Johnny wilkins's Posts - Bluegill - Big Bluegill2024-03-28T21:15:56ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishinghttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2192391029?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://bigbluegill.ning.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=1yxhylknrbt7s&xn_auth=noReel Foot Lake Adventure - The Rendezvoustag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2014-09-08:2036984:BlogPost:5477162014-09-08T19:30:00.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
<p>Conditions were horrible from mid-day on. LOFR-BR nailed it.</p>
<p>In hot, hot weather - this place is a puzzle, wrapped in a mystery but the fish are there because it is jurassic!!!!</p>
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<p><strong>Adventure </strong></p>
<p>I took a stump in the rump on the way out (while it was described to me- I wasn't really hearing that we would be banging off stumps in the front, middle and motor). I nearly jumped out of my skin right after the stump hit when a 25 lb. - fish jumped up about…</p>
<p>Conditions were horrible from mid-day on. LOFR-BR nailed it.</p>
<p>In hot, hot weather - this place is a puzzle, wrapped in a mystery but the fish are there because it is jurassic!!!!</p>
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<p><strong>Adventure </strong></p>
<p>I took a stump in the rump on the way out (while it was described to me- I wasn't really hearing that we would be banging off stumps in the front, middle and motor). I nearly jumped out of my skin right after the stump hit when a 25 lb. - fish jumped up about 3 foot from me to my back and then smashed down in the water like a cannon shot, dropping spray over the bow where I was sitting. I peed a little...</p>
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<p>White caps off to the left coming all the way across the lake and sending current into the canal spillway we were fishing gave a few fish the wake-up call. No matter where you fish, this can happen and 2 days can be bad with one day good - that is fishing. We never really got to the really good but I know this lake is magical. </p>
<p>I got to see it all while I was there - giant jumping fish (still need to catch one in a net), boat-bumping travel across fields of submerged stumps and a really swampy-look'n cyrpess paradise along with some of the best Southern hospitality you could imagine. I am still full from all the food that LOFR-BR (Lord of the Fly Rods & BBQ Ribs) prepared for us before the trip started and during the trip!!! The members that shared their passion for fishing, lots of stories and even a tackle-swap you could find no where on the planet, this was a really great time. Adventure!</p>
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<p><strong>Fishing Reel Foot in Slow Bite</strong></p>
<p>Reel Foot has a lot more to offer so we will have to visit it when the temperatures haven't reached 100 or when they have started down in the 60's because it should offer up monsters on structure consistently. I didn't set a personal best there for fish, but I did for BBG.com adventures.</p>
<p>I think I cracked a little bit of the code late on the last night - and I caught one hump-head mixed with 8 cats or so. I had a Green sunfish earlier so I got to see them.</p>
<p>These fish were literally on lock-down. They were deep in the base of those stumps and not coming out. We switched sides of the lake for the evening and the temperature came down 15 degrees, wind-whipped shores on the South end got the fish going a bit. This is where the spillway was.</p>
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<p>We should rotate back on this lake during a slightly better fishing period (later September, early October or in Spring) because I know this lake has beast fish hidden in it. In order to fish this you have to snag up on cypress root - if you aren't snag'n - you aint catch'n. That said, I did have some success with chumming the fish to bring them up a bit. This is tricky business because if you do it wrong- you will actually drive the fish deeper down into these roots (rooty fish cribs). If you do it correctly - you can put some interest above the roots and get the fish to slowly come up to the root edge and strike.</p>
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<p><strong>Tackle Down</strong></p>
<p>This would have to be done anchoring at each stump this time of year with the most delicate gear you can use. I picked up on some local posts where they were talking about going to 1/80 oz. jigs and, I think a 1/1,000th ounce hook was the way to go. I had a chance to fish my prototype hooks and they held on some small and medium-sized channel cats- I didn't get a hook to straighten up. I had one hook pull out early, but I think I only got a tiny piece of lip on that fish (guessed it was a bullhead from the fight). The hook points didn't dull too fast, of course, I caught as many cypress stumps as I did fish so the hook got a little work-out. We can do better on a mission hooking a volume of gills to test these hook points but early returns are that they are very good. </p>
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<p><strong>Float Rigs<br/> <br/></strong> Where I fished that evening, I was able to do two things that I couldn't on the boat. I used the tree I fished to hold the rod tip in place. This kept the bait still down below - despite some good surface current. If you are not controlling your float by holding back on the pole tip or float tip (I used both a rod and a telescopic pole the same. Using the longer rod 10' with a spinning reel, I was able to hold onto some bigger fish). I did land a small 2 lb. cat on the telescopic pole. The extended pole lengths gave me enough reach to get to the outside of the tree trunk where I could hold the hook bait in place. If the hook bait is still below- the fish can easily "sip it in" - see the video on my page. If the hook is moving and the fish are in a funky mood- they won't chase.</p>
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<p><strong>Chum + Loose-Feed - Draw Them Out</strong></p>
<p>One, I was able to feed a small area with a very, very little bit of loose grub and tiny amounts of ground bait. The ground bait was imported and was cut down to simulate how I normally fish. Imported ground baits are very rich! Too rich for our fish. Exotic flavors are not needed. I add some crumbs to the bait to both cut down on my cost (crumb is 1/4 the price of some ground baits) My ground bait had freeze-dried grass shrimp and bloodworm in it. The fish really dig this in the water column - it perks them up, gets them moving around and looking instead of just sitting and sulking. The fish activity above the roots then attracts the fish to look and move closer. Note that I was catching channel cats about 8" off the bottom. I was going for bream - but I am not picky when a chunky cat is going to take my hook bait. Eventually I did draw a hump-head gill out of the cover so - they were in there. Now I think back at all the stumps I could have chummed when I was there!!</p>
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<p><strong>Return to Reel Foot</strong></p>
<p>Well, I can go visit them again because they have been there for several hundred years. I will again pack fresh grubs and try to really crack the code of Reel Foot Lake. With another day and some good weather, I think we could have seen some more gills and more cats. Keith had put out a bunch of jugs - really cool foam jug lines he made and the fish were just picking at the hook bait. We didn't get a single bite to stick on those lines. This was telling as to how little the fish were feeding and how light the bite was under the conditions. The lake had several weeks of high 90's so these fish were sulking and melting in that water. A front came through very late in the day and actual cool winds started changing the game. This happens on trips. My next trip I will plan three days on the water to make sure I get one real good day and hopefully a chunk of time on the other two days.</p>
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<p>Reel Foot- you have not beaten us, we are plotting and rigging. A plan is forming.</p>Massive Bluegill Pond / Lake Near Chicago?tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2014-03-26:2036984:BlogPost:4895972014-03-26T23:30:00.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
<h1>Monster Gill Lake Near Chicago?</h1>
<p>I am looking to create a panfish instruction video. While I can do some of this video on fishing urban waters and "regular ponds" for kids and new anglers - people dig the long ball (baseball home runs). </p>
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<p>(New note- I am thinking that there aren't any monster gill lakes - if anyone knows of one- please get in touch)</p>
<p>I mean to say, they have to see big fish for you to be a subject expert right. I mean, this site isn't called…</p>
<h1>Monster Gill Lake Near Chicago?</h1>
<p>I am looking to create a panfish instruction video. While I can do some of this video on fishing urban waters and "regular ponds" for kids and new anglers - people dig the long ball (baseball home runs). </p>
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<p>(New note- I am thinking that there aren't any monster gill lakes - if anyone knows of one- please get in touch)</p>
<p>I mean to say, they have to see big fish for you to be a subject expert right. I mean, this site isn't called medium-sized bluegill.com - not that this is wrong. That said, I would like to find someone who would invite me in for a day or two - watching the weather and would have some shoreline or dock access to waters with some line-stretching man hole cover fish.</p>
<p>If you have a resort you want to promote through, Magazines, Twitter, Press Releases and video clips- I will supply all the editing and final product to promote your resort with this footage (win-win). Contact me if you have a small spot (or resort) either way if you want to keep it secret or if you want to shout it to the world - come fish our spot!!</p>
<p>Note- I would protect the location. I will not wish to fish again there unless you want another meeting or session in the area - say on the 40' pole or finesse float fishing. I would trade you some close-up teaching sessions tailored to your style of fishing, live bait float, telescopic pole, spin casting, or take-apart-pole fishing and bank fishing tactics for some time on your water.</p>
<p>I would bring bait like you never have seen and would share secrets with you. We can fish 100% catch-and-release. A bit catch- video and release but you get the picture. All fish would be returned slightly more a celebrity but well-fed and better off for their time.</p>
<p>If you do have a prized lake such as this, I would like to set something up in May or July with you to spend at least one day on the water - watching the weather on a Thursday - Friday to plan our fishing day either Saturday, Sunday or the entire weekend. </p>
<p>I even have a few treats I can leave with you if we can get some good footage. I am hoping the fans here either have a water or know of a water where they can get permission from a friend where we can catch the largest bag of bluegills you have ever seen in your entire lifetime (snap a few photos) and let them swim away. I would like to try to get a bag of bluegills that takes two humans to lift out of the water. I will show you how, but you need to promise me that you will:</p>
<p>1. Take some kids and adult friends out to teach them</p>
<p>2. That you will be a good steward of the local waters and always return the big specimens<</p>
<p>3. Write a little testimonial about the fishing that I can use</p>
<p>Get in touch with me, put a post here and let me know you have a good spot. We can take it from there.. Who's up for adventure?</p>
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<p>Still Looking - please call 630.235.2162 if you have a monster gill lake we can use. As incentive I provide all the bait and will give you three prototype bluegill rigs (with confidentiality agreement). These rigs destroy finicky gills.</p>
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<p>Johnny</p>24-Hour Fishing for Families - Fundraiser Settag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2014-03-26:2036984:BlogPost:4861422014-03-26T23:30:00.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
<div id="main-sidebar-container"><div class="col-left" id="main"><div id="breadcrumb"><div class="breadcrumb breadcrumbs woo-breadcrumbs"><div class="breadcrumb-trail"><span style="font-size: 27px;"><span style="color: #3366ff;"><strong><span class="font-size-7">24-Hour Fundraiser Moved to Labor Day Weekend in Chicago Suburbs</span></strong></span><br></br></span> <span style="font-size: 2em;">2nd Attempt to Break World Record for Most Fish Caught in One Day…</span></div>
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<div id="main-sidebar-container"><div id="main" class="col-left"><div id="breadcrumb"><div class="breadcrumb breadcrumbs woo-breadcrumbs"><div class="breadcrumb-trail"><span style="font-size: 27px;"><span style="color: #3366ff;"><strong><span class="font-size-7">24-Hour Fundraiser Moved to Labor Day Weekend in Chicago Suburbs</span></strong></span><br/></span> <span style="font-size: 2em;">2nd Attempt to Break World Record for Most Fish Caught in One Day</span></div>
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<div class="post-1682 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-chicago-fishing-news"><div class="entry"><h3>Proceeds to Benefit Ronald McDonald House - Fundraiser to Help Families</h3>
<p>An attempt to break Guinness World Record for most fish caught in a 24-Hour Period – it’s on. Witness and help history in the making. In last year's fundraiser and World Record attempt, 2,011 fish caught in 24 hours. While this is short of the World Record, it was a great day and a great fundraiser.</p>
<p>The Chicago Fishing School will give it a go again this season and we need your help in this fishing fundraiser. We had a lot of help from people, support staff and the Oakbrook Terrace Park District for allowing me to set up and fish a 24-hour event.</p>
<p>Even a few members of the bigbluegill.com helped out last year-thank you for the support! I ask for your help and attention this year so save the date June 22nd - June 23rd (confirmed). Save up some pennies or change in a jar. I will be asking people make donations to a direct online site or send in a donation. You can donate per fish if you would like – just a penny, a nickel per fish or get in the spirit and make a tax-deductible donation to Ronald McDonald Charities. If you work at a company, I can send you a flyer and have everyone join in on the action. This is a great team-building activity and it will feel great for a group to band together and raise a few dollars or a bunch.</p>
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<p><a href="http://chicagofishingschool.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/chicago-fishing-charity-fundriaserjpg.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-1683 aligncenter" alt="Chicago Fishing Fundraiser" src="http://chicagofishingschool.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/chicago-fishing-charity-fundriaserjpg.jpg" width="560" height="371"/><br/> <br/> <span style="color: #3366ff;">[</span></a><span style="color: #3366ff;"> Last year's World Record Attempt - 2,011 Fish landed, new Illinois record for fish caught in one day ]</span></p>
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<p>This will be an official Guinness World Record attempt during the Labor Day weekend. If you are in the area and interested in helping out, we will be raising money for Ronald McDonald House Charities – a great charity that helps families of very sick children to feel at home while away-from-home during serious hospital stays and life-saving surgeries. When these families stay away from home the expenses mount. Hotel, food, transportation and other expenses can rack up for weeks. Also, families lose income from work while away and in the end, they have a massive problem just making ends meet in the end, their children are still very sick or in a long-recovery. The charity does a huge service to families in a horrible situation. They have armies of volunteers and people donate change at restaurants.</p>
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<p>I hope we can form a fishing army and band together for a great cause. I will be trying to land a ton of fish and raise a bunch of money for people most down on their luck, to give them some strength when all the chips are down or worse. Thanks for reading – I will have to start a thread when I get more details. If you are in the Chicago area that weekend (the weekend after Memorial Day) and can help out – I will need judges around the clock to count fish. We can use all the help – bring a friend and pitch in.</p>
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<p>To volunteer or for information on donating – please call 630.235.2162. There are 4 sponsorship opportunities for this event. I need your help. One prime sponsorship is available for $1,000. I have 3 major sponsorships open for $650 ea. as event supporter. Event supporters will receive event signage and listings within the media releases.</p>
<p>Individual donations please make checks directly payable to Ronald McDonald House Charities and these are tax deductible. Let’s go get them!</p>
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<p>To get a visual on the fish caught in last year's 24-hour event, you can see the green fish caught (2,011). The yellow fish represent the number of extra fish to be caught for breaking the current world record (638 more fish). We had a slow day last year - sure hope the fishing picks up this year!</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220398608?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220398608?profile=original" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>- Johnny</p>
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</div>2013 - Will Be Greattag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2013-01-31:2036984:BlogPost:3476862013-01-31T05:28:49.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
<p>So 2013 is off and running. There is very little ice on our waters here, so no hard water to stand on, cut through and pull some panfish through, instead, time to get some homework done and time to for training. </p>
<p>I have begun training hard to get ready for a big fishing gear, rehabing an old arm injury and getting the weight off. Three weeks into the year, I hate lifting weights, but I know I will need it. I am going to have a challenging 2013 and accomplish a lot in fishing. If I…</p>
<p>So 2013 is off and running. There is very little ice on our waters here, so no hard water to stand on, cut through and pull some panfish through, instead, time to get some homework done and time to for training. </p>
<p>I have begun training hard to get ready for a big fishing gear, rehabing an old arm injury and getting the weight off. Three weeks into the year, I hate lifting weights, but I know I will need it. I am going to have a challenging 2013 and accomplish a lot in fishing. If I want to use the 42' foot pole again to catch fish, I will need my arm at 100% again. </p>
<p>24 lb. down and another 20 to go- that should put me in good fishing shape to really make a splash. This season, I don't want any hills to stop me, I don't want a sore back to cut my fishing short, I want to be able to fish all day and all night. </p>
<p>I have a lot of new floats to use this season and new models I haven't fished before. This gives me a lot of reason to get excited and hopefully get more people to fish floats right this year. If I can show a few more people the true awesome power of a true bite indicator setup, the word should spread like wildfire.</p>
<p>One of the most exciting things to happen is that I met a few people at our outdoors show in Chicago. I watched a couple of seminars and saw some videos in which floats were set up not only improperly, but also set up irresponsibly. I have seen undershot floats and floats that were not rigged up properly. Split shot on the wrong side of the float and also slip floats used in conditions where a fixed float should - shallower waters don't need a slip float.</p>
<p>Most every "slip bobber" I see is set up for failure. The kind with the plastic tube through the center that sticks out of the water, with the line looping out the top doesn't help the angler out. It presents the bait horribly and I think it is time to go. There are a couple of setups that I will have to go after that include a jig and slip float which I should be "testing" or fishing side-by-side. Some things need proving out.</p>
<p>Much like my challenge where Gulp took on Real live bait and lost, I should do the same thing for floats. Gulp was close to three times less effective than the real live bait although the jar said that it would "Outfish All Other Baits". Gulp even claiming to "<span>Has outfished live bait 2 to 1 in head to head field tests." The fact is it got beaten by greater than a 2 to 1 margin, making it four times worse than they claim on the jar. In fact, after my 6 heats (3-times each on the clock in the same spot). If anyone wishes the results and my test method, they are available - just ask.</span></p>
<p><span>You can take my word, that if I set up a float per the manufacturer's instructions and I fish one of those plastic yellow and white or orange and black slip floats with the tube, next to a real slip float which is set up properly - the real float will win. I will fish both and set the hook as fast on both. I really don't have to run the tests as anglers in our leagues who fish the slip bobbers with the plastic center tube rarely ever finished in the top half of the results. Again, proper floats fished and balanced with the right split shot on a plain hook would destroy the slip bobber - especially if it had a jig under it. All anglers fished the same time period precisely on the same waters - the plastic bobbers would loose 49/50 times.</span></p>
<p><br/>This will be a very big year, because I am going to be very busy. I have a couple of new Hall of Fame angler friends and I intend to change fishing for good. Passing the good word and getting fishing back on track. I want to make a massive splash this season and I hope you will take the journey with me. I love float fishing as it cranks up the action. Some who read my blog posts have tried some floats and setups, but haven't gone the whole way. Yes floats are great, but slip bobbers are just a taste of what can be. Good hooks, quality split shot balancing a float out on some fine line and you will not believe the fish-catching super powers that you will posses. With a proper setup, you will have powers only Neptune or Poseidon (for the Greek crowd) can match in catching. </p>
<p>You see, it is not a slip bobber that I caught 203 fish in :30 minutes, it is with a proper float. A new record to wet my appetite for fishing last Fall - an amazing pace of fishing catching. To tell you the truth, my rig could have been fine tuned a bit more. This pace for catching gets me going this year and you are in luck. This is the year I plan on sharing more fish setups and information than I ever have. </p>
<p>Are you ready to get in shape this year? This is going to be a very big year if you decide to journey further into float fishing live bait. I know I plan on going further.</p>
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<p>Johnny</p>Fishing By the Numbers Updatetag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2012-07-06:2036984:BlogPost:2874592012-07-06T22:00:00.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
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<p>Summer is here- it is safe to say now that Chicago is in the grips of 3 - 100 degree days in a row, a record that stood slightly longer than the Cubs have endured without a championship. Speaking of records:<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220393664?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220393664?profile=original" width="640"></img></a></p>
