Slip’s 2016 LOGS, STATUS AND STRATEGIES

[Slip Sinker]

The past few seasons it’s been season outdoing the last. Knowledge base on top of knowledge base. Building on some great info from this site and time on the water. I’m anticipating and looking forward to even better results with more citation fish. Anyway that’s the game plan.

Last year was the season of fishing TINY. Thin UL Lines loaded on tiny 50 series reels and light UL rods tossing tiny baits in front of fish targets…quantities of quality panfish and trophy SMB. Tossed the baits into thick cover with reckless abandon. Tiny presentations under slip bobbers thrown next to thick weed slop and weed pockets. Mid day fishing out of the kayak in less than two feet of water and tagging quality fish. Never really had another fishing boat come close to me fishing. it was like i had the lake to myself. looking forward to making some more good memories in the upcoming season.

Looking forward to any hints suggestions or comments from the BBG membership… sharing is the best way to learn and progress!

hope everyone a successful "2016 Open Water Season"

[Slip Sinker]

20160615- ...----~~<")))))><(----------------------------

[Slip Sinker]

20160615-I was just a few minutes into the trip when I agitated a chronic neck injury and had to call it quits… in that short period of time I caught a handful of fish with a nice mid 8’s B.Gill and a chunky 8” class P.Seed on the Slip/Float/Fly/Waxie rig. I hated to go… feeling the start of a good bite.

...a nice gill

... a nice P.Seed

[Slip Sinker]

20160617- ...----~~<")))))><(----------------------------

[Slip Sinker]

20160617~… another day thanking the Lord for a beautiful day on the water… it doesn’t have to be beautiful for me to be thankful… everyday just to breathe and be able to fish is a reason to be thankful.

Probably the hottest day of the year so far… sunny and no wind and im fishing. I headed out as others were coming in… its my nature exploring going against the grain. When I experience some kind of success I stick with it till something proves better. Im still wearing out the Pink Waxie thing… hey it works with me! When I can perform well and in most cases out produce guests on my boat I stick with it. In many cases they have put their live bait away and caught fish along side of me

Currently fishing the slop with the Slip/Float/Fly/Waxie is out performing everything in my arsenal and tagging fish. Many 8-9” class fish (these are top tiered fish here in Michigan!) were tagged and released tonight.

A couple of todays top fish…

A cross section of todays outing.

[Slip Sinker]

20160618- ...----~~<")))))><(----------------------------

[Slip Sinker]

with the full moon coming up in a couple days I thought id do some recon and find out what the gill were up to. I scanned a large popular sandy flat and discovered few new nests and spawning activity. Most of the gill I tagged today were hovering just below the pads. Slip/Float/Fly/Waxie was the popular combo tagging them today.

Water temps low 80’s

section of today's catch:

[Allen Morgan]

I had somewhat of a similar experience yesterday.  Shallow, sandy flat with weeds/grass everywhere.  4 FOW with weeds topping out between 1 and 2 feet from the surface.  I was drifting with the wind, had my drift sock over.  Just fan-casting a weighted float, with a microjig tipped with a Waxie.  Constant action, but no real size.  Only brought home three.  Had a few hookups with LMBs.  Never landed them.  Either the jig pulled out, or my knot broke.  Not using that knot any more!

[Slip Sinker]

did you notice less spawning activity then in May?

what knot are you using?...

[Allen Morgan]

In all honesty, I have not seen ANY spawning activity.  I have been in "exploring mode", trying to learn all the different places I can go fishing that are close to home.  I need to quit that, and just focus on one body of water, and learn the patterns for different species on that one BOW, then start going to other places.  Hard to do, when there's SO MANY new places for me to wet a line or launch my kayak......

I also have been working many 6-day weeks, instead of a 5-day week.  Loosing a day off limits kayak fishing.

The knot I was using was a Loop Knot.  Tie an overhand not in the leader, but don't cinch it completely down.  Thread the tag end through the jig, then through the overhand knot.  Cinch that down completely.  Tie another overhand knot with the tag end, making sure that the standing part of the leader (between the jig and the connection to the mainline) goes through the loop, but is not part of the knot.  Cinch that overhand knot down.  Gently apply opposite pressure to the jig and leader.  The two overhand knots will slip towards each other, creating a small loop that the jig and swing freely on.

