Bluegill - Big Bluegill

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As I turn the last page of the “SLIP’S 2017 LOGS, STATUS AND STRATEGIES” log book on an astounding year of angling… I think back on the initial strategies and goals for the year. I wanted to tag at least (4) Trophy Master Angler Panfish and that would include one thru the ice which would be a PB using that method. I ended up with 2 trophy P.Seeds thru the ice with a PB at 9.8" as well as(13) total Master Anglers thru the rest of the open water season!

To accomplish this feat I would greatly scale down my presentations to micro lite equipment… rods, reels, lines and baits. Careful considerations of lines were incorporated into my methods which would not exceed 2# mono diameter…and super lines that would approach 8# test or above to handle the trophy quality of fishes sought.

I would also aim to make my time on the water more productive by timing the trips with solunar periods… majors and minors on New and Full Moons. I've discovered big fish follow the moon… period! 2017 proved that especially considering the hard water Ice Period. I was on the big fish spots on the peak periods and it paid off!... BIGly!!!

I think I coined a phrase “Fishing for the Numbers by the Numbers” by incorporating all methods and strategies to gain my odds on the water for numbers as well as numbers of trophies. By the end of the day and all the numbers were tallied for 2017 I broke many records for the Master Angler Program in at least 2 counties.

I’m hoping for an even better season for 2018 and success for the fishermen following BBG!

Ken

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20180605-~~<")))))><(---*Spawn Period*--21%/68°

20180605-dealing with a lot of pain I donned a cervical collar and headed to a favorite local lake with a deadly rod bundle, tackle and boat. Nothing beats a good endorphin rush for pain and fishing fills that bill… just being out on the water gets me that rush.

I would be battling high winds, cold front and falling water temps and a low solunar rating for the day at 21%… odds were set against me but I moved forward.

Once at the launch I noticed white caps on the main lake body and 68° water temps at shore a near 12° drop in temperature from just a few days ago. I needed to be on my spots at the Major.Period but given the wind direction I sought shelter on the windward side to utilize slip floats as well as jigs.

I found fish immediately tight to the bank with no bites deeper to the first break. I spotted a few beds visually with no fish guarding.

Most of the fish picked up on the floats were small to mid sized round females continued interest in the pattern was subsidized by an occasional lunker hybrid or p.seed. fish showed equal interest in both waxies as well as nite crawler bits.

At the end of the trip I tallied over 30 fish including four lunker 90% Master Angler rated. Pain was also considerably reduced… some great therapy!

...20180605-Very Much Trophy in battle.. just short in length

...20180605-Hand –Hider –Hybrid tagged on the slip/float/waxie

...20180605-Not a lunker.. but

...20180605-Battling the odds came out on top with a limit Plus

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20180606-~~<")))))><(---*Spawn Period*--11%/68°

20180606-USING the Fishing and Hunting Solunar app on my Android…

the quarter moon gets a percentage boost as compared to the Fishing Points App. Ice fishing past seasons I really did not see a boost in intra-month FAL (fish activity level). I still go by the intraday minor and Major.Periods.

The weather was looking good with calm winds at the start… sunny but cool temps in the low – 70’s. the nights have been cool with lows in the mid to upr 40’s. this has generally put a speed bump on fishing performance for me during the summer periods.

With the water temp lowering into the upr 60’s I motored my way to one of my first productive waypoints that usually gives up a few good fish depending on the Calendar period.

2 casts in I hook up with a nice 13” class B.Crappie on the UL 1” Apex Shad in Blue/Black. 3 more similar sized B.Crappies followed by a 90% plus Master Angler Rated P.Seed… a great flurry of action then slowed down considerably at the spot… without wasting much time I headed off to the next waypoint.

Thinking the action would continue at that pace… I soon was disappointed to find it turned negative thru the Lull.Period with a few quality fish mixed in between long gaps of empty unproductive casting.

I turned to the slip/float/fly/waxie for some quality action in the dirty water along some historically productive shorelines… picking up some quality fish along the way

It seems like when the action slows way down on the Micro jigging the LCD (Least Common Denominator) Jig I can always fall back on the very shallow bite with the Slip/Float/Fly/Waxie.