<p>Some numbers hard to ignore - you bet ya. Big news from the last time out. I set a goal on my podcast and I beat my goal and personal best for fish…</p>
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<p>Summer is here- it is safe to say now that Chicago is in the grips of 3 - 100 degree days in a row, a record that stood slightly longer than the Cubs have endured without a championship. Speaking of records:<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220393664?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220393664?profile=original" width="640" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>Some numbers hard to ignore - you bet ya. Big news from the last time out. I set a goal on my podcast and I beat my goal and personal best for fish caught in 4 hours. The Summer numbers update. It has been a while since I checked in, but the numbers some stay the same, some notch their way upward - here are some of the highlights....</p>
<p>The heat is on... it has been 102, 103 and 105 degrees up in Chicago - can you say I like my bluegills boiled? It hasn't been that hot since the 1940's so that got me thinking, the only thing older might be a Cubs' World Series- did you know that there are 449,132 people in the world who were alive the last time the Cubs won it all? That number is dropping quickly... more on that next update. I still keep the 112 fish caught by live bait and only 35 caught by Gulp with rigid testing using scientific method and controlled, audited counts. That means live bait out fishes Gulp 3:1 - or is live bait is 8x more effective than the brand claims it to be.</p>
<p>1,538 is the number of fish that I have caught locally in urban waters - I am 1,462 away from my goal of 3,000 fish caught this season - time to step on the gas (update tomorrow). </p>
<p>The final number is my new personal best - 553 fish caught in 4 hours, the majority of them bluegills (around 95%). Who says fishing around big cities is not good? Well, they aint never had pruney-hands and dorsal-fingers from swinging in the gills while speed fishing. </p>
<p>One of my favorite terms- you heard it here first - F.P.H., like a speed limit for fishing, well that fishing day was traveling at over 133 F.P.H - Fish Per Hour.... I wonder if I hit anyone in the park at that speed, we will have to check the police blotter.</p>
<p>I guess one could add a zero to the number above, none of those fish were caught on artificial baits, I mean, who has time to sit around when there are fish to be caught.</p>
<p>I do write my blog posts and keep track of fish caught so that I can get people excited to get out and fish. I think I get people's attention when I can share some statistics. Not all the outdoors is about speed fishing - I really enjoyed watching the turtles pop up, watching the fishing birds dip down and steal fish away and then watching as a younger gentlemen stuffed some contraband turtles into his backpack - not thinking we wouldn't notice.</p>
<p>Catch, backpack, boil, eat and release - I think the signs at that park simply read - Catch And Release Only... hmmm. Plenty to watch in the urban outdoors.</p>
<p>Some food for thought. I didn't prepare a second back-up rig to depth so I had about :20 min. of down time. This means that my numbers can be boosted. The next time out I have to give a turtle poacher a discouraging word, be more prepared with back-up rigs and then maybe push my mark up to 150 F.P.H and crack the elusive 600 fish mark in 4 hours...</p>
<p>I can't wait, but I will have to. Tomorrow it is going to be 105 degrees, so my fishing time will be limited - stay tuned, or give a call into the podcast and talk fishing with me. Podcasts are on either Saturday or Wednesday nights all topics are welcome regarding live bait, spin casting, pole fishing, floats and yes, even artificial baits - we can talk plastics and lures.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/fishingschool" target="_blank">Fishing School Podcast Radio</a></p>
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<p>I would be glad to share rigs or talk about your fishing hole and conditions by you.</p>
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<p>Johnny</p>Fishing By the Numberstag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2012-04-05:2036984:BlogPost:2558752012-04-05T02:16:31.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220393420?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220393420?profile=original" style="padding: 10px;" width="640"></img></a></p>
<p>Recapping one my fastest and most-scientfic early Springs ever near home is best done by the numbers. 112 - number of fish caught on maggots vs. 35 fish caught using GULP in the shootout experiment. 224 fish I would have had if I hadn't used artificial baits that day. 22,000 grubs ordered for events, club fishing and my fishing for early Spring - they're on their…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220393420?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220393420?profile=original" width="640" style="padding: 10px;" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p>Recapping one my fastest and most-scientfic early Springs ever near home is best done by the numbers. 112 - number of fish caught on maggots vs. 35 fish caught using GULP in the shootout experiment. 224 fish I would have had if I hadn't used artificial baits that day. 22,000 grubs ordered for events, club fishing and my fishing for early Spring - they're on their way. 5 - the number of trout I will be after Saturday. 3,000 is the number of fish I set my goal for catching this season. 756 is my current catch for 2012 and fresh bait on the way. </p>
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<p>I want to run a fundraiser for pediatric cancer and there are a couple other numbers I want to post up there. I need some help from local park districts, businesses and municipalities - I would love to raise $10,000 fishing 24 hours and getting people to pledge 1 cent per fish... stay tuned. This is a number I really want.</p>Trout Fishing Tips - Same for Bluegills?!tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2012-04-04:2036984:BlogPost:2559842012-04-04T17:32:56.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
<div><p><span class="font-size-6" style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde';">Stocked Trout Fishing Tips For Success</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok - so you live around Chicago or any place trout are stocked and it's the annual trout stocking - your fishing panic is building as trout fishing opening day approaches. Anglers around you are loading up their tackle boxes and getting their annual trout stamps purchased so that…</span></p>
</div>
<div><p><span class="font-size-6" style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde';">Stocked Trout Fishing Tips For Success</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok - so you live around Chicago or any place trout are stocked and it's the annual trout stocking - your fishing panic is building as trout fishing opening day approaches. Anglers around you are loading up their tackle boxes and getting their annual trout stamps purchased so that they can hit the waters for opening day morning - ready. If you have never been trout fishing during the inland trout stocking and you are making the 2012 trout fishing your first, there are a few things you should know. Opening Day Trout Fishing Crowds</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The crowds can be thick. Don't expect a pristine setting, but instead think Black Friday (Saturday) with trout. Anglers will be crowded in very tightly in many places along the shore of your favorite pond. Be patient as the skills are not great of your neighboring trout fishermen. Expect to have your line cast over and a tangle is not out of the question in these tight, trout fishing ponds.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Hit or Miss Trout Fishing</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Stocked Trout can be biting everything that moves through the water and they can also be swimming past every single piece of fishing tackle and bait that you throw. Don't expect that your perfect method will work every single time. The rainbow trout they stock in lakes around cities have been shipped across state lines and have had to adjust from their new environment. Expect maybe to get a few hits but adding time to your fishing might just help you to catch a few.</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Live Trout Baits</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Using live bait to catch the stocked trout is usually the way to go. There are some times when the artificial baits will work because these trout can be daft - and can hit anything during some times. If you wish to be the most consistent at catching the rainbow trout - you need to mind the eyes. Small baits appeal to the trout because of their superior eyesight they rarely miss a bait. The more natural your offering, the faster they will swim at and take your bait. They can see insects the size of a pencil dot so trout can tell the difference between fake and real. Think spikes, waxworms and small minnows to score. You will find that spikes offer you far superior hook-up rates than the power baits or artificial jarred baits and can be less expensive (when you buy in bulk).</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Small Trout Hook</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The smaller your hook is and the finer the wire, the more likely your bait will hang up in the water column and the slower it will drop on the fall - both extremely appealing actions to stocked rainbow trout. Size 14, 16 & 18 are excellent choices to increase your trout takes with the stocked trout we have in the Spring trout season. Go with actual trout dry fly hooks to get the right size and try calling your bait shop to make sure these small trout hooks are in stock.</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Thin Leaders Catch</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Back to the eyesight - these fish can see tiny things so stealthy line will help prevent the trout from swimming past your bait. 2lb. and even 1 lb. leader line might be the difference between you scoring your first stocked trout and getting skunked. When the fishing gets tough- a thin line will score. The exception to fishing these skinny lines as your leader would be if you are dealing with a thick weed line on your lake. If this is the case- you might need a rake or rake head to clear a path through the weed. If you can create this channel - you can reel your trout in after playing them on the light line. The secret to playing fish on the light line is allowing the trout to run a bit and keeping them in the water. Backreeling is hitting the switch and physically reeling backwards toward the running fish - letting line out from your reel manually. Open face reels have a switch at the back bottom of the spool. Flip this one way and the reel only cranks in. Flip this the other direction and you can reel either forward or back. Keep tension on your fish with the rod tip and reel back and forward until you feel you have control. With control you should be able to slide the fish - when quiet over your waiting net in the water. With light lines you will need a landing net.</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Big Float - Little Float - More Trout</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Limiting out many times I have been trout fishing during Illinois' trout stocking seasons, I have learned a lot. On some days, the trout can be taken using the largest float but seldom are numbers caught on a round bobber. The thinner your bite indictor is, the more you will se the trout hit. Trout might hit baits accurately - but they also are quite adept at ejecting the bait when they feel resistance. If your bobber is wide, the fish can easily get rid of your hook before you can get a hook set on these very fast stocked rainbows. I have caught them using long-casting waggler floats but recently have had more luck using much smaller pole floats to hook up. There are some days where the stocked trout "hit short". On these days you will notice (with a property balanced waggler) that the rainbows are hitting the float, it goes under and then pops back up with no fish. With the smaller pole floats, casting is limited, but the fish rarely let go of this setup. A.5 or.8 gram float is a killer bite indicator for the stocked trout in DuPage and Cook Counties. The rig I used is sold here:</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://chicagofishingschool.com/?page_id=143">http://chicagofishingschool.com/?page_id=143</a> . This float caught more fish and limits of stocked trout than anything I saw on the water. Scratch off those times where they will bite anything and everything - this float produces in calm, wind and cold as well as everyday conditions. Look for a post from my fishing with trout pictures this weekend!</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br/></span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Trout Boots</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">While you might be high and dry up on shore, a pair of boots can be worth their weight in gold. Keeping your feet dry while landing fish, stepping at the waters' edge and just setting up is really important to your comfort. All water is cold once it seeps into your shoes, and without a pair of even short fishing boots, your cold feet can mean a very tiring, even dangerous trout fishing outing. Waterproof boots where you can step right into the cold water, will keep your comfortable and warm for the whole fishing trip. Once wet, your entire body temperature can lower and you can run the danger of hypothermia and strain which can lead to a dangerous day. Especially in the colder water and weather, keeping your feet dry will mean a lot. The nice thing about having your fishing boots- you can take them off, place them on paper and save your car from all the mud. Slip into some warm, dry shoes at your car and you are all set for a comfortable ride home - instead of a shaky, shivery trip of dread.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Follow these tips on your next "Trouting" and you will be rewarded. Some of these items will contrast with how you do it now- keep an open mind and try one or two, I hope they work for you, but you can't tell if your fishing will be better until you try.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Use these tips to catch more stocked rainbow trout will help you out when you head out to ponds, lakes and river - everywhere that trout are stocked for special fishing seasons. Catch you again soon - see I practice catch-and-release with you, and you should do the same with the fish you catch.</span></p>
</div>Big Spring Catalog - Contesttag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2012-02-12:2036984:BlogPost:2409032012-02-12T19:00:00.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
<p><span class="font-size-5" style="color: #993300;">The New Catalog is Here Contest</span></p>
<p>First - I have a tackle review item to share and it is rating the Big Box - Bass Pro Shops Spring Catalog.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Lacking.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Actually - let me refresh that review because while I think it deserves more than one word for a review. If I didn't have to inform you of why I believe this catalog to be only good for recycling and an average worm-bedding, I would stick with a review…</p>
<p><span class="font-size-5" style="color: #993300;">The New Catalog is Here Contest</span></p>
<p>First - I have a tackle review item to share and it is rating the Big Box - Bass Pro Shops Spring Catalog.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Lacking.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Actually - let me refresh that review because while I think it deserves more than one word for a review. If I didn't have to inform you of why I believe this catalog to be only good for recycling and an average worm-bedding, I would stick with a review of absolute lacking in good live bait tackle. Someone correct me but I think black & white newspaper makes better bedding for worms. If this is true, then it is even less desirable - it would only serve as recycling pulp.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I am going to make a contest out of this so read to the end of my review and then add your guess to win a complete set of fishing floats from Bear Tackle.</p>
<p></p>
<p>For catching fish for the average angler (( US )), this catalog is the usual set-back for the bluegill and multi-species angler, it caters to one species. For the rest of us who fish public waters where the fishing pressure is a little higher and the fishing that much tougher - this catalog will prevent you from catching.</p>
<p>Like playing poker, golf or bowling, wishing you had better cards, wishing the shot had gone in or that more pins had fallen doesn't get it done. While you might wear a great poker shirt, a classic bowling outfit or really tricked out golf clothing - this doesn't help you catch fish.</p>
<p>The feeling I used to get when that catalog was - "oh ya, time to stock up". Now the feeling I get is "Where's the Beef?" (TM Wendy's Corporation)... but where is my bluegill-catching gear?</p>
<p></p>
<p>Now the catalog is like finding a needle in a haystack field. There is no good splitshot in this catalog, the hooks aren't good, the lines are too heavy and I don't remember seeing a single float so for me to refer an angler to this catalog would be sending them to a deserted island of tackle or an out-of-business tackle shop.</p>
<p>I had an angler bring up a point regarding artificial lures and this catalog. My advice here is that the even for the majority of (( US )) - they treat the bluegill artificial angler like a red-headed stepchild. No offense to step parents anywhere (or my red-headed readers who might happen to be adopted). Jigs too big, too few, lines designed for much larger lures with no lighter lines - there is no effort to gear anglers like us up. For Bluegill artificials you might find the tiniest bit more that are usable, their reels, some boat rods - but really there should be so much more for us. Even for the Bluegill artificial-(only) angler I am still going to rate this 4 hooks (out of 10). Lacking, inadequate, too heavy- a cliche' selection of one species tackle. No.</p>
<p>For live bait anglers and general fishers - out to catch some fish, some bluegills, this publication missed the boat, got caught by the wind and is now drifting in the middle of the lake. I rate this 1 Hooks (out of 10). I would rate it worse, but they did give me a great contest to offer you.</p>
<p><strong><br/></strong></p>
<p><strong>February & March CONTEST</strong></p>
<p>This contest is open through the "hard water season" and built to get us through the cold. If you guess closest - you will win one of (2) complete 7-piece float set from <span style="color: #993300;">Bear Tackle</span> <em>the complete setup to catch more panfish like nothing else can. Also (1) Copy of Live Bait Fishing Techniques - Book a gift from David (everyone thank David!)</em></p>
<p><em>ONE GUESS per angler. Sets given away on BBG.com, from email, radio show & "other" spots... <br/></em></p>
<p><em> </em></p>
<p><em>Tips to Win: I tore out items and the item information from the 2012 Bass Pro Shops catalog. I took all these clippings and then laid them out on 8.5 x 11" pieces of paper. I made my own catalog of "good stuff" I would recommend from these clippings. I pasted them all down and now have my own catalog. </em></p>
<p><i><br/></i> To win - GUESS the NUMBER of pages in MY Cut-out Bass Pro Shop catalog. This is gear that I thought was a good fit for fishing for bluegills from shore and what I would personally order out of all offered.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Tip #2: Read my blog posts to help get a mental picture for what I think is good.</p>
<p>Guess the number of pages in my altered Pro Shop catalog. When the contest is over (end of March) I will not only announce the winners, but you can download the .pdf of my personal catalog for your own fish-catching tackle shopping. </p>
<p>Tip #3: There IS actually artificial equipment that I found innovative. </p>
<p>Tip #4: There IS some cooking stuff that I found to be really cool.</p>
<p>Tip #5: If you want to catch more fish and bigger fish in 2012 - wait to order until you see my altered catalog!!! </p>
<p>Tip #6: Have Fun - enjoy.</p>What If it is All Wrong?tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2012-02-10:2036984:BlogPost:2402912012-02-10T01:35:57.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
<p><span class="font-size-7" style="font-size: 32px; color: #003366;">All I Learned is All Wrong?</span></p>
<ol>
<li>What if your favorite and GO-to method, the one you are most confident in and catches you fish <em>is in reality a very slow method of getting things done?</em></li>
<li>What if the books you read are <em>only o.k. tactics?</em></li>
<li>What if everything you learned about fishing is<em> information that will hurt your fishing?</em></li>
<li><i>What if there ARE great fish in…</i></li>
</ol>
<p><span class="font-size-7" style="font-size: 32px; color: #003366;">All I Learned is All Wrong?</span></p>
<ol>
<li>What if your favorite and GO-to method, the one you are most confident in and catches you fish <em>is in reality a very slow method of getting things done?</em></li>
<li>What if the books you read are <em>only o.k. tactics?</em></li>
<li>What if everything you learned about fishing is<em> information that will hurt your fishing?</em></li>
<li><i>What if there ARE great fish in your lake, but they just swim by your hooks...?<br/></i></li>
</ol>
<div>I just wanted to provoke some thought. How confident of a fisherman are you? What would you like to catch? How many times are you disappointed or bored? Do you often think something is wrong?</div>
<div><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/OriginalNipper.jpg/250px-OriginalNipper.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/OriginalNipper.jpg/250px-OriginalNipper.jpg" class="align-center"/></a></div>
<div>Let me give you some examples of how I am thinking:</div>
<div> </div>
<p>If you go to the golf range and just buy buckets of balls, but never learn anything, you will continue to hit the golf balls wherever you were going to hit them when you walked up to the counter to pay for your first bucket.</p>
<p>If you go bowling, and just throw the ball, but never change how you are throwing it or you always use the same bowling ball, you will hit about the same pins as you would have when you went to rent the shoes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>If you follow the examples above - fishing a lot (spending a lot of time on the water) but with bad habits, bad methods and never making changes, will only catch you so many fish.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I find it amazing that on an occasion when I am catching a decent number of fish - CONSISTENTLY people will say it is the spot - this must be the reason I am catching. People RARELY ask what I am doing or how? A lot of times I am in a public park on shore so they can walk right up to me. Even the parent with their children fishing and catching absolutely nothing. I might have caught 25 fish in front of them. They pack up and go. I can sometimes hear some phrase muttered to explain why this is happening - but they never ask.<br/> </p>
<p>My theory is that if a parent every taught them, kids remember being told how not do do this- why are you doing that? What's ,... here - give me that! Do it like this! Parents can't even describe a setup enough to pass it on - even though it might be a bad one.</p>
