch almost any game fish. I have used it successfully in catching everything from white perch in tidal streams to tuna in bluewater. In these instances, the only difference was the size of the lure and a different style of retrieve. I most commonly use the bucktail to catch weakfish, fluke, bass and bluefish. In choosing the correct size bucktail to use, three considerations must be taken into account: the size of the target fish, the depth of water and the amount of current. I have found bucktails to be most effective when worked on or very near the bottom as most fish are generally bottom feeders. An exception to this rule would be bluefish, but even they will move to the bottom to feed. The rule of thumb to apply is simple: use the lightest, smallest bucktail possible that will still allow the lure to remain on or very near the bottom. With deeper water and swift current, larger weight versions must be used. This becomes a limiting factor if the target specie is small. The size of the bucktail that must be used may just be too large to attract the fish you are looking to catch. Something to think about here would be line size. Lighter, small diameter line will not require as much weight as it has less of a drag coefficient in passing through the moving water. I will rarely use greater than 15 lb. test line in working bucktails and often use lighter line of 10 lb. or 12 lb. test. Bucktail head weights come in a great variety of sizes from 1/16 ounce to 6 ounce but most commonly used for inshore saltwater fishing are those from 1/4 ounce to 1 1/2 ounce.
Head shape can vary greatly, ball, bullet, flat, tapered, "smiling bill" etc.. I usually stick with the "smiling bill" or ball design. I must say that I have not really seen a great difference in productivity regarding head design other than when fishing a hard current, a more streamlined head such as the bullet design, will hold bottom more effectively. For fluke, smaller is better and I have most success with 1/4 ounce to 3/4 ounce bucktails. This is not saying that a large fluke of five pounds or more wouldn't take a 2 ounce bucktail but it would also ingest a 1/2 ounce version. It is more likely that a large fish will attack a smaller lure than a small fish attack a large lure. In addition, there are more small fish that fit in a frying pan just perfectly! This is something to consider in all bucktail fishing. Bluefish and weakfish tend to run in schools with most fish all of similar size. For either specie when under four pounds, I prefer bucktails of 1/2 ounce to 3/4 ounce. When the larger specimens of 5 to 15 pounds are around, I then switch to 1 to 1 1/2 ounce weights.
Bass can be a great challenge in that their size can vary greatly from little schoolies of 2 to 3 lbs. up to cows of 40 lbs. or more. I would bet that most bucktail caught bass would average between 5 and 15 lbs. therefore I usually start out with a 1 1/2 ounce bucktail and move up or down in weight depending upon my success or the size of any fish that I might catch. In my opinion, the most critical factor in being successful with a bucktail is the presentation or action imparted by the angler. This is such a crucial factor that it can account for anything from getting skunked to enjoying a fishing bonanza. I have seen two individuals fishing the same bucktail on the same outfit on the same boat, each with totally opposite results. The difference was all in the action imparted to the lure. My favorite method for fishing the bucktail is to bounce the lure with a twitch of the wrist, letting the lure fall back to the bottom until the "bump" signals that it has come to rest. This can be done by simply working the rod without retrieving line when there is a good drift, or taking a couple of cranks in between lifts when stationary or when tidal movement is very slow. I continue the process varying the speed and height of the lift and time on the bottom. I will try different combinations for short intervals of time. For example, a sharp lift of one foot, a slow drop back and one second at rest on the bottom. I will repeat this motion for ten or fifteen cycles. I might then alter the pattern to slow lift of one foot, followed by the same slow drop back and one second of rest on the bottom. I always vary only one factor at a time so that when I get a strike, I will know which aspect of the action in my retrieve is the most enticing. I may therefore be able to accentuate this action, knowing exactly what it is. In general, the most productive retrieve I have utilized is the fast, short twitch followed by a slow controlled drop-back with a one half to full one second rest on the bottom.
As you might guess from this discussion, the manner in which the lure is worked on the retrieve is what catches the fish. Each different specie of fish and set of conditions will generally require a slight variation in the action to be most productive. It is most
important to experiment in order to find the most enticing action and then to duplicate that exact action on every cast and retrieve. Invariably the strike will come at the end of the drop back or as the lure sits on the bottom. The angler must be ready to set the hook with a sharp lift as soon as the strike is felt. An artificial lure will be spit out as quickly as it was hit and therefore speed is of the essence. For this reason, the slow controlled drop-back is most productive. In lowering the tip of the rod slowly, no slack is produced in the line and even the slightest strike will be felt. In addition, it will allow the "bump" of the jig on the bottom to be felt and prevent any delay in setting the hook.
