Fishing Poles Organization

Method 2

The second method that works really well for me is drift fishing. Lets start by explaining how drifting works. It’s really pretty simple: you cast out bait and drag it behind or from the side of your boat while the wind pushes you along.

Where to Fish

The majority of Cat-men that I know all use the same rig, although their tackle will differ from one guy to the next. Whatever tackle they use, they are all dragging some kind of bait on the bottom. The big difference between most drifters and myself, however, is that I usually do not drift in water any shallower than 30 feet deep while most others like to fish much shallower, such as 10-20 feet deep.

The shallow waters of most lakes contain a few big fish and lots of little ones resulting in lots of action, but not too many that will test your string. I have said before that Blue Cats can and will live and feed in deep water. My best day of drifting, as far as numbers of fish weighing between 3-20 lbs. goes, occurred last December. In one drift I caught and released 47 Blue Cats. These fish all came off of a huge flat that runs parallel to the main river channel with an average depth of 45 ft. Its surface has a few small humps and a couple of old ditches running across it. People drive by me and look in disbelief when they see me drifting in 30 to 50 ft of water, but when that fish locator shows big fish marks on the bottom at those kind of depths I have a pretty good idea of what’s down there.

Not all lakes are as easy to drift: some have gobs of timber and some have tons of rock on the bottom. The best lakes I have found have had some silting or massive mud flats that were old fields at one time. Simple structures like old ditches that carve across mud flats give Blue Cats a place to ambush their prey and might give them a little relief in the water column when the water is at its coldest or warmest. Look at these flats from different angles and ask yourself, “How does the bank look?” Could the surface under the water look similar to the structures above the water? Chances are that it will be pretty close.

These ideas are not really new. Bass and Walleye fishermen all over the U.S. use land structures to locate their fish and when it comes to locating these structures, fish locators are very valuable tools. My opinion is that you get what you pay for with electronics, but if you can find shad or baitfish with your locator as well as see the big fish marks, that’s all you need.

Catchin’ the Big Cats

The speed of your drift makes a huge difference. A good rule to follow is ‘the colder the water, the slower you should go.’ A big Blue Cat will not want to chase bait that’s traveling fast in cold water, so when you are dragging bait on the bottom you should use some kind of drift sock or sea anchor. You might have to experiment with different sizes until you figure out what size slows your boat down. Manufacturers of drift socks will usually give you an estimate of the size of sock compared to the size of the boat you are using.

Furthermore, just because you are a Cat-fisherman, it doesn’t mean you can’t use the tools other fishermen use. Experiment with different hooks, weights, line, rods and reels, but my advice would be to eventually work your way into having an exactly matched set of at least 4 rods and reels. When you learn what works for you, you will be much happier with a matching set of gear. Having your gear match might not sound like much, but when you start catching Blue Cats over 20 lbs you’ll know the limitations of your tackle. Furthermore, you wont have to worry every time you set a hook about which rod the fish hit because they will all perform the same.

Closing

Get some good gear capable of handling big fish. Get your tools so you can go out and learn your lake. Spend time learning your water before you start to fish. If you can’t or don’t want to spend the amount of money necessary to purchase all the equipment and cover all the various expenses, don’t be afraid to take guided trips. You’ll have good company from someone who knows the lake well and can teach you a great deal, plus it takes A LOT of guided trips to add up to the cost of equipping yourself.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with new tactics after you start fishing. Always remember: Blue Cats are Blue Cats, they don’t know what lake they’re in or where they live. They will behave the same where I fish or where you fish. If you’d like, I can actually travel to your lake to prove it, as well as show you what a professional guide would do on your lake or river. Always keep your eyes on your fish finder, and get out there and try some non-typical Catfishing!

If you missed either of the first 2 parts of this article, head to this URL for the complete article: http://www.ozark-lodges-fishing-trips.com/nontypical-catfishing.htm

Copyright © 2002-2005 Jeff Williams

You have permission to publish this article free of charge as long as you are not selling it and that you include the author bylines immediately visible with the article and, if published in an electronic medium such as on a web site, you provide a link back to www.ozark-lodges-fishing-trips.com in the author bylines, both where the web address is listed as well as well as with the text “Lake of the Ozarks Catfish Fishing Guide Service”…

Jeff Williams runs a Truman Lake Hybrid Bass and Lake of the Ozarks Catfish Fishing Guide Service offering lodging and guided trips in Missouri. To book a trip, learn more tips, or find out how Capt. Jeff would fish your own local waters, call 1-866-HOOKSET or visit http://www.ozark-lodges-fishing-trips.com today!

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One of the most versatile of all lures, the grub mimics baitfish better than almost any other soft plastic bait, and they can be fished many different ways and all year round.

A grub’s fat short body and thin twisting tail displaces a tremendous amount of water as it moves along, the bass picks up the vibrations with its lateral lines and movement means food. Once the bass has found the bait its natural shape and color gives him no reason to suspect a trap.

In cold water, winter and early spring, the fish are more sluggish and a slower more deliberate presentation is necessary to fool them. Flipping, and Topwater Grubin’ and Shakin’ are excellent techniques to catch grub fish this time of year. In the southern most reaches of the west the bass will come into the shallows on warm days, even in winter. Grubs will entice even the most sluggish bass in these conditions.

