Innholdsfortegnelse for August - September 2017 i In-Fisherman

Buzzbait fishing isn’t for the faint at heart. There’s no gazing off into the distance or talking on your cell phone tucked into your shoulder. It’s about direct combat between a bass and an angler and who can outlast the other, in terms of patience and persistence. ¶ At times, expert buzzers must endure hours without a bite. In this situation, many anglers switch to slower presentations or move to deeper water. But those who persist often are rewarded with a flurry of bites from big bass. Buzzbait Believers Kentucky Lake guide Sam Lashlee, and Bassmaster Elite anglers Jared Lintner of California and Mike McClelland of Arkansas, are buzzbait believers and have a buzz-bait on deck most of the year, particularly in late summer and early fall when a shallow…

In the muskie fishing game, close calls can be exciting but don’t count. So top anglers seek new ways to turn fish on. Muskie guru Pete Maina reflects, “When conditions are right, muskies might eat a shoe.” But most of the time, conditions aren’t so favorable. Muskies are known for their stubborn nature and finicky disposition. But gear modifications can make the difference in getting fish to bite. ¶ Lures are the last link in the chain of gear between angler and fish and the first item anglers associate with triggering strikes. Making modifications to your selection can be a game changer. Sometimes that means being the first to try new lures. There’s no denying the instant success of Bull Dawgs, Double Cowgirls, and Bondy Baits. The key becomes finding…

1) Comal Shark Float 2) RediRig Release Float 3-4) Comal oval and cigar floats (shapes often used on Santee Rigs) 5) Comal Round Float 6-7) CJ’s Slip Corks 8) Thill Big Fish Slider 9) Premier Plastics Catfish Stalker One of the earliest articles in In-Fisherman focusing on floats for catfish appeared almost 30 years ago. Then fresh-on-board Editor Steve Quinn, along Editor In Chief Doug Stange, wrote about floatin’ for cats, recalling a trip they took on the Red River of the North where they waded for giant channel cats with long rods and slipfloat rigs. Stange describes the slipfloat system for cats, how floats work to suspend baits and serve as bite indicators, and how they keep baits moving along to find active catfish. On the way to…

Sunrise Silver A polarized lens that transmits 30 percent of available light, as opposed to the more common lens transmission of 10 or 12 percent, the Sunrise Silver Mirror is perfect for fishing at dawn, dusk, and in other low-light conditions. It’s available in a variety of frames. Check pricing at costadelmar.com TroKar Tourney For big catfish, stripers, and sturgeon, in 7/0, 8/0, and 9/0 sizes, the Trokar TK4 and TK5 circle hooks are available in Tournament Packs of 50 hooks. The TK4 has a wider bend than the TK5, which is an “all-purpose” design—$39.99, eagleclaw.com Yeti Pounder A 1-pound Yeti Ice joins 2- and 4-pound versions, freezing faster and staying cold longer than ice—$14.99, yeti.com The Prank The Booyah Prank is a topwater popper that pops and spits, but…

The most miserable sight in smallmouth fishing: Watching a pod of bulging brown bass slip off a piece of structure you were just casting to. August is famous for generating less-aggressive bites. Doldrums, dog days, tough times. By August most bass have seen a lure or two or fifty. Many have been hooked in the face. Water temperatures are up and forage is plentiful, at least in many environments. Tactics that worked last month start to fade. That’s the rap on August. But is it always true? “I guess I’m a contrarian because I don’t subscribe to the August doldrum theory,” says In-Fisherman Field Editor Gord Pyzer, a relentless smallmouth patrolman. “For certain, bass have seen lots of presentations, but they’re also operating at peak efficiency eating more each day…