<p>The greatest wisdom passed down to those 90% of people was "you have to keep your line in the water if you are going to catch something" - if what is on the end of that line isn't attractive to the fish - then even this statement won't help you. Keeping your line in the water with something no fish wants will equal a lot of time spent wishing, napping or site-seeing - not catching.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Is an angler's education in the U.S. very poor from their first boat to filling their first tackle box? </p>
<p>Do you remember when you were being taught - doing your own thing because nothing was working? Do you remember the other person you were fishing with giving you the ole - questioning look or saying - that won't work?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I also know people are content to keep hitting golf balls into the woods and into ponds. They are content to get whatever bowling league average they throw - some good, some bad.</p>
<p>And even more so - people are content to buy stuff off the shelves and just catch a few or catch sometimes. I think many are content just trying to find out on their own.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Do we stop and ask directions enough when lost? Are Golfers content just buying golf clothes and gear to make them look more like a golfer? I know at the fishing show I was at, there were people happy to put on patches to look like they were an expert - but I know for a fact they are not experts. I do know that no angler can be sponsored by Fenwick, Okuma, Shakespeare, G.Loomis and St. Croix all at the same time. But I saw a couple that said they were...</p>
<p></p>
<p>I saw them at a show. The magazine I picked up at that fishing show (a national publication) had the worst article I have ever read in my life.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Like the golfers that hack up the courses and leave holes everywhere - but who have nice shirts and hats - I think there are many anglers who like to dress like a fisherman. Anglers like to have a tackle box filled with a variety of lure colors, jig sizes and I think they are very happy to have such a nice collection. I think there are a number of people just content to look like fisherman. I also think people are happy to talk about fishing. Talk about tactics. This is fact. I think that some of the really great anglers in the world have never written an article and have never been on television. I know there are editors who "approve" articles who don't know what they are doing.</p>
<p>I read an article about tying a rock to your line and fishing with it. I am officially frustrated with this information. I am officially looking like the RCA dog at the rest of the fishing world. This is the point in time where I think people are crackers. Trust No One.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>Catch You Later -</p>
<p>Johnny</p>
<p></p>
<p>My radio showgram is starting back up this Saturday- <em>Bring Some Bait if You Have Some</em> - you can catch it <a href="http://chicagofishingschool.com/?page_id=136" target="_blank">here</a>: <a href="http://chicagofishingschool.com/?page_id=136" target="_blank">Fishing School Radio</a><br/> </p>
<p> </p>New Old Floatstag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2012-01-18:2036984:BlogPost:2344812012-01-18T04:00:00.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
<p><span class="font-size-6">I Got New Floats, From the 40's</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">So I was all excited today as a set of new floats came in from Louisiana, of course they were vintage floats on wrapped onto even older winders. A winder is just what it sounds like, you wind your rig up on it and these babies are sweet. I can see in this fishing tackle something that is around 75 years old, yet it is more advanced than what we have today.<br></br> Tackle from Louisiana is easily…</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-6">I Got New Floats, From the 40's</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">So I was all excited today as a set of new floats came in from Louisiana, of course they were vintage floats on wrapped onto even older winders. A winder is just what it sounds like, you wind your rig up on it and these babies are sweet. I can see in this fishing tackle something that is around 75 years old, yet it is more advanced than what we have today.<br/> Tackle from Louisiana is easily from trade routes originating from France where fishing goodies have come for 100's of years. What sticks out immediately is the split shot is very tiny, smaller than any Water Gremlin shot. The split shot is spaced out to serve a purpose whether to combat flowing water or to make the bait drop in a certain manner, controlling the float on top of the water. I was so excited to receive these floats with their original line and even a couple of old-school hooks without eyes. These are called spade end hooks and they are attached by wrapping the line around the hook shank - the smashed spade end holds the wraps on the hook.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">What is old is new in many cases. These floats are far better than anything we have on the shelves - something to aspire to. I really have to get my act together to fix this situation and I am . I have a fishing show to prepare some graphics for and then get my printing ordered so it can ship / arrive in time. I also have some brochures to print.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">I couldn't help myself so I posted a new group called "Catch". If you would like to learn along with us - visit this link: <a href="http://bigbluegill.com/group/catch" target="_self">Catch Group</a></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">This is reserved exclusively for open-minded anglers who will learn together with us by listening, and adding details with the group conversation.</span></p>Bluegill Chum & Chummingtag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2011-08-16:2036984:BlogPost:1940172011-08-16T00:44:45.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
<p>Ok - homemade recipes for chum are good - I encourage that. I have had a lot of experience with chumming over the past 12 years since I converted to a chum-only angler about 90% of the time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For me - no matter what I do at home with the food processor, the consistency is off which makes the concoction perform badly (when being placed/thrown).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I am sponsored by the TopMix USA company which makes a bluegill chum and I do use the stuff faithfully it is right on…</p>
<p>Ok - homemade recipes for chum are good - I encourage that. I have had a lot of experience with chumming over the past 12 years since I converted to a chum-only angler about 90% of the time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For me - no matter what I do at home with the food processor, the consistency is off which makes the concoction perform badly (when being placed/thrown).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I am sponsored by the TopMix USA company which makes a bluegill chum and I do use the stuff faithfully it is right on the money. Chumming for gills means dropping small amounts (quarter-sized) pinched wafers into the water column where you want the fish to be drawn. Now if you have done your homework, you know the depth, contour, snags etc. nearby and you know the bluegill are there.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When you drop these bits which - when working right- into the water- they should both:</p>
<p>1. Break-up on the way down</p>
<p>2. Stay in a small clump and drive to the bottom</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I noticed some of the instructions and methods had the fish on the top, I heard floating things - this causes hook-confusion. You will be taking gills to the surface where your hook isn't. The best bet all year round is to have your hook the exact height of the bluegill's head off the bottom (or an inch or two from that). When you drop this bait in (and it stays together for the most part) - it heads to the bottom - the whole goal being to drive them to your hook. They physical properties and action of the bait is sometimes more important than the "taste" of that bait. In the wild their insects that they feed on are pretty bland. I would say take one and only one of those spices and go with it the rest is overkill and is driving the price of your bait way through the roof. If you don't believe me, taste a dragon fly larvae sometime and let me know if tastes like pancake breakfast.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>If you are going for pure gill - leave out the corn, flour, egg shells as these will attract carp or cats (if you are pure gill fishing) and also these elements will prevent your mixture from "performing"..</p>
<p>Hitting the water, falling through the water (as a small object of interest) providing a trail of bits and most importantly - getting the fish to your hook bait to strike.</p>
<p>Here is the biggest and most important part of chumming for gills - the fish don't want the chum - they don't eat the chum as a first choice. If you have them eating the chum, then you are competing with your hook bait and you are going backwards.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The best chum's job is to carry bait to the fish (loose bait, loose grubs). These grubs arriving near your hook bait will then create a frenzy. They will create activity, feeding sounds and motion as the flashing gills go after the bait and COMPETE for the food. They don't compete for the chum, they compete for the grubs. When you have achieved this- your hook bait will not stay out in the open very long. You will catch fish, faster, and faster and faster. You will also catch larger fish as the smaller fish dance about you will fill them up with grubs and some chum. Smaller fish are moved off by bigger fish. You might have to keep the smaller fish to the side and release them after you are done to draw in the bigger fish.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I will have more on chumming and talk about chumming that we are going to do in the World Championships in the next couple of weeks - watch this space. (Oh, I just chummed for anglers).. </p>
<p>I will put a few information bits in and see if I can draw a crowd. </p>
<p><br/>Thanks for reading my blog-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Johnny</p>257 Fish Were Caught- Contest Winnertag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2011-05-07:2036984:BlogPost:1390442011-05-07T17:30:00.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
<p>257 is the winning answer. I created this post way back when so no one would worry about tampering!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>4/13/2011 - look for a winner to be announced soon from the (ChicagoFishingSchool website entries too). I will announce some runner-up winners too!!</p>
<p>257 is the winning answer. I created this post way back when so no one would worry about tampering!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>4/13/2011 - look for a winner to be announced soon from the (ChicagoFishingSchool website entries too). I will announce some runner-up winners too!!</p>America's Fishing Equipment Ranks Last for Live Baittag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2011-04-16:2036984:BlogPost:1396942011-04-16T16:44:50.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220394333?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220394333?profile=original" width="380"></img></a></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-1">An example of horrible performing bite indicators that America manufactures - mass quantity refuse - the live bait angler's enemy to catching fish (cheaply made bobbers)</span></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font-size-6" style="color: #ff0000;">Cheap, Clunky & Bad - American Live Bait Tackle Companies- Shame on…</span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220394333?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220394333?profile=original" width="380" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-1">An example of horrible performing bite indicators that America manufactures - mass quantity refuse - the live bait angler's enemy to catching fish (cheaply made bobbers)</span></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;" class="font-size-6">Cheap, Clunky & Bad - American Live Bait Tackle Companies- Shame on You</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span>Ok, the next time you are in a fishing store, look at the rack of bobbers if front of you. See all the bright colors some stripes and some contrast? Without any uncertainty, the people that make those products don't know what a bite indicator is capable of. Yes, I just wrote that - they don’t know what a bite indicator is or they wouldn’t make them like that. Many company owners don’t even use the products they sell, resulting in pathetic poor-performing products. But, highly profitable.</span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span>The next time you reach for your bobber- think, are they just trying to make money off me with the cheapest product?</span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span>As part of my Revolution series, I look at the horrible tackle available to live bait anglers in America. I have been tracking fishing equipment back in time - a bit of fishing archeology. </span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span>Why has live bait tackle gone backwards in time and become worse here in the United States? Around the world, tackle continues to advance far ahead of ours. The gap is so tremendous, it is shocking how poorly we fish compared to the world. America has the world’s worst live bait fishing tackle. </span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span>My findings are shocking. My theory that fishing tackle has become worse is proving to be true. Evidence is everywhere.</span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span>Where did all the fishing equipment go? Why do the shelves contain bobbers with so few features. Why could inventors of gimmick bobbers have missed the whole point? If they did their homework, they could easily see how bad their products were - that they are not rockets and they lack brains.</span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span>How is it that live bait anglers have been neglected and forgotten? The simple answer - racist & classist America. If you live bait fish, you are lumped into a lower class. You are not bright and you just fish the dumb way. You are too cheap to buy expensive tackle (read profitable) and you are not worth the time to manufacture quality. You “don’t need it”, “won’t buy it”. </span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span>Whites wrecked the tackle industry for live bait anglers. They didn’t want to sell to Chinese, Blacks or poor Irish. Turn-of-the Century, politics, class, racism and war are factors. You know these racist terms: “Garbage fish, bottom fish, trash fish” - those are the fish we poor fished for. We don’t need any special tackle for that - I guess.</span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span>Also - how is it that we have put up with this for so long? I have theories on how some of our skills have eroded through time, and I am collecting my evidence. Vintage floats and hooks show where we were in fishing fifty and even one hundred years ago. It is a sad fact that American fishing equipment was BETTER back then! There are components no longer used by tackle companies because they want to save on cost and increase their profits.</span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span>Somewhere the focus shifted from having the coolest, best fish-catching product where a company owner could be proud, to a cheap widget. Now, some of the changes came because our cities grew and lake resources were used up. Even as far back as 1890 the US Fish & Game Service was trying to stock fish. </span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span>People had caught fish before the 20th century. Cities like Chicago exploded with commerce and people going from 4,000 residents to over 2 million people. A few wars got in the way and items like wire and brass, performance components in early tackle were taken off everyday items to aid the troops. In many cases, these parts were never put back in.</span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span>Manufacturing and material needs during war changed the components that went into bobbers in the 40’s. Manufacturers took out wire components and brass components. </span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span>Following the war, these components existed, but other products were on the market without these components - built for fast manufacturing made of plastics and sans the extra wire or brass. They could make these cheaper and faster to shop out to dime stores. Lures started to really dominate the scene and bass were distributed across the United states 40 years prior.</span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span>Float eyes or guides to hold your line and to keep the bite indicator taught - they were removed. Now, some who knew what a bite indicator was made their own or crafted their own bite indicators. The masses, we continued to buy tackle lacking it’s working parts. </span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span>Wars ended, life returned but machines and manufacturing were the flavor-of-the day. More, faster, cheaper and lots of plastic. Cork went away, quills went away, wood went away - in favor of plastic with seams.</span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span>Generations grew up and maybe we focused too much on destination fishing. Resorts, trips, exotic wilderness- that is what was sold in the print magazines. On the brand new television set, we saw adventures in National parks. Curt Gowdy traveled to remote parks, pristine resorts and to destinations around the world. Americans still make the trip very far away in order to seek fishing. A lot of the fishing was fantasy based as good fishing couldn’t be found near home.</span></p>
<p><span>Or- Could it? I say there has always been good fishing, just the fishing got tougher and the equipment became horrible. Combine the two with the run-away favorite bass and you see a recipe for disaster.</span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span>Revolution Continues...</span></p>
<p><span>In my next article, I will talk about America’s fishing decline - the situation worsens...</span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>Stuck on Porcupine Quill Floatstag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2011-03-27:2036984:BlogPost:1353132011-03-27T03:29:14.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
<p><span style="color: #993300;"><strong><span class="font-size-7" style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde';">Porcupine Floats?!</span></strong></span></p>
<p><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220393759?profile=original" width="497"></img></p>
<p>Since the trade routes into Africa brought products from around the globe, old-time tackle companies in the 1700s or 1800s fashioned some bite indicators out of everything that wasn't tied down. A popular imported material for companies making floats was the porcupine quill out of Africa. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>These…</p>
<p><span style="color: #993300;"><strong><span class="font-size-7" style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde';">Porcupine Floats?!</span></strong></span></p>
<p><img class="align-full" width="497" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220393759?profile=original"/></p>
<p>Since the trade routes into Africa brought products from around the globe, old-time tackle companies in the 1700s or 1800s fashioned some bite indicators out of everything that wasn't tied down. A popular imported material for companies making floats was the porcupine quill out of Africa. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>These quills are thick and tapered to points. With very little preparation and the connection of a wire eye to the base, anglers can have a very durable, arrow-like fishing float. These floats made it over to the Colonies with the French and were used all the way up to modern times. They can still be found on hooks hanging in tackle stores on a more limited basis.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Porcupine quills have some features that make them excellent floats for anglers as well as couple of traits that will make them less effective at times than some other floats. While the difference might be subtle, it can make all the difference in times when the bite is either subtle or a lift-style bite. This is especially true in cold water, when the angler needs every advantage they can possibly find to see the bite more clearly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Out of all available floats, this float grades out as a very good choice for fishing for many reasons, but in function falls just shy of being the all-around best float. Floats are much like golf clubs in that situations might call for a certain float to counteract current, wind, depth or to better indicate bites in situations when the fish are taking the bait and not moving, lift biting or especially in the cold when metabolism is at its slowest.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The two faults in this float are easily seen. The first is that they are not completely straight and the curves result in a non-straight path through the air and probably most important of all in the water. A float that doesn't slip downward (or upward) in a straight line increases resistance to the fish's feeding process. Any friction or reduced speed in the water is a bad thing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A lessor problem comes in casting where a curved item will not fly as straight through the air. This will cut down on casting distance as well as accuracy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For all the minor defects this very natural, sustainable bite indicator does have, it is an amazing gift to us and a very good choice to fish with. The positives of the porcupine quill surpass the negatives. Straighter porcupine quills offer the angler unsurpassed durability Unlike plastic floats which will warp in high heat, the quill is temperature resistant and is tough as nails. Much like the horn on a rhinoceros, the quill consists of a sort of hair-like structure which makes it ultra-durable. You can cast this off concrete bridges, trees, docks and it will take a beating where a plastic float would crack.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Because the material which makes up the quills is dense, it does not float as much as some other materials. To most anglers, this aspect of the quill will not be noticed. But if you were to take the same size float in other materials and compare the split shot needed to sink the quill, you would see that the porcupine quill is one of the least buoyant of all the floats. While this might save you a few cents on using fewer split shot to sink it- this also means you sacrifice some speed in the pop of its lift. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>To sum up some of the great things about the African Porcupine Quill:</p>
<p>1. Durable - they are very strong and this is a good value for the purchase price</p>
<p>2. Long, tall & Thin - these cast pretty well (although most Porcupine Quills are slightly off center or have a bend) they cast above average and better than the majority of bobbers.</p>
<p>3. Thin tip creates a good bite indicator.</p>
<p>4. Long Tall and thin which makes their resistance in the water less than many floats off the shelf</p>
<p>5. Did I mention durable?!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This is a good choice and I would grade it at a C+ or slightly better. Extra points for being heritage fishing equipment and a great conversation piece push this to a B-. Off center bobbers just aren't the best for casting and they buoyancy trait of these floats are reasons why this would not be my go-to. That said, I would pick this many times over vs. the rest of the field and would fish competitions with this float without losing too much sleep - it's good and more people should fish it!!</p>The First Bait of Springtag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2011-03-14:2036984:BlogPost:1311582011-03-14T18:42:08.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
