Paul Roberts

Meticulously ties flies are not often necessary, at least for steelhead, (but sure are fun to tie ). Along this line: Why fish a Sammy vs some cheap knock-off? The difference with flies is that someone had to make them -by hand. Wouldn't you appreciate meticulous? The "elaborate" casts are necessary bc FF is difficult to do well and the "perfect" presentations are all about that control. Less than perfect is magnified with fly-tackle. Along this line, I gotta ask: Why use a shot string? Why not just crimp a big ol #1 on there and call it fishin'? "Difficult" biters?; often-times yes. For those "easy biters" you can thank water conditions, fish activity, and lack of angling pressure. Everyone's a hot-shot then, especially those with a modicum of expertise. But those conditions are not, by far, the only game in town. Then try to cover it with fly tackle. There are certainly times and places where FF, even by a good practitioner, falls too far off the efficiency chart. When FF starts to try to emulate a good drift set-up, I ditch it for the real thing. But this is actually true for all tackle -a drift rig does not cover ALL the bases.

When you frequent the same waters you begin to recognize Old Friends, and appreciate C&R more and more. I once caught a ~6lb LM on a crankbait off a small sunken hump in August that had one blind eye. The following August a friend of mine caught the very same fish on the same spot with a crankbait. It was still blind LOL, and had put on a bit of weight. He thanked me for releasing it. And he did the same. I've also been able to follow strong hatch years in the small waters I fish. Many of these little waters tend to have boom and bust populations. I followed one year class (from 2000) during which the bass went from hordes of little ones that would eat anything, eventually honing down to a good number of bass that reached 18" (in 2008) before the pond went nearly dry during a drought. They survived this winter but the numbers aren't there. It's fun, and interesting, keeping track of them. But I also lost an entire pond, with a big hatch year I was following, to winterkill a couple years ago. That was a bummer. I have one pond that has a large group of 19" class fish that maintain great body condition except for mid-summer. But, I've only broken 20" there twice, and just barely. I think this is the type of water that begs for an up-sized presentation. There has to be some bigger ones there, although it's a heavily fished water and a lot of anglers seem just unable to release a "big one". Normally, when bass begin to outgrow their food, it shows in body condition, but no signs of that at this pond. So the lack of 20+inchers in my catch is probably a combination of old age, angler kills, and possibly tactics. It's really satisfying to get to know specific waters.

John, your scaring me -more than I scare me.

Ditto the Chatterbait. It came on like a gimmick, but is a really good coldwater bait.

Try the J-knot. One knot, absolutely simple to tie. Easy to seat the main reason for a failed Uni. I use a leader, but know people that don't. I know one guy who tested day-glo yellow braid sans leader on both walleye and LM and did just fine. One day he was top rod on the boat with best fish. He's a pretty sharp angler though. A few potential problems with braid: -It's slippery! SO it doesn't bite into itself and knots can come undone on a big fish. Use a Uni-Knot, leave some tag, and check it for slippage often. - Now this one needs a good scientific testing, but has been a topic of discussion surrounding braid: Because of its zero stretch, braid is the most sensitive line there is, WHEN IT IS STRAIGHT! It is so supple and thin that when it bows or folds it can create a complete disconnect in terms of feel. Wind can do this, and having a fish swim toward you can potentially do it. Other lines, being more rigid, can provide some sensitivity even when bowed. You can feel the weight as the fish moves. Thin supple braids can short circuit feel when slack is introduced. What fluoro seems to offer is its density; it's ability to provide straighter contact with a subsurface lure. Testing has shown that fluoro does not offer lower stretch than mono.

I assume you are talking about swimming a ribbontail or kinked worm? Agreed, absolutely deadly, subtle, difficult for them to learn, and even allows you to cover water. A do-all if there ever was one. But...I agree with bass wrangler's take:

In general, I like a single for subsurface -willow faster and flashier and Colorado slower and creates a stronger wake. I like tandem blades for bulging the surface -again same blade styles as above. Another really good early spring lure option is a hard jerkbait: X-Rap, Rogue, Husky, etc...

