Innholdsfortegnelse for March/April 2018 i In-Fisherman

I recall the time in the early 1980s when, as an avid bass angler and fledgling fishery biologist, I eagerly tried Fish Formula, which had just come on the market. I was well versed in the sensory capabilities of largemouth bass from textbooks on the subject and knew the application of savory flavors to a worm or jig made sense. ¶ Right away, I made catches that convinced me the stuff had merit. When plain lures went ignored for several casts, application of anise-flavored Fish Formula convinced big bass to bite. This success in Massachusetts continued when I moved to Georgia, including the catch of my then personal-best bass of 10.8 pounds, caught in winter under adverse condition, as I applied the juice to an Arkie Jig backed by an…

For years, after moving to within a few miles of the Upper Mississippi River, a fun morning ritual began with a boat launch and 5- to 7-mile ride up or down this home stretch—a largely overlooked ribbon of rocky, placid water, flush with walleyes and smallmouths. By 9 o’clock, a few fish in the boat, I’d be back at my desk—early enough that no one knew I was gone. Not unlike the connection I’d had with Rocky Mountain trout streams years earlier, this daily custom of floating the same stretch of river day after day yielded a feeling of familiarity, something close to understanding, regarding river walleye behavior. From Tuesday to Wednesday to Thursday, so much could change so quickly on the river that I often wondered whether the fish…

Southern reservoirs aren’t the only impoundments that kick out crappies in March and April. Brent Kemnitz of MoPro Guide Service on Lake Oahe out of Mobridge, South Dakota, says in a typical year, the time frame marks the end of ice fishing and the beginning of open-water action. “March is typically last ice,” he says. “We use small jigging spoons like the Lindy Rattl’n Flyer to target crappies suspended in the trees in 20 to 25 feet of water in the Grand or Moreau river tributaries. After ice-out, crappies transition toward shorelines. From April into May, I troll small crankbaits like size 4 and 5 Berkley Flicker Shads and Shad Raps, as well as small Lindy River Rockers, 1.5 to 2 mph in 10 to 15 feet of water. When…

After a tremendously long day on the water, Doc was winding down with a concoction of half vodka and half Kahlua over ice in a 32-ounce dill pickle jar. He took a slug. By the look on his face, it was apparent the jar had not been properly rinsed after the pickles were removed. Six of us sat on plastic chairs on the cabin deck, listening to the loons being loony, and watching the setting sun complete its relentless sweep across the Northwest Ontario sky. Doc whoofed a cloud of hideous green cigar smoke into the pine forest canopy, and said, “When Jimmy Carter was in office, Aunt Lucy was an incredibly attractive woman.” The attorney spit beer all over his jeans. The policeman did a Heimlich on me to…

From the Field— Many anglers assume fish survive if they swim away with no visible signs of stress or injury. This isn’t always the case, however, as there can be physiological stress and internal injuries that aren’t apparent and can contribute to delayed mortality. Death of released fish can negatively affect the success of fishery management goals. Length limits, for example, are only successful if a large percentage of the protected fish that are released survive. The popular recreational lake trout fisheries of lakes Superior and Huron are managed with both length limits and daily possession limits. These regulations currently assume a 15-percent post-release mortality rate for recreationally angled lake trout, but researchers recently re-examined this rate due to concerns regarding its accuracy.* Their goal was to estimate the post-release…

The timing of the Prespawn Period for smallmouth bass varies across North America based on longitude and latitude. What remains constant is the distinction that this period holds for producing both quantity and quality of smallmouths. Knowledgeable anglers often catch their heaviest bags of the year during this period and do so while calling their shots on how and where to catch these tenacious adversaries. Eastern Coastal Rivers—Susquehanna Fed by the vast Appalachian range, Mid-Atlantic Rivers deliver some of the country’s finest early-season bass action. From the southern reaches of the New River in North Carolina to the mighty Susquehanna River of Pennsylvania, and all parts in between, Jeff Little, an expert kayak angler and national sales manager at Torqeedo, takes full advantage of the fast action offered by these…

In the bright light of a clear morning, they make no attempt to hide. Logs, lying in 3 feet of water. Only these logs have teeth. Lots of teeth. By noon they’re gone, prowling the shadowy edge of the ice, sniffing around for a sucker sausage. ¶ From the southern extreme to the far northern ends of their natural range, pike can be seen sunning themselves in the shallows like giant lizards after the ice pulls away from shore in spring—especially in the morning. Spawning activity in the backwaters of streams, silt-bottomed bays, ditches, and wetlands is right around the corner. But pike gear up for it first—staging and chewing on whatever happens along in the warming shallows. In Minnesota and several other states, we’re not allowed to pursue pike…

Survey Insights— The Indiana Department of Natural Resources regularly conducts a survey of licensed anglers, inquiring about fishing locations, frequency, opinions on management, fishing quality, species preference, and more. Respondents also named the three species they fished for most frequently. In ranking individual species, anglers fished for bluegill most often, with 61 percent naming them a favorite. They were followed by largemouth bass (51 percent), smallmouth bass (21 percent), black crappie (19 percent), and channel catfish (17 percent). White crappie, perch, and walleye followed, all cited by more than 10 percent of anglers responding. Seemingly related to these results, anglers reported fishing most commonly in private ponds (39 percent), natural lakes (36 percent), small rivers and streams (32 percent) and reservoirs under 500 acres (31 percent). These sorts of small…

Ultimate Max Drag The low-profile Abu Garcia Revo SX weighs 7.7 ounces, has 9 stainless-steel ball bearings, holds 140 yards of 30-pound braid, and is available in two gear ratios. This reel is set apart by the 24 pounds of maximum drag from a Power Stack Carbon Matrix drag system. Most reels in this class deliver no more than 13 pounds. Anglers can use a variety of drag settings for various conditions and fish species. To winch a fish from cover, tighten the drag and it won’t slip—$159.95, abugarcia.com Cover Pop Walk the dog, almost in place if you want, while creating a popping, spitting commotion bass can’t ignore, even when they’re holding in or around heavy cover. Measuring 31/8 inch and weighing 1/2 ounce, the Storm Arashi Cover Pop…

Lakes, rivers, and reservoirs all provide ample opportunities to stalk pods of smallmouths as they push shallow during the first warming trend of spring. Tactics used in boats work equally well while wading, including casting spinner-baits on windblown points adjacent to spawning bays. Time it right and the action can be insane. Dozens of overstuffed prespawn bass can be caught in no time. Get the correct wind and it piles up warm water, adds a slight color to the water, and concentrates baitfish to drive bass into a feeding frenzy. If the wind dies or the pocket of warm water shifts, the bite ends as quickly as it started. Then more finesse tactics shine. The advantage to wade-fishing is the ability to thoroughly fish areas in a manner difficult to…

Southern and Midsouth reservoirs offer some of the planet’s premier crappie fishing, particularly during the spawning period, which largely centers on March and April. Limits of slabs are possible for anglers who play their cards right, and the prospect of banner catches draws legions of speck seekers afoot and afloat to impoundments from Mississippi to Missouri. Farther north, panfish fans impatiently waiting for the spawn bide their time plying prespawn patterns that also produce solid results on manmade systems from the High Plains to the North Woods. Mississippi Strategies In Mississippi, Brandon Fulgham of Grenada Lake Fishing Guides plies the hallowed waters of Grenada and other world-class impoundments in and around the southern crappie hot zone In-Fisherman dubbed the “Arc of Slabs.” A guide since the age of 17, he…