Innholdsfortegnelse for March/April 2021 i In-Fisherman

The In-Fisherman Television Specials have been airing across North America for over 40 years. In each show, In-Fisherman editors take you to three different parts of North America to fish for three different fish species—everything from bass and walleyes, to catfish and carp, sturgeon, muskies, pike, trout, salmon, and pan-fish like crappies, perch, bluegills, and white bass. From time to time, we also feature near-shore saltwater species like stripers, redfish, and tarpon. It’s entertainment that offers solid how-to-fish tricks and tactics to help you catch more fish.…

■FRASER RIVER MISSION & CHILLIWACK, BRITISH COLUMBIA White Sturgeon » The stretch of river just east of Vancouver, from Mission to the Frazer Canyon above Chilliwack produces some of the biggest fish in North America, so book early, with fishing peaking during various periods from late spring into summer and early fall. Contact: Lang’s Fishing Adventures, langsfishingadventures.com; Great River Fishing Adventures, greatriverfishing.com. In-Fisherman ■ MISSOURI RIVER GATES OF THE MOUNTAINS, HELENA, MONTANA Walleyes & Rainbow Trout » A jigging adventure on the river above Upper Holter Lake, for walleyes from 6 to over 10 pounds, with a shot at “teeners” plus absolutely cra y fishing for a bows from 18 to 24 inches. Contact: Capt. Trevor Johnson, 406/459-2841, kitstackle.com. In-Fisherman ■SAM RAYBURN RESERVOIR JASPER, TEXAS Largemouths » This old favorite…

Not many years ago, a bass tournament exec shared his vision of future competitive fishing. He revealed his organization’s plans to eventually place radio transmitters in a number of big bass. Somehow, tournament fans would watch and follow the locations of each bass as it moved around the lake in real time. Map overlays would depict the position of the anglers’ boats relative to the tagged bass. The idea intrigued me. But something about peeling back that much of the underwater curtain—and changing the parameters of the game itself—left me feeling more than a little uncomfortable. Lately, I’ve shared fervent conversations with friends and In-Fisherman contributors Ned Kehde and Joe Balog about the trend toward live-view sonar and its immediate and eventual effects on the traditional aspects of fishing, which…

The rise of live-scan sonar technology may eventually contribute substantially to scientific studies of fish movement, perhaps in some cases even replacing traditional telemetry methods State-of-the-art fish-tech is indeed that vivid, that precise, and that revelatory. Yet, even before Gar-min’s Panoptix allowed anglers to track fish movements and differentiate dozens of individual fish within a school, the best anglers already knew much about seasonal patterns of blue catfish. Certainly, anglers like John Jamison, one of the early adopters of Humminbird side-imaging, have possessed the vision and observational skills to mark and target individual catfish on the sonar screen for well over a decade Jamison told me recently about watching big blue catfish on a Panoptix LiveScope display physically ram into submerged cedar trees in order to flush crappies out into…

The planning for the trip to Spain was months in the making. Once we had settled on the precise location and dates to pursue trophy redfin perch, the difficult task of selecting gear came into focus. Tackle planning for any overseas trip is tricky, but adding to that dilemma was that we would be fishing from kayaks and had strict weight restrictions. Our Spanish outfitter, Jairo Gomez, gave us recommendations for jig weights in grams and lengths of plastic tails in centimeters. I knew I should have paid closer attention in fourth-grade math class. If that wasn’t enough reason for insomnia, our Internet searches resulted in a steady stream of videos of European anglers displaying perch the size of bass. It all seemed unreal. That is until we were 30…

EDGE Flex Storage A unique divider system allows the interior of the Plano EDGE Flex 3600 and 3700 tackle boxes to be configured in a variety of ways to hold whatever lures and tools an angler needs. Customization is the word that comes to mind. Plus Rustrictor rust prevention, a clear polycarbonate lid, water-wick dividers, and a Dri-Loc O-ring seal—$29.99 (3600), $39.99 (3700), planomolding.com J-Fluoro Samurai Daiwa’s J-Fluoro Samurai fluorocarbon mainline blends invisibility, abrasion resistance, small diameters, and superb knot strength to create a high-performance mainline for fish species ranging from walleyes, to bass, panfish, and trout. It’s available in break strengths from 2 to 25 pounds, and spool sizes of 220 and 1,000 yards—pricing varies by retailer, daiwa.com/us KVD Rods Premium IM8 graphite blanks; split-grip EVA handles; reel seats…

The lure is frozen in place, 2 feet above bottom, 5 feet below the surface. A long, slow pull drags it forward. It stops and hovers. It pauses motionless for an unbearably long time, neither rising or sinking. Then it twitches slightly. That’s when smallmouths lose it. Their anxiety increases every second the bait is paused. They sidle up close, confident their prey is oblivious to their approach. Hunting instincts are aroused. Caution dwindles. Twitch. Chomp. It’s a scene I’ve seen played out thousands of times since my partner and I won the Sturgeon Bay Open with suspending jerkbaits back in 1998. Throwing round-body crank-baits—especially deep divers—for smallmouths in spring? It’s not that crankbaits can’t catch bass in cold water. We once caught close to 40 smallmouths with Bomber 6As…