I don't think anyone's offended. I was noticing the same thing, and started to make me wonder if the thread wouldn't be moved to the NE section by the mods. It's starting to feel like a Finger Lakes reunion of some kind here LOL. I think what we're seeing is the tail end of cabin fever. It gets bad this time of year on those big deep Finger Lakes, at least for the warmwater guys. Real good stuff on Keuka smallies earlier on in the thread. We're all just a-wait'n for that lake to warm up some so that SmallieFever, Tuckman, and Beardog can start reporting on what Keuka offers up this year. I'm waiting to hear if SmallieFever breaks the code on those suspended smallies. Or maybe he's being sent on a fool's errand :-/.

Thanks, Russ. Well...I own two of 'em now. One had a bad bearing, which I replaced.

Cullin, what state are you in?

Neat. Thanks. There is a group in my little town developing a "sustainability initiative" for the town. I was asked to teach a class on fishing. While talking with them I told them about the differences between sport fishing and subsistence fishing, and how important it is to distinguish and respect the two. There are eating fish that tend to be tastier and have high production, and then there are gamefish that have low production of quality size individuals. I told them I'd never disclose where and how to catch large bass, or bluegill for that matter, for the pan. They are a rare commodity and could potentially be decimated. But there are fish that could be used to supplement our diets. But if I were to teach a class I would be adamant about the difference.

I've had little time to fish, which means it's more important for me to try and pick the best day. I'm fishing from shore this time of year and have been waiting on good heating days to rendezvous with mature bass cornering bluegills tight to heated shorelines. Anyway, that's the plan. I spent yesterday afternoon on a cold pond: 48F shore to shore and top to bottom -thanks to the wind, despite a 70F day. Two weeks ago, during an unseasonable warm spell, I found the big 'gills on shore and big female bass starting to get on 'em -earliest I'd seen it. Pond was generally cold though, and the bass were sluggish -but some were there! Now I'd expect some of those big females to still be nearby (this isn't a big pond), but I couldn't raise one. I switched from braid to fluoro bc of the wind, and tried a number of lures even a lip-less, which you'll see on my rod when I'm getting desperate. The 'gills weren't visible either, and at one point another angler appeared, a 'gill hunter with bait, and he zero'd. They just weren't there. I'd move, then come back, catching smalls all around the pond, which told me the bass were active and willing to chase a jerk. The smalls were in groups, I catching two or three per spot. I also found a single gravid foot-long yellow perch. A couple more of those and I might have stayed put! Finally, as evening set in I finally gave in. "Time to do sompin' else!" I picked up and headed back to winter habitat -the deep steep side of the pond, and in the fading light I got bit twice in succession. The first was a pretty female in just great condition. The second, a twin of the first, came unbuttoned I could see the moment she pulled free that she was hooked on one tine of the trailing treble of my X-Rap. Notice the pale pinkish red wash across the underparts, including fins. This is that cold water "red mouth" syndrome, that also affects other parts of the body besides the tooth pads. All bass (11) had this to some degree a couple were quite strongly washed with pink-red patches. The teeth pads are beginning to fade though. Anyway, I was pleased to come up with something. I'm eye-ing tomorrow. Today was good, but I couldn't git way.

;D ;D ;D Welcome Kayakist! I'm a tube-ist, of late. Here's a bass I caught yesterday in 48F water showing some of the "cold water red". Notice the pale pinkish red wash across the underparts, especially the fins. This is that cold water "red mouth" syndrome, that also affects other parts of the body besides the tooth pads. All bass yesterday (11) had this to some degree a couple were quite strongly washed with pink-red patches. The teeth pads are beginning to fade though.

Right on! Surface temp is skin deep, at least when there's a mass of cold below it. I have summer profiles and find heat penetrates pretty well. The reason is that water is stingy in both taking on and releasing heat. That's why I call it a cold sink, or heat sink. That's what it is. In summer, once it warms, the short warm nights can't rob enough heat. My summer profiles are only as deep as my ponds -8 to 18feet. I see only about a 3-8degree drop from surface to bottom. In deeper lakes, thermoclines tend to set up at around 15 to 20 feet in early summer, and get progressively deeper as the season wears on.