FLIPPIN’

John Bailey, a Southern California bass fisherman known for his Jig prowess, flips for bass all year long. “In winter and early spring I like to start with the sunny tulle and bulrush areas and the rocky shorelines first.” Says John “In our local lakes most of these areas are in less than 7 feet of water and warm up very quickly, the shad seem to find these areas, and where there are shad there are hungry bass.” Bailey uses little or no weight, a 3/16oz. slip sinker at most does the job, and Gamakatsu EWG hooks. “I like the slow fall effect that no weight gives me, I just watch the line.” John uses 14# test flouro carbon line on a Quantum flipping reel and a 7′ Graphite rod. “You need a light line for this technique, but this is no place for 6 or 8# test, the fish will go deep into the tulles the moment he gets the bait so the heavier line helps get his head turned and coming towards me”.

Like many West Coast fishermen, John’s first lure of choice is the Yamamoto grub, he flips a 4″ smoke pepper or smoke sparkle w/blue flake. “Using the slip sinker instead of a heavy jig head it’s easier to put it where I want it without making a big splash”. If the fish are feeding on smaller shad John switches to a 3″ Saturn grub from Phoenix. John points out that it is important to be accurate with your cast But don’t disrupt the area if you are wrapped on a reed or deeper into the tulles than you wanted to be. “On those casts that weren’t perfect, work the bait where it falls, bass will come get a bait in the strangest places”.

“You need to keep your rod in strike position, don’t get caught asleep at the wheel” Says Bailey. “Be ready it can happen at any time.” I like using a slow lift and fall motion followed by a shake, you need to watch the line closely where it enters the water, if it goes slack before reaching the bottom or twitches, set the hook.”

Fishing the outside edges of the wood beds with a small Texas rigged zipper grub is another of Bailey’s cold water techniques. John pegs the sinker and works the crawdad colored zipper slowly. If the fish are deep in the wood Bailey uses a crawdad or shad colored, Yamamoto single tail Hula grub. John rigs these on a Gamakatsu football head and crawls it along the bottom near the brush and fallen trees. “You have to be careful hear, I use an exposed hook football head and a miscast will cost you.” Says John. “If you get snagged in the trees with these hooks you will either mess up the area getting it loose or lose a $1.50 lure setup.” But fishing with John Bailey has taught me a few things, and one thing is sure, the reward is worth the risk.

TOP WATER GRUBBIN’

Every bass angler who has been on the water for any length of time gets excited when he sees flooded timber, it has to hold Bass. But, what are the key elements to decide good timber from great timber. To start with I look for old timber as opposed to green, fresh timber. I am told that new fall or flooded timber leaches sap, and the water quality is not conducive to forage fish. On the other hand the old timber tends to rot. This in turn attracts insects, which attract small forage fish like shad and bluegill, the rest of the food chain follows.

My first target is the flooded timber closest to an old channel or creek bed, If this area has a small feeder creek running into it, all the better. Most fishermen see this area and reach for their spinnerbait or Jig rod. It wouldn’t be a wrong choice, a spinnerbait is a great tool for timber, and if you are good with a Jig you will probably pick up some of the more aggressive fish. But next time try a surface grub.

I use a 6′ 6″ medium action Graphite spinning rod. Tied to the end of the 12# string is a 4″ Bass Ripper grub. The long tailed, zipper style grub is rigged Texas with a 2/0 EWG Gamakatsu hook and a pegged 1/16 oz. bullet weight. I like the flat style body of the Bass Ripper because it helps slow the fall and the long flutter tail and small silhouette is very enticing to big bass. Another good choice in a larger profile would be a 5″ Yamamoto Grub or a big 6″ tube bait.

When fishing a grub in this manner you can be very deliberate and work much slower than a spinnerbait. The twitch and pause method keeps it bait in the strike zone much longer. With the Texas rig and Pegged sinker I can work right over a fallen tree and use the “kill” technique, bass hate this. I can also throw it right into the weeds.

SHAKIN’ THAT THING

If your target fish are bunched up in deeper water, you need a different approach. Shaking a grub will entice those sluggish brutes to bite. I like a rod with plenty of backbone but a fast tip for this technique. The key here is light line, I use 8# Trilene XL but any quality line will do. Attach a smaller, crawfish-colored Hula-grub to a fine wire 1/0 or 2/0 hook and a 1/4oz. brass n’ glass setup. Rig your bait of choice Texas-style, make sure you push the hook all the way through before skinning the grub with the point.

For fish holding the bottom, position your boat right over the structure, channel break or bait school you are fishing. If you are new to shakin’, the principle is quite simple. After the bait reaches the bottom, start shaking the rod tip gently to rattle the brass n’ glass. Work the complete structure keeping a light hold with your thumb and index finger to feel for subtle bites. Beware here, not all bites will be subtle, some will be vicious.

For suspended fish the shaking technique is the same, but position your boat slightly up current and cast a shad colored bait past the fish. Most bass pros will tell you that a fish won’t go down to get a bait, but most will come up to hit it. When your bait is to the desired depth use a slight lift pause motion while shaking, bringing in just enough of the slack line to stay in the strike zone. The slow fall and natural swimming motion of a grub’s tail coupled with that aggravating click of the B & G will entice most suspended fish to attack.

