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Daddy's tips Table of contents: Understanding Ice calendar period
After a short hiatus, trying to regroup my thoughts after the start of the local pike tournaments, I am now ready to talk about it. Everything I thought I knew, just went out the window. For approximately 5 weeks, we pre fished our so called hot spots & many of those were fishless days. With Pike spawning at ice out, by the time most of us are finally on the river most have already spawned in shallow bays, coves, points near deep water access. So I expected to find them in backwaters off the main channel. These areas generally warm faster than surrounding water & draw the most active northerns first as they have only one thing in mind which is replenishing their body weight which had dropped during the spawn. This year with the river barely freezing over & some areas which had not due to the mild winter somehow must have thrown a loop in they're biological clock. Seasonably cool temperatures which are still plaguing us thus far have had many of us avid anglers banging our heads against the wall. The very first outing we took a temperature reading in the bays & main lake. Both were 6.2 degrees Celsius. One month later temperature readings had only risen slightly more than one degree in the bays. Weed growth was minimal due to cooler temperatures & lack of sun to warm the bays which would have sparked new growth which would have drawn in baitfish in turn drawing in predatory fish. This formula was the norm & really never had to put much thought into the whole process before now. When the Pike tournaments would commence it was just a matter of doing the same thing every year. In years prior, 50-100 Pike days per angler were not unheard of. At days end your wrist ached so bad you could barely hold onto a beer bottle (I said barely) while chatting with your buddies at the presentations. With the task at hand trying to locate these slimy #@#!*%'s we worked all the areas one would generally seek such as points, bays, coves, creek mouths near deep water access as they remain close to these areas after the spawn on the drop off's feeding heavily. We could see the baitfish hanging under the thermocline on the graph in anywhere from 15 to 20 feet & larger fish off bottom, but to no avail I could not rise one no matter what I tried. Old faithful, Mr. Bucktail in various colors with a 3 inch curly tail grub, on top of just about everything else in our 4 overloaded tackle bags were not producing any better. To be able to pattern fish, one must first catch some. This was not the case. One other thing which confused me even more was we could see the suckers spawning in tight to the shallows which usually commences after the Pike have spawned. But where were the Pike? I tell you, not that Gator & I do much talking as it is when were in tournament mode but there was even less this year. All we could do was shake our heads in disgust, tie on something else, sigh & hope for the first fish so as not to come home skunked. The dilemma was our buddies knew we were out pre fishing which they had no time to do, so they were relying on us for information as to what color, where & how deep. Do we lie? We have all fished these same areas together within a few hundred meters of each other for over the past ten years so there were no hidden secrets amongst us. There was always plenty to go around; & then some. So we swallowed our pride and told them the truth. Skeptical at first because as I say, these areas always produced. They were about to find out! I didn't feel as bad as the gossip on the river from the local favorites was pretty much the same as we were experiencing. Kind of a sigh of relief that it was not just us. After contemplating on our situation, and one who is not superstitious I succumbed to the childish antics of removing certain Items which I felt could be Bad Luck. For instance the ring which sports an insignia of a Bass and Daddy in raised lettering across the top which was given to me by Flipper for being his best man. Didn't work! Gator thought maybe it was because we shaved. Then it hit me, I purchased a pack of cigarettes at a 711 store in the morning and there it was. The purchase came to $6.66. Had to be it, three 6's couldn't be good. All this stemmed from that Brady Bunch episode where Peter found that statuette in Hawaii which he wore around his neck and all kinds of bad luck started to plague the family. My parents are to blame, how could they have let me watch such a perverse show. Somebody had to take the fall and it wasn't going to be me! As I said everything I thought I knew, went out the window. What to do? Stained water generally warms faster, maybe this was the key....NOT!. Then I read an article in the In Fisherman April-May 2002 edition on Breaking Barriers to post spawn Pike, and thought ah ha; this is it, this is where we should be targeting. This did not pan out either, but the article still has merit. Now into tournament 3, things still looked pretty gloomy as conditions were typically the same as the first 2. On day one Gator landed a 30.5 lb Muskie at the crack of dawn on a chartreuse spinnerbait. Wouldn't you know it, his daughter had the camera. I swear to god!. However I will publicly deny this, as he had done the same to me last year when one got off at the boat in the range of 40-50 lbs. I am not worried about him reading this as he is a computer retard & wouldn't know how to turn his on if his life depended on it. Anyhow, as I was saying very few fish were caught on day 1 & the ones that were caught were from the same hole. A rocky point adjacent to a bay which had a stretch of cabbage maybe about 150-200 feet. That was the only stretch of cover we were able to locate on the western section of the river. It was here I managed to pull out an 11lb 11oz female full of eggs. I was ripping a orange bucktail jig with a 3" fire orange curly tail grub. Not huge by any means, but enough to secure us as the scoreboard leader on day one. Day 2 we were bumped to a second place finish which at least covered expenses from the first three tournaments. There is not a lot of information in this article as I was left dumbfounded trying every trick in the book or so I thought. So there is no need to ramble on about what worked and what didn't, because everything pretty much didn't. Even heard stories of how things were pretty much the same in the northern areas of Ontario. As near as I could figure it, things seem to be about a month behind. As is this article. I'm afraid the Bass will follow suit, and will be pulled off the beds on the season opener June 29th. What really Irks me is that we rushed around getting all the yard work done early anticipating being on the river countless hours thus far. I guess a day on the river, fish or not is still better than helping your wife work on the flowerbeds any day. Especially since I thought I was smart having my son burry all the dog crap behind the shed where she now wants to put some tomato plants. Guess what kind of sandwiches Gator is getting this year for our lunches on the river. See Ya! Daddy