<p>I have placed my first Spring bait order so it is OFFICIAL. Fishing is right around the corner. To prepare, I will take out my smaller tying bag with lines and small hooks and start tying some leaders.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Storing a small wallet of fine leaders in the fishing bag saves hours on the bank. Since I can't get what I want - I make my own snells and store them in a hook wallet (picture rubber pads for the hooks and some plastic bumps to put the snell loops on in a thin, plastic…</p>
<p>I have placed my first Spring bait order so it is OFFICIAL. Fishing is right around the corner. To prepare, I will take out my smaller tying bag with lines and small hooks and start tying some leaders.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Storing a small wallet of fine leaders in the fishing bag saves hours on the bank. Since I can't get what I want - I make my own snells and store them in a hook wallet (picture rubber pads for the hooks and some plastic bumps to put the snell loops on in a thin, plastic three-fold). This is a must-have for the bluegill angler who fishes live bait.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Next, I will need to get the tall tube of water cleaned out with fresh water. In my case, this is an old plastic decorative bubbler light that stands 5 feet tall with a wide plastic base.</p>
<p>As I prepare this week, I will have to shoot some pictures.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In this, I will take all the old rigs out from the fall (trout fishing season probably) and clean those off. I will also check my cold water gill rigs as the first fishing needs to be done small, light and stealthy! Metabolisms are way down and I want to catch fish - even cold ones.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Since I loaned my boots out to the Pastor to go down to Katrina - and the boots vanished, I will need to get some warm, dry replacements. Warm and dry feet heat a person's sole when on the bank.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A lot of preparation to do this week -but preparing at home, on the workbench with bright lights speeds up the process. Balancing some floats in water at home assures fast fishing when I arrive at the spot and saves me from dropping split shot into the grass. If it is 40 degrees and calm, I will be lucky. I would not want to prep out in that weather- just fish.</p>You Have Never Fished Ultralighttag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2011-03-09:2036984:BlogPost:1302332011-03-09T20:27:18.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
<p><span class="font-size-6" style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde';"><b>There is Ultralight and ( Zen ) There is Ultralight Fishing</b></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">No one reading this has ever fished ultralight. Ultralight would be the ability to hook a single bit of algae or just one hydra to a hook to catch a newly hatched fish,…</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-6" style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde';"><b>There is Ultralight and ( Zen ) There is Ultralight Fishing</b></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">No one reading this has ever fished ultralight. Ultralight would be the ability to hook a single bit of algae or just one hydra to a hook to catch a newly hatched fish, still bearing it’s egg sack.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, this would require microscopic viewing as well as the bioengineered hook with line single cell thick line and a very delicate hook set. While I joke a little, I am serious about the ultra light. You’ve never fished ultralight. Read on and I will prove it.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">If you are reading this overseas in the U.K. or France, you may have most other readers beat. You probably hooked a tiny eyelash-sized bait to the tiniest size 20 or size 28 hook and used line of .5 lb. breaking strength. You need not read further, you were close to fishing ultralight as in the second paragraph. For these select few championship caliper anglers have fished with a young blood worm (1st year) gnat larvae called a joker. </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Club anglers in the U.K. have fished with a slightly larger, older gnat larvae - the blood worm itself on a size 20, 22 hook and you are also excused with your .75 lb. line. If you have taken the time to place a couple of these chubby eyelash-sized baits on your pant leg and worked one very carefully on a hook - you are good.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The rest of the world’s gear blows our tackle away for precision, accuracy and for delicate, ultralight presentations. In waters where fishing is very tough, some of this equipment is exactly what is needed for angling success.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">On one trip up to Canada, fishing was o.k., but the lake we had been to before housed walleyes in the 29 - 33 inch trophy range. In previous trips, we had seen the giants and I was lucky enough to land 6 fish between 24 and 27 inches in 5 days on the lake. It was the trophy class fish which was slow.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I knew of a stream that fed into our two lakes. In this stream one Summer day (late Spring for this Northern location), there was an explosion of river shiners. Billions of them were in the mouth of the stream doing what they do. At the mouth of the stream, there were several hungry pike and other fish there attacking the back end of the mass. The water would explode with shiners during the fish attacks in the shallow stream.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">That year, I filled our minnow bucket with a quick dip net in two shots. The large fish attacked these natural minnows much better than the river darter minnows we had fished. We knew success came in the form of those much brighter, metallic shiners. Fish thrashed them quickly when lowered on a jig or bare hook. </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">This year, the fishing was slow and the shiners had come and gone due to a warmer Spring. Nearly no shiners were in the stream, but I could see an occasional shiner or two. Not billions but maybe 15 of them.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I had prepared by bringing some hooks I used when I fished in Portugal in the World Championships fishing the bloodworm. Instead of getting in the cold water and finding bloodworm, I kept an X-acto blade in my box which I used to slice of a micro strip of night crawler. My hook was a size 22 which I attached to a thin carbon pole with some </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">.010 mm line. The line will hover below 1 lb. breaking strength, very thin.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">To this, I attached a very delicate float - also used in competition overseas and I put two split shot on my line which were the size of two flecks of pepper stuck together. The body of the float is smaller than 1/4 of the nail on your little finger.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The process is dicey to say the least. Clamping shot on line this thin damages it so as I was taught, I pinched it on the tail of the line, moistened it and pushed it up the line carefully. Repeat for the other shot and then trim off the damaged line, connect a looped hook.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you figured out my target species? The species I was stalking would be the biggest fish caught on the trip. The essential fishing I must succeed at in order for us to have a better shot at the sluggish, giant females that were not feeding on anything this week. Did you guess it?</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">My target species was a 3.5 inch shiner minnow on hook & line - ultralight. Since it was our last evening on the water, I wanted to make sure we had this good bait with us.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I would adjust this rig system many times in the next :30 minutes. I had little success but was attracting the attention of these river shiners. If I could only get the slice of crawler thin enough in the right shape, I thought I could hook one. I sliced, adjusted, retried and adjusted. I was getting a couple of strikes but could not get the hook in their mouth. Finally, I learned how to go with the grain in the crawler and was able to slice of this hair-sized piece (after many failures). This went on the very end of the hook, and was hooked without the aid of a magnifying glass or microscope up close and personal.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Then it happened, I set the hook with a dainty hit and landed my prize using a landing net ( I worked so hard to catch it, I wanted to make sure it didn’t come off and drop in ). My net also has a very fine fish-safe mesh which would later catch a couple of falling shiners that did drop off the hook. It took a few casts and hits to hook another. Healthy shiners are one of the fastest fish in the world to hit a bait and spit it out. I would set the hook into air many times in between landing one. Eventually I left the stream with 13 shiners hooked and placed into my minnow bucket.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I knew these were like gold dust. When I got back to camp, my brother and I hit the boat and launched to our favorite walleye spot for that week. When we broke plane in our target bay and bobbed to a halt, the rods were lifted and jigs tipped with some of our limited supply of prized bait. </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Success came very quickly as the first couple of minnows were slammed within a minute and decent fish were landed. A couple of fish later, the sun was looking low on the horizon. I put on one of the last shiners as each jig lowered was being hit very quickly. The bites many times faster than the darter minnows from our bait supplier. </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The fish really went ga ga over this local species of silvery minnow. This time I lowered my minnow, with only three left in the trolling bucket. The jig reached depth and I clicked the bail shut on my spinning reel. A quick, hard jolt on the watched rod tip and tight line had me aim down at this fish, angling the end of the rod towards it’s toothy bite. I readied my strike and thumped a chunk of fish - a decent one. </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">From the bend in the rod, and the low, heaving strain on my line, I knew I was on a decent walleye. A few runs beneath the boat and I got a glance, this was big and I let my brother know the fish I had on looked like a submarine, the largest of the trip and one of my largest fish ever around 26” - 27”. A wide, beastie of a female walleye easily the big fish of the trip. This monster crushing our 24” fish from early in the week.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">My brother had hooked something on a double-up at the bow of the boat. This was one of the very few double catches on the week. My fish had a few runs left as I readied the net to land the big fish. I then overheard “it’s huge - give me the net”. My brother had the nerve to request the net when I had a trophy on so I laughed him off. “Patrick, I have hooked into a U-boat,” I told him and he nervously said “mine’s huge”. With my fish near the surface and visible as it made a pass below my net, I spotted my brother’s fish. “No, you didn’t”, I said. I couldn’t believe the size of his fish as it passed a few feet away from mine.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The fish at the end of my brother’s line was at least 20% wider and was much longer than my fish and it was a prehistoric-looking walleye, the biggest I have ever seen. We landed both fish and were looking at over 55” of walleye hooked on a double-header. My brother’s fish was photographed, measured and released at 29.75” long. The fish bumped off my fish-of-the week (a title I held for under 1 minute), with his fish of a lifetime. </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">You could say we fished ultralight for these massive walleyes. We were using 4 lb. line and tiny jigs, but you would be wrong. Fishing ultralight for bait fish by bumping a few river shiners in the mouth with a size 22 hook on 1 lb. line is truly the only way to fish for trophy fish and still call it “ultralight”.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The next time you hear the term ultralight, I hope you recall this and quickly correct that person. </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">- Johnny</span></p>
<div><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br/></span></div>Revolution - How Do You Bobber Fish?tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2011-03-08:2036984:BlogPost:1301872011-03-08T05:30:00.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
<p>I am still seeking some help from everyone out there.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Please check out the older post invite. All this month I will be wanting volunteers to describe their setups and share how they fish with live bait.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I will be donating some prizes to the cause and someone will win some cool shirts and prizes for sharing. There are no wrong answers, just want REGULAR fishing setups - how you fish with the standard gear.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Participants will be asked to log what…</p>
<p>I am still seeking some help from everyone out there.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Please check out the older post invite. All this month I will be wanting volunteers to describe their setups and share how they fish with live bait.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I will be donating some prizes to the cause and someone will win some cool shirts and prizes for sharing. There are no wrong answers, just want REGULAR fishing setups - how you fish with the standard gear.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Participants will be asked to log what they are catching and describe the setups. We will share information together and put it all together for everyone. I also have a tackle offer for those who participate to join in on. Also - I am adding a new package so those of us on a budget can join in too. I will be offering a mini-pack to participate where you get $20 in tackle and the total price for getting in will be $7 (the option for the $20 pack is still available as well). </p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2059830411?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2059830411?profile=original"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://bigbluegill.com/forum/topics/bobber-fishing-revolution">http://bigbluegill.com/forum/topics/bobber-fishing-revolution</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Anyhow, check out the post and please volunteer your live bait fishing setups. Every setup is welcome and I want many states to participate - runs through the end of the month or as soon as we get enough volunteers. If you fish one of the following, and this is your primary method you will stick with through the challenge - reserve it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I need:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Each one of the following fishing setups covered with an angler fishing it:</p>
<p><img src="http://www.dnefishingtackle.com/images/balsared.jpg"/> 1. Blackbird Balsa Slip Float</p>
<p><img src="http://images.ebsco.com/lindytackle/psw115.jpg?w=200"/>2. Thill Plastic Slip Float & Jig Combo</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img name="ctl00_CenterContent_SubCategoryControl_imgCategoryImage" id="ctl00_CenterContent_SubCategoryControl_imgCategoryImage" src="http://images.ebsco.com/lindytackle/nd583.jpg?w=200" alt="Thill Premium Balsa Spring Floats" style="border-width: 0px;"/>3. Thill Premium Spring Bobber</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img name="ctl00_CenterContent_SubCategoryControl_imgCategoryImage" id="ctl00_CenterContent_SubCategoryControl_imgCategoryImage" src="http://images.ebsco.com/lindytackle/cc025.jpg?w=200" alt="Thill Premium Balsa Crappie Floats" style="border-width: 0px;"/>4. Thill Balsa Crappie Float (&/or Jig)</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img name="ctl00_CenterContent_SubCategoryControl_imgCategoryImage" id="ctl00_CenterContent_SubCategoryControl_imgCategoryImage" src="http://images.ebsco.com/lindytackle/fcw251.jpg?w=200" alt="Thill Foam and Plastic Floats" style="border-width: 0px;"/>5. Thill Foam Float</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="http://images.ebsco.com/lindytackle/FPW179.jpg?w=225" alt="Thill Fish'N Foam Pear/Oval Floats" style="border-width: 0px;"/> 6. Thill Peal Foam Float</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="http://images.buzzillions.com/images_products/08/12/raven-anglers-international-premium-balsa-floats-fast-shallow-fs_1126095_175.jpg"/> 7. Raven Slip Float</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="http://images.ebsco.com/lindytackle/TG1.jpg?w=225" alt="Thill TG Waggler Float" style="border-width: 0px;"/> 8. Thill Waggler</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="http://images.ebsco.com/lindytackle/im003.jpg?w=160" style="border-width: 0px;"/>9. Thill Mini Stealth</p>
<p><img src="http://images.ebsco.com/lindytackle/SB1.jpg?w=225" alt="Thill Shy Bite Float" style="border-width: 0px;"/> 10. Thill Shy Bite</p>
<p><img src="http://images.ebsco.com/lindytackle/SB3.jpg?w=225" alt="Thill Super Shy Bite Float" style="border-width: 0px;"/>11. Thill Super Shy Bite</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="http://images.ebsco.com/lindytackle/SSB-1.jpg?w=225" alt="Thill Mini Super Shy Bite Float" style="border-width: 0px;"/>12. Thill Mini Super Shy Bite</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="http://images.ebsco.com/lindytackle/ST1.jpg?w=225" alt="Thill Stealth Floats" style="border-width: 0px;"/> 13. Thill Stealth </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="https://id3471.securedata.net/gapen/images/floats/floats2.gif" width="144" height="384" align="bottom" border="0" alt="More Floats"/> 14. Gapen Panfish Floats</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="http://di103.shoppingshadow.com/images/di/33/49/4a/5651646d52504673355449575335717a724767-149x149-0-0.jpg"/>15. Blackbird Phantom - Plastic Float</p>
<p><img src="http://www.redwingtackle.com/image/spring%20floats.jpg"/> 16. Blackbird Spring Floats</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I need these!! Anyone fishing the following??</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="http://www.stevesfishingsupplies.com/Category/bobbers/bobber.jpg"/>17. The Classic Red & White</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="http://www.trollingbobber.com/images/medbobbersmall.jpg" alt="large product photo" width="210" height="160" border="0"/> 18. The Trolling Bobber</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img border="0" src="http://www.bigtentackle.com/images/seethruclearweb.jpg" width="406" height="181"/> 19. Bobber With A Brain (please - anyone).</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-68763359379937_2146_5286362"/> 20. Thill Pencil Floats</p>
<p><img src="http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-68763359379937_2146_5873301"/> 21. Rocket Bobber</p>
<p><img style="cursor: -webkit-zoom-in;" src="http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-68763359379937_2145_2332051" width="207" height="684"/> 22. South Bend Panfish Floats</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>22 slots to fill - pick your favorite weapon and let me know to get in our revolution. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Johnny</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>Storing Your Grubs is Not As Good As Fishing With Themtag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2011-02-25:2036984:BlogPost:1280082011-02-25T04:30:00.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
<p><strong><span class="font-size-6" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #008000;">Storing Your Grubs is Not As Good As Fishing With Them</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">(Alternate title #1: So You Want to Push Your Spouse Over-the-Edge - Keep Spikes in Your Main Fridge) </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">As the first title says- bait was meant for fish to eat, for you to fish with and not…</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #008000;" class="font-size-6">Storing Your Grubs is Not As Good As Fishing With Them</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">(Alternate title #1: So You Want to Push Your Spouse Over-the-Edge - Keep Spikes in Your Main Fridge) </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">As the first title says- bait was meant for fish to eat, for you to fish with and not for you to store for a long time. Now all of us can’t be on the water every day so we need to keep bait between our fishing outings. The key to great fishing - great bait. The key to great bait - use it sooner than later. Alternate title #2 - “How to Turn Great Bait Into Less-Than-Average Bait.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">So with an overview of the mission now you know you need to use that bait while it still has its magic. You also know you need to use it- before it either gets out or your spouse and/or mother finds it in their fridge. It will save your life, and the life of that bait.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Bait is magic when it is lively and fresh. Robust, strong, active and able to take a fine hook - that is fresh bait. As bait is stored, the magic literally drains out. Bait becomes dehydrated and malnourished when kept in captivity for extended periods. The enemies to bait are in this order - temperature followed by dehydration and lastly nourishment. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">It is difficult to control the hydration and some bait will just not eat when it is in the adult grub stage so feeding your grubs also is not easy to control. This leaves the number one factor we can control - temperature.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Not all grubs are the same. The main baits for panfish, bream and bluegill you would want to fish with and store are: redworms (yes it is a worm), spikes (maggots) and wax worms. Each of these has its own temperature range. I was told once by a bait store counter worker that it was fine to store the redworms, next to the waxworms and spikes in the same fridge. I never returned there to purchase my live bait and they went out of business shortly after that. Bait stores- learn how to store - er uh, yer main product. I mean, the store is named after the stuff. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde'; color: #008000;" class="font-size-6">SurvivorGrub</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Redworms are possibly the easiest, longest-lasting bait to store and these bad rides CAN be kept for extended periods using a compost bin. Redworms feed off of matter growing on leaves, paper and items that are composting back into soil. You can store redworms at a temperature range from 50 degrees to 75 degrees easily so they do well on a basement, garage floor. Every once in a while pitch in some shredded new paper, moistened and then burry some vegetable leaves, parts and left-overs under that. The rule still stands here though - you should fish these rather than just keeping them. If you have the right conditions - you could even raise these as I described. There are commercial worm composting bins that have multiple decks so you can rotate them. Food goes on top, worms travel up into the top trays to feed. These are usually stored in dirt and leaf compost - their favorite. Remove the dead worms to keep the whole bunch happy.