One final note: The key to fishing any of these techniques is persistence, don’t give up, stay focused. If your spinnerbait or Jig technique isn’t working, try fishing a grub. And if they’re still not biting. go somewhere else. And remember, this is supposed to be fun.

THE REACT LURE FOR ALL SEASONS

WINTER: For shallow fish, flip 3-4″ grubs, for deeper fish shake 3″single tail or 4″ twin Hula-grubs.For suspended fish, match the baitfish,size & color.

SPRING: Try sight fishing a 3″ white or glitter grub. for Topwater use a 5 or 7″ smoke pepper grub or Tube bait.

SUMMER: For shallow fish go back to flippin, but use a larger 5-7″ grub. For inactive fish try a split shot rig on a small 3” zipper style grub.

FALL: For shallow fish, pitch and flip 4″ grubs and for active fish swim or split shot techniques.

Michael Klasno was born and raised in SoCal and is an expert freshwater and saltwater float tube and kayak fisherman. Michael is the webmaster for FKPFishing.net a southern California float tube and kayak fishing network and the shore fishing website www.Cyberfishhead.com. For more fishing articles by this author please visit these fishing websites.

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In this article, I would like to introduce “Drop Shot” fishing to you. Many of you might be aware of the powerful potential of this method, while others may have never tried this technique. Drop shot fishing is one of the best “go to” techniques to use when the bite seems to be a bit slow or the fish are all suspended and will not strike anything else. When reaction baits are not working well, I tend to rely on dropshotting. The drop shot technique will work in stained water, but I find it to be more effective in clearer water. I use this technique in all depths of water from 6 feet to 60 feet.

A drop shot rig tends to work most of the year for me, although it works extremely well during pre-spawn and early Spring as well as the hot days of Summer for a variety of reasons. The bass may be deeper because they are keying in on bait moving off of the bottom and they have been living deeper due to the cooler weather. The bass may also be inactive during the daytime and need to be finessed. Dropshotting can be used to fish fast or slow, depending on what the bass want. The drop shot is also a wonderful technique for a vertical presentation. Bass will sometimes be as deep as fifty feet in summertime, and drop shot is the method I rely on to catch those deep lunkers. I usually catch most of my fish in ten to thirty feet of water, and I locate them using a fishfinder. You can use a fishfinder on a boat or the “Smartcast” type from shore.

The rod I use the most for dropshotting is a 7′ medium lite action baitcast rod. If I am dropshotting in shallower water, I might go to a 6′6″ medium light baitcaster. Because this technique is a finesse situation, I like to use a 8lb to 10lb fluorocarbon line with a 1/8 to 1/4oz weight. If you find that the bass are not responding to this presentation, you might switch to a 6′6″ spinning outfit with 6lb to 8lb fluorocarbon. The lighter rig is good for most applications including finesse fishing with smaller worms.

There are many advantages of fishing a Drop Shot Rig. It is much easier to cast than a Carolina Rig, cast as far as a Texas Rig and also sinks faster. The bait is always suspended and easy to adjust depth for suspended fish. You are also able to feel the fish much better because of the weight being on the bottom as well as you can feel bottom better. Disadvantages include heavy line twist, and your plastics and weights will get hung in heavy cover. Putting a swivel on the sinker helps slow twist.

What type bait is best? Smaller slim type baits are best in clear water. Plastic worms in the 4″ to 6″ range with tapered or straight tails are ideal such as a Roboworm. In clear water this is a great finesse technique. When fishing any structure the Drop Shot Rig should be a consideration for a presentation option. This technique is extremely effective when fishing structure. When fishing muddy to clear water at any depth, this is a technique that will catch fish. Any structure free of heavy cover is an easy place to learn to fish this rig.

Why choose this rig over a Texas Rig? When fishing a Drop Shot Rig the bait is always suspended just off the bottom putting the bait at eye level or just inches above when the fish is on the bottom where it prefers to stay. This also gives an angler the ability to keep the bait in the strike zone longer.

How do you rig a Drop Shot? Tie a Palomar knot leaving 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 feet of extra line. Thread the loose end back through the eye of the hook so the hook stands point up. Tie on weight preferably with a swivel about 12 to 18 inches below the hook. Most hook manufacturers are making specific hooks for Drop Shotting. I like theGamakatsu because I think it is the sharpest hook right out of the package I have found. Weight size range from 1/8 to 5/16. A lot of anglers simply use bass casting weights. The weights I use and prefer are made by “Magnum Weight Systems” and they are basically a hollow brass pod. One end has a swivel and the other unscrews so you can add weight or take it away depending on your fishing situation. The weight that you add is in the form of small brass balls. This also allows you to shake the rig a bit to produce a rattle sound similar to a Rat-L-Trap. This feature will help to attract fish! The pods come in three standard sizes and are available at many tackle shops and online at Cabelas.

The deeper you are fishing the longer the leader up to about 4 feet long. When you are fishing deep with lighter line, this lets the bait fall faster giving a better feel of the bait and strikes. When fishing shallow water heavier line and a baitcasting outfit can be used. Lighter weights may be better for fishing on lighter line sizes on any type of outfit.

