Innholdsfortegnelse for August/September 2018 i In-Fisherman

AUGUST 13 Sportfishing Options in Overdrive > Double Drop-shotting Bluegills > Circle Hook Secret Smallmouths > Jig Trailers for Largemouths SEPTEMBER 10 Scratch Attacks for Tough Times > Dippin’ Time Channel Cats > Sturgeon Beasts of Current > Beating Cold-front Largemouths AUGUST 20 Sportfish Gone Big & Bad > River Giants, Alaskan Pike > The Hunt for World-Class Lake Trout > Beast Busting Green Bay Muskies SEPTEMBER 17 Unconventional Wisdom on the Water > No Claws for Largemouths > On the Rip for Smallmouths > Big & Bold for Walleyes AUGUST 27 Pedal to the Metal Sportfish > Grayling Gone Wild > Woodworking Channel Cats > Tubing the Edge for Largemouths SEPTEMBER 24 Essential Presentations Personified > Tube Time Smallmouths > Swimbait Hooking Monster Pike > Crank Trolling Walleyes AUGUST…

National Survey By the Numbers— According to the latest National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, there were 35.8 million anglers age-16 and older in the U.S. in 2016, trending upward 8 percent since 2011, although not statistically significant.* In 2016, 30.1 million anglers fished in freshwater (including 1.8 million Great Lakes anglers). The most popular fish species in freshwater, other than the Great Lakes, were bass. Nearly 9.6 million anglers spent 117 million days fishing for black bass in 2016, down a bit from 2011. There were about a million more panfish anglers (8.4 million), while catfish and bullheads moved up a spot in the rankings from 2011, surpassing trout and drawing 8.1 million anglers. Trout fishing attracted 7.8 million…

The behavior of many freshwater fish species tends to mirror the habitat they favor. As the most widespread and versatile predator species on this continent and perhaps all others, largemouth bass have been able to take advantage of many different ecological niches to survive and prosper. We find good fishing in featureless farm ponds, clear Canadian Shield lakes, canyon impoundments, densely vegetated river backwaters, and more. Bass find a way. But the history of bass distribution suggests their aboriginal home was in warm waters featuring abundant plant growth. And that’s where many top populations continue to thrive. There, dozens of plant species provide cover—vantage points where bass can hold unseen, waiting for preyfish or invertebrates to come close enough to launch an attack. Getting Rid of “Weeds” Fishery biologist Gabe…

When it comes to a natural presentation for pike, nothing rivals livebait rigging. Even under adverse water or weather conditions, lockjawed pike can be coaxed into eating a well-placed sucker or chub. These baits react instinctively to the presence of nearby predators. They swim harder and dart about in search of an escape route. This behavior gets the attention of pike and triggers strikes in a manner that lures can’t duplicate. While ice-fishing anglers are committed to livebait systems for pike, many open-water anglers almost exclusively use artificial presentations that appeal predominately to the most active pike. But by mastering livebait rigging, more and bigger pike are guaranteed to be a part of your daily catch. Think of livebait rigging as a system, not just a technique—presenting a properly rigged…

THE LARGEST SOURCE OF FISHING INFORMATION ANYWHERE! ■ Exclusive Online Columns ■ Huge Video Library ■ Master Angler ■ Solunar Tables ■ Adventures ■ Mobile Friendly ■ Species Landing Pages ■ And Much More! COMING NEXT ISSUE  » New Age Blades for Largemouths; Softbait Selection Smallmouths; Fall Prime Time Reservoir Walleyes; Release Rigging Pike; Top Panfish Jigging Options; Catfish Drift Riggings; Smallmouth Boom South; and Much More! ON THE COVER Crappies on the Deep Edge!! BY LARRY TOPLE…

GREEN BAY WISCONSIN Walleyes » Anglers have plenty of options, from trolling for easy limits of eaters on the Lower Bay, to casting for double-digit trophies on the Upper Bay from Chambers Island north. Contact: Capt. Bret Alexander, 920/851-4214, alexandersportfishing.com; Capt. Lynn Niklasch, 262/370 6771, fishinpal.com; Capt. Paul Delaney, 920/421-0896, lateeyessportfishing.com. Steve Ryan NIPIGON RIVER ONTARIO Brook Trout » Fish of 10 pounds still assail this river, home of the world record (14 pounds), just northeast of Thunder Bay. Runs start in August and continue through early fall. Lots of fish run 2 to 4 pounds. Contact: For guides, check with Nipigon River Bait & Tackle, 807/889-0707. Matt Straw HOLTER RESERVOIR GATES OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN Montana Rainbow Trout » Just a short distance from Helena, the upper end of…

Threading through forests and valleys across the country are little streams populated with feisty, aggressive, less-pressured smallmouth bass—the path less traveled. Stream bass always seem more aggressive, often because they face less fishing pressure and need to react quickly to get a meal. They can be the best option when lakes turn green with plankton and baitfish reach peak abundance. Smallmouths in big water tend to be well fed and often uninterested in artificial baits I asked a famous guide and a seasoned pro how they face the late-summer doldrums—the infamous Dog Days Their comments reinforce our understanding of how the forage base often determines differences in late-summer behavior of smallmouth bass in different regions and at different latitudes. But one thing’s for certain—these fish are feeding. The Guide The…

To increase hookup percentage, use the following process at the first sign of a pike taking the bait. Put your thumb on the spool with the rod still in the holder and turn off the bait clicker into free-spool. If the pike then commits to the bait and wants to take line, allow it to do so as you thumb the spool and gently remove the rod from the holder. With the rod tip held high and the fish moving away with the bait, engage the reel while slowly dropping the rod tip toward the fish and gently sweep the rod upward to firmly implant the hook into the pike’s mouth. Many anglers often expect pike to make long extended runs under the tension of the reel’s bait clicker prior…

One year Doc was assigned to gather provisions for our annual Canadian fly-in fishing trip. I can’t remember why we didn’t buy our groceries on the drive through Kenora, as usual, but it may have had to do with a late start, last-minute work demands, or family responsibilities. Whatever the reason, nobody but Doc was available to take our list and collect canned goods, and the oh-so-important snack items we would gorge on during our week in the Northwest Ontario Bush. Adult refreshments would be purchased from Knobby’s stockpile, so at least that was covered. Doc shopped diligently, and even went one step further. Without consulting any of his vastly more intelligent fishing pals, he had everything except the perishables boxed up, and shipped a week in advance to Knobby’s.…

On today’s sophisticated fishing scene, attention to presentation details usually separates great anglers from good anglers. In this regard, in many situations, working through the puzzle of finding just the right lure color combination is the key to catching more fish. Great anglers have a plan and are willing to work through the color puzzle, fine-tuning as they go. First, of course, an angler has to be on fish. Overall, at this point, identifying the right lure speed and maintaining proper depth control are much more important than color. If those factors aren’t in order, color has little to do with the equation. Actually, if those factors aren’t in order, little else makes any difference; the angler’s only hope is to stumble on fish in a feeding frenzy. Once fundamental…

Like so many folks who live south of places like Brainerd, Minnesota, and Wausau, Wisconsin, my lifelong friends who reside in Central Illinois make an annual pilgrimage to cast their Berkley Trilene into the restorative waters of the North Woods. Having lived in both Minnesota and Wisconsin for the last decade and change, I’ve learned that not all of the locals are fond of this summer influx of visitors, despite the economic stimulus it provides. I’m well versed in the clever names and acronyms used to classify the origins of these seasonal transients that largely hail from three states to the south all beginning with the letter I This disdain is ronic, for it seems that many of these disgruntled “locals” spent a substantial portion of their existence in the…