Graphite rods with their great sensitivity and strength are exceptional for fishing bucktails. My favorites are the Penn Power Stick bait-casting outfits matched to the size of the lure. For 3/4 ounce or less I use the PBC-60M rod with Penn 1000 or Penn 920 reel and 10 lb. test Ande line. For 1 ounce and heavier lures I use the Penn PPG-4971 rod with Penn 930 reel and 15 lb. Ande line. I keep all my bucktail hooks needle sharp so as to insure deep penetration and firm hook setting. As you can tell, conventional revolving spool reels are my favorite for this type of fishing. However, when jigging also requires a fast retrieve, I will shift to spinning gear which generally has a faster retrieve ratio. My favorite for this situation for all lures up to 1 1/2 ounce is the Penn PSG-4871 rod with 4400 SS reel spooled with 10 lb. test Ande "Classic" line which is very soft and well suited to spinning gear.
Another consideration when using bucktails is line twist that is produced by the jigging action. In working the lure as I have described, occasionally the bucktail will make a complete roll of 360 degrees. This will put a turn in your line and eventually produce problems with the line twisting around the tip of the rod and casting difficulties. To prevent this from happening, I pre-rig all my bucktails with a small barrel swivel at the end of a short trace of leader material that is appropriate to the size of the lure. I generally use about one foot of 20 lb. test mono and a barrel swivel rated at 50 to 75 lb. test. To prevent "chopoffs" when bluefish are my primary target, I substitute plastic coated multi-strand wire as my leader material. The actual appearance of the bucktail in addition to the way it is worked is what determines its overall effectiveness. Considerations in this regard would include jig color, length of hair and whether or not it is "tipped off" with some kind of additional attractant. Most bucktails commercially produced are of fairly good quality. When purchasing bucktails, the most important consideration in addition to color or head shape, is quality construction. Make sure the winding that holds the hair in place is well tied and coated to prevent abrasion damage and that the hook is of good quality. A visual inspection to details will usually suffice but actual use will be the true test of quality. I have recently been using the "Fin Strike" bucktail and it has proven to be excellent in both quality and effectiveness.
The most common bucktail colors available are white, red/white and yellow. I use white most often with excellent results. Yellow has been very productive for me in years when blowfish are abundant. I believe the yellow bucktail can be taken for a small blowfish on the run, and many gamefish will feed upon these tasty morsels. A good habit to get in to is to check the stomach contents of any fish that are kept and cleaned. It will allow you to determine what they are feeding upon and therefore you can "match the hatch" the next time out. This past year, bright green bucktails appeared in the tackle shops. I gave them a try and they have worked well. I have had good catches of small weakfish and fluke using the bright green version in 1/2 ounce size. "Tipping off" the bucktail jig with a piece of squid, pork rind or even a small jelly worm, greatly enhances its effectiveness. I find the pork rind to be the most convenient since it does not have to be maintained as does fresh bait, is always available in my tackle box, and is so tough that one piece will last all day. I always trim the size of the pork rind to match the size of the bucktail. In addition, I split the tail to give it a greater fluttering action. Most varieties of pork rinds available in tackle shops will not be the exact size or shape for your needs but a sharp knife will produce just what is required. For this reason I purchase the largest rinds, the "striper/muskie" strips, and cut them down to size. Remember to punch a hook hole in the leading end with the tip of the knife.
One last little trick worth mentioning concerns short hitting fish. On a number of occasions for reasons I have yet to figure out, the fish seem to not really mouth the lure firmly when they strike. The result is many hits but few hookups. When this occurs I have improved my results by trimming back the hairs on the lure. I will thin out the hair by cutting some away right up front where they are tied to the lead head and additionally cut and taper the ends of the hair so they end right at the bend in the hook. This effectively moves the hook back into the strike zone of these short hitting fish and will produce more hookups. Hopefully you will find more good than bad in what I have written regarding the bucktail. At least it may provide some food for thought and give you something to add to your bag of tricks.
