Category Archives: How To Fish

Summer Fishing Tips for Walleye

Summer Fishing Tips for Walleye from Champ Scott Glorvigen
from The Fishing Wire

Forget the bank for summer fishing success

A variety of gamefish gravitate to offshore feeding grounds in the summer, giving savvy anglers ample reason to abandon the bank in favor of deep-water hotspots.

“This time of year, many walleyes, bass and other types of fish move away from shoreline areas that held fish in the spring,” says noted fishing expert and tournament champion Scott Glorvigen. “The good news is, they don’t scatter aimlessly. More often than not, the fish relocate to main-lake cover and structure that offers reliable feeding opportunities.”

While more than a few anglers are intimidated at the prospect of searching for fish in the blue-water abyss, Glorvigen says finding and catching your favorite quarry is a simple process, provided you follow an easy yet effective plan of attack.

“The first step is using your electronics to find likely areas and scan them for fish,” he begins. “The sport’s pioneers used simple flashers to quickly sweep structure as they hunted for walleyes on massive bodies of water like Lake Oahe. They had the discipline not to fish until they saw them on their electronics.

“The concept still applies,” he continues. “And today we’re blessed with cutting edge sonar and GPS chartplotters with built-in mapping that make our searches far easier and more efficient.”

For his part, Glorvigen rigs his boat with Lowrance HDS Gen3 units stationed at the bow, helm and stern, networked together for seamless shifts between presentations including trolling, backtrolling and live bait rigging. “I can share waypoints and maps, and even select multiple transducer locations, all without missing a beat,” he explains.

And no matter how promising a spot may appear, Glorvigen doesn’t linger if no fish are marked. “Too many times, anglers are guilty of fishing areas that look good, even if fish aren’t present,” he says. “That’s a waste of precious fishing time.”

If you’re tempted to try a fishless spot based on memories or how it looks, he encourages you to reconsider. “Think of it in hunting terms,” he says. “If you were spotting and stalking whitetails, and glassed every inch of a field or valley without seeing anything, would you still sneak out there on your hands and knees just because it looks so good?”

Watch this video to see more of Scott’s finesse fishing tactics.
When fish are marked, Glorvigen uses sonar to gauge their mood, or activity level, so he can select a presentation to match it. “For example, walleyes suspended a foot off bottom on the top or crown of a breakline are most likely active and will respond to more aggressive tactics like crankbaits or spinners,” he explains. “Bottom huggers lying on the side or base of a break usually need more finesse with a Roach Rig, Lindy Rig or some sort of snell and live bait.”

Fish that move around also dictate different presentations than those content to hunker in one area. “Spinners and cranks help you keep up with cruisers,” he says. “Jigging or slowly dragging a crawler on a live-bait rig is better for fish that stay in one spot.”

He also advocates a more vertical approach when fish are concentrated in a small area. “People have a tendency to make long drifts or trolling passes, even when all their bites come from one spot,” he says. “You’ll catch more fish by staying on top of them.”

Deep water or stained conditions such as algae blooms allow anglers to position themselves over a school of fish without spooking them. “Use your sonar to watch the bait and how fish react to it, similar to ice fishing,” Glorvigen says.

If you have trouble holding the boat over a sweet spot, he suggests throwing a marker buoy for reference or dropping a waypoint on your GPS plotter. “Hands-free options like the Spot-Lock feature on Minn Kota’s Ulterra bowmount trolling motor are a big help, too,” he says. “They allow you to focus on fishing, not boat control, and keep the boat in place even when you’re tending to a fish or otherwise preoccupied.”

As he formulates a fishing strategy, Glorvigen also considers mitigating factors like the prevailing wind. “Fish are usually more active where the wind or a wind-driven current meets cover or structure,” he says. Places where migratory baitfish such as smelt, shiners or ciscoes bump into a piece of structure when moving in from open water can also be hotspots, he notes.

While fishing an area, Glorvigen also pays close attention to which trolling passes and casts trigger the most strikes. “Predators are often conditioned to baitfish, wind-blown insects or other forage coming at them from a certain direction, such as deep to shallow,” he says.

By piecing together such pertinent clues after locating fish on main-lake structure or cover, Glorvigen guarantees you’re well on your way to enjoying successful offshore adventures all summer long.

Lake Trout on Lake Michigan

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Tips for Targeting Lake Trout on Lake Michigan

By Buzz Ramsey
from The Fishing Wire

It’s no secret that lake troutt have become the most numerous fish in Lake Michigan and you cannot consistently win tournaments without spending most of your tournament and pre-tournament days targeting them.

Although lake trout can position themselves throughout the water column, for example, in mid-level temperature layers where the bait and other sport fish like salmon are found, they spend a large portion of their time on or near the bottom of the lake. This tendency to hug the bottom is especially true during the middle of the day when the sun is bright.

In addition to being drawn to investigate flashers and lures trolled in the bottom-hugging zone lake trout prefer, these fish will positively respond to the stirring up of bottom sediments. It seems the more you can stir up the bottom by occasionally dragging (it’s really more like skipping) your lures and/or occasionally bouncing your downrigger ball on bottom the more lake trout you will catch.

Some avid trollers targeting lakers will extend a short length (18-to-24 inches) of chain or wire from their downrigger ball to help draw these bottom-hugging fish into their gear. The reason adding a short length of chain, such that it will scratch bottom occasionally, is used is that it will accomplish the goal of stirring up bottom sediment without jeopardizing the loss of your downrigger weight. Keep in mind this technique is best used when trolling over flat bottoms and not where bottom structure makes just skipping the bottom difficult or impossible.

Another method used to stir up bottom sediment is to employ a triangular shaped flasher, like an 8 or 10 inch Fish Flash, which will stir up bottom sediment without hanging up or tripping from your downrigger release. Try running near bottom, occasionally touching sandy bottoms, in combination with a 48-to-60 inch leader and spoon, spinner, Spin-N-Glo or spinning bait. You want your gear running fairly close, ten (10) feet behind the downrigger ball, so it will be in or near the sediment cloud.