Presentations vary from casting to vertical jigging. Casting Drop Shot Rigs is similar to casting a Texas Rig except into heavy cover. This rig can be used as a swimming rig, hopped, crawled, or dragged. You can even fish as a stationary rig on bedding fish. One of my favorite methods that I call the “Texas Drop Shot” is absolutely deadly on bass. Instead of putting a weight on the bottom, put a 1/8 oz jig on bottom and run your drop shot hook with your worm as normal. Who knows, you might just catch 2 fish at once. If you have any futher questions on this technique, please e-mail me.Thanks!

G. Wayne Byrd is a professional bass tournament fisherman, who lives in Colorado. He is an active contributor to Fishin’ Secrets with Eric Allee and Friends.

http://www.fishinsecrets.com

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Like most fishermen my age I originally learned about spinnerbait fishing for largemouth bass with my Dad. My class room was the back of an aluminum rental boat drifting the brush flats and rocky points of Irvine Lake in Orange County and Lake Cachuma in Santa Barbara, CA. Both lakes were renowned southern California bass fisheries in the 1960’s and 70’s. Later I refined my techniques from the business end of a Nitro bass boat fishing team tournaments in the waters of the mid west for Smallmouth bass and Muskie.

In the last 30 years I have managed to refined my spinnerbait technique quite a bit. I now do most of my fishing from my kayak or a float tube but the target fish is still a bass albeit a distant saltwater cousin, the Spotted Bay Bass. The proving grounds are now Newport Harbor, the LA Breakwall and Mission Bay, San Diego. Most of the large harbors of Southern California’s coast are filled with hungry spotted bass or sand bass that are just waiting to try this tasty treat.

Keep your tackle choices simple

I fish a 7′ IM7 graphite baitcasting rod from Infinity Fishing Products, nothing fancy $49.95 retail. The rod is rated 8-15# test and has a 11″ cork butt with a trigger grip and 4″ cork fore grip. It’s built with 1 foot Fugi SIC guides. I use an inexpensive Daiwa, low profile baitcasting reel. Basically the same setup you would use to throw spinnerbaits for largemouth bass with maybe slightly heavier line.

Spotted bass have very sharp teeth and side plates on their heads. With a spinnerbait you don’t have to worry about the teeth but you do have to worry about their head platting. Spots have a tendency to trash and roll on the bait. For this reason the money you spend on line is more important than any other expenditure. I use 10# P-line. I like its overall characteristics, stretch, knot strength, visibility and its tuff! Sometimes if I am going outside to fish the breakers or kelp beds for Calicos I will step up to 12# test. Other good lines i’ve tried include Stren, Trilene XT and the new Cuda line.

Check your line and Re-Tie your spinnerbaits often! I can not stress this enough. At $6 a pop for quality saltwater spinnerbaits one mistake is to many.

For bait colors, I choose the basics. In most cases it’s a chart/white 1/2oz. with a small gold colorado and a #5 willow or indiana/willow blade combo. I also carry natural Shad for clear water and a Fire Tiger color for stained water and overcast days. Black/red and Purple/blue are good night colors. When fishing the bays the average casting distance is short so I find the 1/2 oz. works in most all situations but I do carry a few 3/4oz. just in case the current is faster and a few 1 oz. models for fishing deep structure.

A few basic tips to catch more fish:

Being a tournament fisherman I am constantly looking for a new edge or technique. And like most serious kayak anglers I try most of the new techniques mentioned on the discussion boards and other kayak publications. But, like the Highlander, I am never far from my blade. For those of you who are new to spinnerbait fishing I have included a few important and easy to remember tactics to catch more Spinnerbait fish in the bays.

If you are tossing into rock piles and shallow structure such as docks and weeds beds the bass will often times slam the bait within moments of it hitting the water. This is due to their predatory instincts and defense mechanisms. For this reason I try to have my reel engaged (in gear)the moment the bait hits its target. There is nothing more frustrating than missing an opportunity to set the hook cleanly because of a birds nest or to much slack.

A gentle arch cast will put enough slack into my cast to give me the depth I am looking for. So with this in mind I engage my reel just after the spinnerbait starts its decent. Then, hopefully, when it gently plops into the water next to the dock or rock pile I just count it down quickly 1,2,3 . . and start my retrieve. Practice this method and you will eliminate most of the small overcast birds nets that plaque even the most skilled spinnerbait fishermen.

Make an accurate cast the first time and don’t be afraid to bump the rocks and momentarily kill the bait. You can let it fall all the way to the bottom and then burn it back to the surface.

Fishing visible structure: empty docks, pilings, etc.

When possible cast your bait up under the docks or piers and always parallel to the docks. Cast as far back as possible into the shallow water and work your way out. If your not getting bit try letting the bait sink on the cast and dead stick it for a few moments then a few twitch movements and then burn it back. This method just may aggravate the fish into striking.

Be sure to hit both sides of all pilings, rocks and any visible structure breaks. (Hit the shadow side first if possible)

Fishing the eelgrass beds and deep cover

Spotted Bass Love eelgrass! It affords them the three most important elements, Cover from the sun, Protection from the elements and other predictors and an abundance of food. I have found that the best eelgrass beds are those in about 6′ of water. I also find that this area is better on the incoming tide. This depth leaves about 4′ of water over the eelgrass. The fish are coming into the area with a new attitude with the sole purpose of feeding.

