Fishing Report

06-03-2009

The night bite has started full swing. Walleye and smallmouth bass are hitting good. Jigs, spinnerbaits and top water are the baits of choice. The daytime bite is still working for the ones brave enough to bare the heat. Getting good report on many lakes with the day bite still going strong but seems the bigger fish are starting to feed in the cool of the night. Hope to see you guys on the water and be safe out there as more boaters start hitting the water for the summer. Ar

Passing the Torch (By: Arsmallie)

After 8 years of patience and short days on the water, I have finally passed the fishing torch onto my son. As my parents so graciously passed it onto me, Ialso have passed it on. There is no greater feeling in the world than watching your little ones succeed and gain confidence in the things they are envolved in. Fishing is. Fishing is one that takes time and lots of patience as a learner and a teacher. My son Drew has taught me more than he will ever know. I put a fishing pole in his hands at the age of 3 and he caught his first fish. We would take trips on the boat to the lake for a short 1 to 2 hours. Each time we would go we would bluegill fish when they were on fire. No sit and wait kind of thing. We would have to go slow everywhere we went in the boat because he was scared to go too fast. Now days the boat does not go fast enough. We started bass fishing a few years ago and I found that taking him during the right time of year was the key. That time is usually in May after the spawn. I also found that a longer spinnning rod works much better. More control and longer cast. You can back them off the bank alittle more and stay away from the hang ups. But if you need some help on these issues just ask Drew. Ar.

Night Time Jig Bite (By: Bris)

The first opportunity for fishermen to hit the water after dark in search of the elusive Dale Hollow smallmouth bass comes in May when the weather warms up enough for them to stand the cooler nighttime temperatures without wearing cumbersome cold-weather gear.

Safety

The most important thing to keep in mind when this time comes is SAFETY.  There's nothing like watching a smallmouth break water in the moonlight, but nothing is worth risking your life. Your boat and gear needs to be in good working condition, because the lakes are totally different after dark.  Running lights are a must and having your batteries fully charged is important in order to power the necessary electronics used when night fishing. Especially in the early season when the water level is high, a powerful spotlight is needed to search for dangerous floating debris.  Nothing is more frustrating than to have an equipment-damaging collision, which could put an end to any fishing trip.Continued

Using your Electronics 101

Now that sumertime is approaching and the fish are moving out deeper, It's time to find their deep summer homes. I normally like to start with the creek channel bends and points and start watching my graph to find fish holding on the drops. This is when they first start to leave the creeks and head out to the river. Then I like to look for river channel bends and ride down the river channel looking for fish holding on the ledges. I like to turn my graph ping speed on high, sensitivity up around 85 to 90%, scroll speed up high, sound and noise rejectors on medium. By just adjusting these settings you will be able to move and cover deep water faster and hopefully stay on fish for the day bite in the summer. This picture was taken while fishing a creek channel bank catching fish moving out to the river channel. Good luck this summer and if you are a night fisherman this will work for you too. Ar

Spring Grub Bite (By: Keith Palmeiro)

Spring Grub Bite

It’s coming, and it’s coming soon! For me, it is the superbowl of Smallmouth fishing. I wait impatiently every year for it, and it is right around the corner. The spring grub bite! When that water temperature starts to teeter around 55 degrees that is when I pick up my grub rod, and don’t put it down until the water hits 70 degree mark. This usually starts around mid March, and ends sometime in May. I am not saying you can’t catch them earlier than this, but I am usually throwing a jerkbait from 49 degree water till 55 degree water. I also am not saying that this bite will not last longer, because it will. I have caught them right into June, but the bite is early, and dies fast.  I like to use a longer rod when I am grub fishing to help with the hook set. I fish a 7’6” All Pro Atlantis Series rod, with a quantum energy spinning reel. I spool my reel with Suffix 6 # braid. I do not like to fish mono, because it has way too much stretch for a good hook set on a long cast. Fluorocarbon will work fine, but you will not be able to cast as far, and I feel this is very important for this type of fishing. If you do use fluorocarbon, I would not go over 8# unless the water has some color to it. I used fireline for years, but the suffix braid last much longer than the fireline, and casts just as well for me. I then attach a small barrel swivel to the braid, then about a 5 to 6 foot 8# fluorocarbon leader. I have tried every uni-knot known to man, and they work o.k. for a couple fish. Then, if you don’t retie, you will break off at the knot. I personally do not want to take the time to retie every couple of fish. Continued

Fishing the Football (By: Jeff Renneisen)

I often get asked the specifics of how to fish the football head jig.  I would like in the following article to lay out a few guidelines for the football head jig.

I would like to start off with a little history on the football head jig.  I probably get a call a week from people saying that they would like to buy the new jig they saw on TV, the football head.  This is a huge mistake; this jig has been around for decades.  Mostly popular in the north and west and in its early days called a roller or rock jig.  After a few bassmaster top finishes the football jig was finally recognized for what it has always been for decades a fish catching machine.  The popular use of gps units and the new emphasis on fishing offshore structure has also led to the explosion in the football head jig market.Continued