An all-time-favorite trolling combination used by anglers wanting to target lake trout is to rig a size 2, 4, or 6 Spin-N-Glo in combination with a size 0 or 1 dodger. The dodger’s side-to-side swaying motion adds additional action to the already lively Spin-N-Glo and is the go-to combination for many charter operators and avid anglers. Most rig their Spin-N-Glo 24-to-30 inches behind their dodger. It’s important to place a few plastic beads between your Spin-N-Glo and hook so this lure will spin freely.

Some of the more productive Spin-N-Glo colors for lake trout are Luminous Spot, Stop N Go, Luminous Green, California Watermelon, and Red Hot Tiger. These finishes are now available with glow-in-the-dark wings. So, in addition to the phosphorescent bodies the wings also glow. To see them visit www.yakimabait.com or ask your local dealer.

And it’s not just dodgers that are used in combination with Spin-N-Glo. Take last year’s Salmon-A-Rama “Yakima Bait Rewards Program” winner who trolled a Spin-N-Glo in combination with Fish Flash to take home real money – it could be you this year.

How To Catch Early Season Jerkbait Bass

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Early Season Jerkbait Bass

Lessons learned in cold, clear waters

By Steve Pennaz
from The Fishing Wire

Mandy Ulrich and TV host Steve Pennaz

Pro bass angler Mandy Ulrich and TV host Steve Pennaz hoist the spoils of fishing jerkbaits in cold water.

This past February, on a bitter cold morning better suited for hot coffee and a roaring fire, I met Elite BASS Pro Chad Grigsby at a just-opened Perkins to outline our plans for taping an episode of “Lake Commandos.”

The air temperature was 22 degrees when we finally launched the boat, and water temp on my graph varied from 36 to 42 degrees depending on our location on the river.

The Commando format is simple: Each angler picks a pattern before getting on the water, and then we see who catches the most fish. For this particular show Chad picked a great year ’round smallmouth pattern: 3.5-inch Berkley Power Tubes while I picked jerkbaits, specifically the new Cutter 110+.

For the next three hours we struggled to put a fish in the boat. I had one fish hooked on the tube, but lost it, and after we switched to jerkbaits it was clear we were doing something wrong.

Cutter 90+ in Chameleon Vapor pattern

Berkley’s new Cutter 90+ in Chameleon Vapor pattern.The 3.5-in., 3/8 oz. bait is the smallest in the three-model jerkbait family.

A series of tweaks fixed that.

Our first move was to downsize from the Cutter 110+ to the 90+. Secondly, we dropped anchor so we could slow our retrieves. The final tweak was the final puzzle piece: we cast downstream or quartering and slowed our retrieves to a crawl.

And we started to catch smallmouths…a lot of smallmouths. But the funny thing was, I was catching small fish and Chad was catching big fish.

What Chad had figured out was key: cast directly downstream and allow the current to work the bait. He’d jerk it two or three times to move the bait forward and then he’d let the current wash it back on a semi-slack line. As a result, he was getting the big fish – 3s, 4s and 5s – while I was getting the 15 and 16 inchers. The big fish simply weren’t going to chase a faster retrieve.

At one point, Chad put his rod down to net a fish for me, leaving his bait to essentially wash in the current a bit. When he went back to pick up the rod, there was a fish on it!

This should have been a lesson for me to slow down, but at that point it was too late in the day, and we wrapped the show. I caught more fish, but Chad whipped me in total weight.

Another lesson learned: There are times when you can fish a bait wrong by fishing it too fast – especially jerkbaits.

Steve Pennaz

Years ago Steve Pennaz fished a “jerkbaits only” tournament on Lake of the Ozarks, an experience that taught him numerous lessons. These days, he keeps a jerkbait rod rigged and ready at all times.
If you want to become a better jerkbait angler, here are some things that will improve your success.

Lesson #1: Down, down, down!

Some anglers have the tendency to fish jerkbaits by moving the rod horizontally, even vertically. Actually, its better to fish jerkbaits by moving the rod tip in downward sweeps from roughly the 3:00 o’clock to 5:00 o’clock position. Quick rips at the beginning of your retrieve will help your bait reach your target depth zone sooner, and subsequent strokes and pauses will keep the neutrally-buoyant bait more or less on a horizontal retrieve toward the boat.

Lesson #2: Slack is good

Introduce slack line between the lure and the rod tip before you start the actual jerk-stroke down and immediately after. The introduction of slack line produces more erratic lure action and allows the bait to glide naturally after the stroke. You want to hear “tsst, tsst, tsst” during each cast.

Lesson #3: Cadence

I quickly learned that the right cadence and stroke combination is key to jerkbait fishing. During our filming, water was cold and bass did not want the baits fished fast; the pause was key, those moments in the retrieve when the bait would just sit in the water column, neutrally buoyant. Instead of a pop, pop, pop, and pause – or even two pops and a pause – it was a single stroke followed by a pause that got bites.

Lesson #4: Painfully long pauses

As a general rule of thumb, the colder the water, the slower you should fish a jerkbait. There may be times when you need to pause 10, 20, 30, or even 50 seconds between jerk-strokes. It’s painful to fish that way—and I hate it—but sometimes that’s the only way you’re going to get bit in cold water. Other times, fish may want the bait fished more aggressively.

Lesson #5: Apples and oranges

The best way to fish a jerkbait can also depend on target species. In this particular tournament we were targeting largemouths, and I mention that because smallmouths and largemouths seem to react differently to how jerkbaits are fished. In some cases it can really be apples and oranges. My experience is smallmouths typically want the bait fished with more aggressive strokes, while largies prefer jerkbaits fished slow. Still, on most days, you’ll need to let the fish tell you what you what they want.

Lesson #6: Rod Length

I’m 6′ 2″ and I fish out of a Ranger 620FS, so I’m a little higher off the water when I’m fishing off the deck. So, depending on your height and your boat, the key is to look for a rod that is long enough that you can fish the bait with a downstroke without the rod tip getting wet. My go-to rod (an Abu Villain) measures 7 feet and features a soft tip. I like a long rod; I can pick up line faster, and it gives me a little more control of the fish during the fight.