Cast your spinnerbait into the shallower area and pull it out towards the deep area. Let it get right into the grass. A twitches and a couple of cranks on the handle and your bait will be sliding through the eelgrass with an enticing vibration and a “Bite Me” attitude.

Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get bit quickly just keep at it, the fish are there.

Hint; wear a pair of Polaroid glasses to take the sun’s glare off the water. This will allow you to keep better track of your baits.

Fishing Deep cover for your Kicker Fish

I have picked up some very nice fish in deep cover situations. If you have metered deep cover such as a rock pile this is a prime spot for a Big Grump to kick your limit into the top 5 positions. Usually areas like this will hold only a couple fish but their size is usually bigger. Position your kayak so you can cast past the structure up current and let your spinnerbait get deep enough before starting your slow steady retrieve.

Make a long cast and count your spinnerbait down. This is where the heavier model comes in handy. Work your spinnerbait using a lift and drop action. It is best if you can drag bottom or at least bump the structure. Be Careful here; two things can happen and one will cost you a good lure. The other will raise your blood pressure slightly, but only until she’s in the net. I’ve lost a few good baits with this technique but I’ve landed more than enough real nice fish to make up for the lose.

Spinnerbaits also work quite well on sandbass. For this reason I will also cast into areas that hold moored sailboats and areas where the bay splits into two directions. Sandbass will hold tight to the bottom so try a long cast and keep bottom contact with a lift and pull type action.

Remember, sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between a fish and structure. When in doubt set the hook, swings are free.

Learning to fish a spinnerbait effectively is not hard it only sounds like it. Practice is all it takes to become a proficient spinnerbait fisherman. There are a number of good spinnerbait articles available on the internet. I hope you enjoyed reading this article and that it helps you catch and land more fish. If I can be of further assistance just make a post on the http://www.FKPFishing.net website discussion board and I’ll be sure to answer.

Michael Klasno was born and raised in SoCal and is an expert freshwater and saltwater float tube and kayak fisherman. Michael is the webmaster for FKPFishing.net a southern California float tube and kayak fishing network and the shore fishing website Cyberfishhead.com. For more fishing articles by this author please visit these fishing websites.

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Best Of The Bay - The Sassafras River

The Upper Chesapeake Bay has been receiving a lot of notoriety over the last few years due to the improved catch rates and overall weight increases reported in the tournaments. While the “true” river rats have known of this bass fishing hotbed for some time now, the recent success is attracting clubs from all over Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and even as far away as New York. Most of this pressure has converged on the Elk River, and the Tyding’s Park area in Havre de Grace, Md., since these areas provide more than adequate launching and parking facilities that are necessary to hold the tournaments. Many of the smaller club tournaments also start from the Northeast and Elk River areas. With this influx of angling pressure, many of the traditional “hot spots” have become increasingly crowded during the weekends, and have forced anglers to make longer and longer runs in search of untapped bass waters. Many of these anglers have now discovered that the 20-30 minute drive through sometimes rough and unsafe water, to the Sassafras River, has been well worth the effort.

Ramp and Launching Locations

The following locations and patterns, have not only produced tournament winning limits, but have produced over 100 bass in the 5-6 pound range, over the last 5 years, from this river. These are true “Trophy” bass for a Northeastern River system.

The Elk River, via Elk Neck State Park, is probably the most popular, due to it’s more than adequate parking facilities, and close proximity to the Sassafras. This is only a 10-15 minute drive from the Sassafras.

Tyding’s Park and Marina, located In Havre De Grace, Md., is the farthest, and most difficult drive to access the Sassafras River. We launch from this area only when we have located good numbers of bass on the Susquehanna Flats or in the nearby coves or docks of the Northeast. The drive from here can be dangerous in the early morning fog and heavy boat wakes in the Spring and Summer. At 55 mph, it takes about 25 minutes to reach the first starting point on the Sassafras. The best area to launch in the Sassafras is in Duffy Creek, located right behind the Granary Restaurant, on Sassafras Street, in the town of Galena. This is a private marina, with average parking facilities, and a good ramp. It is a pay per use facility, and charges a daily fee of $5.00.

The second area to launch is the public boat ramp on Sassafras Street, right before the restaurant. This is a small boat only ramp, but it is adequate for launching most any bass boat at the proper tide. In low tide situations, this can be a tricky ramp, so great care should be taken during these times, as it is extremely shallow, and has ruined many a boat prop and hull. The next spot you can launch is a “permit only” ramp located in Turner’s Creek. This area has the most parking, and offers a middle of the river launch site.

When and Where To Go - Turner’s Creek

Although the Sassafras offers excellent fishing all times of the year except the winter, the Early Spring is the best time to start. Spring on the Sassafras is similar to any other body of water, in the respect that the bass’s life revolves entirely around the spawning process, and the locating of spawning areas. The Sassafras normally hold bass in almost every area of the river, but at this time of year, it suddenly shrinks to a few, and eventually, two major creeks.

In the early pre-spawn, largemouth can found in the emerging grasses and the wood cover, in locations such as Hall’s Creek, Freeman, McGill, Turner, DuPont, and Lloyd’s. As the spawn gets even closer, they make their way to Turner’s and Lloyd’s almost exclusively.

