Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2019 i In-Fisherman

MAY 6 Into the Wilderness Close to Home > Mississippi Delta Slab Crappies > Secluded Largemouths & More > Small-River Wilderness Catfish MAY 13 Presentation Secrets to Share > Snapjigging Ice-Out Smallmouths > Big-Water Walleye Giants > Swimbait Hooks: Bass/Pike/Redfish MAY 20 Language of the Predator > Wading for Smallmouths > Pike in the Shallows > Grinding Largemouths MAY 27 Rock-Solid Seasonal Strategies > Spring-Run Redhorse > Longline Secrets for Crappies > Bed Time Bluegills COMING NEXT ISSUE È Bass and Sound; Secrets for Big Smallmouths; Crankbait Nuance Walleyes; Pike Trickery; Rush-Time Crappies; Prime Time Catfish; Smallmouth Options North; and Much More! in-fisherman.com THE LARGEST SOURCE OF FISHING INFORMATION ANYWHERE! ■ Exclusive Online Columns ■ Huge Video Library ■ Master Angler ■ Solunar Tables ■ Adventures ■ Mobile Friendly ■…

Tooth and the Wedge Science into Action- As predators like pike and muskies get larger, the average size of prey in their diet also gets larger. At the same time, however, the range of prey sizes consumed also expands substantially with predator size. So while the upper limits of prey size rises as a function of mouth gape, smaller items also can be retained in the diet. This phenomenon causes a wedge-shaped pattern in the relationship between prey size and predator size. While larger lures catch larger fish on average, downsizing can bring catches of big fish, a pattern that seems most noticeable for esocids in spring and early summer. Pike, for example, have been shown to key on leeches in shallow bays in spring, where smaller baitfish also are…

Calendars work fine for making sure you don’t miss a doctor’s appointment or your wedding anniversary; not so much in planning for fishing trips. This year, March 20 ushered in the spring season or vernal equinox. That defines the point in spring when the sun stands directly above the equator and day and night are about equal in length. In Florida, most largemouth bass have completed their spawn and moved into feeding patterns by that time. In Texas, late March can bring the height of the spawn when giant females move onto beds to drop their eggs, though the spawn season there may last for another six weeks or more. And in Minnesota and other regions near the northern boundary of the bass’ range, lakes are covered with a foot…

In this sample drainage system, channel catfish are likely to be found in the main river (A) year-round, although in spring a large contingent is likely to move into the primary tributary river ( B) during early Prespawn. The primary tributary ( B) may support a year-round population of resident catfish if it contains suitable overwintering habitat. Lacking wintering habitat, catfish vacate streams and spend winter in the main river. Channel catfish are likely to move into secondary tributaries (C) in search of spawning areas and can remain there through summer if suitable flows persist. If flow and spawning habitat are adequate, catfish may move into upper sections of secondary and perhaps tertiary tributaries (D). These smallest tributaries often suffer intermittent flow or low water in mid- to late summer,…

Old guys bring more than tackle with them into the boat. The striper bite was slow. The rods bobbed with the gently rocking boat as it drifted over the old river channel in the upper end of the lake. Twenty feet below, herring minnows swam in varying degrees of shimmies as fish passed but didn’t eat. One of the guys poured a cup of coffee and rested it on his knee while he screwed the cap back on the Thermos and then slowly sipped. “You remember that time . . .” his buddy began, the way old stories always do. It’s a rhetorical question because buddies always remember. Then the dam breaks and stories flow like a flash flood. “. . . we tied a plastic fish on your Dad’s…

I’ve had a lot of success the past two decades, fishing with weighted swimbait hooks, especially Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp L111s and, more recently, Eagle Claw Trokar TK170s, coupling them with boottail swimbait bodies like the Berkley PowerBait Split Belly and Hollow Belly; but also many other options, especially tubes (produce beautiful glides), and what I call grinder baits like the 5-inch Berkley Havoc Grass Pig and the newly introduced PowerBait Power Swimmer. They also couple superbly with craw-imitating options such as the Berkley Havoc Pit Boss and the Powerbait Chigger Craw—and with another overlooked craw-imitating option, the Berkley Gulp! Shrimp, which can be a killer at times, for large-mouths and redfish. These mainly fish best in shallower water, but adding a tungsten worm weight ahead of the rigging gets…

■ NEW RIVER PEMBROKE, VIRGINIA Muskies » Plenty of mid-40-inch fish with a shot at one surpassing 50 inches, fishing with fly or conventional tackle, typically via jetboat, during May and June—plus excellent options for smallmouth bass. Contact: Britt or Leigh Stoudenmire, 540/921-7438, southernmuskyguideservice.com. Kristine Fischer ■ CLEAR LAKE CALIFORNIA Largemouths » It’s a solid choice for bass from 3 to 7 pounds, and there’s a good chance for something much larger. This 44,000 acre natural lake is 100 miles north of San Francisco. Contact: Guide Larry Hemphill, 530/674 0276, lunkerlarry.com. Steve Ryan ■ LAKE GUNTERSVILLE ALABAMA Largemouths » Arguably the shining star of the Tennessee River system, with mega-schools of bass up to and surpassing 8 pounds. Contact: Guide Casey Martin, 256/653-3019; lodging at D&E Landing, 256/506-BASS, delanding.com. Jeff…

