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SLIP’S 2017 LOGS, STATUS AND STRATEGIES
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Permalink Reply by Slip Sinker on
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20170605----~~<")))))><(---*B.Gill Spawn Period*--71°
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20170605- took a short walk to the bridge to test the b.gill bite on a newly restrung slip/float/pink-waxie set-up. No panfish but a nice fight from a tagged SMB. Put the tiny bait in the zone ends up with some nice productivity.
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20170606----~~<")))))><(---*B.Gill Spawn Period*--73°
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20170606- with cold front conditions and high winds and earl’s only day off this week we go fishing. We set Connor up with a 2’ ice rod and slip/float/worm rig to keep his casting arch small… lol and we launch at a local reservoir known as Ross Lake in the white caps.
The water temperatures dip down a little to the low seventies.
Most of our spots are eliminated by muddy water and waves. We struggle to find fishable water. We end up in some back canals and cuts and do pretty well with the P.Seeds on the slip/float/waxies and crawler bits.
Not a great day for fishing.
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20170608----~~<")))))><(---*B.Gill Spawn Period*--74°
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20170608- with lows in the mid 40’s at night I know it is putting a strain on the B.Gill spawning movement.
Once out on the lake with calm seas and bright sunny skies I noticed very little activity in the shallows. I started tagging Lepomis at the edge of the 4-5’ contour.
Long-Casting/Micro-Jigs seemed like too much work for so little production.
The Solunar Day was marked as a 92% Excellent… the fishing reflected that somewhat. Due to the cold front conditions, the major and minor periods seemed to not have much impact. The minor period starting at 19:26 thru 22:26 had the most impact resulting in some lunker class Lepomis including a bottom of the ninth walk-off P.Seed 9” class.
The method of the day was Slip/Float/Pink-Waxie.
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20170609----~~<")))))><(---*B.GILL Spawn Period*--74°
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20170609-I had all the numbers working for me today!... full moon with a a 96% rating, low 70’s water temps, classic productive methods of presentation and historic waypoints of hotspots occurring this time of year… except numbers of quality fish. What happened?
One of the standard stretches of water is no public secret… the locals tag fish regularly with many fishing from their local waterfronts tagging exceptional concentrations of exceptional fish. Has over-harvesting taken its toll in this area of my interest today? That would be my only explanation concerning the low numbers of tagged fish.
Don’t get me wrong I caught numbers of fish that would of kept many other fishermen happy… but on this day I expected more especially when comparing to past historical results.
Solution?… I should of moved on instead of waiting it out… maybe explore more possible new hotspots and being more productive that way.
Many of today’s tagged fish were of the vacant beds along the shallow first break of scrub weeds in 4-6 ft of water. The popular method for these fish were the long cast/jig method. Many fish were also tagged running the shoreline with a shallow set slip/float/crawler bit method including a near lunker class R.Bass, a few lunker B.Gills approaching the mid nines and a near Master Angler P.Seed. I just wished the numbers were higher.
The weather was beautiful for the period… I enjoyed the flat seas and sun… got some work done on the tan. I will try a new location for the following day of the full moon.
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20170610----~~<")))))><(---*B.GILL Spawn Period*--76°
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20170610-Fishing with Family during the Full Moon Period….
After yesterdays lower than expected results with the lunkers on the full moon I decided to take the family to one of my most productive lakes… private with no public access or public launch we set out on a beautiful late-spring day during the spawning period.
We saw plenty of action… all of us kept busy reeling in the fish all trip long with Kenny passing the 50+ fish count with many quality fish all tagged on the Long-Cast/.016 oz jig/1” Apex Minnow Method. Jeri and Brenden casted for LMB and preds and I kept busy with the Long-Cast/.016 oz jig/Lil Minnow or Pink Waxie methods.
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20170611----~~<")))))><(---*B.GILL Spawn Period*--74°
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20170611-73%/74°~ Fishing by the numbers for the numbers….
All the solunar numbers were in line today and the numbers of fish at the end of the day bear that point out. Numbers of lunkers as well as eater slot panfish were eye widening.
I work the solunar tables and I am aware of the good times as well as the bad when it comes to fish activity while fishing. Sure I catch fish all periods but I feel it’s important to know while I am out on the water to recognize the fish activity solunar level that tables provide. Knowing these numbers allows me to fish accordingly.
Today was destined to be a good day… I fished the major and minor periods and every time slot in between on this day the day after the full moon. Lepomis spawn multiple times during the open water season and I easily recognize at least two spawning periods for them here in Michigan… once in May and another major spawn in June. This was the period for June and it was first-rate.
The strategy used was slip-float/waxie and long-cast/tiny jigs on the fist shallow breaks outside the beds… not disturbing the bedding males if any in position.
I tagged many lunker proportioned Lepomis P.Seeds as well as the B.Gill. I could have very well been one of those days any presentation would have worked.
A few memorable strikingly colored male P.Seeds were tagged next to the stumps in a small stump field with the slip/float/waxie method.
Beds were clearly visible with circling protective bulls in less than 2 FOW! Many in the trophy category that I decided to leave alone to pass on the trophy genes. For me this is an important necessary long term strategy for future trophy fishing in a particular BOW.
On paper this day may be the best all around numbers day for the season… we will see!
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