SLIP’S 2017 LOGS, STATUS AND STRATEGIES

[Slip Sinker]

[Slip Sinker]

20170511----~~<")))))><(---*Pre Spawn Period*--63°

[Slip Sinker]

20170511-first day after the full moon is always a good day to get out on the water and procure some bites… I was hoping the day wouldn’t disappoint. The trip started out with the afternoon warm with a hot sun two hours later cold wind and hoodie and jacket… hey that’s Michigan.

The trip was on my home BOW, Wixom Lake. I would look for the sloppiest water in the deep cuts. I was unable to get out on the lake during the major period from 13:09 till 15:39. I fished the lull in between major and minor periods but still expected to make a showing because of the day after the full moon and its positive effect on the panfish.

I tagged three B.Crappies quickly after arrival on one of my better waypoints near a popular laydown. First fish was an impressive 12” class tagged Long-Casting/Tiny swim jigs.

After realizing a slow bite in this particular cut I headed down the lake to a spot at the opposite end of the lake. It was an area Earl and I tagged over a hundred B.Gills in a short period of time earlier in the season. Upon arrival, three pontoon boats were busy working the area harvesting the pre-spawn fish.

I quickly moved to an adjacent cut and finished out the afternoon/early evening working the seawalls and rubble picking up some near trophy P.Seeds and B.Gills. I really had to work hard for these fish finding no schooling or concentrations of them. Well worth the effort to nudge close to some more certificate fish and the tug was well appreciated. These fish were tagged on the Slip/Float/Pink Waxie & Slip/Float/Crawler bit set-ups.

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[Slip Sinker]

20170512----~~<")))))><(---*Pre Spawn Period*--67°

[Slip Sinker]

 20170512-in every fisherman’s history of the sport there become milestones or memories that stand out… memories to fall back on to bring a smile of achievement and satisfaction… a milestone happened today ( my best) with (3) Master Angler in a short period during a Major afternoon Solunar period. Conditions seemed to be perfect… with a subtle warm southerly wind push against the northern banks of one of my favorite lakes I found active fish running parallel with the banks.

My initial goal was to interrupt for a short period my chore schedule at home to test the bite on a hunch of shoreline laydowns. Was it a calling tuned to the Solunar highs and lows that is now signalling my inner bio to the water? I believe YES in part!

Once out on the water I noticed swirling and dimpling in the shoreline waters that were my intended target!

My initial cast brought in an 8.5” plus B.Gill… a very good start. With many consecutive fish tagged between the lengths of 8.5 and 9.5” on the Slip/Float/Crawler-Bit set-up! The action was steady I never got to test the Long-Casting/Tiny-Jigs set-ups.

Then came the initial P.Seed Master Angler of 9.4” in length a toad of a sow with ample belly that provided a huge tug on the end of the line. I couldn’t leave the bite now with that possibility of tagging another Master Angler! This is the thought pattern of a typical fisherman… it is hardwired into our brains.

Within an hour and several lunker fish over the gunwales I tagged that second P.Seed of just over the 9.0” mark!

I continued methodically working the shoreline and making those precise casts next to the laydowns. I actually was working my mindset of tagging that 3^rd Master Angler… certainly the bite was on.

Then it happened the float went down deep and steady and set that hook into what seemed like a brick wall. With a very impressive bull dog fight I saw the flash of a Yellow Bull Head next to the boat of Master Angler proportions. The fish just stretch to breaking that 14” mark and the 3^rd Master Angler of the day was now verified and in the boat.

I continued fishing!

Is there a chance for a fourth!! With time dwindling down to an impending rainfall within the hour… I started working the water again. With my inner self calling one last fish before heading home, I set the hook into yet another very powerful fish… after a short battle on the 12# Gliss I slid the net underneath of a very impressive B.Gill of the 10” Class. Is this the fourth Master Angler of one day of fishing!? The fish just fell short on length but not on impression. So close to a four Certicate Day!!

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[Allen Morgan]

Excellent work!

[Slip Sinker]

thanks Allen!  ... more or less cashing in on our past history with some productive spots during the pre-spawn period.

[Slip Sinker]

20170515----~~<")))))><(---*Pre Spawn Period*--71°

[Slip Sinker]

another spectacular day fishing with Earl and Connor!... potentially (3) more Master Angler citation sized fish tagged on the Slip/Float/Crawler-Bit!!!

[Slip Sinker]

20170515-with the 15 to 20° above normal temps we’ve been experiencing has sent the fish tight to the banks. The productive pattern has been the Slip/Float setups with Nite Crawler bits or pink waxies in the dirtiest water. Long casting the tiny jigs was pretty much useless thru the littered water and algae blooms. So that was the way we were going to start this trip. We found some dirty shallow water in a stretch of bank with some nice wood stickups and laydowns along with the fish.

With water temps in the shallows and cuts nearing the low 70’s we hoped the fish were heated up also…

We started the trip knowing the Solunar Day Rating was a poor 14%. We figured pre-spawn the fish were going to be easy to find but getting the bite was going to be the tough part.

We entered a shallow cut that was barely over 2 FOW and spotted fish in the shallows suspended inches below the surface barely moving. A float with bait presented in front of the fish barely drew a response, but we would tag one here in there with long time gaps in between. This is experiencing the Lull gap in-between solunar Minor and Major periods.

As we climbed the Major Period up-tick from 15:30 on the fish level of activity rose… we noticed fish movement causing wakes in the shallow water and minnows jumping clear of the water surface escaping preds below. Continuing into the Major period the fish count and quality increases with the trophy fish caught within the peek. Earl tagged a nice Master Angler P.Seed at just over 9” and nice 9.0 inch Green Sunfish Hybrid may be eligible for a certificate. Both very nice fish. And I followed suit with my own lunker Green sunfish Hybrid at 9.1”

Connor kept pace with his Slip/Float set-up nearly matching Earl and I in numbers.

I tagged a couple nice Rockies pin point casting next to the laydowns… these fish spend a lot of time tight to cover.

The water temps peeked at 71° close to shore and 68° in the main lake body.

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[Slip Sinker]

20170516----~~<")))))><(---*Pre Spawn Period*--72°

[Slip Sinker]

20170516- so pretty much center of full moon and the new moon of may 25^th I set out on a solunar day scaled 14%... lowest on the scale for the month. I didn’t have high expectations for fish activity but I had a good idea I knew where the fish were going to be today.all it was going to take is a excellent presentation and patience.

The air temps were expected to reach the mid 80’s 20 degs above normal for this time of year. So regardless it’s nice to be out on the lake with the some nice weather.

I planned a late afternoon trip to be on my spots during the major period 16:19 pm thru 19:19pm.

Once I was in position I noticed fish cruising in the shallows with no beds in sight. all males caught showed no tail fin wear and tear. so i was safe to fish.

I did manage to tag  a handful of 90%+ master angler rated panfish and a few B.Gills in that 90%+ range. The action wasn’t fast and furious with large numbers of fish but I was over-all elated in the quality.

All were tagged on the Slip/Float/Crawler-Bit presentation.

All were CPR’ED!!

 

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[Slip Sinker]

20170517----~~<")))))><(---*Pre Spawn Period*--74°