An accomplished bass angler like the one he hunts, adapts; he knows that if a largemouth is shore line oriented, that fish will be looking up as well as out for a meal. The largemouth is a mauler & a raider, a natural for lurking amid cover, surging up to snatch stumbling prey. Most any potential target will do; if it launches from the bank & is more or less digestible it counts. Summer is prime time to key in as the new of the year have sprouted. All sorts of young creatures from fluttering birds to scurrying rodents to bouncing frogs are parading through the rich foliage. Many bass fisherman especially those new to the sport overlook this rich option, whether it be for lack of success, hang-ups, loosing fish & or tackle or just find it too difficult to manipulate this brutal and unforgiving terrain. If you are able to access these shallow areas, I can assure you this is some of the best heart pounding fishing that I have ever experienced. Top water baits, Texas rigged plastics, spinnerbaits, flipping jigs, whether your skipping across the surface, flipping pockets or running along the edge of weed beds they all produce more fish than you ever thought possible. Up until two years ago this style of fishing was all virgin territory to me , that was until Gator & I purchased our first bass boat & were able to access these shallow areas. Largemouth are aggressive & opportunistic, & may twist off & strike at the most unlikely offering. If woodpiles & submerged grass clumps suggest field mouse condominiums try serving up passable imitations such as Snag Proof's white rat, Chug Bugs, Spooks, Pop`n Image, Skitter Pop`s, Scum Frog's or Jig & Pigs. Presentation can be more important than pattern. Bass lurking along shallow shorelines are tuned to feeding. It does not take too much of the wrong thing to turn off an otherwise receptive fish. A sidearm cast is best as it makes a subtle plop imitating something falling from the bank. Dropping a bait with a startling plop can alert nearby predators that opportunity knocks. Remember that there is a difference between a free falling brick & a fat fuzzy splash. Often animals flushed or toppled from the bank do land with an abrupt splat. Bass expect this!. This wake up tactic can be most effective when bass are holding in murky water or in thick vegetation. If there is blow (brush or vegetation that has been chopped up from props of boat traffic) which rims the bank, try to hit the inside edge. The tighter the better or within 2 to 3 feet from the bank. The outside edge is a good choice for deeper fish, but the percentage favor working in tight when bass are looking to the banks. A big bass in shallow vegetation boils & thrashes & sends reeds & lilies through the rinse cycle. All of this drama in tight quarters can send your heart pounding right out of your chest. Usually it does not take much commotion to excite a strike. As the seasons change so do the patterns, oxygen, temperatures, and cover dictate where bass will locate. Points are a good place to start in any season as they normally provide varying depths & cover. Early spring will usually find bass in shallow water & during the dog days of summer they are suspended in deeper & cooler drop off areas on each side. For shallow fish up on a point, a rapidly retrieved rattling lure can be fished inches below the surface where its bait like appearance & vibrating noise can entice any hungry bass. In 6 to 12 feet, use a steady retrieve to maintain depth & count it down ( 1 second equals approximately 1 foot). For deeper suspended fish in 15 to 20+ feet count it down & rip it up & down in a yoyo motion. Since our buddy Flipper has introduced us to flipping jigs with a pork or plastic trailer, We have caught bass where one could never imagine a large mouth would or could have been lurking. Big bass spook easily, so your odds raise if you can get your bait into a lunkers lair without its knowing your there, minimize boat noises. A quality trolling motor & ample thrust is the key to getting into these areas where only the true die hards will dare to go. When the wind picks up & is too choppy to fish the main lake weed lines, rock piles or drop offs, I like to tuck inside & work the undercuts, boat docks flipping tail spinners like the Rocket Shad, cat tails or woody areas with flipping Jigs. Pencil reeds or bulrush are usually too thin & scattered to hold large concentrations of bass, but if some blow has been blown into these areas they will produce some fish more often than not. Bright sunny days produce the best fishing action since the sunshine pushes bass into the shadiest areas of the weeds. Afternoon is the best time of the day to flip the weeds because the sun is the brightest & the mid day breeze has stirred up the water which triggers bass into feeding. Flipping the cat tails in clear water conditions is the best, if the water turns murky or stained I will use a rattling Jig as it is easier for the fish to hone in on. On windy days, weed line points also produce great action. During cold front conditions bass will bury deep in the weeds where one has to penetrate the slop with a heavier Jig . I prefer, depending on how thick & congested the slop is, anywhere from a 3/4 up to, are you ready.... a 2oz Nichols weedless flipping Jig with a 7/0 owner hook. Big bait, big bass!. You might want to wear a full face helmet because the bite is so fast once it penetrates the blow that once you set the hook if there is no fish attached to it its coming back at ya with the force of an alley shot from a sling shot. The duck & weave method works best; better your buddy in the rear gets to look like Cyclops than you. Making a long low delivery into any slight opening in the weed line & back inside 10 to 20 feet can produce monster bass as they are virtually untouched. Plastic worms or lizards Texas rigged with a worm weight & a 3 or 4/0 wide gap Gamagatsu