The pike is a gluttonous predator that lashes out to maim and eat anything in its path—or so the hyperbole often goes. But pike can be as fickle as any fish. To catch big ones in almost any conditions, this is my list of all-time greatest lure picks, after years of traveling to fish waters across much of North America. I’ve done my share of flying in to world-class waters in Canada, but mostly I’ve targeted fish on the Great Lakes as well as natural lakes and reservoirs in Wisconsin and other portions of the Midwest and West. I’ve fished plenty for pike in Mississippi River pools, too. As you’ll see, I usually use upsized lures for trophy-caliber fish, although there also are times to downsize choices. Here’s what I…

Natural lakes go through a predictable annual cycle. They warm, they cool, then freeze over. During the open-water season, habitat may change as aquatic vegetation grows, then dies back and is replaced with other plant species. Water clarity may change as algae blooms come and go. These are relatively stable conditions compared to large reservoirs where water temperatures, water level, and turbidity can change substantially and quickly. Bass have a predictable annual cycle, too. They move shallow to spawn in the spring, then seek areas of abundant forage where they can feed effectively, and finally move to wintering areas. Successful natural-lake anglers have learned, on any given lake, the habitats bass use during the prespawn, spawn, warm summer, and cooling fall seasons. Reservoirs have large watersheds, so rainfall and snowmelt…

Besides liking to catch them, sometimes it’s also fun to think about the fish we pursue and some of the questions that arise in the process. On the question of “why some fish jump and others don’t,” I’d offer this: Each fish brings to the table a set of characteristics that make it a unique fish species. Smallmouth bass often jump. Catfish may thrash the surface, but usually don’t jump. Salmon often jump, but carp rarely do so when they’re hooked. Some genetic renditions of rainbow trout often jump; others wallow like bullheads. Stripers fight impressively, but don’t jump. Alligator gar jump, but never get all the way out of the water. Same for big white sturgeon. Largemouth bass jump, often way out of the water. Walleyes don’t jump and…

When anglers gather for a club meeting or weigh-in, discussions generally revolve around the best local lakes, cool new lures, or what presentations have been hot. In a more tight-lipped crowd, it may be the weather forecast. That’s because many anglers don’t focus on one of the most important tools of the trade—the bowmount trolling motor. We tend to take them for granted until they won’t work. In recent years, manufacturers have focused on the power and performance of these products. After all, they’re more than accessories—they’re essential to nearly every type of fishing. More than a decade ago, MotorGuide and Minn Kota waged their own tussle. Last year, we witnessed a much hotter trolling motor battle, as today’s market finds those two, plus several others in the mix, all…

Fly into a Far North lake to fish and what boat is waiting at the dock at the cabin when you get there? Typically, it’s a 16- to 18-foot tiller aluminum with basic seating and a motor between 25 and 75 hp. These boats are easy to transport, handle all types of water, and make fishing a pleasant affair. Add a sonar-GPS unit and a transom-mount electric trolling motor and this basic rig becomes a fishing machine that can win local tournaments and last a lifetime with minimal investment. It used to be that all walleye boats were tillers. Pete Harsh, who started tournament angling in 1982, with a used 90-hp tiller, won enough to move on to bigger boats and motors—eventually running a 200-hp tiller boat before retiring in…

Jigs were invented to bump bottom, enticing bites from bass lurking in cover. That remains a key presentation for anglers everywhere. But why probe the bottom slowly, risking snags, when zipping a jig through the shallows can cover more water and entice bass that rarely see such a look? That terrain has been the home of the spinnerbait, or more recently the bladed jig. Swimming a jig was considered off-beat when a few river experts began using it over 20 years ago. It’s a technique that may seem too simple to work well, but results speak for themselves. One of the appeals of swimming a jig is that it works in current and slack water, in clear or murky water, shallow or deep, around cover, or in open areas. Moreover,…

In early spring, with water temperatures in the low-40°F range, jerkbaits have to suspend perfectly. Long pauses rule, and any rise or sink on the pause decreases odds of triggering strikes. Storm Suspen-Dots are essential tools with baits that float up on the pause, but placement is critical. The middle of a Dot has to be right on the exact center of the belly or the lure can be thrown off balance. Placement is determined by the attitude of the lure at rest. Horizontal is best. If the lure rests nose down, place Dots next to the rear hook arbor. If it rests horizontally, place Dots immediately behind the middle hook arbor, or just jump up one size in trebles, from the usual #6 to #4. If it rests nose…

As the float plane headed back to civilization, we stowed food and drink, and rigged our rods for our first day of fishing. Doc and I zoomed to an incoming rapids where we had always slayed the fish. I revved the engine, and turned the boat so we’d enter the fast water at a 45-degree angle. Doc’s considerable weight in the bow made us literally plow through the 75-yard-wide outflow. The torrent couldn’t be measured in gallons, and not in Olympic swimming pool terms, either. Cubic feet wouldn’t be appropriate. Maybe tons per second came close. Halfway in it took a full throttle to fight the powerful current, and we finally made it to a large pool of relatively calm water on the far side. “That wasn’t much fun,” Doc…