“MOST OFTEN, BLUEGILLS APPROACH LARGER PREY FROM BEHIND TO CREATE AN ADVANTAGE BY STAYING OUT OF SIGHT AS LONG AS POSSIBLE” How many times have bass anglers had their plastic worm or Senko-type stickbait nipped in the butt by aggressive bluegills? Decades ago while fishing my first Creme worms on lakes of eastern Pennsylvania, distinguishing taps of tail-nibbling bluegills and a bass bite were quickly learned, but another important lesson was missed. Regardless if it was in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, or Texas, fishing soft-plastic worms and stickbaits often resulted in encounters with tail-grabbing bluegills. For years, they were trying to tell me something, but it wasn’t until nearly 10 years ago that I finally listened. While the bulk of a bluegill’s diet is composed of small invertebrates, being opportunists…

You’ve probably heard the adage that 90 percent of the fish live in 10 percent of the water. Spend time studying your electronics and you see there’s truth to that saying. Sometimes that 10 percent can be hard to reach in a bass boat or multispecies rig. Think backwaters, bays, coves, creek channels, and small rivers. No so for kayak anglers, whose easily transportable vessels glide through shallow water, portage easily over land, and offer superior maneuverability. Modern kayak design has more anglers turning to the small-watercraft as an alternative to traditional boat designs. Kayaks take anglers into bass-filled lakes with primitive or non-existent boat ramps, under bridges where giant grouper await and tarpon shimmer in the sun, and backwater or tidal areas where ravenous red-fish fin through schools of…

Bass Dispersal After Tournaments From the Field— On many waters, bass tournaments often are held at a limited number of locations where after the weigh-in anglers release bass at that site. Even on some large waters that might host dozens of tournaments throughout the season, most or all weigh-ins can occur at only one or two primary sites. This situation raises concerns abut potential bass stockpiling and associated effects including reduction in localized prey densities, which may reduce growth of bass, increased vulnerability of concentrated bass to angling, and imbalance of bass distribution in the waterbody. Lake Champlain on the Vermont/New York border is a popular fishery for largemouth and smallmouth bass, and hosts dozens of tournaments each year. Since most large tournaments launch out of Plattsburgh, New York, the…

“YOU CAN FISH CLEAN THROUGH ENTIRE EXPANSES OF VEGETATION, WHICH IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT GETTING BIT” You have to admire the optimism of statements like, “There’s no such thing as a bad time to go fishing,” even if it’s not necessarily accurate in the sense of fantastic versus difficult times to catch walleyes. ¶ I appreciate the opportunity to fish for the palliative effects of the experience. But I’m mostly here to catch fish, and August walleye fishing comes with challenges. In my guiding days years ago, the August calendar always filled in with folks who subscribed to the notion that hot, late-summer weather and biting bugs somehow translated to biting walleyes. Augusts were made for summer family vacations, and so by the same logic, why not also an ideal…

1. Start by cutting a 2- to 2.5-inch section from a worm. In this example, a 2-inch section from a Berkley Power-bait Floating Steelhead Worm is used. Start by inserting the worm threader into what will be the tail-end when finished. 2. Continue sliding on the bait until the threader is completely through the worm. 3. Place the point of your hook into the end of the worm threader. 4. Carefully begin to slide the worm off the threader and onto the hook. Throughout the threading process, keep tension on the line to keep the hook positioned in the threader until complete. This can easily be accomplished by wrapping the line several times around a couple of fingers of the hand holding the threader. 5. Continue sliding the worm off…

Doc Bottoms Out A more perfect day on the water would be impossible. High thin cottony clouds diffusing the sunshine. Temperature in the low 70s. Tender breezes delicately rippling the glassy surface. And dozens of fish impatient to be caught. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen one this nice,” Doc said. “Flawless,” the attorney agreed. “Outstanding,” the banker said, hauling in yet another 20-inch walleye. “We’ve been drifting this stretch for three hours,” the kid said, “and I see no letup in the action.” The policeman said, “Only way it could be better is if Doc would put his shirt back on.” “A topless Doc in this slice of Paradise stands out like Aunt Lucy in a convent,” I said. “Just getting a little sun, gentlemen,” Doc said. “I…