Good Fishing Capt. Al Lorenzetti © Al Lorenzetti 1991
Published in "The Fisherman" 1991
Fish Attractants
Fish Attractants
— by Roger Lee Brown (The Bass Coach)
There has been a lot of controversy over "Fish Attractants" or otherwise known as "Fish Scents" or "Fish Formulas". In the past, I’ve noticed that many of my former
bass angling students as well as my bass guide clients have always come prepared with plenty of "Fish Attractant", and wow! Do they ever use it! They will grab that particular bait that they are using, hold it over the edge of the boat, and really pour it on. Is that method really practical?
I’ll explain in a moment, but first let me explain a few things about "Fish Attractants. There are several different types of "Fish Attractants" on the market today in the multi-billion dollar bass fishing industry, and the marketing is very costly! Somewhere the companies have to sell, sell, and sell to make up for the high cost of marketing. Many commercials, whether it be TV, Radio, Magazines, Outdoor Shows, etc., have to get the anglers (like you and me) to buy this stuff! First of all let me explain the importance of "Fish Attractant". A freshwater black bass (Largemouth, Smallmouth, or Spotted) will usually spit out a bait within 2 or 3 seconds if the bass doesn’t accept the taste (if it even picks up the bait at all!). On the other side of the coin, if a bass likes the scent or attractant, it can hold the bait up to 30 seconds or more before it spits the bait out. Fish attractant does not really "Attract" fish, but your odds on setting the hook will be greater by using it rather than not.
Now, let’s get back to Marketing once again. The companies that manufacture "Fish Attractants" or Scents want the anglers to "Use it by dousing the bait with it." Well, if you have lots of money, go right ahead! Most tackle shops that I’ve been to have a variety of Attractants and Scents, and they cost the angler anywhere from $1.99 up to $10.00. When an angler "Douses the bait" several times, He or She is ready for another bottle soon, and that can get expensive after awhile. Now, most plastic baits on the marker today are manufactured with a scent already put in the bait. So why would you want to douse this same bait with additional "Fish Attractant"? It really makes no sense at all does it? However, there is a reason why one would want to buy and use "Fish Attractant".
Just think of this; a freshwater black bass can sense 1-200th of a drop of a substance in about 100 gallons of water. Wow, what an accurate sense of taste! This just goes to say that whenever you go fishing in the morning, "Gas-Up" the night before! Now, let’s get right to the point, and hopefully this point can and will save you some of your hard-earned cash. When you go fishing, the first thing that you
should do before you hit the water is to wash your hands with soap and water, this will "hopefully" clean any foreign scents off of your hands that may get on your baits when you handle them. Second, take that bottle "Fish Attractant" and pour a little bit on your hands and rub them together, like you would a hand lotion. Now you’re ready for action because any bait you touch will have this "Fish Attractant" scent added to it. Just think of the money you will save from just "Pouring or Dousing" the formula over the bait. A bottle of "Fish Attractant" should now last you about 20 times as long as it did before.
I will not tell you which ones to buy, but the one I mostly use is formulated by Mr.Goop "Fish Formula", they offer a Garlic and Anise scent the bass seem to like very much. Just keep this in mind when using "Fish Attractants"; the angler! (you and I) are the ones that pay for the high cost of marketing of a product, so of course they want us to use lots of that product! So, "Fish Attractants" are they really worth it? YES! But if you use it like a hand lotion you will find yourselves saving money and getting the same results as if you were dousing the bait with this "Fish Attractant"! Remember, the Presentation of the bait is the MOST IMPORTANT! If you have any questions please, just ask!
The Bass Coach (Roger Lee Brown)
Route-1 Box-65
Pearl Street
Crown Point, NY 12928
(518) 597-4240
http://www.capital.net/~rlbrown
Till next time! Take Care and God Bless!....."The Bass Coach"
— by Roger Lee Brown (The Bass Coach)
There has been a lot of controversy over "Fish Attractants" or otherwise known as "Fish Scents" or "Fish Formulas". In the past, I’ve noticed that many of my former
bass angling students as well as my bass guide clients have always come prepared with plenty of "Fish Attractant", and wow! Do they ever use it! They will grab that particular bait that they are using, hold it over the edge of the boat, and really pour it on. Is that method really practical?
