Quill fits the Gill

[John McKean]

In between still falling snow, heavy rain, floods, and tornados (western PA THIS week!!), I found 2 days at the beginning of the week that, amazingly, were sunny & almost warm! Headed up to a favorite small hard fished public lake that has good bluegill& crappies, plus was stocked with trout for ice fishing last month. The water temps were still in the 30s,with ice just having melted, and none of the few there were doing anything on various baits. I got out a 6" porcupine quill float, and attached a 1/32oz Wade's Blade "horizontal minnow" with a 1" single tail plastic. The jig weight was just right to upright the quill,submerging it just half way (a good thing because a nice wind was blowing right down the cove-the submerged portion of the quill kept the float from drifting). After a brief time searching, the quill would just nod at an angle -time to gently lift into a hard fighting 'gill!! Other times during the jig's drop after casting the quill would just lay there and not upright itself-time to set again, as this was a "lift bite" (gills would come up from below & take it, allowing no weight on the float). Rarely did a bluegill give any jiggle of the quill with his delicate take - you had to rely on the length of this special float to watch for an almost imperceptible tilt. Only the clumsy TROUT would jiggle the quill and/or move away with it!! But it was a good mix of the two species, and I'm anxiously awaiting this horrid weather to change for the better again!

[Lord of the Fly , Rods]

Good Job  John, I always said quills dont have to go under to know when they are licking it, but when they slam it hard it a real thrill.How deep were you fishing?  , and how many do you think got away? We use crickets down south on quills and it's almost like using a net on them, it almost quits being fun and almost becomes work to get the next one in the boat as quick as you can. I haven't floated jigs under quill yet but it sounds like you have found the perfect bobber.

[John McKean]

As I mentioned, it was fairly windy with good current coming right into the cove that I was working-sometimes this tilted the quill a bit as it was, so to detect a slightly more tilt was tough! If the 3" quill top LOOKED funny,I lifted ! Sometimes slight indecisiveness caused me to feel the gill just as he was getting off!! But considering this is very early even to find bluegills in this shallow bay, I was quite happy with the surprising number of hits! I had my jig set to go 3 to 5' deep-just above bottom. Both the gills and the trout loved the tiny WadesBlades jigs  that would hover down to them; I call this "jigging from the top",rather than the usual bottom hopping!Those sharp #10 and #12 hooks really helped-when the quill showed them "licking", those thin wire points did the" sticking"  !!

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

And that's why Johnny Wilkins is always going on about our poor methods of fishing with floats/bobbers. People just don't know any better.

My bet is you would have seen none of that activity if you had the usual sort of bobbers in the water.

 

Nice description of the days events.

[John McKean]

Yep, David, it's definately the "thrill of the Quill" that gives away those very subtle panfish bites (or "licking " the jig as LOFR would say!). The ole Porcupine spike is such a fascinating, cool looking, ,natural tool that you almost can't help but concentrate on it, and thereby detect its tiny shifts &twitches! Plus, with just regular spinning outfits,the quill casts like a dart!

[Johnny wilkins]

Note- all my float & bobber friends - I think that float and bobber fishing is the best and my favorite so do remember - if I am commenting it is because I love it and float people are the best people of all - live bait is where it is at. 

: )

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

A paladin, for certain.

[Johnny wilkins]

I'm a bit negative though eh?! 

Yes, I laughed after saying that. Temps in the 20s and I am piling rocks today, my sentence for talking up against the tackle industry - working the rock pile. The only difference I won't be making smaller rocks of bigger rocks and I don't have a black & white stripped outfit. Pond 4.0 needs to be built heron-proof.

[Lord of the Fly , Rods]

How does that make ponds Heron-proof ?  or are you just putting in a supply of rocks to throw at the birds when you see them?

[Johnny wilkins]

I am laughing so hard right now - that is awesome! Throwing rocks is genius my friend - I am still laughing yes! Thank you.

 

Well, two things, I need bigger rocks for the edges to hide the edges but probably more importantly I need rocks on the bottom so that their spear-beak doesn't punch through the rubber liner.

I love the idea of throwing rocks and I have thought through firing a compound bow at this thing. The trouble is when I enter the yard they are very sensitive to noises and the slightest of motion. I had to work just to spot the thing.

I still love the rock-thowing image - ow my shoulder!

[Lord of the Fly , Rods]

Oh, I see now, I have install a few coy ponds myself, Try a scarecrow or a decoy owl to keep them away, down south birds have emptyed out minnow farm ponds completely, birds gonna eat too.

[Johnny wilkins]

I will have a circle of a dozen owls sitting on top of a dozen heron decoys - all of them armed. I will then be on my pile of rocks- which I have dubbed Lord of the Fly Hill and I will be poised to stone this deathy-winged fish monger from the air.

 

I fear using my compound bow or getting a shotgun would be frowned upon by the neighbors who would be about 100 feet from where I would be shooting this killer out of the air.

[Lord of the Fly , Rods]

Sling Shot, air rifle,pellet gun, trot line with corn or minnows, you'll figure something out.