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde'; color: #008000;" class="font-size-6">DemolitionWorm</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Second easiest bait to store is the Wax Worm (not-so-much a worm). The Wax Worm is really a moth larva, more like a caterpillar. These are nature’s clean-up crew as the adult moths smell old beehive wax where they fly in to lay their eggs. Probably as the bees are getting ready to snooze in the Fall. When the eggs hatch these micro caterpillars work their way through the old wax leaving a new space for bees to rebuild fresh in the Spring. Waxie facts aside, they store pretty well. They do prefer temperatures from 48 - 60 degrees so slightly cooler than our redish worm friends. These are difficult to rehydrate so keep them out of the sun/heat and out of the furnace room. You might get lucky with some wax paper as food, but as with all your bait- fish them while they are sturdy. These are stored in wood shavings usually - mix in some shredded wax paper so they feel right at home. Make sure you keep your wood chips dry or you will end up with a moldy mess. Remove dead soldiers a couple times a week- these can create a problem to the living quarters.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde'; color: #008000;" class="font-size-6">HoudiniGrub</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The most versatile fishing bait in the world - the spike is good to store for extended periods - only in the right conditions. These are best stored in a sturdy marriage or strong relationship with your roommate. Or you can use a very cold fridge. What I am suggesting is that there are two issues you will encounter from storing spikes (which are specially-raised fly larvae). Issue one - odor. When stored in numbers, these power grubs will put off a powerful odor. Nothing super-harmful, but when packed in together they will excrete a lot of ammonia. If the container is covered - your cover will have some cracks and this odor will escape into your fridge. Hopefully, this is your beverage fridge and is a spare fridge. Even so, you might end up wiping your beverages off prior to drinking - just a tip. The odor is not a deal-breaker, but you need to know it. Odor comes out of all bait that is stored in quantity. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">In humid climates and even after you go fishing in the rain- these grubs might get moist. Once moist, you have a ready-made disaster on your hands. While they seem quite helpless - adding water to a 1,000 spikes is similar to taking the kryptonite neckless off of 1,000 Supermen (is the plural of Superman - Supermen?). Well, they can’t fly or smash steel, but they have the ability to climb straight up walls when wet. I have found them on the walls, in carpets, under floor mats - this is a problem you do NOT want to have. If you live down South or where it is super humid you have been warned. I recommend that you keep them covered and poke many air holes in your cover that are very small - thin as a toothpick. Any thicker and they will climb out those holes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde'; color: #008000;" class="font-size-6">Big Trouble in Little Grubville- The Formula</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The larger the quantity of bait you pack into one container and the longer you store this bait, the more issues you will have with loss, escape, quality and the greater the stank you will create. Knowing the secret formula now, you can do a few things to reduce your loss. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Increase your storage size. Room to roam will help your grub friends from getting claustrophobic - no tight spaces. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Boost the quality of the container and increase the medium (material matter) they have to stay in. It will be well worth it to you to spend a dollar or two extra to get an aluminum or stainless steel bait keeper. Metal containers help to keep things clean & cold much better than plastic. The metal diffuses heat and will wick the heat away from under a pile of grubs. Metal also cleans up easier and also does not retain the odor that plastic containers do.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Put a lid on it. Covered and semi-covered containers help keep beneficial moisture within the container. Your grubs or worms will require different ventilation for each species. Too much air getting in could result in moisture loss. Not enough ventilation is usually trouble as this will prevent your grubs from getting rid of CO2 and which will trap gas. Ammonia can build up and really stress your stored bait. If your container wasn’t meant for storing grubs, you will need to improvise. Either get a hot poker to melt some holes or you might need a fine metal drill bit to cut some holes in your metal container. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Waxies & Redworms do well in containers that are covered with very few holes and will reside even in the standard bait container they are sold in. Spikes will require a larger container and something a little more specialized. They are packed in fine sawdust which could use changing after two or three weeks (if you MUST keep them that long). Spikes when ordered in quantity will require a larger container and are usually shipped in closed bags - nothing you could keep them in for any length of time.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde'; color: #008000;" class="font-size-6">Prison Transport</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">With spikes (maggots) you will need to have the escape-proof container. I don’t mess around with these at home and especially when I travel. With these bad boys on ice, having a sealed container with an aggressive seal is key. I would bring an armed guard - maybe riding shotgun next to you to monitor these prisoners. If you can’t afford 24-hour guard, then follow these instructions for transporting dangerous spikes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Ice melts. The ice turns to water and that water splashes around when you drive. Once this water comes in contact with the spikes, they become miniature superheroes with abilities to climb straight up container walls, out of coolers and into your vehicle. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">If you are fishing and rain is coming- you will want to have the cover handy. Keep these dry or watch them escape. You will be helpless once they get moist and they will scatter - EVERYWHERE!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Once I shared a ride with someone who didn’t keep a tight lid on their spikes. Oh brother! Escaped spikes, which turn into flies - even their spent shell casings, stink. I now use professional bait tubs which come all the way from Europe to ensure they do not escape in my car. Trust me - have a bunch of these crawl out in your car ONE TIME and you will spend whatever you can to prevent it from ever happening again. Put a lid on them that locks down- and lock them up! After they are out- no search lights, no bloodhounds and no posse will help save you. They burrow into carpets, climb into clothes and will do their business.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Follow these measures will help to control heat-build up, keep your panfish food offerings stress-free and assist in preventing dehydration. Improve the quality of the stored bait and ultimately enjoy better fishing - you will catch more fish with active bait. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde'; color: #008000;" class="font-size-6">Ordering Tips</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you have anyone you can split an order with - this will keep your price down. Shipping is more expensive than the grubs themselves so you can order 4,000 spikes or 20,000 spikes and the shipping will cost the same around $14 to ship it to any quantity.<br/> If you have 2, 3 or 4 people - then you can divide the price of shipping. You can also work with a couple of local bait stores and the three of you can split it if you deliver the stuff when they need it. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde'; color: #008000;" class="font-size-6">Bait Store... S-e-c-r-e-t-s</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I would work with the bait stores to see if you could work something out. You might just be delivering them better bait than their distributors. Often times, distributor spikes are a week old once they arrive and have not been kept cold enough to be what I call fresh. If you buy from stores, you can tell the freshest spikes because they have a dark black dot 2/3 of the way down their body. This black food dot goes back-and-forth when they are active. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Care to sniff the cork sir? Nah - you can tell how fresh they are very quickly by looking for those black dots. The smaller the dot- the older the bait. Another trick bait stores will fail to catch is that they don’t rotate their stock. You can tell this if some of the spikes have the black dots, but yet others have next-to-no dots. This means they took the time to mix in last week’s with this week’s order. If they stored them in the 25-count containers, odds are they wouldn’t waste the time.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">While you can buy 25 for $2.00 to $3 most places, the truth is in quantity, those 25 spikes should cost you more like .30 cents.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Once you have the price down that low, now you can start fishing for bluegill like pro bluegill anglers do and like competitors in our national bank-fishing championships do. They use grubs in bulk to attract fish and to get them feeding-active. Reduce your bait costs, take care of the bait you have ordered but by all means- use the bait. When you go fishing for panfish, bluegills, crappies, perch - you should be sprinkling the spot over where you are fishing with spikes. Adding these extra spikes to the formula will entice fish to enter the area, investigate the falling spikes and to quickly take up your hook bait. I hope you find these bait tips helpful. </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Look for more pro panfish & fishing tips on my blog and website or contact me with questions and I will be glad to help.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">- Johnny</span></p>
<div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br/></span></div>No Orleans Bluegill Adventuretag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2011-02-16:2036984:BlogPost:1265912011-02-16T04:00:00.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
<p><span class="font-size-7" style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde'; color: #000080;">A Sad Tale</span></p>
<p>What a sad story - my trip was cut short and I lost all of my fishing day. No Lake Ponchartrain, no Mississippi and No Orleans bluegill adventure for me.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The only photo I have to share from the past day's fishing is this nice 1/8 lber. that I caught at the local burger hole. The story gets worse- much worse. I get home Saturday (not Sunday) after a rushed trip…</p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde'; color: #000080;" class="font-size-7">A Sad Tale</span></p>
<p>What a sad story - my trip was cut short and I lost all of my fishing day. No Lake Ponchartrain, no Mississippi and No Orleans bluegill adventure for me.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The only photo I have to share from the past day's fishing is this nice 1/8 lber. that I caught at the local burger hole. The story gets worse- much worse. I get home Saturday (not Sunday) after a rushed trip to the airport. I figure ok, we have warmer weather and well over 2 foot of ice, so I grab my stuff and head out. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color: #000080;" class="font-size-5">Grab the Auger & Forget Your Worries</span></p>
<p>I had limited time but knew of my favorite pond where I would be sure to hook up. I arrive there to find they have the entire pond fenced off! Under construction??!! They might as well have put a moose out front that said "Sorry folks, the park's close for repairs... yuk yuk yuk". Well the good news is they are improving the shoreline. The bad news is they are improving the shoreline. I have dealt with these dopes running this park and they have no clue how good the fishing is there. These park people are so nice, I asked to do a charity fundraiser at the park for kids with cancer to 100% benefit their families through the local hospital - ah nope. They could care less.</p>
<a width="200" target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220393018?profile=RESIZE_320x320"><img class="align-right" width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220393018?profile=RESIZE_320x320"/></a><br />
<p> </p>
<p>When I tried to talk some sense into the park - they replied back to me that any help I offered would interfere with their annual catfish derby. This is the same catfish derby that has the pond choked with bullheads. Last summer, my champion bluegill pond provided more bullheads than bluegills one outing. My hands were riddled with spike pokes from these flying 3-spined road spikes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Any tips on prepping these things? I was going to go on a 1-man crusade to rid the lake of them. My best (worst) outing - I landed 38 bullheads. I hate filleting them because they are all alive hours later - they are like terminator fish. Who cooks these? Should I treat them like lobster?? Then prep them?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So anyhow - no fishing at my favorite pond. When I drove around to my local pond options, the same scenario played out only most of the local city ponds simply put up signs that said - Thin Ice - Keep Off.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Well, the ice is 2.5 foot thick and some of the thickest ice I have ever fished in the Chicago area. The signs are the sign of whimpy parks who don't use their own parks.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This Saturday I will be heading out to a decent spot to ice fish - because now I am going crazy for bluegill! </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ok - to put a big bow on the No Orleans story. I am getting ready to relax Sunday night and a fishing show comes on the channel I have never watched. It is a new recreation channel and the show features - NEW ORLEANS! They should have called it - all the fish that Johnny never had a chance at.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>On the show they were catching Sea Trout and drum so I am thinking that the freshwater adventure that I was going to go on - would have been salty...</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I did narrow my search down to a park on the North side of New Orleans - which I guess I will have to try the next time out. The only fish pictures I have from the trip will be of the fish restaurant that I ate at in the French Quarter....</p>
<a width="200" target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220393131?profile=RESIZE_320x320"><img class="align-right" width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220393131?profile=RESIZE_320x320"/></a><br />
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color: #000080;" class="font-size-5">The Big One That Didn't Get Away</span></p>
<p>On second thought- let's close out this truly sad post with a fish I caught Tuesday Morning - er at the store Tuesday Morning (on Monday evening). This thing was massive, but it didn't put up much of a fight. If you don't have a Tuesday Morning near you - your are missing out. It is the garage sale of retail stores. You never know what you will find in there - there is all sorts of stuff piled everywhere. There was one of these guys and I was happy to land her - on sale! Something like this from the garden store would go for $50 over what I paid for it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>While I would rather have some adventure in New Orleans catching some gills - the money I saved from the license, gear and bait served me well at Tuesday Morning - still doesn't make up for missing out on the fishing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I don't travel much but now I have the travel fishing bug and I am plotting on how to get gear on the plan or even shipped to my location so that I can fish (and then ship it back).. hmmm....</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The adventure continues....</p>
<p> </p>
<p><br/><br/></p>New Orleans Bluegill Adventuretag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2011-02-10:2036984:BlogPost:1247272011-02-10T19:30:00.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
<p>Ok - I am in New Orleans and have never fished for blue gills south of Missouri so tomorrow I have a tackle shop lined up and am going to try and get out and try to find some of my blue-gilled friends.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Last night I tried to find some food and my way around Bourbon street. I did alright for a tourist. We found some authentic New Orleans food - Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches! Ya, so I struck out there. But - I had more success on the music front. You know how you are supposed…</p>
<p>Ok - I am in New Orleans and have never fished for blue gills south of Missouri so tomorrow I have a tackle shop lined up and am going to try and get out and try to find some of my blue-gilled friends.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Last night I tried to find some food and my way around Bourbon street. I did alright for a tourist. We found some authentic New Orleans food - Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches! Ya, so I struck out there. But - I had more success on the music front. You know how you are supposed to find good Jazz down here? Ya well I found some authentic Kansas City Blues - (Maybe Chicago)...</p>
<p>This was much better than the cheese steak. I might be joking about not finding authentic New Orleans jazz but I found something. Turns out this is legit po-boy blues, lyrics, guitar, soul... turns out we were listening to some Grammy nominated stuff with 15 others (I am including 2 bartenders, 2 waitresses and 3 people who I don't know their job.</p>
<p>I had to admit - when I saw the poster outside - I was skeptical "Braille Blues Daddy" - this is going to be awful I thought. Turns out he's worthy - and trust me I have played with a couple of dudes that gave themselves "blues names" - I knew I was never worthy of my jazz nickname. After all- the guy that wasn't good at trumpet tried to get me to use my nickname he gave me (just because he wanted me to call him by his own "nickname" - I refused).</p>
<p>This guy might be Muddy good - Stevie good - Buddy Good...</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So- I found a tackle store- they were not authentic- they sell no live bait. What?? How can this be a fishing takle store - ok. Next I found a flyfishing store- I wasn't even going to call. Turns out they are out of business. Third tackle store I call - I ask if they sell live bait - uh no. We do have worms. So technically I scored. We'll see tomorrow when I see the condition of these "worms". Begers can't be choosers. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>If anyone knows of some fishing information for me such as - am I going to get pulled in by a gator and good places to fish right around the French quarter - I would appreciate it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>More on Saturday including some photos and hopefully - a bluegill to start off 2011. Remember, where I come from near Chicago we have 3 feet of snow and it was -4 when I left.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Open water fishing is a vacation for me...</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Johnny</p>Recap 2 of 3tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2010-07-13:2036984:BlogPost:917512010-07-13T03:00:00.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">U.S. Bank Angling Team Qualifier Championships-</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Fort Wayne, IN</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Let's start the recap of Saturday's U.S. Bank Angling Team qualifier heats by saying I…</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">U.S. Bank Angling Team Qualifier Championships-</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Fort Wayne, IN</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Let's start the recap of Saturday's U.S. Bank Angling Team qualifier heats by saying I made soooo many mistakes- the #2 mistake being overconfidence. This was not because I think I am the greatest angler in the world -I have to work at it to catch fish like all of you. We'll start by saying that I looked out across the lake to see 8 or 9 anglers practicing about 1/2 mile away on the West side of the lake.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Some have been practicing for 2 days at this point and would have a big jump up on me as well as the rest of the competitors. The whole time I was getting my gear ready, watching all the people fish across the way, I was getting anxious.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">After making the walk with all my gear and talking to some anglers along the way, I got to my spot to setup. Before I did this however, I watched others who had been there. Their setups had been adjusted and watching is the best way to learn. Sometimes you can learn a whole day's worth of fishing by watching someone for 5 minutes. My teacher always told me to go watch anglers as they fished from shore to learn - it works.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br/></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Setup Time</span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">With that- I had to get busy, putting up some rods and prepping my rigs on the 42-foot pole. The method for this venue would be fishing a smaller float on that 42-foot pole as every angler was doing as I walked by them. Many were playing fish with those 42-foot pole bent and lines of elastic shooting out from the tip. These poles are hollow and feature a shock-absorbing elastic to take that first big impact of the fish's hot first runs. WIth no reel, it is up to that elastic, the stretch in the main line, good knots, clean leader and a hook to keep that fish on the rig. One part of the system not working, will let that fish off. Foreshadowing... ?!</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br/></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Strategy</span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The first part of my strategy on the weekend would be to fish the slip float (slider float) in the 15- feet of water in hopes of gaining an advantage. The forecast the next day called for windy conditions and it was my first thought that the 42-foot poles might be rendered useless in heavy wind. Have you ever held onto a 42- pole in a decent wind? It's a lot like work. I got my rod, reel and line threaded and a float shotted up. I made my own slip float stop and then started to get the depth in front of me.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br/></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">The King of Fish</span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The main target on the weekend and the fish everyone was landing during this practice would be the carp. In order to catch carp on most days- a single splitshot laying on the bottom to keep the bait still is essential to getting pickups. The carp they were bringing in were between 1.5 and 3 lb. This doesn’t sound like a big fish, but a wild U.S. carp is one of the strongest fish on the planet. They fight like bigger walleye if they were playing for the San Francisco Giants and chemically enhanced. Big fins, powerful tails, the carp gets a lot of it’s fighting power from its daily (& nightly) feeding workout. They are constantly working to find many tiny insect meals and have to tip themselves about 20 degrees to search for that food. They can grind you out and have one of the best bursts when hooks of any species - no contest. These small fish will shock you with their power-to-size and when you hook one, you will swear you have an 8-lb. fish on only to find a 2.5 lb. fish on your line.