I’ll explain in a moment, but first let me explain a few things about "Fish Attractants. There are several different types of "Fish Attractants" on the market today in the multi-billion dollar bass fishing industry, and the marketing is very costly! Somewhere the companies have to sell, sell, and sell to make up for the high cost of marketing. Many commercials, whether it be TV, Radio, Magazines, Outdoor Shows, etc., have to get the anglers (like you and me) to buy this stuff! First of all let me explain the importance of "Fish Attractant". A freshwater black bass (Largemouth, Smallmouth, or Spotted) will usually spit out a bait within 2 or 3 seconds if the bass doesn’t accept the taste (if it even picks up the bait at all!). On the other side of the coin, if a bass likes the scent or attractant, it can hold the bait up to 30 seconds or more before it spits the bait out. Fish attractant does not really "Attract" fish, but your odds on setting the hook will be greater by using it rather than not.
Now, let’s get back to Marketing once again. The companies that manufacture "Fish Attractants" or Scents want the anglers to "Use it by dousing the bait with it." Well, if you have lots of money, go right ahead! Most tackle shops that I’ve been to have a variety of Attractants and Scents, and they cost the angler anywhere from $1.99 up to $10.00. When an angler "Douses the bait" several times, He or She is ready for another bottle soon, and that can get expensive after awhile. Now, most plastic baits on the marker today are manufactured with a scent already put in the bait. So why would you want to douse this same bait with additional "Fish Attractant"? It really makes no sense at all does it? However, there is a reason why one would want to buy and use "Fish Attractant".
Just think of this; a freshwater black bass can sense 1-200th of a drop of a substance in about 100 gallons of water. Wow, what an accurate sense of taste! This just goes to say that whenever you go fishing in the morning, "Gas-Up" the night before! Now, let’s get right to the point, and hopefully this point can and will save you some of your hard-earned cash. When you go fishing, the first thing that you
should do before you hit the water is to wash your hands with soap and water, this will "hopefully" clean any foreign scents off of your hands that may get on your baits when you handle them. Second, take that bottle "Fish Attractant" and pour a little bit on your hands and rub them together, like you would a hand lotion. Now you’re ready for action because any bait you touch will have this "Fish Attractant" scent added to it. Just think of the money you will save from just "Pouring or Dousing" the formula over the bait. A bottle of "Fish Attractant" should now last you about 20 times as long as it did before.
I will not tell you which ones to buy, but the one I mostly use is formulated by Mr.Goop "Fish Formula", they offer a Garlic and Anise scent the bass seem to like very much. Just keep this in mind when using "Fish Attractants"; the angler! (you and I) are the ones that pay for the high cost of marketing of a product, so of course they want us to use lots of that product! So, "Fish Attractants" are they really worth it? YES! But if you use it like a hand lotion you will find yourselves saving money and getting the same results as if you were dousing the bait with this "Fish Attractant"! Remember, the Presentation of the bait is the MOST IMPORTANT! If you have any questions please, just ask!
The Bass Coach (Roger Lee Brown)
Route-1 Box-65
Pearl Street
Crown Point, NY 12928
(518) 597-4240
http://www.capital.net/~rlbrown
Till next time! Take Care and God Bless!....."The Bass Coach"
Spinner Baits
Spinner Baits
— by Roger Lee Brown (The Bass Coach)
Through all the years of teaching students bass fishing skills and techniques, as well as many former guide clients I have taken on bass fishing trips, one question comes
to mind that has been asked time and time again and that question is; "Are spinnerbaits really worth the money you pay for them?," and I have to say YES!.... If I had a choice of 3 baits to fish a body of water for Largemouth, Smallmouth, or Kentucky Spots I would definitely have to say that a Spinnerbait is one of the 3 baits that I would choose. Spinnerbaits are one of the most versatile type of baits that a angler can use when fishing for bass. There are several different presentations and techniques that one can use when fishing with a spinnerbait, such as:
"Chunk-N-Wind" This presentation is probably the most common used by most anglers. You just simply cast the bait and reel it back in at a moderate rate or retrieve keeping the bait just under the water surface usually no deeper than 4 to 5 feet deep. This technique works well when a angler wants to cover a lot of water territory in a short time, and can be found to be very effective at times.
