Smallest Bluegill

[Joe Angelucci]

Been researching different fishing methods and came across an article on Tanago fishing where the idea is to catch the smallest fish. Any ideas as to how you could catch the smallest bluegill. Equipment, hook sizes, poles.

 

Thanks 

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Actually it turns out the tanago is also a type of fish, a 'bitterling.' To me they look like little shiners, dinky cousins to the monsters we have around here. And as many things Japanese, they take it in a whole new direction.

http://www.fishingfury.com/tags/tanago/

[Joe Angelucci]

Funny, that's the site that got me interested. I also googled Micro fishing and found out about a whole sub culture of fishing small. I kind of like the idea of catching what you see on the shoreline.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Me too Joe. I joke about not catching the whoppers, but I take some perverse pleasure in catching tiny, useless little fish. Everything I run across, I try to scale it down. In fact, right now I'm trying to make some micro Slider hooks... by bending small cricket hooks and swaging a split shot on the shank.

[Joe Angelucci]

 

David

Lucky for me I  don't know any better. I have been told the small ones are almost impossible to catch on pole and line.

My motto is if it swims it's fair game

Would you have any suggestions for a float. I'm going to try foam as an indicator. 1/2'' by 1/2'' square directly on the line . I hope to float a hook and see a strike. I do like the idea from Greg of maybe using a very small fly . My web research shows they are call midges and are not used too often in fly fishing because of the size. If small fish would take them on a short pole sight fishing, it could be a blast and I would not have to worry about baiting. I think 8 x tippet may be rated at one lb or less. I've seen 10 x on a few web sites but not sure of it's specifications

In Japan it's supposed to be a high honor to catch a fish at 20 cm or 3/4 inch to fit on a one yen coin. That's my goal.  

 

I bet Mr Wilkins may have some ideas given his background

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Ever heard of a 'strike indicator?' I would get some of those small, foam ear plugs, and cut them into pieces to use as strike indicators, not so much as floats, per se.

In looking at the Japanese methods, the hooks' size is critical. Size 16 may be to large, and many of the ones I saw resembled the old Kahle hook configuration.

I often fish for the teeny ones, mostly to use as bait. Sometimes I do this purposefully, and at other times to while away a bit of time when nothing else is happening. I keep some size 16 streamer fly hooks in my possibles bag for this use.