Turner’s Creek offers a huge amount of diverse cover for bass. There is a narrow entrance to this creek where the main river channel runs right along a wood laden bank with a steep drop-off. Pre-spawn bass lay along this drop at depths from 2-18 feet, all of which is loaded with laydowns and emerging vegetation. Directly next to the entrance is a small bay loaded with lily pads and several varieties of emerging grasses, on a slow tapering bank, that eventually levels off into the main river channel. This area at the entrance to Turner’s Creek, is one of the 2 major staging areas for largemouth in the Sassafras. The Western shoreline of this creek is totally covered with what are emerging lily pad root systems, that are mixed in with several varieties of vegetation, including Milfoil and Hydrilla. Many bass choose these root systems to spawn. The Eastern shoreline offers a hard sand and rock bottom, along with vegetation, that mixes in with a number of large boat docks. The bass use the docks, and standing and decaying pilings to hold on, and eventually make their beds on, to escape the current and predators which are prevalent in the river.

Lure Selections and Strategy

When targeting pre-spawn bass at the entrance of the creek, spinner baits are our weapon of choice. Terminator spinnerbaits in the 3/8 and

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When A Front Stalls

When the weather changes it activated bass. If the front stalls like it has this weekend in Ohio, then the opposite is true. It will seem like the bass has a zipper on their mouth. Well, you can do one of two things, you can stay home and wait for the front to move or you can go fishing and learn the tricks you need to know to catch bass.

Here are a few tricks that will work if you use them.

1. Try a lipless crankbait and retrieve it fast for a reaction bite.

2. Flip or pitch in shallow cover, remember the bass will hold tight to shallow cover.

3. Find stained and dirty water and slow down your presentation to a crawl.

4. Try a lure such as a Charlie’s Twitchin Shad or Fluke and retrieve it so it makes a wave right under the surface.

5. Find current, the fish there could care less about the cold front.

6. Make multiple casts to the same cover.

When you use these tactics, you don’t have to stay at home, you can still catch fish even when that front stalls and unzip the bass’s mouth. Try these techniques, what do you have to lose?

Charles E. White has fished 50 years for bass from California to Florida. In his lifetime, it is estimated that he has caught over 6,000 bass. His biggest bass is a 12 pound 14 ounce that hangs on his wall in his office. His tips and techniques have helped many people who have never fished for bass before become successful anglers.
He also has fished with the Pros in Florida.
His website is at:
http://www.bassfishingweekly.com

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What is a “twitch” bait?

First off, what is a “twitch” bait? I first heard this term from my Brother-In-Law when he saw me catching fish on one and mumbled, “I never could catch anything on those twitch baits.” A twitch bait is really nothing more than a floating crankbait with a very small lip.The bait runs a few inches under the surface with a steady retrieve and returns to the surface when the retrieve is stopped. Some examples would be the original Rapala(tm), or some of the floating Yo-Zuri(tm) lures but there are many models and brands, so pick your favorite.

How do you fish it?

Now onto the important part, how to fish the bait as a “twitch” bait. This is a real simple method but it requires some imagination. The whole idea is to imitate a dying fish on the surface. You’ve all seen them, those fish that make a few ripples on the surface and then swim a foot or so before returning to the surface again due to exhaustion. This is no different. I fish it in different areas depending on the time of day and weather. One thing though, if its real windy out skip the small twitch bait and move to something that runs underwater or makes a bigger surface disturbance. Basically you will want to cast the bait and let it sit until the rippes settle. Be ready for a strike though, because I have had fish hit the lure when it first lands on the water. Give it a quick jerk to make it dive forward and then let it surface. Twitch it a couple of times on the surface to make it ripple but not move. Repeat and mix up this process. Sometimes I will give it two or three jerks to make it jump forward underwater. Other times I will twitch it just enough to move it forward over real shallow weeds to the next open hole. Here are the areas I concentrate on depending on the time of day.

Night to Early Morning Locations

When fishing one of these baits early in the morning I will fish shallow weed edges or flats with some kind of cover. Usually you will be seeing the tail-end of the night feeding crowd that has been out on the prowl. As the light gets brighter they will move closer to structure for ambush possibilities.

Mid-Day Locations

Here is where you get to test your casting skills. Move up towards the thick weeds that have open pockets. Start casting to the close pockets and work your way out. Move the boat quietly to avoid pushing the fish to other cover. If you don’t cover all of a pocket on the first cast then throw back again, the fish might not move far from cover to get their meal.

Evening to Night Locations

Start moving towards the weed edges and flats again. The edges near the cover that you fished in mid-day seems to usually produce. I have fished these baits with success at night but usually move on to Jitterbugs for surface work and Texas-Rig worms for fishing structure. I will write an article soon on my experiences with night Bass fishing.

Conclusion

Hopefully I haven given you some ideas of what to do with those lures. It works for me and is my fallback method when all else fails. The idea is simple, you just have to work at until you get the technique. Feel free to email me with questions or comments about this article, or post your questions in the forums.

MichFish.com Online Michigan Lake Maps, Online Personal Fishing Diary, forums, and fishing articles.