"Slow-Rolling" This presentation is used quite often when you want to fish deeper water areas usually anywhere between 6 and 20 foot depths and sometimes even deeper. With this presentation, you want to try to keep the spinnerbait as close to the bottom as possible and bump or hit any possible structure that may be in the area you are fishing. With this presentation, simply cast your spinnerbait, and when it hits the water you can either immediately start your retrieve or "Count-Down" letting the spinnerbait fall to the depth you want to cover, then start your retrieve. Maintain a slow steady retrieve keeping the spinnerbait moving at all times.
"Waking or Bulging" This presentation can be a little difficult when you first learn it. You simply cast to your targeted area and retrieve or reel the spinnerbait back in just fast enough to create a "Bulge" or "Wake" just below the surface without actually skimming the top of the surface of the water. This presentation is a good pattern to use around submerged timber, rip-rap, fall-downs, vegetation, edge drops, docks, and just about any type of structure when the bass are active.
"Jigging-It" Jigging the spinnerbait can be one presentation of a spinnerbait you’ll not want to forget because it’s proven to be one of the more successful techniques when fishing a spinnerbait. The presentation is very simple and the results can be very satisfactory! Jigging the spinnerbait is done simply by pitchin’ the spinnerbait in a targeted area like; patches of open water in vegetation, space holes in structure, next to and in-between pilings, in-between rocks, etc. let the spinnerbait drop to the bottom, lift your rod tip up and down 2 or 3 times then let the spinnerbait settle to the bottom again.
"Draggin’-It" Some of the biggest bass I had ever caught was by using this presentation. You simply work the spinnerbait as you would a plastic lizard or worm. Cast the spinnerbait and let it fall to the bottom, reel or retrieve in the slack out of your line, lift your rod tip "slowly" from about the 9 o’clock position to the 12 o’clock position (or straight up), reel in the slack and repeat this technique all the way back to the boat. Make sure you try to keep tension always on your bait for this technique.
"Yo-Yo or Pumping" This technique can as well be very effective at different times, especially in and around vegetation areas. With this technique, simply cast the spinnerbait to the targeted area, using more of a "slow-roll" for a retrieve, while on the retrieve, periodically make a quick lift of your rod tip after 5 or 6 winds on your reel, stop reeling and let the spinnerbait flutter back down towards the bottom until the slack is out of your line, then repeat this process all the way back to the boat.
Although there are more, these are some of the most effective presentations that I have found to be quite successful and they have proven themselves time after time. I teach my students many different types of presentations and techniques with many different baits ranging from Top-Water, Crankbaits, Plastics, Jigs, etc. at my bass
fishing school, and some of these presentations listed above can be some of the most effective at catching bass if you just give them a chance, but, like anything else it takes time and practice to build confidence in any bait. There is a lot more to learn about spinnerbaits such as; blade size, blade shape, colors, weights, trailers, trailer-hooks, etc. and Lord willing I can share some of these things with you in future articles, or you can learn from me with Personalized Instruction by attending my 3-day "On-Water" Bass Fishing School.
Till next time! Take Care and God Bless!....."The Bass Coach"
— by Roger Lee Brown (The Bass Coach)
Through all the years of teaching students bass fishing skills and techniques, as well as many former guide clients I have taken on bass fishing trips, one question comes
to mind that has been asked time and time again and that question is; "Are spinnerbaits really worth the money you pay for them?," and I have to say YES!.... If I had a choice of 3 baits to fish a body of water for Largemouth, Smallmouth, or Kentucky Spots I would definitely have to say that a Spinnerbait is one of the 3 baits that I would choose. Spinnerbaits are one of the most versatile type of baits that a angler can use when fishing for bass. There are several different presentations and techniques that one can use when fishing with a spinnerbait, such as:
"Chunk-N-Wind" This presentation is probably the most common used by most anglers. You just simply cast the bait and reel it back in at a moderate rate or retrieve keeping the bait just under the water surface usually no deeper than 4 to 5 feet deep. This technique works well when a angler wants to cover a lot of water territory in a short time, and can be found to be very effective at times.