hook can be flipped as well because of their sleekness & bulkiness of a Jig. Flipping the edges of the weeds I use a 1/2 oz to a 3/4 oz Nichols flipping Jig black or blue with an Uncle Josh flipping frog, kicker frog, spring lizard pup or pork frog in 2 1/2 to 4 inch sizes or a craw colored plastic. A 1/2 oz bullet weight pegged with a toothpick to prevent hang ups & an offset hook with a plastic lizard or craw sprayed with Bang formula Pure Craw or Kick`n Bass garlic scented formula is another alternative. Always wash your hands before eating your sandwiches; or keep your livewell open cause I guarantee ya something's coming up. Heavy line, ( I use 65 lb Spiderwire & have gone up to 80 lb Power Pro) a heavy flipping stick & a high speed reel with drag set as tight as you can is a must for dragging hefty largemouth out of the weeds. If you give him a chance to turn its head & get back in there, chances are he's going to win. Remember to back off the drag after each trip so as not to compress the drag washers. A fish under the mat is active & ready to bite as soon as your bait starts to fall. On calm days you want the Jig to slip down as quietly as possible under the mat so as not to spook them. Do not leave it sit long in one spot, you will be more efficient if you get it out of there & find your next hole, rather than poking it around for a while. As your pulling your bait out of the water , you should have already eyeballed your next opening. This kind of fishing is close quarters, no holds barred action for giant bass. With heavier gear & line it is not gentlemanly, finesse bass fishing; its a bare knuckles brawl. The fish are big & right under your rod tip & their in the most matted impenetrable cover imaginable. You've got to lean on them hard and fast to get their heads up and moving towards the boat, or you've got no chance to land'em. If you read a lot of fishing magazines you will hear the pro's saying, "Mental attitude is huge, remain positive, never get excited or stressed out, if your having a bad day, believe in your ability to find and catch bass." To this I say "Eat me Pro Bass Boy." If one would have been close this year while fishing a local bass tourney and told me that, I would have punched him right in the mouth. Let me explain! The first morning the fog was so thick I could not see the front of our 20ft. bass boat, and it did not lift until 4hrs after launching. Winds were high and worst of all because we has used our trolling motor so much to stay in line on a particular drift of shoreline, our batteries were euchred half way through the day. All summer we had worked an area that was not heavily fished, evading boat traffic and fishing pressure, we were quite confident in weighing in 10-12lbs per day (2 day tourney) as we had done all summer. NOT! Although we still managed to pull out 10.5lbs. (3fish) on day one, day two with conditions perfect and new batteries we headed out thinking if we could produce in those conditions, today would be a breeze. By 2pm. two fish about 3.5lbs combined were laughing at us in the livewell. By 5pm. and weighin at 6pm. Gator dropped to 4's, one right after the other. Talk about discouraged, as I looked at Gator who was now sitting on the front deck starring at the floor shaking his head I knew they had won. They beat us. We headed home hoping the wives had not gone on a shopping spree anticipating the prize money was a sure thing. Not ready to run with the big boys yet! We both laughed and racked it up as experience. My experiences this year with smallmouth has to be ranked right up there with...my wedding day ( I had to type that, my wife was looking over my shoulder.) As I was saying, ranked right up there with the best sex you've ever had. In early spring shad crankbaits in crawdad patterns or gold, brown or red hues and black back are very productive. During the spawn, patterns that resemble nest raiders like sunfish, perch and baby bass have also produced well. During post spawn periods shad colored crankbaits such as a Down Deep Rattlin Fat Rap with pearl sides and light green back in clear water conditions and blue back in slightly stained water. In all cases observe how well the bass are biting. If they are taking the bait well and getting the front hook in their mouths, you probably have the right color; so experiment. In the summer when the water is clear, shad imitating holographic finishes on crankbaits and in murky water chartreuse with black backs or firetiger patterns are also a safe bet. In stained water bright colors such as chartreuse and even fluorescent orange. In late summer, yellow with a brown or dark green back. In fall, pearl, chartreuse and firetiger. With the colder water smallmouth tend to be more rock oriented, with crawfish as their primary forage. I try to crawl my bait through the rocks with something that blends in with the surroundings like dark firetiger, red with brown on back and chartreuse. In the coldest conditions chrome, pearl and white, for large mouth more lifelike finishes. Rule of thumb which I like to use: In warmer water, faster retrieve; colder water, slower retrieve. As the water warms fish are lured to the shallows, their aggressiveness increases and the spawn commences. In a cold front situation bass tend to move tighter to cover or deeper water and the strike zone shrinks, so I tend to leave the bait in the target area longer and make repeated presentations to the same spot. It doesn't seem to matter what season it is, as long as there is some green vegetation in the form of milfoil, coontail or hydrilla, ripping lipless crankbaits, rattle traps or super spots will catch bass in spring summer and fall. It doesn't have to be thick, as long as it is green. Wakebaits such as 3/8 oz Mann's Baby Mid 1 minus and 1/4oz Baby 1 minus, Storms Sub Wart and Bomber Shallow A will catch bass anywhere you can catch bass on a spinnerbait. Because these super shallow crankbaits dive no deeper than one foot, it shows bass something different. Clearwater smallmouth with a hot retrieve on one of these wakebaits can produce jolting strikes. Make long casts over rock bars, gravel shoals and submerged weed beds and burn a brightly colored wakebait just under the surface. Smallies come up for it like rockets. Slowing the retrieve and or raising the rod tip makes them run closer to the surface. A medium retrieve with a low rod tip helps them achieve maximum depth. Twitch baits like Berkley jerk shad, zoom baits, Finesse split tail in the 3-5in range in pearl, bubblegum