As the slow bite trip continued to the near dusk Major.Period 5:30 pm the bite picked up considerably with some fine fish including a brisk bite with the B.Crappies … nice way to finish off the trip.

With both solunar apps under consideration today the Fishing Points wins out over the Fishing Hunting Solunar App at the low 11% FAL.

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20180607-~~<")))))><(---*Spawn Period*--20%/74°

20180607-I had a good feeling about waypoint#1…

So I planned consecutive trips to this lake… so why not?... we are on an uptrend to the New Moon… some spawning will be taking place and fish are on their voracious cycle… feeding heavily and roaming the shallows 10’ or less.

Many fishermen do not equate the New Moon cycle as heavily as the New Moon cycle… FAL (Fish Activity Levels) are basically the same. New Moon and Full Moon… fish react the same… they cant tell the difference... full speed. Spawning cycles begin and endure thru the New Moon as well as the Full Moon Periods.

So with FAL at 20% and the water temps back on the rise to 74° I set out to waypoint #1 while watching the sonar covering the deep channels and flats… nothing out deep at the drop-off but many targets spotted in the 10’ or less shallows. Way point one should be good.

Once at the spot or WP#1 many casts produced many sizable Panfish long-casting 1/32 oz swim jigs and Micro-Jigs.

Way point after way point produced fish. Just like the day previous I combined methods… slip/float and long-cast to reel the fish in.

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20180608-~~<")))))><(---*Spawn Period*--33%/74°

20180609-~~<")))))><(---*Spawn Period*--46%/74°

20180610-~~<")))))><(---*Spawn Period*--59%/68°

20180610-the game plan for today was to hit close to a double trigger

for the day's trip… what I mean and define double trigger is two fish triggering events at sync… the daybreak has always been a favorite time for fishermen to tag a few… now line up a solunar period with a daybreak or evening/dusk trigger and you have a dbl trigger. Sounds like a great theory and I believe it’s true… fish are more aggressive at dbl triggering events.

For me… I enjoy the morning at home, do the chores and take care of business usually during those hours while fishermen are scrambling at the launches for position. Ha!.. I take my time at a more leisurely pace scheduling my trips during times I know when fish will be on the bite.

I carefully plan a trip the night previous to be on the big crappie waypoint during the morning and at the Major.Period. Having everything ready the night before I just hop in the car and head for the lake.

The early morning is a chilly one with lows in the lower 50’s from the lingering cold front. With Calm seas I launch the boat in 68° water down from a peak in the low 80’s a few days previous. That’s going to hurt the bite I thought. I make a turn on the lake and notice the only other fisherman I could see was on my SPOT!

I hit the spot adjacent to them and notice they are pitching bass baits into the stumps as well as a few floats with bait as well. I watched htem pull in many small B.Gill and drop them into a 5 gallon pail. As far as I could tell not one of them was a B.Crappie.

My spot was dead so I made my way around the waypoints looking for the crappie bite. After awhile I gave up on the long-cast/jigs and settled on the floats close to the bank.

In some areas I noticed bedding B.Gills so I concentrated on the deeper outskirts of the areas… still not peak noticing the small numbers of the beds and the bedding community size.

I picked up on the B.Gills small in size and low in numbers… has to be the big drop in water temps for the negative bite.  I believe the timing was spot on.

I glanced over to my big crappie spot and noticed the fishermen was still anchored in.

I waited out the Minor.Period by fishing the Lull.Period in between. The bite was very slow.

Once the Minor.Period rolled around the sun came out and warmed up quickly. Once on the waypoint I started pitching a few swim jigs and immediately started hooking up at a quick pace. I set my hooks into a trophy that I fought up close to the boat when I noticed it may be over the 16” mark. The fish shook it’s head above water and threw the bait.

Time was up on the clock and the Minor.period so I called it headed back somewhat satisfied with the recovery at the end of the trip.      

 

          

 

20180611-~~<")))))><(---*Spawn Period*--72%/68°

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