Lesson #7: Rod power/action

For larger jerkbaits, I prefer a medium-power baitcasting rod, which is 90% of the time. But for finesse situations in clear, heavily-pressured waters, I will step down in bait size and use a spinning rod. But no matter which you choose, the rod should have enough backbone to move the jerkbait. I like a 7′ medium-action rod with a softer tip, which allows slower bait movement at the start of each rip (doesn’t seem to spook as many fish). A softer tip is more forgiving with hooked fish; you’ll land more fish.

Lesson #8: Line choice

I’m usually throwing jerkbaits on 8-, 10- or 12-lb. Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon. First, it’s a little stiffer than mono to prevent the bait from hooking itself on your line. Secondly, because fluorocarbon sinks, that little extra weight can help keep baits down. Lastly, the near-invisibility of fluorocarbon puts the odds in your favor on clear waters. Fish that move 10, 20, 30 feet or more to hit a bait can be line shy.

The exception to the rule comes when fishing long pauses. There may be times when heavier fluoro can cause certain baits to nose-dip. In those cases, I may switch to neutrally-buoyant monofilament to keep baits horizontal.

Lesson #9: Examine how fish are hooked

Cutter 110+

Berkley’s new Cutter 110+ in Black Silver pattern. The 4 3/8-in., 9/16 oz. bait is the largest, beefiest bait in the new jerkbait family.

Which jerkbait hook you catch the fish on can tell you a lot. If you’re catching bass barely hooked via the rear jerkbait hook, chances are fish aren’t in love with what you’re doing. So, you may want to look at your presentation. Are you fishing with the right color? Am I fishing it too fast? Not fast enough? The best bites are those when the front or front and rear hooks end up in the bass’ mouth. I’ll start by trying different colors if I get several fish on the back hook.

Lesson #10: Colors

In clear water, I like more natural patterns, those translucent finish options in silver or natural forage patterns. But there are times when it seems smallmouths react better to bright baits with chartreuse and oranges. So, start with more natural patterns and see what the fish prefer.

Lesson #11: Bait choice

There are a lot of great jerkbaits on the market, but I’m most excited about Berkley’s new Cutter Series, designed by David Fritts, and fished by pros like Justin Lucas, Josh Bertrand, Gary Klein and Scott Suggs.

Unlike most jerkbaits, the three baits in the Cutter Series feature a coffin-style bill—a complete departure from traditional jerkbait design—for an action all their own. It’s almost like an underwater walk-the-dog with a slight side-to-side roll. And bass crush ’em.

The Cutter 110+ is a beefy, standard-size jerkbait; the Skinny Cutter 110+ has a similar length but thinner profile; and the Cutter 90+ has only two treble hooks — the perfect jerkbait for finesse situations. Each comes in 12 finishes and features Berkley’s new Fusion 19 hooks, which are sticky sharp.

My go-to bait is the 110+ but there are times when downsizing to the 90+ is simply the best way to get bit.

Parting Thoughts

Skinny Cutter 110+

Berkley’s new Skinny Cutter 110+ in Gilly pattern. The 4 3/8-in., 7/16 oz. bait is a perfect “in between” size jerkbait for both largemouths and smallies.

Really, the best way to learn how to fish a jerkbait is to leave the dock with a small sample of jerkbaits – and commit to yourself to fish only those baits for the day. It’s even better to have two anglers in the boat: one fishing fast, the other fishing slow; one fishing natural colors, the other bright colors; one fishing a larger bait, one a smaller bait; and so forth.

What will happen is you’ll start figuring out little patterns in the patterns.

Finally, although we’re focused on early-season cold water right now, keep in mind that jerkbaits are incredibly versatile. Sure, they’re a great spring, fall and winter bait, but can perform in warm-water situations, too!

About Steve Pennaz
Steve Pennaz excels at finding and catching fish on new waters, a skill developed over 30 years of extensive travel in search of giant fish. His television series, Lake Commandos, Man vs. Lake vs. Man, helps anglers understand the steps to building successful patterns on the water.

How To Catch Spring Walleyes

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‘Eyes of Spring

by Chip Leer

Spring Walleye

Catch the early season river bite for spring walleyes

Winter’s demise signals the beginning of an annual rite of spring, as schools of prespawn walleyes surge upstream into rivers across the Walleye Belt.

Although the water is cool and fish location often changes day by day—even hour by hour—savvy anglers can enjoy some of the year’s best fishing.

My favorite scenarios are rivers that flow into larger bodies of water, such as the Rainy River at Lake of the Woods or Detroit River at western Lake Erie. In these situations, walleyes from the main lake gather at the river mouth in late winter, then move upstream toward spawning areas as the ice recedes, boosting the river’s walleye population to its highest point of the year.

I typically start my search at the river mouth and work my way upstream, checking channel edges and a variety of current breaks. Main-channel holes are among my favorite stops, because they attract waves of migrating fish and often “recharge” several times during a day of fishing.

Current seams and shoreline eddies also hold fish, but don’t overlook anything that blocks the current or offers winter-weary walleyes a chance to rest and feed.

Top tactics include vertical jigging, either from an anchored position or while slipping your boat downstream with the trolling motor, keeping your line as vertical as possible.

Long-shank leadheads like Northland Fishing Tackle’s Slurp! Jig and round-headed RZ Jig are hard to beat because they hold live and artificial tippings well, while yielding solid hooksets. Northland’s new Swivel-Head Jig is another great choice, because the rotating hook gives plastics and live bait extra action you don’t get with fixed-position hooks.

Tip jigs with a 3- to 5-inch scented soft plastic trailer, which gives walleyes a target in the turbid, relatively dark waters common in spring river fishing. A variety of softbaits attract fish and trigger strikes, including Northland’s Impulse Paddle Minnows, Ringworms, Smelt Minnows and even old-school creature designs. Sweeten the presentation with extra scent and flavor by skull-hooking a shiner or fathead minnow on top of the plastic piggy-back style.

Since the water is still very cool, keep jig strokes to a minimum. Often, a slow and methodical lift-drop cadence within a few inches of bottom is all it takes, but sometimes simply holding the jig as still as possible an inch or two off bottom is the best approach.