and black neon. Gold pepper shiner and alewife if your using Bass Assassins. Rip them across the surface or 2-3ft under the surface (weighted with a finishing nail or nails) to your desired depth when there is a slight ripple on the surface. Long casts are better using a 7ft medium action spinning outfit when using lighter lures. Long sweeping hook sets are recommended as I prefer using 6-8lb mono, reducing line breakage and find it much easier to control the fish. These jerkworms work best for suspended bass but can be as deadly on spawning bass that are tough to reach with other presentations. For bass tucked up tight to shallower cover, flip an unweighted jerkworm next to cover and gently twitch it as it falls. A slight ripple on the service was better than dead calm over sand flats and if the wind picked up, twitching over rock piles was key. Keep a sharp eye on your retrieve as you may see 2.3 or more smallies competing for the same meal. Have your partner ready to flip in behind you for a double header. Top water for smallies was also a blast this year. deadsticking, Poppers, Jitterbugs, Spooks, Chugbugs all produced large catches more so at sunrise and late afternoon just before and after sundown. It can also become quite costly, somebody should invent PIKE OFF Spray. Thank God pike are stupid as we have retrieved may of our same plugs and other treasures as well on the casts that followed later. Tubes imitating the forage like green with red flake and brown with red flake, salt and pepper rigged either using a normal baitfish rig or injured baitfish rig. I have experimented a little with madman's 4in crawfish tubes in camo gold and red flake rigged with a lead head 3/16 VMC Bass hook. This bait seemed to pick up smallies when all else failed, maybe because its different, who knows but if it works so be it. Also using basically the same technique I would rig other crawdad variations with a darker jighead and use fishing knot glue to bond the tail to the lead head and dead drag them on the drop-offs. I would have to say that is I was given only one lure to fish with for the day, it would have to be hands down the spinnerbait . I must say that our spinnerbait bas has doubled in size compared to the previous year when they were in the boat but seldom used. I've found there is not an exact science to running them, but varying your retrieve from slow barely turning the blades over cover to moderate to a fast retrieve just creating a small wake above the surface. The area we fished, the water is fairly clear & as far as the color goes; chartreuse, white, gold & reddish brown 1/4oz to 3/4oz depending on the depth I chose to run them from spring until late fall. A double willow leaf blade, Colorado blades single and double in silver and gold finishes in the colors mentioned above pretty much line our bag. In clear water conditions I went for flash with a double willow in silver finish and in stained water Colorado blades for vibration, basically that's as easy as I could put it. What we looked for were humps, submerged rock piles, ledges, casting tight to the bank and retrieving at a moderate speed letting the spinnerbait fall slightly on the drop-off's and WHAMO!! The acrobatics would start. Another key area were weed edges and what looked to be like channels that ran through the weeds resembling roadways which provided cover and access to pounce on stumbling prey. Running just above the tips of the cover over these channels was almost a sure thing early morning and late afternoon. You can buy the titanium versions like the Terminators which are quite costly but I've found them to snap at the R bend. Could have been a bad batch or from the pounding at the bend from the spiderwire, yes I still used but not as heavy. Whatever it was at $10.00 a pop I found it to be to rich for my blood. Strike King and Picasso has a good product but I've gone to the cheaper versions which made locally. Although they need tuning more frequently to run true especially after catching a snot rocket, they catch as many if not more and can be tossed if they become too mangled without shedding any tears. Working these areas with spinnerbaits has a few perks as well. Gator and I each landed a 25lb. Musky this year, and as for the spinnerbaits lets just say they make really nice wind chimes. I prefer using a 5 1/2 to 6ft medium action rod and high gear ratio reel to run my spinnerbaits, as once you feel the weight using spiderwire, the hook kind of sets itself with the weight of the fish. Where mono, a good hook set is imperative. If you find the smallies are coming up short, I will use an Owner trailer hook. There are new models out that I have tried such as the Leverage spinnerbaits that have supposedly revolutionized spinnerbaits. They are a great product because the wire lead will move with the fish increasing your catch rate, but once again because I'm using spiderwire it rips a gaping hole in their mouths, where mono because of the stretch will not. Since I practice catch and release, the less damage the better. I find because of the sensitivity of braid I can pick up so much vibration that I can literally tell you when I've picked up a weed or if it is not running true. After casting as much as we normally do whether it be for fun or tournament fishing, you will see who's arm will go limp first, the guy using mono or braid. I can't take the stretch of mono but to each his own. Just to touch a bit on buzzbaits, the original Lunker Lure, Blue Fox Double Buzzer and Strike Kings Tri Wing Buzzer in chartreuse, white and dark blue worked best over flats or shallow rocky shoals. Oh Yeah, there is also one that Pro Bass Shops sell called the Tornado that when retrieved at a slow to moderate speed it becomes a deadly spinnerbait with the rattling trapping sounds of a crankbait. Bring it to the surface to become a deadly buzzbait or jig it by rigging with a rubber band. It takes a little to perfect the action but once mastered it can be quite rewarding. That pretty much wraps up what I have learned this season which was probably the best year of fishing that I have ever experienced. SMALLMOUTH'S RULE!!! Now if you need to go shopping for some of this gear for the upcoming season a friend of ours Ed who owns Paddletails Tackle Shop in Winchester says he will put a very low price sticker on your gear or tackle to take home and show your wife what a great deal you got. Does it all the time he says, and they will be none the wiser. That is until your wife reads this, so whatever you do don't add this site to your favorites or hit print. *For copies of this manuscript send fishing related items or cash + shipping and handling fees and allow 4-6mths delivery. Offer expires Dec. 31st 2002. If ordered before March 22nd 2002 you will receive one of our mangled spinnerbaits to start your very own wind chime collection. Tight lines Daddy