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Looking around on the web for an aluminum fishing boat? You’ll soon enough find out there are a number of different ways to go, depending on your needs and budget…

Are you looking for something very straightforward and uncomplicated you can quickly fit on your pickup? Or maybe you want something more sophisticated you can use for both tournament fishing and recreational fishing?

Another option - if money isn’t your biggest concern - could be to look into a custom built boat with everything just the way you want!

You will probably know why you’re looking for an aluminum fishing boat as opposed to a fiberglass or steel boat, but lightness (greater performance or fuel savings) and strength (around 35,000 pounds per square inch (psi) will deform it as opposed to 30,000 psi for mild steel) are probably the greatest advantages.

Price also come into play as many an aluminum fishing boat owner have reported looking around for similar fiberglass boats and being put off by the prices.

In addition it is not only the purchase price, but also the maintenance costs afterwards which one need to take into account.

Aluminum is practically maintenance-free. If left unpainted aluminum will form a supertight layer of aluminum oxide on its surface and then will stay that way indefinitely.

What else is great about owning an aluminum fishing boat? Aluminum is fireproof and non-toxic; it is natural, and the most abundant metal in the earth’s crust. It is easily repairable, and a great advantage for boats: aluminum won’t absorb water!

What about price? Well, you can start looking at something that was designed to fit right into small pickup truck beds like a Meyers Explorer 12 Jon Boat. This one goes for only a few hundred dollars!

Then you can move up to something much more advanced like the Tracker Pro Angler V-16. The Tracker features large lockable rod storage that holds up to 7′6″ rods, divided aerated livewell with Flow-Rite aeration, a deluxe console with a simulated burlwood switch panel and more.

On the Tracker there’s always plenty of room for tackle, people and gear. Even an amateur would know that this was a great aluminum fishing boat after only one ride!

Then there’s the Ranger Cherokee 217, which is known for an extremely wide front casting deck. It also features an extension-deck option to make it even bigger. (Note: Unfortunately Ranger stopped making them, but if you can find one, rest assured it’s a solid boat. Crestliner’s boats can now offer a similar quality in a bass boat).

You may also want to look at unique boats like those of Design Concepts. Their aluminum fishing boats are crafted with a revolutionary hull configuration called Drop-Keel. Instead of being flat on the bottom like other boats, Design Concepts boats are engineered to drop just below the water line before turning upward at the bow. This feature keeps the cutting edge of your boat in the water at all times.

Design Concepts also offer a “true lifetime warranty”: even if you sell your boat, the warranty stays with it, ensuring you the highest value retention of any boat you can buy.

How about a custom-built aluminum fishing boat? As an example, King Salmon Marine lets you choose many details like the position of the console, overall length and hight, bottom width and thickness - even the type of aluminum alloy!

For more information visit
http://www.Fishing-Things.com

Neels Theron of http://www.Fishing-Things.com has written many fishing related articles, and researches, writes, and publishes full-time on the Web. Copyright of this article: Neels Theron. To republish this article please leave the links and resource box intact!

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Method 1

Equipment

I fish baits at all depths, not just the bottom, in wide-open water. I always set up and fish deep lake structures. Besides an understanding of the contours on the bottom of the lake, being mobile and being able to read your fish locator are the keys. The tools I use are 8-foot heavy action rods, circle hooks, cut and live shad, balloons and the all-important fish locator. I use 30-pound line, large capacity reels, 8-foot heavy action rods, 2 oz. Egg sinkers, barrel swivels and #7/0 circle hooks.

Basically a Carolina Rig, I have a hook with an 18-inch leader tied to your barrel swivel, which is connected to your main line, which is where your egg sinker is attached. My boat is equipped with steel rod holders, a hand-controlled trolling motor, two fish locators, a big dip net and marker buoys. My equipment is not the most expensive but it is practical. The main thing to remember is to keep whatever equipment you use in good condition. Many know all too well about the disasters that can be caused by old line and improperly maintained fishing equipment and big Blues will test everything from your knots to your rod holders. If there is a weak link, they will expose it.

Find the Big Fish

You need to know how to tell the difference between larger fish and bait fish while using your fish locator.

There are two main structures that I catch Blue Cats on: ledges and humps. Blue Cats are creatures of edges and they seem to congregate on the brake lines of ledges and humps. The one-two punch comes when you find these structures with both bait fish and big fish mixed together on your locator. There are very few spots that I will stop and fish where I don’t see either big fish or bait fish on my locator. The ledges that I primarily fish are old river channels edges. The fish can be scattered up and down the edge but the best fishing occurs when they are on the top.

Catching Them

Typically, when I set up to fish these ledges, I run my boat over them and throw out my marker buoy where I see the fish. A little trick to using your marker buoys is to throw your marker upwind of where you are going to fish. If you drop the marker right on top of the fish, you will be bumping it and will eventually move it while the wind is pushing you around. If you throw it upwind of the fish, you can run your trolling motor right up to it without the wind pushing you over it.

Next I bait my rods, staggering them at the depth I see the fish. If the fish are up high, above 10 feet, I use a balloon and live shad on two rods. The other four rods will have half live and half cut shad, which I will suspend over the fish, continuously moving around the marker until the first strike occurs. In the warmer months the bite will usually occur on live shad. The colder the water, the better that cut bait seems to work.