As the water warms, walleyes often shift into shallower water near shoreline spawning areas. Pitch the same style jigs and tippings toward the bank and swim, drag and pendulum them back to the boat, keeping the jig close to bottom on the retrieve.

Based in Walker, Minnesota, noted fishing authority and outdoor communicator Chip Leer, www.chipleer.com, operates Fishing the WildSide, which offers a full suite of promotional, product development and consultation services. For more information, call (218) 547-4714 or email Chip@fishingthewildside.net.

Should I Use A Bait That Makes Noise to Catch Walleyes?

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Make Some Noise to catch walleyes

Get loud, catch more walleyes

Anglers across the Walleye Belt keep commotion to a minimum to avoid spooking skittish walleyes. But there are times when silence isn’t so golden. In fact, making a little noise can often help you catch more fish, year-round.

“We’ve been taught that stealth is critical to success, but there are many situations where using sound to attract walleyes can increase your catch rates,” says veteran guide and tournament champion Scott Glorvigen.

Nice Walleye

To be clear, he doesn’t advocate creating a clamor of cataclysmic proportions. “Dropping an anchor on the bottom of an aluminum boat isn’t going to make the walleyes come charging in,” he laughs. “But the judicious use of rattles inside spoons, crankbaits and other presentations can call fish from a distance.”

Glorvigen likens the art of using fish-attracting rattles to calling game in other outdoor pursuits. “When I duck hunt, I use a call to bring the birds into my decoys,” he explains. “And a rattle bag or antlers are standard gear for serious whitetail hunters hoping to rattle up a big buck.”

Rattling Spoons Walleye

Rattling spoons attract a variety of gamefish including jumbo yellow perch, walleyes, pike and more.

In a similar manner, he says rattling lures pique a wandering walleye’s curiosity and encourage it to move in for a closer look.

Such tactics aren’t new, of course, but they’re still underutilized among the vast majority of walleye anglers. “Especially in the open-water period,” he notes. “But even in winter, people don’t take full advantage of how a rattling spoon or lipless rattlebait can bring in walleyes from the surrounding area.”

Besides luring fish within visual range of your wares, Glorvigen says rattling tends to attract the most aggressive ‘eyes in the neighborhood. “The ones that are most active and likely to strike,” he adds.

“And even if they don’t hit the noisy jigging presentation, incoming walleyes will often slam into a more sedentary bait positioned a few feet away, like a live minnow on a dead rod,” he continues.

Northland Buck-Shot Flutter Spoon

Glorvigen has been a firm believer in the power of sound ever since watching Northland Fishing Tackle founder John Peterson use a prototype of the Buck-Shot Rattle Jig during an In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail tournament years ago.

“We were up on Lake of the Woods, and John absolutely put on a clinic, catching fish after fish amidst a crowd of other anglers who were struggling to get bit with traditional silent jigs,” he recalls.

Following Peterson’s lead, Glorvigen used sound to win the 2004 PWT Championship on Houghton Lake, Michigan. “Using rattle beads on my nightcrawler rigs was key to catching enough fish in the lake’s turbid water to win the tournament,” he says.

The $100,000-plus payday confirmed the importance of sound under the right conditions. “Whenever visibility is compromised, due to low light levels, stained water, vegetation or other factors, rattling lures can be a huge factor,” he explains. “They can also help you call walleyes from a distance in clear-water conditions.”

For example, when pulling crankbaits in summer, Glorvigen relies on lures with internal rattle chambers like Rapala’s Down Deep Husky Jerk to widen his trolling spread’s sphere of attraction in the underwater world. “Same thing when pitching jigs into weedy cover,” he adds. “A rattle helps walleyes home in on the bait.”

Troll for Walleye

Glorvigen trolls rattling crankbaits like the Deep Walleye Bandit to draw scattered walleyes within striking distance.

When jigging, Glorvigen recommends a slow, shake-rattle-and-roll approach that gives fish time to move in and locate the jig. “In more open water, you can move a little faster,” he notes.

He also encourages anglers to experiment with lure styles pigeonholed to a specific season or situation. “For example, we use lipless rattlebaits like Rippin’ Raps, Cordell Spots and Rat-L-Traps through the ice on big-water fisheries like Lake Winnipeg all winter long,” he begins.

“But come summer, how many fishermen would think of vertically fishing a rattlebait? Not very many. Same thing with a rattling jigging spoon like Northland’s Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon or the Buck-Shot Flutter Spoon. Yet these rattling lures are every bit as deadly during the soft-water season.”

Toward that end, Glorvigen advises anglers transitioning from late-ice to early open-water opportunities to keep their winter weapons handy.

“Next time you go out jigging in a river this spring, don’t keep the rattle spoons on the bottom of your tackle box,” he says. “Tie one on and give it a try. You might be pleasantly surprised at how well they work at the ‘wrong’ time of year.”

CONTACT INFORMATION
Glorvigen & Glorvigen LLC – 29 County Road 63, Grand Rapids, MN 55744
sglorvigen@wired2fish.com – 218-301-9072

Find O2 To Find Fish Under the Ice

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Aim for the O2 to find fish under the ice

Move regularly, change offerings often: you’ll crack midwinter’s code

By Mitch Eeagan

locate and lands fish in the dead of winter.

Bro doesn’t save lives or build rockets, but it’s his own brand of deep-thinking that locates and lands fish in the dead of winter. Photo by Bill Lindner

Imagine your home growing darker by the day, to the point you haven’t seen sunlight in over a month. Moreover, your surroundings are growing colder by the day. In fact, it’s so frigid that your muscles have become rigid; to the point it’s all you can do to muster moving a few feet…even to eat. And you’re hungry.

Oxygen is diminishing, too. Some areas are completely void of oxygen, while other pockets have just enough to sustain life. So you migrate to where respiration is still an option.

To say life’s registering a zero on the fun-o-meter is an understatement.

And with that lowly scenario in place, you now know what it’s like to be a fish living in the Ice Belt during the dead of winter. It’s been a long time since light penetrated the surface and temperatures are at the coldest they will be all year. To boot, the lack of vegetation, rain and wave action have oxygen levels dwindling rapidly.

And it’s this combination of factors that make midwinter a difficult time to catch fish. But if you’re game to put in the time, find those oxygenated zones, rewards are paid in bites and fillets.

