SLIP’S 2017 LOGS, STATUS AND STRATEGIES

[Slip Sinker]

[Slip Sinker]

i need wind socks for my kayak and the jon boat! so many times it would of come in handy.

... the canals weve been fishing have no weed cover in them yet just open water.

they are in so shallow the bobber drop on the cast will sometimes spook the school like mullet... making the water explode. many hooksets on the gill resulted in them shooting out of the water because of the shallow water with no place else to go.

[Slip Sinker]

20170428----~~<")))))><(---*Pre Spawn Period*--64°

[Slip Sinker]

20170428-the wind continues today… after getting blown off the lake within 45 mins the day before. Took a lot of internal prodding to get me off the couch because of it. If I was going to do this I would drop the boat in at the local launch and make a short trip up the reservoir where there was some protected water and a short canal system. This would require a short run thru some choppy water.

I decided I would fish the slight down tick off the minor solunar period and fish thru the major peak period.

Once at the spot I noticed some shallow cruzers with in 1-0 ~ 2-0 FOW. I started Long-Casting/Tiny Swim Jigs without a bite while I slip/float/crawler bit on another rig. I could see the fish flatly refuse the bait and swim slowly past.

I decided to investigate the little canal system for more active fish. I could not visually spot a fish while making casts tight to cover and shooting under some docks. The night crawler was continually ignored thru the canal.

Once back into the cut I slowly but steadily started tagging fish on the slip/float/crawler-bit set-up in line with the Major Solunar Period. The cut was no more than 2.5’ at the most and at a slowly warming 64 degs.

The fish were mostly lunker quality in size with B.Gills between 8.5 and 9.5”. (2) P.Seeds at 97% Master Angler Rating. Nice mid sized LMB was also tagged on the Slip/float/Nite crawler bit set-up... 0 fish on the Long-Casting/Tiny Swim Jigs set-ups

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[Slip Sinker]

I started the trip fishing two Slip/Float/Crawler-Bit set-ups searching for the bite in the shallows. The fish were moving so slowly but still taking the bait but also quickly swallowing the crawler. I soon ended up with 2 casualties on some 9” plus fish that I had to fillet out quickly, baggie and then put on ice. I then retied the two rigs to Slip/Float/Quick-Strike/Crawler-Bit set-ups incorporating #10 circle hooks. A better set-up for sensitive biters… I was able to detect the nibbles and swallowed hook problem was eliminated.

[Slip Sinker]

20170502----~~<")))))><(---*Pre Spawn Period*--58°??

[Slip Sinker]

canceled a fishing trip to Ross Lake this morning due to weather...

periodic rain and drizzle with a cold front producing temps in the low to mid-40's... top that off with 20 mph sustained winds from the west does not make for a pleasant trip.

good weather tomorrow but I feel some time for fish to heal from this weather might produce some slow fishing.

[Slip Sinker]

20170503----~~<")))))><(---*Pre Spawn Period*--54°

[Slip Sinker]

20170503- changed the oil on the outboard and I suddenly felt the urge to take it for a little spin. The reason?...I have some loose ends to tie up on some upper lake mapping to donate to the social maps on Insight Genesis. Finish the maps helps me and also helps other fishermen in the community get familiar with unmapped waters.

So once out on the lake I noticed a considerable drop in temps from a recent high of 64 degs just a few days ago to 54 degs… depress the fish bite? … from experience … yes. The water was cloudy from the heavy recent rains and it was moving with increased current. If this trip was a serious fishing endeavor I think i would be in trouble. I still brought a jigging rod and two slip/float set-ups just in case i felt like testing the waters.

After logging the missing contour data on the upper lake I moved into some protected waters to test the surf temps and the fish activity. Not a bite or a nudge on the baits. Water temps were a few degs warmer in the little bay. Did the fish develop lock jaw from the sudden 10 deg drop in temps or did they move out all together? Admittedly I was sitting on a Solunar Period Null between active periods. The water was also a little clearer and I was able to look into the shallows to search for movement or activity… yet found none.

In a cold front period do fish generally escape rapidly cooling water in the shallows to the safety of the colder waters of the depths?

In spring fish move to the shallows for the increased warmth do they give that up in a cold front even to the dirtier, colder and current of the main channel?

In over an half hour of two slip float rigs out with baits an tossing the favorite tiny jigs including my early season favorite “Spring Cricket” got shut out… scoreless and without a single nudge on the live baits and waxies.

Definitely a learning experience with no sound answer only continued speculation. However from fishing past experience generally you would guess on the onset of the trip it would be an unproductive day.

[Slip Sinker]

20170507----~~<")))))><(---*Pre Spawn Period*--53°?

[Slip Sinker]

Michigan has been entrenched with a nasty cold front well into its 9th day with some rebounding to near normal temps coming midweek that I’m sure has taken effect on the fish. Cold temps in combination with high winds and or rain has kept me off the prowl since april 28th. Today with temps in the mid 50s with lows temps in the low 30’s id like to take a little boat ride to test the pulse on the fish.

[Slip Sinker]

20170509----~~<")))))><(---*Pre Spawn Period*--61°

[Slip Sinker]

20170509- With the start of a weather warm-up we decided to play it safe and fish a small natural private lake with a known good panfish population. With a major 10 day major cold front now behind us we could now start looking for the continuation of the pre-spawn period and fish activity in the shallows.

As I started the rigging of the Jon boat I noticed significant B.Gill activity at the shoreline in mere inches of water… a good sign. Surface temps at the launch were at the 60° mark.

Connor and I started the trip where we left off with the Slip/Float set-ups casting to the bank. Earl was Long-Casting/Tiny Jigs. The Slip/Float combinations seemed to be a bit more popular with the fish.

We found a large concentration of fish in the sloppiest water on the lake. Large blobs of algae and floating tree debris collected by the wind in front of a canal. Casting into the open pockets with the slip floats got the Lepomis’s attention with many P.Seeds in the Lunker class.  The pink waxie was outperforming the nite crawler bits significantly. When I missed landing a P.Seed 10” class trophy just feet from the boat… everyone switched to the Pink Waxie.

Letting the area cool down for awhile we hit other known spots on the lake that produced fish for us in the past. Earl and I would continue tagging some Lepomis on the tiny jigs with a tiny twister and Lil Minnow being the most popular jigging baits.

The most popular fish activity was the approach of the minor solunar period toward the end of the afternoon early-evening.

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