Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2017 i In-Fisherman

Drop-shot Rig: Realistic minnow profile fools ‘em every time. Weighted-Hook Rig: Use either a factory-weighted offset-shank, wide-gap hook; or wrap hook shank with lead tape to work the lure deeper, faster, or in wind. Or try the Dangle-berry Rig, Lee Sisson’s version with a light sliding weight on the bend of a 4/0 Mustad offset-shank hook. Stoopid Rig: Daiichi HitchHiker holds soft jerkbit, allowing the lure to pivot freely. Nail-Weighting: Place small sections of lead nail weights in the center of the lure; exact placement can make it glide down tail-first or nose-first. Classic Rig: Texas-rigged with offset-shank hook Nose-Hooking: With a wide-gap wacky hook, impale the lure from the bottom of the nose and straight up, making sure it’s straight. It gives the lure greater freedom of movement. Jighead…

First time out. The air is brisk. Orange sky in the east. The engine cranks. ¶ With smallmouths on the brain for months, we venture into a mist-shrouded morning, bottom ripping past on sonar, water-temperature gauge reading 41°F. ¶ But where to point the bow? And what lures to throw? To some extent, the answers depend on the environment. River bass could be dozens of miles from their summer “home” area. Great Lakes bass and those in other vast waterways could be 5 or 10 miles from summer spots. Or not. In either instance, winter, spring, and summer habitats could be right next door to one another. ¶ Smallmouths are warmwater fish and far more sensitive to temperature changes in spring than in summer. Up North, the best fishing starts…

If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes and felt the sudden jolt from dozens of huge lake trout reverberate between my shoulder blades, I would never have believed it. I’ve traveled across a good chunk of northern Canada over the years in search of trophy lake trout in many of the finest waters. Places like Kasba Lake, Great Bear Lake, and Lake Athabasca. I’ve cast for the giants and trolled for them using everything from longlines, leadcore, wire line, and planer boards, to dipsy divers, downriggers, and jet divers. But this was different. During three relaxed days of fishing out of Jug Bay Resort on Lake Athabasca, a group of eight of us caught lake trout with reckless abandon. In the process, we established a new lodge record,…

Wandering Walleyes Select Science— That walleyes have spawning migrations and return the same site in successive years is no surprise to knowledgeable walleye anglers, but you might be surprised at the length and complexity of their migration routes. Saginaw Bay is a large embayment on the western (Michigan) side of Lake Huron that historically supported a productive commercial walleye fishery that has more recently become an outstanding recreational fishery. Michigan DNR, Ohio DNR, and Michigan State University teamed up to determine the spawning stocks that supported this valuable fishery.* Genetic analysis revealed that approximately 26 percent of Saginaw Bay walleyes spawned in Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair (this group is, itself, a conglomerate of different Lake Erie and St. Clair spawning stocks) and 74 percent were from the Tittabawassee…

I last encountered Mick Thill about 15 years ago, each of us strolling the aisles at the Chicagoland Sport Show. You quickly learned that anytime you crossed paths with the venerable float-fishing master the best thing you could do was to shut up and listen. That’s what I did during a long lunch that day, listening to him talk about the virtues of matching floats to tackle and the tribulations of working in the tackle industry. ¶ Mick invited me to one of his favorite local “swims,” a multispecies spot where we dabbled toothpick-sized floats, micro shot, and tiny nymph hooks baited with live redworms during a sleet storm. Hand over fist, he caught about 30 fish in an hour while I managed half as many on the same tackle.…

One of the unique tackle requirements to consider for behemoth lake trout—whether you cast or troll—is selecting a high-speed baitcasting reel with plenty of torque. Remember, you’re fighting brutes in the 30-, 40-, even 50-pound range with baits that often weigh 1/2 to 3/4 pound, with another 8 to 12 ounces of weight in front of them. And your hooks are typically barbless, so you want to maximize the amount of line you can retrieve with every crank of the handle. Reels that fit this requirement include the Abu Garcia Toro and Shimano Calcutta, but I’ve discovered that the Shimano Tranx TRX500HG, with its almost 4 feet of line recovery with each turn of the handle, is in a class by itself.…