Heavy breathers

if oxygen levels are critical, crappies, bluegills and perch could be right under the ice

The safest place to avoid suffocation is sometimes right under the ice. In the bowels of winter, if oxygen levels are critical, crappies, bluegills and perch could be hanging right under your feet. Photo by Bill Lindner

Minnesota Ice-Fishing Guide Brian “Bro” Brosdahl is no stranger to fishing shallow, heavily snow-covered lakes. The Grand Rapids, Minnesota resident moves around a lot. And uses specialized electronics to find panfish other anglers often overlook.

“I drill a lot of holes and check every one for any signs of life,” said Bro. “If fish are right under me I’ll see ’em on the ‘Bird, and, because of the ultra-sensitivity settings on the Humminbird ICE HELIX 5, I can put my jig right in their faces.

“But I’ll also lower my Aqua-Vu Micro DT down every hole, as well; especially if I am not marking anything. Fish might be just inches under the ice during the heart of winter, following the oxygen. The camera is able to spy those fish.”

Custom Jigs & Spins’ new Rotating Power Minnow (RPM)

Custom Jigs & Spins’ new Rotating Power Minnow (RPM) has been fully weaponized. In the dead of winter, the ballistic-bait is best aimed at active fish, especially ones in well oxygenated waters. Photo by Bill Lindner

Paying close attention to the underwater viewing system’s screen the moment its camera hits the water, Bro starts spinning the lens right the bottom of the hole. Oftentimes, panfish will be literally inches away, curiously inspecting the corded device. Once fish are revealed, Bro removes the camera, strips off a couple feet of line and lowers his jig—tipped with either spikes, wax worms or mousies.

“A lot of anglers have no idea those fish are even there,” Bro added. “These suspended fish get totally overlooked this time of year. It’s cool when you can see your jig and watch a fish swim over and gobble it up.”

If there are a lot of fish just under the surface, Bro will operate out of his Frabill flip-over. The darkness not only allows Bro to see the fish better, but also camouflages the fact he’s above by muting his silhouetted movements.

When oxygen levels are low, and fish lethargic, Bro uses tiny jigs with a slow fall. His preferences are Northland’s new Impulse Helium Mayfly, Stonefly and Waxyfly. Custom Jigs & Spins’ Nuclear Ant, Ratso and Shrimpo are another trio of lifelike lures that sink slowly.

Goin’ with the flow

Walleye Pro Mark Brumbaugh

Walleye Pro Mark Brumbaugh holds a hefty perch taken on a Custom Jigs & Spins’ Lightnin’ VertiGlo Spoon late in the winter season. Photo by the author

When Walleye Tournament Pro Mark Brumbaugh targets pike, walleye and jumbo perch late in the season, he searches out river and creek mouths.

“Anywhere water’s flowing into a lake there will be more dissolved oxygen,” the Brownstown, Ohio, resident said. “And because fish spawn in these same rivers, they’ll be here staging to reproduce, too.”

Because there’s more dissolved oxygen near inlets, fish will be spread throughout the water column. Subsequently, Brumbaugh likes larger, heavier jigs that can move up and down quickly.

Bladebaits are one of Brumbaugh’s go-to lures in stained water as they produce a lot of vibration. Reef Runner’s Cicada is one of his favorites. He also employs Custom Jigs & Spins’ B3 Blade Bait and new Rotating Power Minnow (RPM) swimming bait.

Take a deep breath

Aqua-Vu optics and fishes in real-time with an AV Micro DT in a Micro-Mobile Pro-Vu Case.

When fish are tucked tight to the ice, Bro employs Aqua-Vu optics and fishes in real-time with an AV Micro DT in a Micro-Mobile Pro-Vu Case. Photo by Bill Lindner

As avid anglers will tell you, late winter can be one of the toughest times of the year. But maybe that’s because they weren’t looking in the right places.

Some fish might be right under foot; literally, mere inches under the ice. If this is the case, use light lures with a slow flutter and fall. In waterways with inlets, search out the entire water column with lures that sink fast so you can get the lure to fish before they turn tail.

Mitch Eeagan is a writer and photographer who not only lives, but survives off the land and water in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

How Can I Catch Giant Winter Catfish?

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Catch Giant Winter Catfish on the TVA Lake Chain

By Frank Sargeant
from The Fishing Wire

Big catfish from a TVA lake

While a lot of folks were still recovering from their hangovers on New Year’s Day, 76 boats headed out on a chilly Lake Wheeler in pursuit of the giant blue catfish of the Tennessee River system in the annual “Winter Blues” catfish tournament put on by the Alabama Catfish Trail.

Fishing for these catfish is a whole different ballgame from going out to land a few pan-size cats for dinner. Blues reach enormous size–the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) all-tackle record now stands at 143 pounds–and there are few places where the big ones are more abundant than in the lakes of North Alabama.

Big winter catfish

The current Alabama state record, 120 pounds, came from Holt Reservoir not far from Tuscaloosa, and the former record, 111 pounds, came from Wheeler. Blues reach lengths of almost 5 feet, and the largest have girths approaching 4 feet, according to the IGFA. Several blues over 200 pounds and one over 300 pounds were reported in newspapers of the 1800’s from the Missouri River, but whether these weights were anywhere near accurate is anybody’s guess.

Biggest catfish in the Winter Blues event was not record class, but Team Magness from Mississippi did manage a 72.58 pounder, the heaviest fish for the event. The team with the heaviest total weight for the event, Tammy Strouth and Brian Lawson, had a fish that went 68.69 pounder as part of their three-fish total bag of 168.9 pounds, while the second place team of Nick Diminio, Adam Long and Doug Jolly brought in a 69.58 pounder as part of a total bag of 151.9 pounds.

These fish can live at least 20 years, and don’t reach sexual maturity or spawning age until they’re 4 to 5 years old. Since they’re valued more as trophy fish than as food fish in the larger sizes, Alabama has placed a limit of one fish daily over 34 inches on the species. The idea is to allow more fish more time to grow into the lunker class. (All trophy-class fish caught in the Alabama Catfish Trail events are released.)