Keep moving the depth of your baits up and down according to what your locator is telling you. An easy way to determine the depth of your bait is to measure the distance between the first guide and your rod’s reel. My rods are two feet from reel to the first guide so when I pull out twenty sections of line between my reel and the first guide, my bait will be approximately 40 feet deep. Stagger the depth of your bait so that you know how deep each is. When you get your first strike, move your other rods to that depth. If no strikes occur within 30 minutes move to another structure. I have set on the same ledge for many hours and caught fish, but I will usually have to move after catching 5 to 10 active fish. If you do not have a trolling motor you can use anchors, but it requires many sessions of heaving up heavy anchors and can soon kill the fun of ledge fishing. When water is at its coldest, the anchor method will work better due to the inactivity of the fish below.

In other words, the warmer the water the faster the fish will spook out from under your boat. The colder the water the less chance the fish will want to move away due to their comfort zone in the water column.

Make sure to read Part 3 of this article to learn about Capt. Jeff’s second non-typical technique!

You have permission to publish this article free of charge as long as you are not selling it and that you include the author bylines immediately visible with the article and, if published in an electronic medium such as on a web site, you provide a link back to www.ozark-lodges-fishing-trips.com in the author bylines, both where the web address is listed as well as well as with the text “Lake of the Ozarks Catfish Fishing Guide Service”…

Jeff Williams runs a Truman Lake Hybrid Bass and Lake of the Ozarks Catfish Fishing Guide Service offering lodging and guided trips in Missouri. To book a trip, learn more tips, or find out how Capt. Jeff would fish your own local waters, call 1-866-HOOKSET or visit http://www.ozark-lodges-fishing-trips.com today!

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Most of my years of fishing for bass, I have been devoted to the Texas Rig. I had little understanding of the need for the Carolina Rig. Until lately…

New fishing situations and conditions I have encountered have shown me the value of this setup.

Right off the bat, I can tell you that one value of the Carolina Rig is more action from the bait. Since the bait is not quickly dropping to the bottom, it tends be more lively.

It is great for situations where the bass aren’t taking other baits because of weeds and visibility. Pulling one of these rigs over a bed of grass can be extremely rewarding.

It can be fished in any depth of water, but it seems most people use it in 8′ of water or less off islands, humps, coves adjacent to deep water.

The difference between the Texas Rig and the Carolina Rig is where the sinker is. In a Texas Rig, the sinker is a slip sinker that rides freely on the line with nothing else between the rod and the bait. In a Carolina Rig, there is a swivel or something else to allow a leader between the weight and the bait.

Both are used with plastic baits. The hook is usually embedded into the body of the plastic, making it virtually weedless. This is what drove me to love plastics, particularly worms.

The typical setup is to pass the line through a slip sinker then tie it to a swivel. Sinker weights can vary; usually a light sinker (3/8 to 1/2 ounce) for a shorter leaders, and heavier sinkers (1/2 ounce or more) for longer leaders.

Next, tie your leader onto the other end of the swivel. If you are new to this you might want to start with a shorter leader until you get used to casting it. Usually anglers use a leader of 1 1/2′ to 3′. If you are fishing deeper, you will probably want to go longer; maybe even as much as 6 or 7′.

Now tie the leader onto your hook. A size 2 or 3 worm hook is best, particularly one with a twist in it to aid in hookset. Once you have the hooked tied on, run the hook tip through the end of the head of the plastic and push it in about a quarter of an inch. Now run the hook tip out of the plastic bait and push the bait up the hook towards the eye. Now you can bury the tip of the hook into the bait near the abdomen or egg sac.

Some people push it on through and snug the hook tip near the body (on the backside). This allows for better hook set, but results in more snags. I like to push it through just before it breaks out of the back where I can feel that it will pop through easily. If you do this, be sure to set the hook hard to penetrate the plastic.

Presentation will vary. Let the lunkers tell you what they want. Try swimming it, pumping it, jiggling it, move it up and down, back and forth sideways, or drag it slowly through the weeds by starting at the 10 o’clock position and slowly pulling it up the 12 o’clock position then letting it falling while reeling in the slack. A very slow and steady retrieve can be deadly at times.

Sometimes you will feel a bump or a hard strike, but more often a pull, or something might just feel different (heavy, mushy), or you may feel nothing at all when you should. Watch the slack. Keep contact with the bait. If slack comes in the line for no reason, or you feel the weights dragging across something when you didn’t move the link, set the hook. Set the hook, set the hook, set the hook. It’s free.

Which plastics are best? Probably all of them at different times. A short plastic, like the french fry might be a good place to start. I recommend lively baits that float and have a garlic scent. You should do well with worms, lizards, crawfish or anything else that you have confidence in.

Many people love the Carolina Rig in the wind. Probably because it’s easier to keep the slack tight and it gives more action to the bait. They are also great in the heat of the day road beds.

Have fun with them.

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By Bobby Ivie

Bobby Ivie is an avid fishman and owner of Fishing-Hunting-Camping.com. He makes the biggest part of his living on the Internet, NetBizWorkshop.net

This article may be reprinted as long as this source box is added and the source box hyperlinks are kept intact.
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