Spring means a lot of different things to different people. If you live and die for Trout fishing, it means hungry fish gorging themselves in the warming water following spring run-off. Panfish addicts think of fat perch gobbling up their jigs or minnows as quickly as they can put their lines back in the water, while walleye enthusiasts imagine themselves, casting, trolling or live baiting their way to limits of chunky golden fish. But for me spring means cleaning up the dog poop on the front lawn and the start of the tournament season, beginning with the Snot Rockets. You can expect to catch bigger Pike by understanding a little bit about them. For starters you have to understand that big Pike and little Pike are entirely different animals. They don`t hang out together, so there is no sense beating the shallows to death looking for a trophy just because you hammered the crap out of 4 to 6 pounders all day. It`s not a situation where you weed through enough Snot Rockets until Momma comes along. Big Pike move into shallow weedy bays in late winter and commence spawning when the shoreline water hits about 40 degrees Fahrenheit regardless of where the lake is, the best spawning locations will have three common elements. 1- Exposure to sunlight. The best spawning bays for Pike inevitably face South, those areas because of having more exposure than other spots on the lake tend to warm faster, sparking weed growth, creating perfect conditions for Pike to spawn. Bays with dark colored murky bottoms warm quickest as they absorb heat from the sun faster than sandy bottoms, producing more fish. The opposite is true later in the season. 2- Prime Pike spawning bays will have fairly immediate access to deep water and the main lake basin. Bays that are located too far off the beaten path will not hold the same numbers of fish. 3- The best Pike spawning bays will have an inflowing creek that provides nutrients and oxygen. Though Pike may have moved out of the shallow spawning bays by the time you get to fish them, they shouldn't have gone too far. So the bays are still your starting point when picking a fishing location. Once Pike complete spawning, they move out of the shallows and onto the first significant drop off. They will remain in this vicinity, gobbling up anything smaller than they are, until rising water temperatures push them into the depths. This means somewhere around 60 degrees Fahrenheit normally found in about 4 to 12 feet at the mouth of a spawning bay and continuing around the adjacent shorelines. Any areas where that drop offs bump into something like a point, creek channel or a patch of weeds, are all very high percentage spots. Pike usually spawn over some sort of vegetation, so look for areas with emerging plants like bulrush, milfoil, coontail, or lily pads, key spots are anywhere this new growth borders on deeper water, particularly channels, creek beds, contour lines or other similar features Pike can follow into or out of the bay. In early Spring weed growth is almost non existent or not yet prominent, so in this case look for wood, logs, fallen trees, stumps, almost as if you were Bass fishing. With family and work commitments, most of us do not have the time to be on the river when conditions are at their best or when the Pike will hammer anything that passes them by. But by fishing a productive pattern, you will have a lot more success than the guy chucking spoons and trolling all day. The best approach in shallow water is to start with something loud like a Buzzbait. You will see fairly quick if there in the mood to chase. Reel it in as fast as you can at first, play with your retrieve speed and color, until you find that perfect combination. How they will react to your initial offering, will tell you a lot. If the interests isn't there, slow down your approach and try something a little slower like a spinnerbait, spoon, or crankbait. Let the fish dictate how you should spend your day. Jigging or crankbaiting may not be as exciting as top water, but at least you will catch fish. Suspending crankbaits work well when even the slowest retrieve fails to entice finicky Pike. Longer skinnier profiles like Rapala`s Husky jerk, Storm Suspending Thunderstick`s or Suspending Rogues have the ability to float in Mid water at rest giving them a unique ability to tempt even the most reluctant Pike. With a slow retrieve, twitch them along in a stop and go fashion along with a long pause, this will often produce fish. For faster presentations in shallow water, I'll go to Smithwick Rogue's or floating Rapala`s or Mann's Minus 1. For deeper water try Rebel Spoonbills, deep diving Husky Jerks and deep Thunderstick`s. Once again as it is for most species, weather plays a key role in how your day will be. As a rule, the warmer, sunnier and stable the conditions are, the more active the Pike will be. Fishing can get tough when the wind blows or a cold front rolls through. That`s your cue to look for Pike in slightly deeper water, and slow down your presentation. Deep diving crankbaits or Bucktails are your go to lures then, fishing them slow around points, mouth of spawning bays, creek mouths in deeper water or shorelines near spawning areas. Pike are primarily sight feeders, work weedy areas with a 9" slug-go twitch bait or jig and pig for clear, cold water conditions. Although I have not tried much live bait or deadbaiting a sucker minnow or shiner on a jig head or weedless hook, from what I`ve read you may want to give it a try in weedy clear water conditions. The hot location and lure can change from day to day, but sooner or later when you figure them out, it could make for a great day of fishing. There are so many options under certain conditions that I could go on and on. Once you have figured out the pattern, you may only use one thing out of the whole arsenal of tackle that you brought along for the outing. You will see, figuring pike out is a whole lot easier, than it was to figuring out your wife. I still haven't figured out that pattern yet. YES DEAR I'M COMING! ............I have to go and clean up the dog poop now. ______________________________________