You can catch big cats

While the giants are most often found in the deepest holes in the river or directly below the dams in summer, in winter they spread out to feed on river points, shell beds and sandbars, and the big ones are evidently most active in the colder weather.

Blues eat just about any type of fish, but they seem to have a special preference for a herring-like baitfish called the skipjack, which is found naturally throughout the Tennessee River system. Most expert catfish anglers here prefer cut skipjack over gizzard shad or other bait. A chunk about 6 inches long is typically used to lure the larger fish.

The baits are usually fished on bottom, or just off bottom via a small float between a heavy egg sinker and the bait.

Most anglers use 40-pound tackle and up, with heavy spinning reels loaded with braid a favorite with some. Hooks are 8/0 or larger circle hooks, which are said to hook the fish without a hook set, and which make it easier to release the fish alive since they usually lodge in the front of the jaw.

Big cats are strong adversaries, and battles of 15 minutes and more are not uncommon with a lunker. However, the biggest problem most anglers face when the fish finally rolls at boatside is how to get it aboard–even the largest landing nets are likely to buckle under a 60-pounder.Gaffing would work, but since the fish are to be released alive, it’s not a good strategy. Some anglers who fish the giants regularly use two nets, placing one over the head, the other over the tail for a combined lift.

For more on catfish tournaments, visit www.alabamacatfishtrail.com.

What Is Burbot Fishing at Utah’s Flaming Gorge Reservoir?

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Cold Weather Means Hot Burbot Fishing at Utah’s Flaming Gorge Reservoir
from The Fishing Wire

November and December are great months to fish for burbot at Flaming Gorge Reservoir. These anglers caught 130 burbot in a single night.

Lots of burbot

Photo by Ryan Mosley

Interested in catching 25 to 50 fish in just a couple of hours? Believe it or not, those who fish for burbot at Flaming Gorge Reservoir often catch more than that.

Their secret? They fish from boats before the reservoir ices over in the winter. Even though fishing can be fast and furious before the reservoir freezes, few anglers take advantage of this great opportunity.

To catch burbot in open water, take a lesson from ice anglers, and then duplicate what you learn from the deck of a boat or from a good spot along the shore.

While the techniques are simple, timing is critical. The best burbot fishing of the year is starting now. The best time of day to fish starts at sunset.

“Anglers are already catching burbot as water temps drop into the low 50s,” says Ryan Mosley, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources project leader for Flaming Gorge and the Green River. “Fishing will get even better when temperatures drop into the 40s.”

Where to go

Mosley says anglers are catching burbot in both Utah and Wyoming right now. However, research has shown burbot generally move north, towards the area where water enters the reservoir, before the spawn.

“In our trend studies,” Mosley says, “the number of burbot usually increases in abundance in the Inflow Region, including the Green and Black’s Fork Rivers, in early November. We believe the burbot caught in these areas are moving north, towards the inflows, to spawn during November and December.”

Using tracking studies, researchers with Utah State University have substantiated this assumption. Researchers have tagged several burbot in November and then released the fish in the lower part of the reservoir. The researchers later found the fish, in December and January, in the Green River and Black’s Fork arms of Flaming Gorge.

“As November progresses,” Mosley says, “I suggest moving north. Try fishing between Lost Dog and Firehole on the Green River arm, or above Lost Dog on the Black’s Fork arm. During last fall’s netting, good numbers of burbot were found in both of these areas.”

To intercept the burbot as they move uplake, Mosley suggests fishing off rocky main channel points, in 20 to 40 feet of water.

Gear

Mosley says using the same type of fishing gear you use during the ice fishing season is the key to catching burbot in open water.

“Fishing for burbot in open water is the same as fishing through the ice,” he says, “you’re just fishing from a boat instead of on a bucket. Make sure you have equipment that’s stout enough to provide good hook penetration and that can handle fish that could weigh as much as eight pounds or more.”

Mosley says a good presentation to start with is a three-inch curly-tailed, glow-in-the-dark grub fished on a glow-in-the-dark 1/4 to 3/8 ounce jighead. Tip the jig with a small chunk of sucker or chub meat (make sure to leave some space in the hook gap, though). Some anglers also use Smelly-Jelly, in crayfish or another flavor, to add extra attraction to their offering.

After the presentation is ready, drop it within just a few inches of the bottom, and then jig it. When a burbot investigates the bait, hold still until the fish takes it, and then set the hook.

Nice catch of big Burbot

Timing and safety

Mosley says burbot fishing usually gets good right around sunset and then picks up and holds strong for the first few hours after dark. Before fishing at night, it’s a good idea to visit the area you’re going to fish during the day. That way, you can get familiar with it before the sun sets.

Mosley encourages you to watch the weather and to not take any unnecessary risks. “Wind and storms can come up quickly at the Gorge,” he says. “Take safety gear for everyone. And be sure they know how to use it.”

He says lights, both navigational and personal, are also essential.

“The lights you use should be bright enough to light up your boat while fishing and to spotlight the bank and boat ramps when returning after dark.”

Mosley says it’s also critical to wear warm, waterproof clothing in layers and to take some extra layers with you. “Also,” he says, “let someone know exactly where you’re going and when you’re coming back.

“Finally, if you’re not comfortable venturing out on your own, consider hiring a seasoned guide who is familiar with the lake and the fishery.”

Burbot contests

Right now is not only a good time to catch burbot, it’s also a great time to fish before the 2016 burbot contests start. The annual Burbot Bash will be held Jan. 22–24. That event will be followed by the Buckboard Burbot Classic on Feb. 4–6.

Both weekends will be similar to what the Burbot Bash has been in the past — each weekend, prizes will be awarded for the most, the biggest and the smallest burbot caught.

Tagged fish contests will also be held. All of the tagged fish will be worth a cash prize. The top prize is a fish worth $10,000.

For more details and other information, visit www.burbotbash.com or www.buckboardmarina.com.

Find the Birds, Find the Fish

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For the Birds – Find the Birds, Find the Fish!

By Frank Sargeant, Editor
from The Fishing Wire

Searching for the birds may seem a roundabout way to go bass fishing, but from now through March, it’s a highly successful tactic on many lakes in the southern half of the nation.