Trophy pike in the lower 48 have become a rare commodity in recent decades. Enough things have to go just right to grow pike in excess of 45 inches, including good water qual ity, ample forage base, effective harvest regulations, and catch and release of the biggest pike. Even with all these elements in place, giant pike are a challenge to catch, but advice from some of the country’s top pike anglers can slant the odds in your favor. Mille Lacs Select inland lakes across the country have a history of producing trophy fish of multiple species. Mille Lacs in Central Minnesota is one such lake, and guide Steve Scepaniak has seen pike topping 50 inches from this fabled fishery. He confirms that it harbors plenty of stout 40- to…

1 Immediately after ice-out, crappies seek warming water in bays, canals, and channels in a natural lake, or backwater areas in reservoirs. This initial shallow movement is a feeding response, not a prespawn movement. Many good ice-out locations are poor crappie spawning areas. Crappies usually vacate such areas in favor of prespawn-spawn locations by the time water temperature in backwaters reaches 60°F. 2 By the time water temperature ranges from about 56°F to 60°F, crappies begin true prespawn movements; that is, fish location is directly affected by where they will be spawning in a week or two. This period is marked by scattered fish. Groups may hold off the first breakline in deeper water at night or during periods of falling water temperature. Under stable weather and rising water temperature,…

Eligible entries receive: ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS Anglers who enter qualifying fish receive a Master Angler patch (one per year) and species chevron. SELECTIVE HARVEST Selective Harvest is wise conservation of our natural resources. It maintains a tradition of harvesting some fish to eat, as they’re nutritious, delicious, and renewable when harvested wisely. Large predators and large panfish must be released to sustain good fishing. Only numerous and smaller fish should be kept. RECOGNITION CERTIFICATE In each region, anglers who enter the largest kept or largest released fish of a species receive a Master Angler parchment certificate suitable for framing. RECOGNITION PLAQUE Anglers who enter a state-record fish qualify for a personalized Master Angler plaque. Rules and online entry form at in-fisherman.com.…

Garmont Tactical T4 Century-old Italian expertise combined with the finest materials and manufacturing methods, Garmont builds boots to extreme specifications for the military, so the lightweight mid-rise T4 Tour GTX does double duty on land or in the boat. Waterproof, comfortable, tough—$190, garmont.com Pro-V Ball Head Wonders Lazer Sharp needle-point Pro-V hook increases penetration and holding for a potent combination in the Eagle Claw Lazer Pro-V Ball Head Jig, in six colors and sizes from 1/32- to 3/8-ounce—25 jigs from $6.59 to $8.99, eagleclaw.com Ricochet Rabbit The shallow-diving square-billed flat-sided Bagley Flat Balsa B2 (2.75 inches and 3/8 ounce) stops on a dime during a grinding retrieve and ricochets off cover while sending out flashy vibrations to call in and trigger big bass—$8.99, bagleybait.com Tungsten In-Lines Tungsten’s denser than lead,…

THE WALLEYE SCENE IS AWASH in new lures, presentational tweaks, and technological breakthroughs. With a sea of hot baits, must-fish tactics, and Space Age electronics at our fingertips, it’s easy to gloss over the mundane matter of boat control. ¶ Before someone shouts “b-o-r-i-n-g,” let’s not forget that all the latest lures, killer techniques, and new honeyholes on the planet won’t put fish in your boat if you can’t keep your hook in the strike zone at a speed that trips their triggers. ¶ “Things like lure color, size, and action are important, but depth and speed are paramount,” says longtime guide Jon Thelen, echoing a few founding principles of In-Fisherman’s presentational theory. “And that requires boat control.” While it’s a no-brainer on calm days, mastering speed and position becomes…

Getting personal with potential waters can take a fair amount of legwork and a sense of exploration, to discover an overlooked hotspot you might come to call your own. The connectedness of streams and rivers and the channel catfishes ’ remarkable ability to move long distances are what make some streams, often far separated from a larger river, good spots to find catfish. In-Fisherman Editor In Chief Doug Stange has written about his spring-through-summer catfish exploits in small Iowa streams, with some prime spots far up a watershed 100 miles or more from a river the size most anglers would call good catfish water. One of his most productive streams was just 8 to 10 feet across and no deeper than 3 feet, in places. Small rivers and streams can…

“Why not?” the kid said. “Just because,” the attorney said. “It simply isn’t done,” the banker said. “Sounds like trouble to me,” the policeman said. “I suggested it about 1985,” I said, “and all I got was stink eyes from all of you.” “Except from me,” the kid said. “I was in diapers back then.” Doc returned from the little boys’ room to find us scowling at each other. He said, “What’s this all about?” “Women,” I said. “Ahh. One of my favorite subjects,” Doc said. “Specifically, asking our women to join our fishing trips,” the banker said. “Uh-oh,” Doc said. “Didn’t we settle this a long time ago?” “We talked about it,” the policeman said, “but we took it off the table before a decision was made.” “Maybe we…