Just received my Lancaster Inn pike tournament registration form in the mail today. This is when I start looking overhead in my basement, eyeballing the mess of rods and reels which were put to sleep only a few months ago. With the price of quality gear today, a little preventative maintenance goes a long way in preserving the life of your gear. If you get into a routine after each fishing trip of removing dirt, lubricating and releasing tension on drags, especially when storing over winter, it will make for a lot less headaches come your first day out. I am a strong believer in having my reels cleaned by a professional , the price of a cleaning is less expensive than replacing a new reel. This is not to say that you should not attempt it yourself, but just because I know how to drive, does not mean I can repair my engine. If you chose to still attempt it, make sure you work over a tray, I learned the hard way. Searching on all fours with a flashlight for a ball bearing does not make for an enjoyable evening. ASK MY WIFE !. Simple checks such as Q tips on line rollers, bail arms and also on the guides of your rods can be done quickly and could make all the difference in the world when your in battle with a hawg. Lift the bail arm about a half an inch on your spin cast reels and let it go. It should snap back into position, if it doesn't you may need to replace the bail spring or have the bail realigned. Baitcast reels are even more complex, with magnetic antibacklash devices and new technology, basic maintenance is much the same as spinning gear, but entering into the gear casings of baitcast is best left to the pro`s. There is a sequence of order to be followed for stripping and reassembling. A thorough visual check should be done on your rods as well, as invisible damage could have been done from the previous season. Check the rods closely for scratches, nicks, or blemishes. Running your fingers over the rod will some times pick stuff up that the eye won't. Next put a fairly severe bend in the rod, but not that beyond normal fishing pressure. If it snaps so be it , better now than on the water. Check and clean joints, ferrules and reel seat adjustments. I also use lemon furniture oil on my rods, not only does it remove a lot of grime it also prevents your rod from drying out. Check guides and inserts with a Q Tip or cotton ball, a piece of fuzz caught on either indicates a crack. Same goes for rods, best left to the professionals. Blackened cork handles indicates oily residue from your hands and may diminish the life of the cork. Simply using fine steel wool or fine sand paper can remove tarnished areas and rejuvenate the cork. Now that we have saved the best for last, we open the tackle box. Check the hooks for sharpness and the split rings as well on all your lures. Discard anything that is kinked (leaders), rusted or broke. I could tell you to separate the items, the items you use and don`t use, but like my steelhead vest, I can't seem to leave anything out. It`s there juuuuuust in case I need it. Finally the camera for the return to those special places we haven't seen since the previous year. This year try to photograph pictures of your pal landing a fish, fighting a jumping Bass, a live release. If you look through a fisherman's picture album, most would agree there all basically the same, dead fish alongside the garage wall, or holding your catch destined for the frying pan. The best shots are those on the water. For those of us who are not fortunate enough to have a digital camera, you can purchase a wide range of waterproof disposable cameras fairly inexpensive. I have been using these for some time and the picture quality is as good as any expensive camera, and will take a fair amount of pounding in your tackle box. Without trying to sound holier than thou, I am trying to teach my son the importance of live release, so he can share the experience with his son or daughter. A picture will last a lifetime. Killing a fish that you are going to eat is one thing, but killing a fish to show what a hot shot angler you are is just plain wrong. The decision to keep or release a fish that is ethically caught during open season, should rest with the individual who caught it. Killing the occasional fish to eat is very much a part of the experience. Getting an early start, assures your gear is in tip top condition ready for that day you have been longing for these past several months. Look under Honorable mentions for a professional who can help make this season a more enjoyable one. See you on the river. (I'll be the guy with all the Q Tips.) ___________________________________________________________  Willy be right or Willy be wrong, not seeing his shadow is a sign that spring is fast approaching. I can always tell when spring is around the corner, by how close my buddies gear bags and waders are to the back door. Whenever we see one another, small talk always leads to a discussion on steelhead fishing. Just as early as last week my buddy who was covered by a blanket pulled up to his nose whispered to me in a low crackling voice " I see Steelhead " . While I assured him it was only a dream, I could tell by his shaking and sweaty hands, that it was more than just a dream, it was an obsession. With the abundance of snowfall this winter, I am crossing my fingers the run off will increase water levels in the tributaries more so than what we have been accustomed to these past few years. While weather is a major factor, there are a still a few tricks that can improve your catch rate, when conditions are tough. Ever notice some trips, no matter what you do or how you do it, it seemed like nothing worked. While right beside you some "JERK", I mean fellow angler is pulling them in left and right. Being too proud, I do not ask what he is using, instead I spy on him out of the corner of my eye, I look at what he is doing differently, what color, what he is using and technique. Sad I know but it works !. We know how finicky steelhead can be, especially on weekends when fishing pressure is the greatest. This is why I prefer through the week. If you can manage to get time off mid week, you will see what I mean. Some trips we have had a whole stream to our self, it is these trips I attribute to my buddies dreams. When all else fails , throw in something different, don`t be afraid little grasshopper. While your buddies are laughing at you from across the other bank, keep a close look at their face dropping , when suddenly the screech of your drag and FISH ON echoes through their