Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2020 i In-Fisherman

The Jann s Netcraft Skirt Making Kit con sists of a large supply of silicone and round rubber skirt materials and a cylinder on a clamp—similar to a fly fishing vise A tool with a wire hook on one end and a stainless steel cone on the other is inserted into the cylinder Collars easily slide up the cone onto the cylinder Materials are drap d onto the hook, drawn halfway through the cylinder, and the collar is rolled off th cylinder onto the material Trim the ends, separate the rubber strand w th a thumbnail and presto Easy peasy Making skirts is all about matching the hatch—using colors of predom nant baitfish found in the waters you fish Collect specimens where po bl and pay attention to color differences…

Most anglers can find the immense beds of cabbage and so, even in the Far North, the pressure grows. But the isolated, ho-hum scattered patches of grass that grow one-quarter to halfway up off the bottom, between the spawning bays and main-lake structures, are overlooked by even the savviest anglers. So use your sonar to find them. We once landed seven trophies of a lifetime—the biggest a 48.5-inch monster—in less than 30 minutes from one scattered patch of grass…

Owning and operating your own private pond to produce world-class fishing is a dream of nearly every angler. But fostering palm-stretching bluegills, crappies, or other species doesn’t happen automatically. Bob Lusk, fishery biologist and Editor of Pond Boss magazine, owns a wealth of experience on private-pond management and the strategies and practices required to grow big bluegills or coppernose bluegills. He shares a few tips on maximizing the size potential of bluegills in your own private pond. If growing trophy bluegills is your goal, it may be necessary to apply rotenone to your pond to remove competing species such as catfish, hybrid sunfish, and green sunfish, before getting started. Maintain a healthy population of largemouth bass, dominated by 6- to 12-inch fish. Harvest some of the larger 14-inch-plus bass. Smaller…

In fishing, looks can be deceiving. The finest-looking spring day with falling barometer and mild winds can prove a bust in the fish-catching department. Ever hear the expression, “Too nice a day for ‘em to bite!” A close look at a largemouth bass suggests that it’s an eating machine, with big eyes, expansive gut, and extra-large mouth. But far from it, this species is a crafty predator, weighing the risks and potential rewards of every strike, even with the most appealing targets. The most experienced anglers can vouch for this pickiness. Check the results of top-level tournaments. Sure, some competitors show off a sack of impressive specimens. But scan farther down toward the bottom of the standings and you find folks who have studied bass fishing for decades and invested…

When giant pike move deep to main-lake structures in summer, the ciscoe-bearing thermocline and optimal water temperature and light level often come together at the same depth. Giant pike prowl the bottom and edges of structures coinciding with this depth. Being predators that use shade to conceal their presence, pike circle a shoal as the sun moves across the horizon. I drop down a silver lure and note the depth it disappears. Then I double the distance, since light has to go down, bounce off the bait, and travel back to my eye, to determine the twilight zone that conceals big gators. Fish these same spots on a windy day, with Langmuir currents weaving their magic spell, and you often find the pike action to be off the charts.…

Although leaving shore is not a prerequisite to catching fish, the urge to take float is a powerful thing, manifested in the vast array of vessels we have employed for casting our nets, lines, and hopes into the waters of the world. Captain Jack Sparrow would tell you the old red Lund tied at the dock is more than just a hull of aluminum—it’s freedom, he of course referring to his beloved Black Pearl. I’m reminded of this when I’ve left my well-worn boat parked in the shed back home. Standing boatless on the beaches of the Outer Banks or looking out over the Bay of Quinte, I long for that kind of freedom. Proper handling of boats is an integral component in the training and development of new anglers.…

■QUETICO PROVINCIAL PARK ONTARIO Smallmouths » This 1.2 million acre paradise two hours west of Thunder Bay has 2,000 fish-filled lakes. Connected to the Bound ary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to the south, travel is by ca noe or kayak, which is why 100-bass days are possible, including big fish. Walleyes, pike, and lake trout also are plentiful. Contact: Ontario Parks, ontarioparks.com/park/quetico. Gord Pyzer ■ COLUMBIA RIVER PORTLAND, OREGON White Sturgeon » Fishing in June and July offers great catch-and-release fishing for gi ant white sturgeon, with numerous fish from 7 to 9 feet, and a chance at fish exceeding 10 feet. Contact: Dan Ponciano Guide Service, 306/607-8511, columbiariverfishing.com. Bruce Holt ■LAKE GRANBY COLORADO Lake Trout » June is the best time of the year for vertical jigging in 30…

Few fish excite more than giant pike with their prehistoric-like tooth-filled heads the size and shape of crocodiles. Every time I watch a documentary filmed in Africa of migrating wildebeest being ripped apart and swallowed by crocs as they cross a river, I am reminded of fishing for pike much closer to home. The big toothy critters slash your baits, shake their heads, and roll and writhe on the surface the same way. The aggressive, opportunistic, ambush part of their character is their Achilles heel that helps you pattern and target them with success. Of course, it isn’t always easy, but if you keep a few distinguishing features about this colossal fish in mind, locating their prime summer habitats and selecting the best presentations become intuitive. Take Your Temperature Why…

Perhaps the problem all along has been one of perception. The term pan-fish, to some, seems to imply that God put bluegills, crappies, and perch here for one reason: To be filleted and consumed in assembly-line numbers. The bigger the better, some folks also believe, for bigger panfish mean chunkier fillets, and more food. As In-Fisherman contributor and big-bluegill expert Jim Gronaw puts it, “Too often, anglers view the harvest limit not as a management tool but as a daily fishing goal and a measuring stick for success.” The unfortunate byproduct of such an approach is that currently, your chances of catching a 10-inch bluegill are rarer than catching a 50-inch muskie or 30-inch walleye. That’s a problem. But if we’re looking for silver linings, we may be in luck.…

Inside my boat there’s a 20-pound navy anchor, although I haven‘t needed it for most of the past decade. Mostly, it’s because two electronic tools on my boat’s bow and stern have rendered an anchor almost obsolete. And also because chucking a slab of steel or lead and building arms like Popeye have largely been replaced by tapping a key. This still makes me wonder about the lost art of boat control, which remains so important today. What satellites, microchips, and battery power offer in efficiency and convenience can’t account for human intuition, that little voice inside your head that tells you to cast toward that disturbance in the water, to aim the bow at a certain patch of vegetation or opening between brushpiles. More and more, where we used…