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f; min-height: 16.0px"><br/></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f; min-height: 16.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Go Time</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I measured the depth with a plummet on my slider and got my splitshot set at precisely 14.75 feet from my float stop. On the deck, I would lay 6” of leader from that splitshot. My strategy with the rod & reel would be to control the fish and bring them in faster than I could on the pole.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f; min-height: 16.0px"><br/></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Well, thinking gets you in trouble some times. As I got my ground bait balls in the water and sat, others were bringing fish in and I was just sitting there. To be fair- they had been there all day- the fish were attracted to their bait and they had moved in on that bait during the day. My spot was fishless so I sat, and sat without any movement on my float rig. Neighbors caught 6, 7 fish while I sat there in the first :30 min. of my practice session.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f; min-height: 16.0px"><br/></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f; min-height: 16.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Friday Warm-up Heat</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">My neighbor called up and down the venue that we should have an impromptu timed challenge to see who could catch more fish in :30 minutes. I wasn’t all that excited to compete seeing as how everyone had attracted and caught fish all day long and I had nothing. So I fed in some bait and was working. Others put a 2 fish lead on in the first couple of minutes - me, nothing. Then my float moved for the first time and went quickly under. That first fish I worked in quickly and put it in the net.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I yelled out “one” as we were to call out the fish as we caught them. Someone else yelled out “three” - figures.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f; min-height: 16.0px"><br/></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Practice during the warm-up practice contest continued like that only I was able to put some pressure on my fish and was catching up to the pack. “Four” I called out and someone else called out “five”. I was leaning into these fish and bringing them to the net “hot”, still with plenty of gas in them. They thrashed hard in the net and I missed s a few as they screamed by the net, but didn’t lose any. I landed another and called out “six”, I was tied for the lead and fishing really well.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f; min-height: 16.0px"><br/></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">It crossed my mind that I had found an advantage. I leaned on the next fish to take the lead, but I leaned a little too hard and the light size 14 hook gave way, bent out of the fish.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I straightened and rebaited the hook, cast the slider float out again.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I hooked up quickly and took a little more care this time to get the fish to the net “seven” - I was tied in the lead again.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">With three minutes to go I had the rig back in the water and was trying to get a pick-up so I had time to fight and land a carp in time to win. One minute left and the float went under- it would be real close to get this one in, I leaned in on the fish and tried to get it to race into the net. No time left - my neighbor yelled “eight” and I snapped my leader about the same moment.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f; min-height: 16.0px"><br/></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I was really excited because my ground bait was working, and my rod & reel seemed like they could outpace the 42-foot poles in getting fish to the net. Finishing 2nd in the practice contest, I thought I had the method and setup to take this thing in the morning session when it would count.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f; min-height: 16.0px"><br/></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f; min-height: 16.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">2nd Place Practice</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">That evening I put all the data into my fishing brain and figured I needed to go up 2 notches on the leader & hook so I could just crank these fish in for the victory. I tied some new leaders with the heavier hooks and went with a stronger size 12 hook, double the power of my light 14 hooks I was fishing in practice - this will work.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f; min-height: 16.0px"><br/></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">If you remember back at the beginning of this recap, I said I made the second worst error in overconfidence. I was certain I had the method and setup. I got ready for the first heat and had made a big error (only I didn’t know how big this calculation with the hook and leader would be). Along with that I had all my gear at water’s edge after the setup whistle sounded and could not locate my sunglasses. It was nuclear sunny with no clouds and we were fishing the West shore- looking East. Between 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 I would be fishing facing East. As I write this, my eyes are reminding me of what I did - the worst fishing mistake I have ever made.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Fast-forward to the end of the session and I am exhausted - I do find my sunglasses for the second afternoon heat- but the damage was done. I toasted my eyes. I am feeling sick right now remembering how the weekend went - or my body is reminding me how the weekend ended.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The setup period ended (without sunglasses) and the starter’s whistle sounded to start fishing. Time to put a whoop’n on the field with my setup. O.k., my neighbor lands a fish within the first two minutes- fishing was going to be really good. I was getting really confident my heavier hook and leader would help me destroy the field.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br/></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Gentlemen Start Fishing</span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Well, my strategy melted away, faster than the back of my eyeballs in that hot sun without the sunglasses. My neighbor now had at least 10 fish, and my float hadn’t even so much as moved on my rod and reel. He was fishing the pole with a small float. Mine was a slider waggler and was 4 times the size. I just sat there. I had two fans show up to watch behind me and had plenty of time to talk with them. There weren’t any fish to bother me. Catherine & John were more nervous than me. They were starting to say they were bad luck. I told them no and then it happened- the float moved. After a couple of seconds, it dipped under and I hooked up - a great feeling of relief! As I played this first fish I leaned into it to start working to catch up. I will put this one in the net fast and go get another one. The only trouble with that- I get this fish to the net hot and lean into it to finish the deal and the hook pulls free. LOST.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">My fans were really feeling bad for me as my neighbor put his 11th fish in his net. I went back out and hooked up again- leaned on it again and replayed the scenario- lost another one right at the edge of the net.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br/></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">It's a Rout</span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">As in any contest where the home team gets blown out- my fans headed for the exit. I had destroyed the first hour of fishing in a three-hour contest with an empty total. Zero.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I spent the second hour of the session feeling horrible and was trying to make some changes to get back in this thing or at least keep from being embarrassed. I went to the 42-foot pole at this point. Good news, I landed the next two fish on the pole and was feeling a little better- but still awful.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I worked the pole, but then started to loose some more fish! Something wasn’t right on my setup and my pole is one of the oldest on the venue- if not the oldest. It is heavy. My elastic was old and I wasn’t confident in any of it. I went back to the rod and reel with the slip float and worked very hard. I had a good last hour and put some fish in the net.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">When the whistle sounded, I felt like left-overs.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br/></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The weigh-in crew came and my neighbor had a truckload of fish. My weight came in at 16.7 lb. I left a lot of fish on that spot, some I lost at the net and a bunch I left without a hook in them at all. I had fished horribly, maybe the worst I have ever done. I made up all my weight in about :45 minutes of fishing where I didn’t make any mistakes - I was trying to focus and catch-up. The thermometer was hitting the low 90’s and my bake was complete. I was toast in the standings and actually toasted from the sun damage hit to my eyes. Bad, bad, bad decisions and fishing.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f; min-height: 16.0px"><br/></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f; min-height: 16.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Out of It</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">In part 3 of my update, I will tell you just how much damage was done and if I had any shot at all of making a dent on the field. I was really disappointed because I thought I had it all figured out.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">My neighbor had nearly triple my weight which meshed with how I felt and my assessment that I had fished only a solid 45 minutes out of 180 for the 3-hour session. Instead of 16.7 lb., I should have had closer to 35 - 45 lb. of fish. My neighbor’s spot was good for 2nd place in the first session of three. My first session - a blow-out and not in a good way. 94 degrees now, eyes toast and fishing from behind the whole way. Things were worse and not as bad as I imagined. Stop back in for my final update. As a prelude to that, just know that it is a full week from the event, and I am just now feeling better from not wearing my sunglasses for 5 hours on the water in that sun and heat.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f; min-height: 16.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Hydrated But Gassed</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Two empty large Gatoraide bottles, 4 water bottles and I am feeling spent. Gone. “Heat” 2, starts in a matter of hours at the 4:00 whistle.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I walked the 1/2 mile back and had some pizza at lunch. I wasn’t feeling well, I thought maybe food would help me. Fishing better in heat 2 would probably help all that... we’ll see how I feel for the afternoon session. Also, can I make a run at 1st place? More to the point- can I survive the heat and make it to heat 3 alive. Serious.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Thanks for reading, catch you next time.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; color: #5f5e5f; min-height: 16.0px">Johnny</p>US Qualifier - Recap 1 of 3tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2010-06-30:2036984:BlogPost:899372010-06-30T13:00:00.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
Sorry for the tease- there is a lot to talk about regarding this Saturday & Sunday's bank fishing championships. My personal highlights and recaps of the ordeal will be played out in this space. There was excitement, there was drama, there was lightning, there were lots of fish and it was hot.<div><br></br></div>
<div>I survived the fishing and the elements but was trailing from start to finish and playing catch-up on all three sessions - not a good place to be. I was forced to rush fish in and…</div>
Sorry for the tease- there is a lot to talk about regarding this Saturday & Sunday's bank fishing championships. My personal highlights and recaps of the ordeal will be played out in this space. There was excitement, there was drama, there was lightning, there were lots of fish and it was hot.<div><br/></div>
<div>I survived the fishing and the elements but was trailing from start to finish and playing catch-up on all three sessions - not a good place to be. I was forced to rush fish in and had many things go wrong. I snapped hooks off, I broke leader lines, I lost way too many fish and I had troubles with the hook pattern I was fishing.</div>
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<div>The 15ft. of water gave a good challenge as did the wind but I had my chances and the majority of the time I was not fishing well, my setups were a complete mess and my confidence was taking a hit during competition. Never a good thing fishing against the best anglers in the country. Competitors from Hungary, South Africa, Poland, England all took part in this US Team Qualifier for a chance to fish in the World Championships of bank angling in Italy as well as to be a part of Team USA vs. Canada in the Can Am Series.</div>
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<div>Most of all, I am ready to upgrade equipment. My pole is nearly 15 years old and has repairs all over the place. In session two I ended up snapping off one of my pole tips - it's old. Everyone at the venue had a lighter pole than me and when I say lighter, I mean 2/3 to 1/2 the weight of my 42' pole.</div>
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<div>All that said, I tried to fish hard and not get discouraged. My biggest mistake would not be a fishing mistake, but a preparation mistake. A fatal error setting up for session 1, I could not locate my sunglasses. I decided it was o.k. to go into the 1st session of the competition without my sunglasses. Right alongside the pole, this was by far the most devastating shot to my chances on the weekend. Staring into a bright sun reflecting on the water, I would set myself up for heat exhaustion starting in session two and ending in the final heat of the weekend on Sunday.</div>
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<div>I will cap off this entry to say my neighbor had 12 fish in his spot before I even got one bite. I will also say there were fish in my spot and that it was my fault I didn't get fish. My information from a quick practice fish Friday night led me to think I could go aggressive with a bigger hook, thicker leader to get fish in faster. This was a massive miscalculation and I will add more to this coming up.</div>
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<div>Sorry for not updating everyone during the competition. Two five hour sessions on Saturday, a 1/2 mile walk several times out to the spot and 90 degree heat coupled with my sunburnt eyes from session 1 meant it was survival. Staying upright was difficult. This coupled with my host not having wireless connection did me in for getting you information live as it happened.</div>
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<div>Explaining this after the fact, I can get a much better perspective on things for you.</div>
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<div>USA Qualifier Recap Show</div>
<div>I will have the champion from this weekend's qualifier Top Mix USA's Attila Agh live at 10:30 EST / 9:30 CST on the <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/fishingschool">Fishing School Radio Show</a> - or you can download it and listen to the show anytime.</div>USA Bank Fishing Team Qualifier - Indianatag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2010-06-23:2036984:BlogPost:888232010-06-23T23:30:00.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
Ok,<div>Here is the space where I will provide updates for this weekend's U.S.A. National Bank Fishing Team Qualifier. Doing well this weekend will mean that I reserve my spot on the team that goes to Italy and fishes against 45 nations.</div>
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<div>I am very excited. Much to do. I have a bunch of tying to do tonight. Check back here while I prepare and I will post some pictures of my float rigs while I prepare them. Prep-cam?!</div>
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<div>I also will be doing…</div>
Ok,<div>Here is the space where I will provide updates for this weekend's U.S.A. National Bank Fishing Team Qualifier. Doing well this weekend will mean that I reserve my spot on the team that goes to Italy and fishes against 45 nations.</div>
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<div>I am very excited. Much to do. I have a bunch of tying to do tonight. Check back here while I prepare and I will post some pictures of my float rigs while I prepare them. Prep-cam?!</div>
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<div>I also will be doing <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/fishingschool">my Wed. Night radio show tonight</a> - talking pole fishing. Time is running short so this post will also be short.</div>
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<div>Target species this weekend - well, tune in to find out. Check back on Big Bluegill.com for some new shots of rigs and tackle etc. I might not reply to everyone until next week- I hope you understand.</div>
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<div>Tonight, I have a lot to prep so that I can drive out to Indiana for Friday a.m.'s practice session and I have to be all set to go to learn as much as I can in 1 morning & 1 evening's practice session.</div>
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<div>I will fish my brains out - take a ton of pictures and post some updates from this weekend's qualifier along with the results.</div>Small River Fishingtag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2010-05-07:2036984:BlogPost:817482010-05-07T18:49:10.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
I just got off the Wolf River, a small 75-yard wide stretch of river that runs through the center of Wisconsin at Freemont. The river is broken up by lakes and in the Spring, massive schools of white bass and large groups of walleye migrate between the lakes via the river.<div><br></br></div>
<div>We usually go up here every year about the time that the lilacs bloom in hopes of getting in the "bite" when these fish eat everything and anything in sight. This is my second year and I am starting to…</div>
I just got off the Wolf River, a small 75-yard wide stretch of river that runs through the center of Wisconsin at Freemont. The river is broken up by lakes and in the Spring, massive schools of white bass and large groups of walleye migrate between the lakes via the river.<div><br/></div>
<div>We usually go up here every year about the time that the lilacs bloom in hopes of getting in the "bite" when these fish eat everything and anything in sight. This is my second year and I am starting to learn a few things which help when the fish aren't as active and are not taking baits aggressively. Tactics that I teach near Chicago do help everywhere when the going gets tough. Fishing is easier when the fish are aggressive and swimming out to attack baits but fishing is also when the lips of those fish aren't opening. Fishing is about working your rigs, gear, tackle and presentation to coax a cold-front fish into eating.</div>
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<div>We had a little bit of both on this trip and the fish never really got cranking, yet using some stealthy tactics, I was able to catch near 55 fish during the tough bite. To compare trips, last year there were 2 days of poor fishing and one day where we caught 100 in just under 4 hours. This was a tougher condition despite warm temperatures.</div>
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<div>I learned a few things and these will help me when the fishing is again tough in future trips. Lighter line is a key on moving water because it reduces the drag from the current. I noticed a lot of the locals were using such light rods and line that their rods were bending just because of the light jigs they were cranking in. When they had a fish, these rod tips were bent nearly to their spool. While the rods were too light, I appreciated their light line presentations. I too had a lighter setup but was using 4 lb. finesse line and a 3 lb. leader in that current. The difference I had was a float designed for rivers which featured the weight up top. I saw people using bobbers with not enough split shot for the most part. There was the occasional angler who had their bobber weighted and down in the water.</div>
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<div>I had another advantage in the fact that my river floats were much smaller than all of the bobbers I saw out there. As stated, when the fish are really active, this doesn't matter. When you have to work to get them to take your small minnow, it makes ALL the difference. My small float which was about the thickness of your pinky finger and perhaps 3/4 its length was talking to me. Fishing floats, you can get messaging on the fish's takes by listening (watching) for float movement. When I have made adjustments and the fish are taking, I can hear my float telling me what I need to do to catch more. When you set up a proper float, it is the best fishing guide in the world and will give you all you need to know to catch a bunch.</div>
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<div>What I was noticing with my jig setup on another rod was that the fish were tapping the minnow and unlike the active periods, they tapped once only. The next big taps weren't coming. My float was able to hold the bait in place a little longer in the current, and even, with some work, hold the minnow in their face, off the bottom. This, I can not do with a jig, and this would be the best method on my 3-day trip. The float caught fish at a rate about 2:1 vs. the jig I was working because the fish didn't have to work to chase the jig and I caught medium-active fish because of the presentation.</div>
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<div>I am even going to modify my equipment next year based on the fishing. I will be including a 15 foot telescopic pole which I will use to control a float and hold the bait in the current. This will be my insurance policy should the fishing be slower. With the long pole's tip, held just above the float, I can hold the float in the faster water (up top) and the bait will remain still below. Near the bottom, the water does not flow because of the bottom structure and resistance to the water. Just off the bottom, the water flows slightly faster, but still very slow. It is this area where my small hook and light leader are held in place with the struggling small minnow. Fish which are only slightly active will take this presentation when the bite is tough.</div>