ears. "Priceless". I have found when roe is not as effective as I would like, I have switched to good old worms and switch again to a variety of flies in different nymph patterns and colors at different depths while float fishing. Use just enough weight so as to make contact with or close to bottom. However some days higher was better, so keep adjusting the length of your tippet until you start nailing them. Tiny spinnerbaits have great action in the flowing current, they get you down deep and cast well. Flat fish or Rebel Cat`r Crawler and mini crankbaits like the Crickhopper, CD-3 Rapala and Luhr Jensen's Hot Shots are all good choices as well. Cast any of these in deep holding pools and with a slow retrieve, if you can feel the vibration of the lure , then so can they. It may take a few casts, so be ready and hold on. On one particular day when the morning run was over , it was getting quite sunny and hot, and afternoon was soon approaching, the bite was off. Seeing quite a few held up in a pool, I decided to try something I had read in an article prior to the trip where they recommended trying some of the above lures. So I went out and purchased one of each. Being almost embarrassed to put one of those on, I swallowed my pride and tied one on. My first cast with the Rebel Cat`r Crawler produced a beautiful 6 lb chromer. My buddy who was with me at the time, said that if he would not of seen it with his own eyes, he would not have believed it. Being creatures of habit, we tend to keep using what has produced fish in the past, afraid to try something new. Look for overhanging banks, rocks in the middle of raging rapids, under brush , logs, foam from the churning water. These fish are not heavily fished, so they are a little more aggressive than the 20 to 30 Steelhead in a pool being heavily fished by 20 to 30 anglers. I know a lot of us have to travel several hundred kilometers to get to our honey holes , so instead of coming home skunked and lying to your spouse about how this trip was one of your best and showing pictures of you holding fish that one of the locals gave you. Try increasing your odds by giving them something different or have not seen in a while. The only downfall to all of this is having to lug the added weight and trying to find a spare pocket for your new lures . If your anything like I am, your vest will weight about 20 lbs, I swear I can live in the Cambodian jungle for a month just using items from my vest, I might not need it all, but it`s there when I need it. Anyhow it`s still worth the aching back on the way home. Spring water being very clear, you are almost sight fishing, so light line is essential. I being one to stick with something if it works (line anyway !) prefers Silver Threads Excalibur 6 lb main line and for really picky fish I use a 4 lb tippet. I have tried many different lines in the past, but have come back to Excalibur for it`s low stretch qualities and resistance to abrasion. Seeing a pool of steelhead moving side to side avoiding your bait can be very discouraging. This is why when they are not hungry, by throwing in something different and out of reflex, they see movement from the blade of a tiny spinnerbait for instance and instinct takes over. Try spots everyone else seems to ignore, sometimes because of having to dodge lines every few seconds they will hang up in areas where there is cover trying to avoid this scenario. When the water is low and clear, Steelhead will hide in deep pools under fallen trees, branches, tree roots and clumps of brush. We avoid fishing these areas because of hang-ups and light line to boot, not a good combination, but there are a lot of hawgs ready for the taking. Try to avoid reefing it in, reel it in quickly when you can and back off a little if he dives back into the heavy cover. Once he settles down, try it all over again. You may have to have a buddy land it for you, but it could be the only chance you have of not going home skunked. Some other baits to try are single eggs and 1/64 oz marabou jigs or tinsel jigs. Fish them under a float and try to use a long enough lead as to make contact with bottom as it flows downstream. You can throw a single egg on the jig as well for added attraction. Using these tiny jigs fished under a float, you will see the reaction of the fish. Once bitten, they will go wild below before you even get to feel the bite and once hooked the acrobatics will be somewhat spectacular. If you are going to attempt boiling some eggs, do very little at a time if it`s your first whack at it. Be prepared for the stench, best to do while your wife is at bingo, so she does not see you using her pots and Tupperware strainer . Trust me on this one, to avoid the heartache later buy one at the dollar store. Use Salmon eggs, bring water to a boil. Once boiled, drop in the desired amount for only a few seconds, you will see them turn white almost immediately. Remember if there in too long they become brittle and split while trying to put on the hook. Keep a hook nearby and pierce an egg 20 seconds after you put them in. If there still is liquid, put pot back on burner, only a few more seconds and pierce again. Things have to be done quickly as there is no in between . Once the eggs are to your liking, pour them in a strainer, rinse and let dry . Put them in air tight jars, and by throwing a lit match into the jar the oxygen burns when the lid is sealed making your eggs or roe last a lot longer. Rig the single egg the same way as you would roe, a minimum of 18" to 24" of lead from the hook to your first split shot. I prefer the tiniest of split shots BB and also Gamakatsu single egg hooks #12 and #14. I highly recommend these hooks. I have lost many fish using other products, because they have bent straight out. They are a little more expensive but I guarantee you will not be disappointed. On your next trip, do not be afraid to try some of these, you may be the talk of the bank !. Small spinnerbaits, anything small will do, but I have had success with Mepps Black Fury`s, Anglia's , both plain or dressed, Blue fox Super Vibrax, Panther Martin's sonic spinners, small flatfish, Crickhoppers, and hot shots in skunk, chrome, and gold finishes. Black and Olive Wooly Buggers ( personal favorite) , little Crappie jigs and weighted nymphs, Yarn in hot pink or chartreuse, Rebel's Hellgrammite, Luhr Jensen's jointed Beno. Last season I tied a few San Juan worms (red) for a friend of mine to try , and he had very good response . Good Luck ! Whose your Daddy ? ____________________________________________________________
