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]

visited Cooke Dam Pond yesterday w/family.... no fishing rods!!

some beautiful water!... i need to fish this someday

[Leo Nguyen]

Wow. Kayak or boat, this is prime for some major fishing. So much tree overhanging areas. This is drowning victim centrals that the fishes love to feast upon.

[Slip Sinker]

this area was popular during the big logging days... water is very clear and so much wood in the water.

yes... a kaykers paradise. all state land with rustic camping ... even on the islands

[Slip Sinker]

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[Slip Sinker]

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[Slip Sinker]

20160805—set out fishing in the mid afternoon near the temp peek for the day. When fishermen are usually coming in from the morning bite it seems like im heading out… and looking back historically have done pretty good. This afternoon seemed like many others. I feel the fish are tighter to cover or concentrated along the deep edges so numbers of fish are tagged as well as quality once they are found.

Started out fishing the slip/float/fly/waxie close to weed pockets and edges… nothing… then the straggler fish started trickling in. I found my best activity in the deeper holes along the rip/rap and pillar foundations of the road bed with the 1/32 oz Power minnow. I just could feel the bite wasn’t there.

Picked up a few random small b.gills along the pads. They could tell I was begging for the bite.

The jigs started producing a bit more but I sensed the fish concentrations weren’t there. I tagged a few nice b.crappie and a jumbo rock bass scratching the bottom.

I left the lake feeling unacomomplished… I just couldn’t figure out the pattern location for the fish. that’s what makes fishing… fishing. It’s the game you vs fish. today the fish won one.

Nice rockie

Some of todays catches…CPR’ed of course.

[Slip Sinker]

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[Slip Sinker]

20160806—still feeling beat up from the other days whipping out on the lake I set out further up lake… shallower weedier with many laydowns and wood jams extending out from shore to the deeper areas of the lake section… the original river channel as it comes close to the bank.

On the way to these destinations I tested areas and found no bites with the slip/float/fly/waxie.

b.gills are now confusing me!…

while trying to securely anchor next to one of my favorite laydowns the wind started kicking up and from different directions… north then south… a boat control nightmare when position fishing. In between jockeying for position next to the laydowns I found b.gills and b.crappie hitting the swim jig and power minnow…. Quality and in numbers. Average size well above last year’s stats… product of years of CPR?... id like to think so.

As the afternoon I continued tagging fish in increasing numbers as I move from structure to structure.

While fishing one area of wood and weeds...wondering if I could tweek a set-up to tag more b.gills then crappies. Currently I was tagging b.crappies as well as the gills on the swim jigs. I also noticed when the flipped jig hit the bottom I would tag a gill occasionally. I reached into the jig box and tied on an micro tungsten ice fishing jig and tipped with a cut segment of gulp waxie and started hitting the gills more consistently vertical jigging the openings in the laydown maze.

After reviewing yesterday and today’s experiences, successes and failures… it came down to this… fish where the fish are… just like in real estate… location, location, location. Trust your proven and productive techniques but fish where the fish are.

Nice b.gill

Another

Nice B.Crappie 13” class

Love when this happens… lol

A segment of todays catches… all CPR’ed… a few of these fish should hit the Master Angler mark by next year!

[Slip Sinker]

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[Slip Sinker]

Big uptick in fish activity coming up... I'd like to be a part of it

[Slip Sinker]

an extraordinary afternoon of fishing!... one of my personal best trips!

followed the curve of activity to the minute!

[Slip Sinker]

20160807—using the App “Fishing Points for Android” I timed a lunar period of some good extended fishing showing on the curve. Ive been using solunar tables for years and have timed some lunker and trophy tags with the strategy.

Heres yesterdays table showing the curve and the success ive had on the lake. It was an amazing trip!!

Just like the previous day… the B.Gills B.Crappie were hitting the soft plastic swim jigs 1.5-2.0” long.

Fishing over log piles, laydowns and weedlines all produced some fine fish.

Slip/floats produced 0 fish and 0 hits even when fish were located with jigs… I found that really odd.

Most fish were fat and feeding heavily.

By the end of the day I came close to completing a panfish Master Angler cycle in one afternoon! B.gill, R.Bass, Y.Perch and P.Seed all within 90% (Master Angler Ratio or Rating). 90% is big any state. I was pretty excited about that.

Most of the fish came on 1/32 oz swim jigs in relation to heavy cover. The b.gill was vertically jigged in the logs and required some extra effert to tag. The fish wound around some branches and logs and took some time to and patience to unwind him. The Power Pro braid at 4# test held its ground and performed flawlessly without a scuff… amazing stuff. I believe 4# mono would have indeed failed in this situation.

jig bodies were glued to the jigs before hand the day before... without glue they really went through the jig bodies! what a big difference this one little tweak makes!!

The vertical jig could be viewd in the composite fish catch collage.

Near Master Angler Panfish Cycle:

Some of the fish tagged (CPR’ed) today!