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<div>On the trip, my float was telling me that these fish were slightly active or near inactive (same thing). With the small float, I could see light hits where the fish were going at and trying to sip in the minnow, but not inhaling the bait. I could see the float dip and often times it would only drop about 1/4 - 1/2 inch and then come back up. Less than half the time, the fish would return to finish off the minnow. My float was telling me the fish wanted the bait, but not that badly. My adjustment was to hold the rod tip and check the float holding it still in place. On the river, this was the difference between not catching, missing takes and catching. I started the 1st day with a small jig on the float, thinking the color would help attract takes. On the third day, I removed the jig in favor of a plain #10 hook. This would also help as it would take the weight out of the equation and offer the fish just the minnow on the light leader.</div>
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<div>The downside of course is that with the lighter line, I had to play the fish a bit before bringing them into my net. When the fish are really taking, lighter line will slow you down, but it is magic dust when that light line is working inactive fish. If you do use the lighter line and lose a couple of fish, it is far better than not getting as many hook-ups. Lighter line offers a bit more challenge too in working around snags. I did favor the flats, just of grassy drop-offs instead of fishing the downed trees. The lighter line in those would be recipe for disaster. I did manage to hook up on 3 gars with the lighter setup, losing the hook to the 3rd gar. Another good reason to get away from those downed trees.</div>
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<div>So my float talked to me, I made some adjustments and assisted in offering up a really easy meal for the fish below. This happened because I adjusted my hook offering, moved the weight away from the hook (split shot up the line vs. a jig head) and because I eventually moved most of my weight up the rig 1/3 of the way to the hook beneath my float. If you read my blogs or listen to my <a href="http://chicagofishingschool.com/">online radio show</a> (now on Wednesday nights) -you know I love float fishing live bait. I preach it and enjoy its successes. To really have success with the floats, you need to listen to them, adjust your depth, leader length and split shot arrangement. You also need to watch them (listen to your float) and they will tell you what is, or isn't going on below. If nothing is happening with your float- it is telling you you need to make a change. Move something, fish deeper, check your bait but do something.</div>
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<div>Above all, watch your float. Look away and you lose contact with your float. That line of sight to the float should not be broken while fishing because you WILL miss a fish take. Get used to doing different tasks while still watching your float and you will have a lot more success. Put your drink or cooler within reach and get things around you to where you can reach them without looking at them. Doing so will allow you to keep your eyes on your float and will allow you to see, and catch more takes as they happen. In competition, I will set everything up in a half circle and set my drink at the back of my seat. Everything I do while watching my float, I can reach and find without taking my eyes off the float tip. The only time I relax that setup is when I bring my hook in to rebait or check my bait.</div>
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<div>Use a float to tempt inactive fish and use your rod or pole tip to control your float and catch some more fish. Whether you are up against wind current or a river's current, the tip of your rod or pole will defeat that current. When you are fishing right, that line from the tip of your rod or pole is tight to the float. Any movement by you and you will see the float move. When you do this, your float will be just a bit more sensitive and you will be just that more ready to bump a hook set on a take.</div>
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<div>I learned a lot on this trip and I look forward to taking that small river again next season. I will be that much more ready and hope to be catching a load of fish on a telescopic pole and float. I can't wait because I think I can do that much better up there!</div>
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<div>Catch ya later-</div>
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<div>Johnny</div>Use Live Bait & Make the Water Boiltag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2010-04-13:2036984:BlogPost:786932010-04-13T19:00:00.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
There are so many titles for this live bait post that come to mind, I should start with a few titles. Rock Your Water With Live Bait. Match the Hatch- er Make the Hatch. Make the Fish in Front of You Go Mad. Loose Feed for Success. BlueGill Tsunami.<div><br></br></div>
<div>So those are some titles I would use to tell you about the top method for getting all the fish feeding in your area. Did I say all the fish? Yes. Even on a slow day, this method takes fish out of neutral or non-feeding behavior…</div>
There are so many titles for this live bait post that come to mind, I should start with a few titles. Rock Your Water With Live Bait. Match the Hatch- er Make the Hatch. Make the Fish in Front of You Go Mad. Loose Feed for Success. BlueGill Tsunami.<div><br/></div>
<div>So those are some titles I would use to tell you about the top method for getting all the fish feeding in your area. Did I say all the fish? Yes. Even on a slow day, this method takes fish out of neutral or non-feeding behavior and puts the fish's little fins on the feeding gas pedal. You can truly make the water boil in front of you and draw fish in from 100's of feet away.</div>
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<div>The fish in your area will fight over your hook bait causing serious takes and aggressive movements underwater. I have to warn you, this article might change the way you fish forever. If you fish catch-and-release, this will also make the fish in your pond more healthy and larger.</div>
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<div>There are two elements you would use to make bluegills, crappies, perch go stark-raving mad in front of you. This method works when you are either double-anchored in place or from shore. You will want to fish one spot and one spot only because you will have the hottest spot on the lake. What is nice about the method is that you will always hear others say how you had a good spot, or the fish were really going crazy on that spot. Lucky you. Since I fish public lakes, I can hear these people say this same phrase every time I go because their voice carries across the water. I make my spot great, and I can do it on nearly every part of that pond. I will give you a second warning- this method will also attract these poor anglers who are not catching much. You will experience them trying to cast closer and closer to you. If they are nice, share what you are doing. If they aren't well -get creative. I'll tell you what to do at the end if those anglers get in too close or are rude...</div>
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<div>The method is simple. Add food to the water in one precise spot and create competition. The end.</div>
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<div>It is that simple. So for food, I buy spikes in bulk - the ultimate bait on the planet. All fish eat it. I caught 15" rainbow trout (landed 1 of 3) and 17" channel catfish (2 of them) last time out on spikes. Big fish eat these all the time underwater.</div>
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<div>The first part of the food and attractant is a ground bait. This is a mixture of loose crumb that when moistened allows me to pinch a coin-sized portion and toss it out 10 - 40 feet away where I am fishing. This ground bait hits the water and starts to break up immediately in the water column.</div>
<div>As it falls the bits of crumb, ground seed and grain particles fall through the water.</div>
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<div>As any possible food items would visually attract fish, the falling particles, the cloud, the splash of the food entering, the scent and also the sound of other fish feeding turn fish on. Fish from all around the area head to the sound and scent to get in on feeding.</div>
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<div>The scent of food flips the feeding switch and triggers aggressive hunting behavior like no artificial bait could do with action or artificial flavor.</div>
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<div>Next, I have a sling shot designed for the task with a pouch that holds about a quarter's surface area of bait. I load in 3 - 5 spikes and fire that over the top where the ground bait entered the water.</div>
<div>Spikes are the perfect bait as they fall through the water very slowly. A spike will take well over 1 minute to travel through 13 foot of water! The slow-falling moving grubs catch the eye of these sight-feeding predators who move in and compete for the little food in the water.</div>
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<div>Next, with my telescopic cane pole, I cast my bait out onto the exact spot where the ground bait entered - in the center of the spike pattern. My hook free-falls with either a single or double spike attached to a #14 hook. The small, light hook allows for a slow drop presentation.</div>
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<div>The gills go mad to race to the single food in the water and do compete to get the bait. The results can be staggering with this system. 6 fish a minute is a good pace, hit 10 fish a minute using barbless or micro-barbed hooks and you can get soaking wet taking gills off the hook. Note to achieve speed, the fish hook should facility getting that fish off fast and easy. Many of my bluegills bounce off my chest and into the keep bag beneath me. I am a devout catch-and-release angler. Because I teach fishing and I compete in an urban environment where there are 200 anglers per square mile (by percentage), I recommend that people release fish if they want something to catch next time. If I lived out in a more rural place, I would take more fish without a doubt.</div>
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<div>For your fishing, 250 spikes will do. For tournaments, or periods of high fish activity, I use between 500 - 3,000 spikes. Depending on how long the event is and how furious the fish are taking my hook bait, if I am competing in a US Open Bank Championship, I will use a bit more bait. While I write those big numbers, truth is sending out 2 - 5 at a time is the trick. The less you feed (shoot) into the water, more often, the more success you will have. Little and often in all my methods is the key to success. If you feed too much - you will fill up the fish you had intended to catch. Put too many spikes in the water and put too much ground bait in and you will see your catch drop.</div>
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<div>I buy the spikes in bulk and share the cost with friends and people in my club to bring the cost down. 1,000 spikes should cost you between $5 - $6 if split with friends.</div>
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<div>While you can make your own - the stink can not be described in an article. The stink will stick to you and your clothing. It's awful so I buy them to keep my neighbors happy and the police away from my urban garage.</div>
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<div>I will comment to the post and put up some pictures from this method. I am fishing the first event of the year coming up - look for the results from our Chicago Fishing League here and see if I can break the 300-fish mark for a 4- hour session using the method above.</div>
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<div>I highly recommend the cane pole with the tiniest float for this. If you get it right, speed-fishing while loose-feeding is the most fun you can have on water. The floats I use and the ground bait are not yet available all across the country, but soon will be. I fish with Italian & English floats which have tiny stems and which take only .3 grams of weight to balance them. I can see fish activity using this float and I detect takes as well as rejected baits from fish below via the tiny antenna.</div>
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<div>Light line of .013 diameter or 1.5 lb. is usually what I run on my leaders tied to size 14 light wire hooks. These are also not widely available nor is the fishing line. Together, we bluegill anglers will make an impact on the fishing industry which is heavily weighted to the bass. Why should 10% of the fish population dictate 90% of the media coverage, tackle and attention? Bluegills outnumber bass 30:1. We should have ESPN BlueGill Center on television on Saturdays. $250,000 bluegill tournament? BlueGill Pro Shops - now that is more my speed. Check in and see how the method worked or read a reply on my page.</div>
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<div><br/></div>Blue Gills Sipping Food Videos- Learn How Fish Feedtag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2010-02-10:2036984:BlogPost:722192010-02-10T05:00:00.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Float Fishing Tactics & Rigs</span></b></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>the Floating Blog</b> - information for fishing live bait using sensitive float fishing gear.…</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Float Fishing Tactics & Rigs</span></b></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>the Floating Blog</b> - information for fishing live bait using sensitive float fishing gear.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">In this Floating blog entry, I’ll offer up some examples of video which shows fish feeding and also fish not feeding. If you understand the mechanics of the bluegill feeding, you can then appreciate how deadly float fishing is.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Fish Not Interested</span></b></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">In the first example, there is a gentleman using a video camera under the ice. The good news is, he has a massive school of crappies swimming by his video setup. The bad news, he spends nearly 4 minutes with a dead bait and doesn’t alter his presentation.</span></p>
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<img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220392640?profile=original" alt="" style="float: right;"/><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">This video seems to be the dead of winter judging from the crappie bellies. Metabolism slow, the presentation should be small. Also note in this video example, these fish might as well be floating in a space station. It looks like they are in air because the water is SO clear. In that clear water, a poor presentation, thick line or too large an ice jig might be your undoing.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">While I believe the purpose of the video might be to sell this artificial lure, tipping it with some actively moving bait might score one of the 30 fish that swim by it.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">If I were fishing this situation, I would have my bait on a tiny hook of size 14, size 16 or even an 18 hook. I would have the split shot way up off the bait so it drops slowly in the water column.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">A dropping bait attracts attention. With more than one fish in the screen, odds are, several would head to the falling object. Competition alone might trigger a bite as two or three crappies all move towards the falling object. His bait is just sitting there most of this video.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Try a float and try having that bait fall as slowly as you can by using the tiniest, finesse hook possible. I would rather hook a few and lose some rather than hook none at all.</span></p>
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<img style="float:left;" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220392697?profile=original"/><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">The Pendulum of Feeding - Fish Don't Bite</span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The second video shows a fresh water shrimp in front of a gill’s lips. This video is amazing. When you watch it you can see the water particles getting sucked into the bluegill’s lips. He has flared the lower portion of his gills and is sipping the water column to draw the shrimp in. Fish with gills use their gills to pull water into their mouth and the food follows. Notice that the fish does NOT swim up and grab the bait with its lips. This also shows you that fish don’t bite. The particles of water, along with the bait are drawn into the fish. Now, the whole setup for finesse float fishing leverages this concept. Pun intended.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">If your line is thick, if your hook is too heavy or your shot is too close to the hook (or too larger) your rig fights the feeding action. You create a non-moving object. Non-moving objects in nature for a fish, usually represent something they don’t eat. If that non-moving object is your big hook on thick line, a couple of attempts to eat it fail and the fish may just swim on by.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Gills Watch What They Eat</b></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Fish spend a lot of time eyeing things to eat. They also spend a lot of time sipping objects in to see if they are food. If it doesn’t feel like food (such as if it has a thick hook) or taste like food, they eject it very fast with a reverse flow. In warm weather they can do this faster than you can see. Bait goes in, fish feels hook or hook prevents clean take, bait goes out- ejection. Up top, this might mean you set the hook and miss.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Remember this concept with the shrimp because you can see it is attached with a line.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Swing Swing Swing</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The line creates a pendulum and some resistance. This allows the shrimp to swim away from the “jet stream” into the fish’s mouth. That is, until the gill moves up tight and then generates an aggressive feeding sip. This sip was not just using the base of the gills, but involved flaring the gills out and taking more water in faster. In Spring, cold water, after rains, the angler will NOT be fortunate enough to get this aggressive sip.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">That said, you want to make sure you have very flexible, thin line. 10 lb. line doesn’t flex like 1.5 lb. line does. Create a soft, pendulum and you create an improved fish-catching rig.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">My hunch is that this science group measuring the feeding on video has attached the thin line with adhesive. You will need to use a hook which will add weight. Weight slows the pendulum. Again, go small, light and finesse and create more opportunities and more takes. (Not bites, right?).</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">There is also no split shot in this picture. The further up the line you run your split shot, then the better the pendulum action will be. Shot closer to the hook, slows the swinging action. Use this to your advantage if the fishing is tough - get those shot way up the line.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Super-slow-mow drop will be the result of moving that shot way up the line.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">If the fishing is crazed, you need to move that shot down closer to the hook. This gets your bait down to the strike zone faster and as above, creates resistance which will help prevent hook swallows.</span></p>
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<img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220392833?profile=original" alt="" style="float: right;"/><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Use the Force</b></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The final video “the Bluegill Feeding Sip” is my favorite. Our scientist friends have rigged a tasty freshwater shrimp to a fixed post to measure the pulling force of the bluegill’s sip.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">This video shows the difference between a neutral, medium and aggressive sip. One could say cold water, medium and summer action can be seen on this graph. When you watch, the gills are nearly off screen. When the gill first attempts to sip the shrimp in, you see the gills flare and a regular attempt to suck that shrimp in. Lips open, gills open and water shoots in. Because the shrimp is connected to a wire, it just tugs on the measurement device and the blue graph charts the force of the tug. The first effort would have pulled a small grub in that this fish would happen upon in regular conditions.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The fish is demonstrating the regular force needed to eat a natural bait.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">If this were your hook bait and it didn’t swing in easily, the neutral to inactive fish, might move on.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Since this fish seems active, it ups the stakes by flaring out its gills a little further to add some pull. It wants that shrimp. Look at its eyes picking up on subtle leg movements of that live bait. The gill eyes are checking that out. Since it is live, moving, that gills wants food. If your bait wasn’t moving to induce a second strike, this site-feeder would also move on.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The final strike illustrates an aggressive fish, using a mighty force to take a bait. This wide mouth position and massive gill flex represents your summer bite or warm water conditions with an active fish.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Floats React to Subtle Movement</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">As a float fisherman who believes in live bait, this video shows how a float setup can be deadly. The distance that insect would travel looks to be the length of the bait itself and add just a little bit. With a sensitive float rig, you can see this distance reflected above the water. You can see the strike while it happens and put a hook in the fish. Most importantly you can set the hook prior to the fish ejecting the crunch, inedible metal hook. A bigger hook will equal more ejections.The smaller hooks will mean that you have an extra fraction of a second in which the fish is mashing your bait to eat while your hook is in their mouth. Most all of my new float line will be accurate enough for you to see bites as they happen.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Bobbers Bob</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Bobbers, can’t react up top like a properly rigged float to that sipping motion. While a float will move some of the distance that sip traveled up top, a bobber won’t move until the fish swims away. Also note in this example and others you see, this fish swims up to the bait and stops. Many times they do this. If they are stopped, this presents a problem for the Rocket Bobber, the Bobber with a Brain and all other bobbers.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">If the fish coasts up to a bait and sips it in, a decent float will sink down. Even though the fish is standing still, your float will move! You get a first alert that your bait has been inhaled. You can react and you can catch this fish. The bobber counterparts will suffer fish ejections, fish refusing to take the bait in and fishing that is not-so-hot.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Do NOT be sad or upset regarding any of the products if you own them and use them. DO think about the improved capability some floats can offer your fishing in cold conditions where the fish are sipping light.</span></p>