"Slow-Rolling" This presentation is used quite often when you want to fish deeper water areas usually anywhere between 6 and 20 foot depths and sometimes even deeper. With this presentation, you want to try to keep the spinnerbait as close to the bottom as possible and bump or hit any possible structure that may be in the area you are fishing. With this presentation, simply cast your spinnerbait, and when it hits the water you can either immediately start your retrieve or "Count-Down" letting the spinnerbait fall to the depth you want to cover, then start your retrieve. Maintain a slow steady retrieve keeping the spinnerbait moving at all times.
"Waking or Bulging" This presentation can be a little difficult when you first learn it. You simply cast to your targeted area and retrieve or reel the spinnerbait back in just fast enough to create a "Bulge" or "Wake" just below the surface without actually skimming the top of the surface of the water. This presentation is a good pattern to use around submerged timber, rip-rap, fall-downs, vegetation, edge drops, docks, and just about any type of structure when the bass are active.
"Jigging-It" Jigging the spinnerbait can be one presentation of a spinnerbait you’ll not want to forget because it’s proven to be one of the more successful techniques when fishing a spinnerbait. The presentation is very simple and the results can be very satisfactory! Jigging the spinnerbait is done simply by pitchin’ the spinnerbait in a targeted area like; patches of open water in vegetation, space holes in structure, next to and in-between pilings, in-between rocks, etc. let the spinnerbait drop to the bottom, lift your rod tip up and down 2 or 3 times then let the spinnerbait settle to the bottom again.
"Draggin’-It" Some of the biggest bass I had ever caught was by using this presentation. You simply work the spinnerbait as you would a plastic lizard or worm. Cast the spinnerbait and let it fall to the bottom, reel or retrieve in the slack out of your line, lift your rod tip "slowly" from about the 9 o’clock position to the 12 o’clock position (or straight up), reel in the slack and repeat this technique all the way back to the boat. Make sure you try to keep tension always on your bait for this technique.
"Yo-Yo or Pumping" This technique can as well be very effective at different times, especially in and around vegetation areas. With this technique, simply cast the spinnerbait to the targeted area, using more of a "slow-roll" for a retrieve, while on the retrieve, periodically make a quick lift of your rod tip after 5 or 6 winds on your reel, stop reeling and let the spinnerbait flutter back down towards the bottom until the slack is out of your line, then repeat this process all the way back to the boat.
Although there are more, these are some of the most effective presentations that I have found to be quite successful and they have proven themselves time after time. I teach my students many different types of presentations and techniques with many different baits ranging from Top-Water, Crankbaits, Plastics, Jigs, etc. at my bass
fishing school, and some of these presentations listed above can be some of the most effective at catching bass if you just give them a chance, but, like anything else it takes time and practice to build confidence in any bait. There is a lot more to learn about spinnerbaits such as; blade size, blade shape, colors, weights, trailers, trailer-hooks, etc. and Lord willing I can share some of these things with you in future articles, or you can learn from me with Personalized Instruction by attending my 3-day "On-Water" Bass Fishing School.
Till next time! Take Care and God Bless!....."The Bass Coach"
Monday, November 26, 2007
WINTER FISHING
"WINTER FISHING -
PARTY BOAT STYLE"
To a boat owner, the approach of the holidays spells the end of the fishing season here in the northeast. Thoughts of delightful days on the water are replaced by concerns of winterizing the boat to protect it from the elements of the harsh winter to come. For me, this used to be a sad time, sort of like parting with a good friend. A few years ago, however, I discovered that I could still enjoy the rewards of a day of fishing all through the winter season. I discovered that fishing for cod on one of the local party boats was a lot of fun and very rewarding. Party boat fishing for cod in the winter is not at all like
drifting for fluke on a balmy day in July. As such, it requires some important preparation. Protection from the cold ranks high on the priority list. If one would also hope to bag a few tasty cod to grace the holiday table, then some thought should be given to tactics and tackle. Living in Babylon, I find it most convenient to patronize the boats at Captree. I have found that familiar faces and the development of a rapport with the captain, crew and regular customers from one area or boat is most valuable.