Understanding Ice calendar periods  First Ice: When lakes and rivers mix during fall turnover, water from the river bottom, deoxygenated over summer and often containing hydrogen sulfide, mixes with surface water. The mixing ends as the lakes and rivers become uniform in temperature, oxygen content, and water quality. As days and nights cool, water falls to around 39 degrees Fahrenheit at the river bed and 32 degrees Fahrenheit under the ice surface. Fish being cold blooded will congregate where it is most comfortable (warmest). This is a general rule, and that some fish notably crappie, frequently suspend quite some distance of the bottom, probably due to oxygen levels and forage. First Ice seems to stimulate a good bite. The first anglers to key spots usually do well due to lack of fishing pressure, oxygen levels and remaining weed cover. So if you see a group of Ice fisherman!, chances are they are die hard locals who go out frequently and know where the fish are. Usually 2-3 hours after sunrise you'll have a good idea where the fish are, as they will be congregated in the same area. Walleyes generally hold on deep structures like rock bars or underwater points of sand and gravel in 20 to 40 feet of water as they did in the late fall, but are also in water as shallow as 12 to 15 feet of water as there is remaining weed growth, humps, reefs and submerged stump fields that often hold baitfish. Their daily feeding pattern remains the same, feeding most heavily at dusk and dawn. During this period walleye may mix with pike and perch. Perch tend to hold near bottom on large flats which generally are in the 6 to 12 foot deep range. Crappies favor areas with softer bottoms. One thing to consider at first Ice is that the water under the ice surface cools the water directly below it and this chilled water is more buoyant than the water near the bottom, so it floats above the warmer water. Fish seeking warmer water must move deep.
Midwinter: As winter progresses, ice thickens and snow blankets the underwater world. Under the ice, plants decay and a series of scientific data which I could explain to you , but even I don`t understand occurs. Bottom line is, there is a steady decline in oxygen levels. In Midwinter however, water on the bottom loses oxygen first, causing fish to suspend over deep basins and to leave shallow bays where they fed during the first ice period. Low temperatures and low oxygen levels in shallow water, may become stressful by midwinter. Deeper water contains less oxygen, but is warmer. These conditions tend to push fish out onto deeper flats. As winter progresses water near the surface is coldest and fish tend to be squeezed into the mid levels of the river. A variety of species may be caught with finesse tackle and very light line as they group together, but feed little. As midwinter period progresses, walleye, pike, crappie and perch fishing action declines. Fishing pressure and harvest takes its toll on popular fishing holes. Fish roam, making them harder to locate, and they`re spooked and less likely to bite. Catching a limit of any species becomes rare and the average size catch shrinks. Big fish are still there, but your odds of catching them drop. These conditions may vary from year to year depending on the severity of the winter. As different thickness of the ice surface and snow cover are factors in where fish are holding. Lighter lines and finesse lures are your best bet during this period and if you have access to a portable fish finder and can actually get a depth of where they are holding, you`ll only increase your odds.
Late Ice: If thick ice and snow linger in late winter, conditions under the ice worsen. As the layer of oxygen depleted water increases along the bottom, fish move upward, and can stop feeding altogether. Extended periods of poor water quality can cause winterkill because of lack of oxygen during severe winters. This occurs mostly on shallow far north lakes. Walleye and pike often feed more actively toward the end of winter. For pike, which spawn around ice out, late ice begins the Prespawn Period. They patrol underwater points, edges of mid depth flats, and hold near the mouth of bays. Current also attracts them, and fishing close to the edge of ice and water, where current has opened up a channel, can produce big fish. However, caution must be a priority and even the experienced, have taken an unexpected dip or two. To cope with late winter ice fishing Blahh`s, switching from smaller bodies of water to bigger often pay`s off, as water quality is better due to less decaying plants and more mixing water. Perch bite well in late winter as large adults prepare for spawning by feeding over shallow flats from February until ice conditions put an end to fishing. As oxygen dwindles, so does the ice layer. Daytime temperatures rise above freezing and sunlight is absorbed by the ice. Ice melts from the surface, creating a honeycomb effect, which indicates weak ice. As the land warms the shoreline ice thaws, leaving gaps between the two. At last ice there have been some pretty ingenious way`s invented to bridge those gaps. Renewed light penetration and inflowing water, seem to stimulate a new boom in plankton, which in turn attracts minnows and then pan fish, followed by bass and pike returning to bay`s they left in late January. This is what tempts anglers to test the weakening ice. Picks, ropes, life jackets or boats during this time should be as important as your fishing gear. Now that you understand what`s happening below, the next thing is what to use. Everybody has their personal favorites and once again ask the locals what they are biting on. These are a few of my favorites, Swedish pimples ( chartreuse, orange), Normark jigging Rapalas, these can be tipped with artificial grubs and or live bait or bait heads. Bay de Noc Do jigger, Acme Sidewinder, Jig a whopper Hawger, Northland fire eye jig, #10 or #12 teardrop with a single maggot, Acme Kastmaster, Cleo`s (chartreuse, blue). I could go on and on and on, experiment, check out colors of the other anglers. We could get into clothing, but each of us know our own tolerance level and should dress accordingly, because there is no ride in a comfy boat across calm waters, there`s only the crunch of snow under your feet and bitter chill that bites your lungs with every breath. ARE WE HAVING FUN YET ! ______________________________________________________________
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