Diving gulls

Diving gulls and leaping baits mean one thing—gamefish below!

An assortment of sea gulls migrate into this region each winter as cold drives them south, and many settle on the larger freshwater impoundments due to the large shad populations. The birds know how to take advantage of the feeding behavior of largemouths, white bass and stripers–they watch for striking fish from aloft, then swoop in and grab injured baits from the surface.

During a major flurry, they may form what some anglers call a “white tornado” of birds whirling over the school. Find one of these events and throw any sort of shad-imitating lure into the midst and it’s instant fish.

But even when there are only a few birds diving–or when there’s a flock sitting on the water–the birds are well worth checking out. Often they rest right above the school of bait, just waiting for the bass and other species to go to work and drive them to the top where they can get at them.

Anglers with sonar can ease up to areas where birds are resting and graph the depths below to see if there’s a large school of bait under them. If so, these spots are well worth fishing, because the birds don’t often hang around bait that does not have some predators close by to push them to the top now and then.

Two bass at a time

When bass are schooling tightly on bait under birds, it’s not uncommon to catch them two at a time on multiple-hook plugs.

Though topwater lures are usually not thought of as winter baits, they can be effective when fished around bass feeding on bait schools. Noisy lures like the One-Knocker Spook, Sexy Dawg and Pop-R can all be effective at times.

More often, though, sinking lures are a better choice, and suspending baits like the Rapala Shadow Rap can be ideal. Swimbaits–jig heads with long soft plastic swimmer tails, can also be effective, as are “rattlebaits” or lipless crankbaits.

And, if the fish are deep, heavy-weight lures like the Rapala Jigging Rap, the Hopkins Spoon and other lures that can be jigged vertically do the job.

The nice thing about finding fish under birds is that the bass may not be on the usual “community holes”, and so are more inclined to feed than those that see 30 or 40 lures a day.

Fishing around cormorants does not seem to work, it should be noted. Cormorants are able to dive below the surface and chase the bait like predatory fish, and this seems to run the gamefish off–maybe because the cormorants are not above latching on to smaller bass when they get the chance.

Fishing under gulls, however, is frequently productive–when nothing else is working, it’s often a great way to put fish in the boat.

How To Catch November Bass At Lake Juliette

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We all yearn for a private lake where access is limited, the bass grow big and fat and there are no irritating pleasure boaters. That is a dream for almost all of us, but you can have most of those conditions at Lake Juliette. You can catch November bass at Lake Juliette.

Juliette is a 3000 acre Georgia Power Lake about 20 miles east of I-75 half-way between Atlanta and Macon. It is the cooling lake for Plant Scherer and built just for that purpose. It is on Rum Creek but the small flow from the creek does not keep it filled. Water is pumped from the Ocmulgee River to keep it full.

Fortunately, Georgia Power provides access to anglers and works with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to manage the lake. The water is very clear since there is little inflow and natural cover from standing timber to huge grass beds is abundant.

There is good access to the lake from two boat ramps but there is a 25 horsepower limit on motors. You can put your bass boat in and fish, but you can not crank your gas motor. The size of the lake makes it difficult to fish it with just a trolling motor but if you have access to a smaller boat the fishing can be fantastic. And the horsepower limit means no skiers, jet skis and other pleasure boats on the lake.

Jack “Zero” Ridgeway has lived in Griffin all his life and owns Zero’s Garage there. He fishes with two local bass clubs, but Juliette is one of his favorite lakes. He has a boat with a legal motor for Juliette and fishes it a lot. For several years he entered the monthly bass tournament on Juliette and did well in them.

“Bass at Juliette don’t have to move as far as they do on bigger lakes in the fall migration,” Jack said. They do follow the shad into the creeks and coves, but the lake’s smaller size means it is easier to fish many creeks without burning a lot of gas.

Most baits will catch November bass on Juliette, but Jack’s favorites all work well for him and keep the number of rods you need manageable. He will have a rattling bait like a half-ounce XCalibur One Knocker, a rattling, suspending Shad Rap, a DT 6 or Norman Middle N crankbait, and a Carolina rigged worm ready to cover where he fishes. He may also throw a spinnerbait a little.

The lake has a lot of four to six pound bass, with a good chance of a bigger fish, too. While Jack and I fished his November holes to check them out the last Sunday in September, the last monthly tournament was taking place. At weigh-in it took five bass weighing 19.97 pounds to win and that stringer included two over six pounds. The top six teams all had over 16.5 pounds and there were six bass over five pounds.

Jack’s best bass on Juliette weighed over seven pounds and he has landed over 40 six pound plus bass there since he started fishing the lake in 1988. In one pot tournament he had five weighing just over 20 pounds, and came in second that day. He often camps at Juliette and fishes it every month of the year. November is one of his best months.

We fished the following ten spots and fish were on most of them, even in late September. More and bigger fish are on them now and they will get better all month long.

1. N 33 01.940 – W 83 47.027 – Going up the lake from the Dames Ferry Ramp, Davis Cove is a big creek on the left, just downstream of the long shallow island where the lake narrows. Go back into the cove to the first small cove on the left bank and start on the upstream point.

This point has some clay and rocks on it and bass live back in here year round, but more move into it in the fall. Fish crankbaits, rattle baits and a Carolina rig as you go from this point and the next one toward the back of the creek. Then jump across to the rocky point on the other side and fish it. The cove channel runs down this bank.

The rocky point on the right going in is the upstream side of a small feeder creek and has a blue pole with the number 8 on the bank. Fish it and the point on the other side of the creek, too. Jack says he has caught four bass over six pounds off the rocky point, one of them the day after Thanksgiving. We caught several bass here.

2. N 33 02.637 – W 83 47.041 – Out on the main lake go to the upstream side out on the end of the long, shallow point coming off the island where the lake narrows. This point and the pocket upstream of the island is covered with hydrilla and there is a patch of standing timber out in the middle of the cove. All hold bass.

Jack says more eight pound plus bass have been caught in this area than anywhere else on the lake. Start out on the end of the point and work toward the bank on the upstream side of the island. Stay on the outside of the hydrilla and cast a rattling bait to the edge of the visible grass, ripping it free when it hits underwater grass.