As for choosing a boat to sail with, I suggest trying a couple of different boats at the beginning. Each boat has its own particular style and attributes. When you find one that is comfortable for you, patronize that boat as a regular. Remember that it is a business in which regular customers are valued highly. Crews are more willing to go the extra distance for a regular customer. While on the subject of crews, their regular salary is nothing to brag about. They depend upon tips to make a descent day's pay. Winter weather is an important consideration in planning a trip. During this time of year, windless, warm and dry days are almost unheard of, and a certain amount of discomfort is to be expected. However, to board a boat when the forecast calls for winds in excess of 20 mph., temperatures below 20 degrees, and a possibility of sleet or snow is asking for trouble. For these reasons, I avoid long range plans. I listen to the forecasts and wait for the right day, usually finalizing my plan the night before. Concerning proper dress, the rule is light but warm. Layers of lighter weight clothing provide warmth without restricting movement. A quality set of lightweight thermal underwear, such as made by Helly Hansen, warm street clothes and a set of coveralls containing thinsulate is usually sufficient for basic warmth. Insulated waterproof boots and gloves are a must, as is a heavy duty set of foul weather gear for when conditions get sloppy or for added warmth. Don't forget that a great amount of body heat is lost from an uncovered head, so a quality woolen watchcap that can be pulled down over the ears is also in order. In addition, winter seas are usually lumpy even on windless days, so take the normal precautions to prevent seasickness.
Well, how about catching fish? In my experience, I have found that two rules pay off with fish most often. Keep terminal tackle to a minimum and get it where the other guys aren't. The first part is easy. I use a single 7/0 cod style snelled hook attached to a dropper loop three feet above a sinker just heavy enough to hold bottom under the prevailing conditions. I thread on a single skimmer clam, hooking it through the hard tissue several times and running it on up the shank of the hook. This is all that I use, and I have been high hook on the boat a number of times.
The process of getting your bait to be in the most productive spot can actually begin long before the boat leaves the dock. What I am referring to is getting a prime position from which to fish. Since this is a first come first pick affair, it might require arriving at the boat an hour or two before sailing time. I consider the stern quarter to be the best position on the boat. From this position a number of factors are in your favor. Underhand casting can be directed both to the side and astern, thus covering more territory. Baits fished astern from a boat at anchor will not be dragged by currents and are usually the first to be encountered by cod moving up current to the smells of these offerings. Your fishing line also will not run under the boat as it undergoes its normal shifting from side to side. If a stern position is not available, I would take the bow as my second choice. This area provides a degree of advantage similar to the stern, and in addition, is usually not too crowded.
What kind of tackle should you use? My suggestion is to keep it as light as possible but of high quality. Large metal spool reels just cannot cast the distance necessary. Heavy line inhibits casting and requires an excessive amount of sinker weight in order to stay put on the bottom. Double hook rigs with three skimmers on each again restrict
casting and are prone to move in the current. I have never been outfished by someone employing such gear or techniques. I use a Penn 970 reel, as it is compact but strong and made for casting. In addition, it has a high speed retrieve, and a very smooth drag system. Many people laugh when they see this reel being used for cod, especially when it is spooled with only 25 lb. test line. It has caught 40lb. cod and for that matter 40lb. striped bass with no problems in the past. I do splice in a ten foot section of 40lb. mono to the terminal end of my running line in order to prevent breakage of the lighter line at the hook and sinker connection. For a rod, I use an eight foot fast taper medium-heavy blank, preferably graphite. I utilize a minimum of guides and only cork tape on the butt section to which I tape on the reel using a number of wraps of electrical tape. This keeps the outfit light and allows placement of the reel so as to allow for the best casting leverage. With this combination, I can easily cast 75-100 feet and thus get my bait out there all alone and looking good for the first hungry codfish that swims toward the boat.
PARTY BOAT STYLE"
To a boat owner, the approach of the holidays spells the end of the fishing season here in the northeast. Thoughts of delightful days on the water are replaced by concerns of winterizing the boat to protect it from the elements of the harsh winter to come. For me, this used to be a sad time, sort of like parting with a good friend. A few years ago, however, I discovered that I could still enjoy the rewards of a day of fishing all through the winter season. I discovered that fishing for cod on one of the local party boats was a lot of fun and very rewarding. Party boat fishing for cod in the winter is not at all like
drifting for fluke on a balmy day in July. As such, it requires some important preparation. Protection from the cold ranks high on the priority list. If one would also hope to bag a few tasty cod to grace the holiday table, then some thought should be given to tactics and tackle. Living in Babylon, I find it most convenient to patronize the boats at Captree. I have found that familiar faces and the development of a rapport with the captain, crew and regular customers from one area or boat is most valuable.