■ WOLLASTON LAKE SASKATCHEWAN Pike & Lake Trout » Exceptional food and lodging, and short boat rides to exceptional fishing for giant pike and lake trout, plus walleyes and grayling. Contact: Minor Bay Lodge, 888/244-7453, minorbay.com. George Large ■ FRASER RIVER BRITISH COLUMBIA White Sturgeon » From May until October, this river produces the most dynamic fishing in the world, with multiple-fish days and 8-footers common. Contact: Guide Ryan Pohl, Fraser Basin Guiding Company, 604/703-5873. Aaron Wiebe ■ NEW BULLARD’S BAR CALIFORNIA Spotted Bass » This reservoir in the northern part of the state has recently produced the world record (10.8 pounds) and a state record that’s even larger at 11 pounds 3.2 ounces. The bite is good into June. Contact: Guide Larry Thornhill, 530/674-0276, lunkerlarry.com. Steve Quinn ■ TWIN…

The late-spring season ushers in the most fun time of year to fish for bass. The whole ecosystem seems to be coming alive as waters warm and growth is renewed in the aquatic realm. The spawn typically has passed and largemouths turn to feeding. Their focus is primarily shallow, as new growth of vegetation begins to offer prime cover, while fallen trees, stumps, and brushpiles also attract bass. Moreover, preyfish are shallow, with sunfish of all sizes swarming shorelines and shallow flats, while shad school along grasslines, docks, and riprap banks to spawn en masse, and several species of shiners cruise sand-gravel flats for their annual spawn. Feeling the need to feed, bass activity often is high, and with fish concentrated shallow, the playing field is substantially narrowed for anglers,…

The swimmin’ worm is an oldie that’s highly effective for bass. A swimmin’ worm is at its best in shallow water, or fished shallow over deeper clear water. At its simplest, cast it out and reel it in. It’s also deadly to swim it up to or just past cover and then kill it, letting it hover and sink. A swimmin’ worm “swims” because it’s rigged with a slight bow. The basic rig is a 6-inch straight worm—sinking or floating—rigged on tandem hooks about two inches apart. Impale the head of the worm on the hook on the end of the line and run it up the hook shank. To create the bow, lift the end of the worm so there’s a loop in the worm, then run the lower…

Keeping it simple and packing light on fishing gear is not my forte. When necessary, however, I can scale back to the essentials. Here, I break down my most essential walleye lures for casting into nine categories—two lures per category, and no more than two colors of each lure. Trolling, livebait, jigging, or rigging fall outside the topic here. ¶ Recognizing that every angler has their own go-to lures and must-have colors for specific situations, my picks aren’t meant to be exclusive or comprehensive. Substitute your favorites, and be confident you can catch late-spring and early-summer walleyes, regardless of location and conditions, with just one tray of lures. Twitch Baits: Original Floating Rapala F11 & Smithwick Rattlin’ Rogue These classic lures bring a smile to seasoned anglers. There’s a certain…

I associate the unique aroma of dipbaits with catching catfish. Lots of them. Not one or two “braggers” that took all day to find and outwit. Sure, I’ll take a whopper when I get the chance, but my goal when I go catfishing is to catch as many as possible, and dipbaits are the way I reach that goal. ¶ My success with dipbaits is grounded in science, common sense, and experimentation. The folks at Pure Fishing, during development of Berkley’s PowerDip Catfish Bait, delved deeply into the chemistry of what triggers catfish to feed. Dr. Keith Jones, of Berkley’s Fish Research Center, explains there’s no single magic chemical or compound common to gizzard shad, beef blood, chicken livers, rotten cheese, nightcrawlers, or the dozens of other baits famous for…

As the rest of us put away breakfast dishes, the kid said, “Listen to this.” He was reading from an ancient magazine he found at Knobby’s Devil’s Rapids fly-in outpost. “It says here, ‘Shore lunch is a time-honored ritual when rugged outdoorsmen pause to enjoy fresh-caught fish using simple tools and basic ingredients.’” “What’s your point?” I said. “Who are these rugged outdoorsmen it mentions?” the kid said. “That would be us,” Doc said. The kid turned a page, and said, “Here’s a pic of guys preparing shore lunch. I don’t see a beer belly or bald head in the bunch.” “Allow me to clarify,” Doc said. “That would be us something like 40 years ago.” “You mean I’ll look like you in 40 years?” “If you’re lucky,” Doc said.…