The half ounce silver and black One Knocker is Zero’s favorite bait for this area. He will also cast a suspending natural shad Shad Rap to the grass, ripping it free when it hits grass, too. We caught several keepers here and saw the tournament winners fishing the same way while we were there.

When you get to the back of the cove ease out to the timber and cast your Carolina rig around it. There is an old grave yard near the timber and bass hold around the trees and the holes where the graves were dug up for removal when the lake was built.

3. N 33 03.025 – W 83 47.768 – Across the lake in the last pocket on the right before you get to the intake cove for the power plant holds bass. Go back into the pocket and you will see an old beaver lodge on the bank. Near the lodge the bank is steep and a ditch runs along the bank. Jack says he thinks it is an old silage trench.

Start just outside the beaver lodge with your boat out a fairly long cast from the bank. Cast a Carolina rigged worm to the bank. Jack likes a three quarters ounce sinker, three foot leader and a ruby red or red shad Old Monster or Mag 2 worm. Work the rig from the bank down the slope. Fish slowly and carefully. Jack says bass often just suck in the worm and hold it without moving, so it is hard to tell if you have hit grass or have a fish on.

4. N 33 02.873 – W 83 49.876 – Go upstream past the power plant and the cove with the dam in it for the settling pond on the right. As you enter the standing timber be careful to follow the marked channel. There is an open field on the right. Across from it you will see a clay point. It is the point that sticks out the most on that side upstream of Billy’s Island.
Go to this point, being careful as you idle through the timber when you leave the channel.

This is the downstream point of a small cove with an old pond in the middle of it. There is standing timber all around the cove but the middle is open where the old pond was located. Stop on the point and fish back into and around the cove.

Fish a crankbait and rattle bait around this cove. For crankbaits, a chartreuse splatter back or sexy shad color works well. Jack fishes both kinds of baits on eight pound test line and makes fairly long casts from the middle of the cove toward the bank as he fishes around it.

Jack says this is an excellent cold weather cove and there were schooling fish here the day we fished. We caught several keepers and Jack had a five pounder that hit his One Knocker, jumped twice then got his line around the trolling motor and broke off.

5. N 33 02.382 – W 83 49.909 – Go back downstream to the next big cove on the same side. It is behind Billy’s island and called Fletcher Cove on the map. Stay to the left going back into it. This arm splits into three fingers in the back.

Stop on the point between the finger to the right and the one straight ahead and fish it with all your baits. Fish from the point down the right bank into the middle finger. The bank is steep and the clay and scattered rocks hold bass. Down this bank in a small indention there is an old beaver lodge that holds bass. Fish around it carefully with your crankbait and Carolina rig.

6. N 33 02.747 – W 83 48.877 – Go back out to the main lake and head downstream. Past the next big creek on the right the main lake point is called Treasure Point and is across from the cove at the power plant. Stop on the downstream side of this big round point where it goes into the next big creek.

There is timber off this point. Keep your boat near it in about ten feet of water and cast to the bank. There is some clay bottom and scattered rock. Upstream of the end of the point a blowdown is in the water. Fish from the end of the point past the blowdown.

Jack fishes a crankbait here. Some wind blowing on the point helps make fish move onto it to feed. Since there is no current in Juliette Jack says it fishes like a big pond, with wind making a difference. Try to bump the bottom from two to ten feet deep.

7. N 33 01.936 – W 83 47.916 – Go downstream past the big creek and around the point. The next creek is Fleming Cove. Go into it and keep to the right arm all the way to the back where this side splits into two small arms.

Stop on the point between the two arms. There is an old bridge in the back of the right arm. The point has rocks on it so fish it with crankbait and Carolina rig. Sit out in deep water a moderate cast off the bank and fish water from the bank to at least ten feet deep.

Fish down the right bank past the point and you will see another beaver lodge. The bank and beaver lodge hold bass. Jack likes to fish around the lodges with a crankbait and Carolina rig, and can usually catch bass on them.

8. N 33 03.146 – W 83 46.542 – Go across the lake to the left bank going downstream. There is a big three arm bay, named Buzzard Bay on the map, just downstream of the power plant. Downstream of the bay two small islands sit off the bank back in the next big cove. There is lots of grass all around them.

The back island has a saddle between it and the point on the bank. There are rocks on the point and grass in the saddle. Start on the end of the island toward the bank and fish from it across the saddle to the bank point.

Jack fishes a crankbait and Carolina rig in this area, and will throw a spinnerbait around the grass in the saddle. He usually keeps his boat on the downstream side of the saddle and fishes across the points and saddle in that direction.

9. N 33 02.852 – W 83 46.413 – The next cove downstream of the islands splits into two arms and both them split, too. The downstream point of this cove is called Quail Head because of its shape. The point sticking out pointing toward the power plant is a good rocky point.

Fish your crankbaits around the rocks on the point, keeping your boat in 20 plus feet of water, not too far off the bank. Also cast a spinnerbait around the scattered grass on this point. Wind helps lot here.

10. N 33 02.542 – W 83 46.173 – Go around Quail Head point to the downstream side. There is a shallow hump off the bank on the downstream side and behind it a point sticks out toward the dam. Stop out in ten feet of water off this point.

Fish the point with crankbait and rattlebait then work into the pocket on the downstream side. The left bank going into the pocket is good. There is 30 feet of water not far off this point and bank and Jack says sometime during the day fish will move into the shallows to feed, so it is worth hitting several times during the day.

Give these spots a try, they are some of Jack’s favorites. There are many others in the lake and this is good time to fish there. Enjoy the peace and quiet and catch some quality bass.

About Fishing

Welcome To About Fishing

Category Archives: How To Fish

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Lake Trout on Lake Michigan

How To Catch Early Season Jerkbait Bass

How To Catch Spring Walleyes

Should I Use A Bait That Makes Noise to Catch Walleyes?

Find O2 To Find Fish Under the Ice

How Can I Catch Giant Winter Catfish?

What Is Burbot Fishing at Utah’s Flaming Gorge Reservoir?

Find the Birds, Find the Fish

How To Catch November Bass At Lake Juliette