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<img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220392795?profile=original" alt="" style="float: right;"/><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial"><span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Feeding Naturally</span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial"><span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0.0px">One last look at this video I found: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yauU364_Gz8"><span style="font: 12.0px Arial; text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #0b00ae">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yauU364_Gz8</span></a></span> <span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">and you can really see a bait traveling and how our friends the gills feed. In this final video pay real attention to how the bait moves. The fish goes forward and then kicks in its fins to come dead stopped in the water column. See the distance that bait travels and how this bait (which has no line) easily zips into the fish’s mouth. This is natural feeding. I can’t stress enough how the fish are used to sipping lightly and getting their food efficiently.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Little effort is put into eating. Watch how fast it disappears. While I don’t have the video yet, I will. I will show you how fast a fish can eject a bait because it is equally as fast. In, out. Faster than you can react.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">You're Fast- They are Faster</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I know some of you have lightning-fast triggers. Readers of this blog are really skilled. I’m not knocking you, but the fish are used to rapid-fire sipping and ejecting to sort through their food, catch, inure and eat their food.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Now that you have seen what few anglers have seen in one sitting, do you have some ideas for fishing this Spring? I do. I have some killer rigs coming for you and some tackle that is off-the-hook. It’s actually for on-the-hook but you get the idea.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Thanks for reading & get fish’n!</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">John</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><a href="http://www.chicagofishingschool.com">Chicago Fishing School</a></span></p>Old School - Bobbers / New School - Floatstag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2010-02-07:2036984:BlogPost:718492010-02-07T22:30:00.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Bad Bobbers</b></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">What comes to mind when you think of that word?…</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Bad Bobbers</b></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">What comes to mind when you think of that word?</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Round, red& white, styrofoam, pencil-style yellow & white, with the spring on it? I shudder when someone uses that word, but that is what most people visualize as their bite indicator. I dislike it so much, I'm going to bleep it out cause it is a bad word. If you have explored the b*bber, you might use a bubble float to cast out. You are in the advanced crowd with some of the slip b*bber people, you have modified your rig and escaped the fixed, clunky contraption that is the cheapest, worst bite-indicator in the world.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Side note-bite is a horrible term too, while gills and fish might clamp and hold prey, or mash it, most of the time they suck their food in without biting. Bite is not the greatest of terms, but we use that too. Are they biting, probably did they feed or did they suck, but that doesn't sound so hot then.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Oh- please take no offense if you fish a bobber all the time. Please consider there might be something better. You'll have to trust me on that.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Too Bobbery</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Back to the b*bber). Advanced setups for the b*bber allow you to decrease buoyancy of the device by either adding water into your casting bubble (removing air), or you add a stop knot and split shot to cast and slip your float to fish deeper water. Cool term I use is a slider. There are two ways I fish floats. Floats? This is the preferred term over b*bber. The difference between a float & a b*bber is floats catch 10x more fish. Skeptics, stay with me, I can prove this statement and will. I don't wish to offend any of you who might love your favorite b*bber, but it's a fact. There are days where a round red & white, pencil, or even custom-shaped fancy Rocket b*bber won't catch you squat. Squanto, zip, zilch, skunk, empty-set, close your eyes nothing, is what you would catch during cold-fronts, after cold rain or in tough, low-feeding conditions. That Rocket b*bber setup laying on its side is one of the worst-don't get me started.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Cold Spring Fishing</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Case & point, I teach people fishing all around Chicago's urban waters. During the month of March, water temperatures are in the high 40's and fish feed lightly, in fact, very lightly. They don't suck the bait in because their gills don't move out as far with their metabolism slow. They have been feeding on very tiny stuff all winter which is easily taken in with a subtle sip and short gill movement.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">One March day, I was setting up a float rig for a student. He had purchased the brown balsa floats from Lindy (Thill Gold Metal). While I have much more sensitive floats, this was the student’s gear. I figured, with me setting this average float up, I could make it sensitive by adding shot and putting 97% of the float down in the water. My float uses 1/8 of the shot necessary to sink the “shy bite” Lindy float. So I set it up as best I could. Barely the top of the orange tip was above the water.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">That was the day I truly realized what good floats, with proper setups can do for your fishing. I fished this pond many times for 8 years. I knew the fish. The hook was right, the leader thin and the bait was excellent, fresh & lively. I couldn’t get a bite on that gear for minutes. I did catch a couple of fish for him and showed him what to look for. The trouble was, with the subtle bite, his “indicator” wasn’t indicating much at all. It sat there like a hunk of wood. I could easily see a red & white b*bber blanking on this day the fish were C-O-L-D.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I setup next door to him using some of my own floats which were far smaller and which included a thin stem at the top. This nylon stem is about 1/10th as wide as the tip of that brown Lindy float. As stated, I used much less shot to sink all of the balsa under water leaving only a tiny, thin orange line above the water line. My float was so sensitive, I could see the weight of the hook & bait when the line straightened out.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We fished our 4 hour club session. I did get up a few times and wasn’t fishing the entire time. My neighbor did well, caught 16 fish and did have a couple pounds of fish to show for his first day. Remember, urban gills are small so think 1/4 lb. fish. He was very pleased with his 3 lb. catch. He had not caught anything previously. On the spot next door, I bagged near 200 fish and came in at 36.5 lb. A proper float, beats any off-the-shelf solution 20:1 during slower feeding periods.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Lift & Drop Takes</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The major reasons a float destroys the b*bber - “lift takes” as well as “drop takes”. Sadly, many reading this have never seen a “lift take”. Few have picked up on the “drop takes”. “He’s nuts, I’m a great fishermen” - “I’ve fished more than him, I’ve seen them”. It’s not your fault my veteran friends! I never saw one until someone got me fishing proper floats.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Let me tell you what they are and get you really excited to set one of these up this Spring.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Lift Take</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">the Lift</span><br/> The “lift” take is when your bait has reached depth so all the line is straight beneath your float. Remember a few paragraphs ago when I said I could see when my single maggot (spike) and hook reached depth. Why? My float is sensitive and my rig is subtle so the bait falls slowly with a tiny hook. (Large hooks drop like anchors!). Light wire hooks nation- they present a bait more lively, more natural than shoving a thick, steel rod in and exploding your bait. Back to the float up top. This slow-falling bait (light hook) is spotted by our sight-feeding friends the bluegill. This usually entices them to investigate. As their face approaches the very lively, wiggling, natural-looking grub, the move in for the “take”.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Remember also that this is cold water. Our friend the gill moves slower to intercept. The grub reaches depth and my float settles to its final spot. The stem slunks half-way down to the water surface (you can see it with my floats).</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">What happens next is what causes the “lift”. In cold water or when fish come from below the bait (like on the bottom), the fish either stops right at the bait or it rises up slowly at the bait. When the fish “takes” or sips the grub in, they erase the weight on my line beneath the float and my float LIFTS! Upward bite indication. Crappies are notorious for this and bluegills do it too when they rise out of cover. They might swim a few inches upward with your grub in their mouth. Up comes the float.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">With the Rocket B*bber, it lays there flat on the water surface - no indication at all! With round b*bbers, you might see the b*bber top tip, but then again, you probably will see nothing but a bobbing chunk of plastic. Pencil floats, like the “shy bite” are just too heavy and clunky. Their reaction is far less when compared to a good float.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">the Drop Take</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Finally, we are at the “drop take”. Common in warmer water and aggressive conditions, the fish hit the bait on the drop! They see it and want to beat their competition to that food. They swim fast and intercept the bait, sometimes up near the surface even.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">With my floats, since our bait is falling slowly, the float will very slowly stand up from a 20 degree angle to straight upright. If the float stem stays at any angle, it is very likely your bait has been picked-off early.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">If I fish at a 3 foot depth, the bait might take 6 or 8 seconds to reach that depth. When I flip the rig out, I make sure the hook line is straight when it enters the water. As the shot and grub fall, my sensitive float angles from sideways to straight up.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">If the float stops straightening before 6 seconds - that’s a take. If the float doesn’t straighten up at all -that’s a take. If the stem doesn’t settle down, that’s a take.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Simple science to this rig. Reduce the split shot on the rig, reduce the buoyancy of the float and reduce the amount of pull needed to sink the rig (or lift it), and create an easier-to-eat food for the bluegill, crappie, perch or any fish! Using tiny shot and a very light hook, there is less resistance for the bait to travel in the water.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>See What's Happening</b></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Even the most subtle, cold-water bite can be accounted for up top, on the water’s surface for our eye to see. More importantly, so we can set the hook prior to the bait being ejected. Since fish don’t bite, and because they suck their prey in, they also spit the bait out faster than you can blink! A natural rig, encourages a longer bait hold by the fish. A natural rig allows you better reaction time whereas a clunky bobber offers you many ejections and fewer fish. With all the resistance created by the bigger split shot, (and most of the time larger hook), your hook might not even travel into the fish’s mouth. Setting the hook with your bobber might result in what is commonly called “a bite”- oops, “missed him”.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">New Tackle</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I will be featuring this tackle coming up this Spring which will really put you in the advantage on the water. I will also be creating some videos to demonstrate the stuff in action so you can see it live.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">In May there will also be a chance to bet with me in my quest to catch a bunch of fish with this technique. I will be fishing for charity coming up this Spring in a 24-hour bluegill-a-thon. While there will be a few species mixed in such as golden shiner, crappie, bullhead and hybrids, I will catch close to 85% bluegills to see how many I can catch and how much we can raise. I will need your help.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Bet With Me for Kids</span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I will need your help coming up and you can bet with me if you want to donate some money to charity. I will have a link which goes straight to the Children’s Memorial Hospital Fund (503c) for families who have really sick children. The families are at the same time suffering from financial woes of massive medical bills. Devastated by the possible loss of their children and going deep into debt, these families suffer and suffer. Many go past their insurance and owe hundreds of thousands of dollars.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e">While many of you like myself have had a tough few years financially, I hope this year our country is out of the worst and picking up steam. If you absolutely can not help, well my thoughts are with you too. Downsized after December, when my company let go 65,000 employees, I decided to do this. Start a cause and do what I want with my time. If you are in a tight spot, well cheer me on, and pass the word to some others is all I ask.</p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I would hope fans of catching fish have read this wanting to learn. Pledge .10 cents a fish. How about .25 cents a fish? I will be fishing for 24 -hours this May and you can pledge just a dime per fish with me to help some families. Do you have 3,000 dimes? If you are wondering about the math, stick with this, and remember this is for very sick children.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Checkbooks Ready</b></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">.25 cents a fish might cost you $750 dollars, if things go as I plan (which they seldom do right?). You are perfectly able to put a cap on your donation pledge. While I would love to have incredible catching success and large donations to help these families, I don't wish to trick you.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The tactic I will use was taught to me by a World Champion angler. I have practiced them on 3 continents. The tactics are deadly and if you are doing the math quickly, I am hoping for 3,000 fish caught in 24 hours. This tactic helped me to a 1st place finish on day one of the US Open bank angling series in 2,000, while others spent too much time on big fish, I trusted this method.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e">I will be using one line, one hook in the water at any time. Each fish will be landed one at a time.</p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Join me this Spring - ditch your b*bbers in a recycling bin or just put a boot on them. I don’t even think they are good for recycling. I hope that I can catch an enormous number of fish in that 24-hour period and that together we can raise a lot of money for these children and families.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e">Seriously, if you want to help this great cause, do bet against me. Have the money set aside as I do intend on catching as many of these fish in a public pond as I humanly can in that time-period.</p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e">Email me and when everything is set for this 24 - hour attempt, I will help you register on the First Giving website to pledge your donation per fish.</p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Fish Accounting?!</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e">The event will be video taped as well as have a staff of witnesses to keep count for the entire 24 - hour period. You can bet a straight amount (pledge a donation) or you can bid .25 cents per fish for example. Wondering if I can catch 1,000 or 3,000? Is there anyone that would pledge $1 a fish. I will do my very best. I have watched as a 5-year old passes to cancer and seen what it does to their family. You are really not betting against me, but helping a great cause. Stay tuned.</p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e">I will put the link on here as well and ask that you all pass this link and encourage others to help.</p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e">Thank you for reading & Get Fish'n -</p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande; color: #5e5e5e">John</p>Chicago Fishing League for Bluegills?tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2010-02-04:2036984:BlogPost:712812010-02-04T04:16:04.000ZJohnny wilkinshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
For gill enthusiasts we watch the tv shows and bass center on the weekends and our species sometimes pops up. I would love to have a reality show on bluegill fishermen like Deadliest Catch. I do know of one such show in the works called IceMen detailing the life of ice fishing teams in the upper midwest.<br />
Still, I think we can do better for the toughest fish pound-for-pound in any freshwater pond.<br />
Europeans by my home town had a fishing league going for a few years, on our ponds around Chicago.…
For gill enthusiasts we watch the tv shows and bass center on the weekends and our species sometimes pops up. I would love to have a reality show on bluegill fishermen like Deadliest Catch. I do know of one such show in the works called IceMen detailing the life of ice fishing teams in the upper midwest.<br />
Still, I think we can do better for the toughest fish pound-for-pound in any freshwater pond.<br />
Europeans by my home town had a fishing league going for a few years, on our ponds around Chicago. When I joined it numbered over 50 anglers meeting to fish and compete. Many of the competitions were won based on their bluegill weights. I remember fishing in my first US Open and beating several pros in my section of the lake who came in from England. They went for carp, I caught a mess of bluegill. They couldn't master the aggressive bite of the bluegill so easily. Also, I was using a cane pole so I was fishing much faster than they were with their long rods.<br />
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The league changed and migrated to a carp league. I think this was it's death as that 50 angler league quickly diminished to a 3 person competition last year. The death of the league was due to both infighting and changing venues to carp-heavy venues which lacked bluegills.<br />
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I think it is high time to recognize the awesome spectacle that is the bluegill competition. If you have never seen one, it is really great to watch this speed fishing session for bluegills. Image 25 - 50 anglers, each 20 feet apart on numbered spots. Each person draws a number and then walks out to that numbered spot. Ideal ponds or lakes offer a constant depth and similar features on shore. A depth of 3 - 4 foot only 10 feet out is best so that there are fish all along, close in for the competitors.<br />
When I say competitors, I mean any average Joe who wants a taste of a weekend fishing match.<br />
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Anglers have a setup time period say :30 minutes after reaching their spots. Allow time for everyone to walk on bigger ponds or with bigger crowds you might need an hour. After the setup time, when everything is quiet, a whistle sounds. Lines are then wet and the fishing begins. Fishing is furious when it is good. Some of the best competitions occur when the bite is slow or after a cold front. We call these grinders. Winning a grinder means really working at every single bite.<br />
Timed sessions are best run for a 4-hour period. At the end of that period, sometimes when you are dripping wet from bluegill action, the horn or whistle sounds. This ends fishing and all lines come out of the water.<br />
Fish are kept in very long, framed mesh bags. These keep nets offer a 10 - 12 foot framed live well in the water. These offer shade and a recovery space for all fish caught. Officials start at the far end as anglers clean up. A scale is used and each bag is taken out of the water next to the numbered space. Fish are quickly weighed all at once and then returned directly to the water and area where they were caught.<br />
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The weight is entered, people look at the catches, try to guess who was catching the most. Some spots are just better than others like points, or near certain parts of the pond. Great anglers catch fish on the not-so-good spots and on not-so-great days when fishing is tough. New anglers might luck into a great spot. Some contests are decided by just one extra bluegill. Once all are weighed in, a winner has been decided. All gather for a reading of the official results and the awards are handed out. Great clubs offer many awards, not just to the top 3 but to the bottom, to the jr. anglers, biggest fish, least fish, skunk award etc. so that all share and all have fun.<br />
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Our old club died out because only the top 3 people won anything. When we fish one public pond, individual weights of 14 lb. of fish were average for 4 hours of fishing. Great weights were in the 30 and even 45 lb. of bluegills in 4 hours! Our fish are smaller here near the city so that is a bunch of fish. My best bag of fish numbered 512 fish but only weighed a measly 23 lb. These were the tiniest fish I have caught on average but as stated, I was soaking wet when I finished and it was a blast!<br />
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Because we fed grubs and ground bait (flavored crumbs) to attract the fish, the average size fish on the lakes where we compete is much larger than other ponds in the area. If you get a league going on your local pond, you will notice the gills increasing in size. Pay pond owners who want to juice up the size of their gills should offer spikes (maggots) for sale by the 1,000. Get a league going and your league anglers will boost the size of your fish!<br />
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There are so many great ponds where you could run these and so many could enjoy it. If you are interested in starting a league, I would be happy to discuss it with you to get it rolling. Work with your local bait store to get them going and have a ton of fun. Some of the gear can be a little harder to locate but I can help you find it.<br />
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Start one up and maybe you can get a big league going and we can convince ESPN to have a GillCenter on Saturday morning. Seriously - reality tv needs some monster gills. Well, we are going to get a league going near Chicago- let me know how you do. Oh, lastly, a league can start with just 2 or 3 people! Ask your bait store and get going.