Once I realized that my knot had failed, I started tying the jigs on with an Improved Clinch Knot.  Nice and secure for most of my fishing, but the jig can't swivel and swing freely.  4 lbs test mono helps with the movement, but I like how a jig moves on a free loop.  I may try and start tying jigs onto my leader with a Surgeon's Loop, like I do for the connection to my mainline.  I tried to do that when I was on the water, but my leader was way too short for that.

One of my wife's friends has been fishing this same lake, and is posting results of multiple-person limits.  Usually it's him and one buddy going out.  He has a really small aluminum boat with a 3 HP outboard on it.  He told me he's fishing weedlines.  He must be fishing a different area of the lake, as where I was at, has a fairly uniform carpet of moss/grass/weeds over the bottom, with the only definite weedlines being the lilypads.  I need to do some more exploring.

I might end up going to a different lake.  My wife went out with her cousin and another friend, to a lake we like to go swimming at.  I'm getting reports of good-sized 'gills making brazen "nipping" attacks on the ladies, and that I need to go depopulate that swimming area of fish, LOL.  That lake has a definite weedline just outside the swimming area.  And the boat launch is just on the side of the swimming area, so it's immediate access to fishing from the launch point.

[Slip Sinker]

Yep there is a different action when tied direct or using a loop knot. My super lines will never hold onto a loop knot without slipping. I can only use two knots without my lines slipping undone. One is the Palomar knot and the other is the Uni Knot... i can tie a loop knot using the Uni knot and will hold tight on some lines especially mono but will slip tight on Nano or Gliss. To get that action back on my jigs I like using the smallest snap available or the Quick Snap by Northland. Im starting to use the quick snaps when attaching my flies on the end of the Slip/Float/Fly/Waxie rig. Better action and quicker change outs even when trying different style hooks under the slip float.

Im finding luck in the sloppiest areas of the lake hitting the tiny openings or edges… harder work yes… but I’m finding better quality fish between the 9-10” range

The other day I was out there sweltering under the sun and calm seas and I noticed the gills attacking the dragon flys every once in awhile near the pads and beds of pads. As I paddled closer to the pads I could see the gills suspended 4-6” under the shade of the pads. I cast out my Slip/Float/Fly/Waxie rig past the pads and slowly pulled it close to the edges… fish on!... kept me busy most of the afternoon… most of the tagged fish were caught by sight.

 

Hey good luck exploring those new waters!

[Slip Sinker]

20160619- ...----~~<")))))><(----------------------------

[Slip Sinker]

…. So Fathers day.2016 Kenny wants to go fishing… just him and his Dad. What’s a dad to say but yes. We decide on fishing a small private lake that we have lake privileges on… it has quality fish and is managed with reduced limits on the panfish and there is always that chance of hitting that trophy fish. Master Anglers Certificates are disallowed because it has limited public access. I have caught Master Angler fish from here but was disallowed on the first fish … a P.Seed of 9.0”. the fish was on the list for a day before was taken off … I was sent a patch and Certificate however for the catch.

All things considered and aside it’s a good lake to learn good technique and presentation because of its good population of panfish. Many bad habits are learned from fisherman fishing in the wrong spots with no fish or bad lakes to test and advance their technique of presentation. Working that presentation in front of a fish is the way to go. Specifically I learned quite a few things on presentation fishing this lake. Develop a sense and confidence on a technique, style, presentation etc fishing fish then take it on different lakes is a formula for success. Its worked for me.

My plan?... was to work on getting my son re-hooked on fishing. When I hurt my back at work in 2006 and was disabled I took my son walking the shoreline… fishing… it made my condition feel better at times … so I stuck with it. Doctors said exercise and therapy was my road to repair… I never gave up. i… however needed company and I would entice my son with burger king and mcdonalds to get him out there. He would dip baited hooks with worms along the bank and catch such tiny panfish. Somewhere I lost him along the way to game boys and computer games etc… 

today I saw some light!

I rigged Kenny up with one of my favorite jigging rods and a great swimming jig Earl and I have  been having success on with our long lining UL jigging technique. Kenny took off catching fish right away!... even in the shallow slop… casting to open pockets etc. He showed enthusiasm and some visible symptoms on getting hooked

We caught many fish and Kenny caught two panfish in the 90% tile … one b.gill at 9” class and a p.seed at 8.2”… just amazing fish. He was more impressed with the LMB… but hey…positive moving forward.

Hoping I get more invites soon and often!

kenny's PB 9" class B.Gill

Kenny's LMB

father and son tag teaming them:

my certificate sized p.seed