As for choosing a boat to sail with, I suggest trying a couple of different boats at the beginning. Each boat has its own particular style and attributes. When you find one that is comfortable for you, patronize that boat as a regular. Remember that it is a business in which regular customers are valued highly. Crews are more willing to go the extra distance for a regular customer. While on the subject of crews, their regular salary is nothing to brag about. They depend upon tips to make a descent day's pay. Winter weather is an important consideration in planning a trip. During this time of year, windless, warm and dry days are almost unheard of, and a certain amount of discomfort is to be expected. However, to board a boat when the forecast calls for winds in excess of 20 mph., temperatures below 20 degrees, and a possibility of sleet or snow is asking for trouble. For these reasons, I avoid long range plans. I listen to the forecasts and wait for the right day, usually finalizing my plan the night before. Concerning proper dress, the rule is light but warm. Layers of lighter weight clothing provide warmth without restricting movement. A quality set of lightweight thermal underwear, such as made by Helly Hansen, warm street clothes and a set of coveralls containing thinsulate is usually sufficient for basic warmth. Insulated waterproof boots and gloves are a must, as is a heavy duty set of foul weather gear for when conditions get sloppy or for added warmth. Don't forget that a great amount of body heat is lost from an uncovered head, so a quality woolen watchcap that can be pulled down over the ears is also in order. In addition, winter seas are usually lumpy even on windless days, so take the normal precautions to prevent seasickness.
Well, how about catching fish? In my experience, I have found that two rules pay off with fish most often. Keep terminal tackle to a minimum and get it where the other guys aren't. The first part is easy. I use a single 7/0 cod style snelled hook attached to a dropper loop three feet above a sinker just heavy enough to hold bottom under the prevailing conditions. I thread on a single skimmer clam, hooking it through the hard tissue several times and running it on up the shank of the hook. This is all that I use, and I have been high hook on the boat a number of times.
The process of getting your bait to be in the most productive spot can actually begin long before the boat leaves the dock. What I am referring to is getting a prime position from which to fish. Since this is a first come first pick affair, it might require arriving at the boat an hour or two before sailing time. I consider the stern quarter to be the best position on the boat. From this position a number of factors are in your favor. Underhand casting can be directed both to the side and astern, thus covering more territory. Baits fished astern from a boat at anchor will not be dragged by currents and are usually the first to be encountered by cod moving up current to the smells of these offerings. Your fishing line also will not run under the boat as it undergoes its normal shifting from side to side. If a stern position is not available, I would take the bow as my second choice. This area provides a degree of advantage similar to the stern, and in addition, is usually not too crowded.
What kind of tackle should you use? My suggestion is to keep it as light as possible but of high quality. Large metal spool reels just cannot cast the distance necessary. Heavy line inhibits casting and requires an excessive amount of sinker weight in order to stay put on the bottom. Double hook rigs with three skimmers on each again restrict
casting and are prone to move in the current. I have never been outfished by someone employing such gear or techniques. I use a Penn 970 reel, as it is compact but strong and made for casting. In addition, it has a high speed retrieve, and a very smooth drag system. Many people laugh when they see this reel being used for cod, especially when it is spooled with only 25 lb. test line. It has caught 40lb. cod and for that matter 40lb. striped bass with no problems in the past. I do splice in a ten foot section of 40lb. mono to the terminal end of my running line in order to prevent breakage of the lighter line at the hook and sinker connection. For a rod, I use an eight foot fast taper medium-heavy blank, preferably graphite. I utilize a minimum of guides and only cork tape on the butt section to which I tape on the reel using a number of wraps of electrical tape. This keeps the outfit light and allows placement of the reel so as to allow for the best casting leverage. With this combination, I can easily cast 75-100 feet and thus get my bait out there all alone and looking good for the first hungry codfish that swims toward the boat.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