I agree. You can take your flak jacket off! ;D However, if the bite requires a slower presentation, you may not have time to actually fish all that water. What you CAN do, and I'm guessing this is what MBM means, is paddle and scout out the best possible/probable locations. It's best to have an idea (right or wrong LOL) of what to look for and concentrate on. Yeah, understanding how things work, and reaping dividends, IS cool! It's what floats my boat. In a perfect world, the NW corner would heat first, but I've seen the NE, dead N, do so. And in some cases (not uncommonly) it's an E or W area that receives the most heat. It really depends on where direct sunlight falls. If you can, find the ponds that offer the best habitat as the sun progresses. It can be sort of like a steelhead circuit knowing the order in which streams clear after a freshet. Thus, you are on fish for a week or more, rather than just stumbling in on a good day. You can plan your good days. In early spring especially, keep your eye on the sun it rules the show. Since c17Lat is further south than some of us, he may be sliding out of the initial heat-up period. As depths begin to warm, the intense draw of the extreme shallows lessens.

I caught a bunch yesterday in 48F water and many still had red. It's beginning to fade on the tooth pads, but was present in other areas -the throat (outside), and around the vent. It appears to be just under the skin, and yesterday looked like a watercolor wash across these areas. It'll disappear as the water warms. Does every year. No, in this case, this is not crayfish related.

Will do. Really appreciate the moderating on this site.

I've been trying to get a handle on the spawn for the past few years, and getting more earnest each year; The last two years I've only observed and not fished the spawn. This will be year three. I've also been collecting scientific and angling literature on the subject. The original intent was to determine if moon influence was real, and how it influenced the spawn. It's expanded into behavior too -an obvious extension. I've purposely observed ponds of different volume and the smallest/shallowest begin and end spawning earliest, and temperature appears to be the main factor. The difference between my shallowest waters and deepest has been about 2 weeks, but more than a month compared with local larger reservoirs. Some of my very shallowest ponds are all of four feet deep and have reached 60-70F almost two months early, but the bass do not spawn. There are a number of reasons for this; things that must come together to trigger the spawn. -First, there is almost certainly an endogenous (internal) rhythm involved, probably set the previous year. -Final egg development takes some additional time, and body condition of females coming out of winter can affect timing. -Researchers talk of "temperature stability", that is, temps need to reach a certain level and stay there for a time. The literature all points to ~60F for LM. I am not sure how to get at this myself with the time and equipment at my disposal, but it seems as though reaching the very upper 50s at three to four feet in depth is enough of a "heat sink" to turn the light green. Now, realize this is in shallow ponds that do not have a large volume of cold water that might inundate a spawn site with cold water on the next big blow. This, I believe, is why protected coves in larger waters are such popular spawning locations and tend to spawn first. They are like ponds within a lake. So, topography matters. My shallow ponds are at risk of chilling from cold snaps and it does happen, likely killing the eggs. I measured 48F in some nests last year -yet a couple males stayed on the job. And this pond has poor hatches every year (but good growth in the survivors). Maybe they'll get lucky some year -I've seen this boom and bust scenario, and look forward to it . More voluminous waters buffer the affects of fronts, and since they spawn later the fronts are usually less intense. -Lastly, the moon appears to have a strong influence. Hopefully this year I can wrap up the moon observations, and put some real numbers to it. There are other things too, but these are key on my ponds. Oh yes, you are very correct: Measuring heating is more complex than most anglers realize. Surface temps, by themselves, can mean very little. However, if you understand how heating works, such a ballpark number can give you a sense of what's going on.

Bingo! I'd love to expand on that, but I'm actually going fishing today!! :) :) :) :) :)

Great post clipper! Right on. There's a lot to be said for opportunity, and balance. It can all be good stuff. It's just that too much time is spent in front of the tube (plasma), or plugged in. And in many cases too little parent investment. They grow up so fast. What a shame if we're too busy, or just unavailable, to enrich their lives. It's OK if my son doesn't fish much, although he loves it, at least he'll be exposed to it in a quality way. And I bet he'll come back to it, if he drifts. Nature is a powerful call, if it's made meaningful early on. There, I'm off my soap box as my son is right now hanging on my shoulder and saying, "Papa! Paaappa! Let's go!" -Off to do some swashbuckling (foam sword battling) in the aspen grove!

To be more specific: Look for heat. If you don't have it on that particular day, look for areas that WILL heat, and just fish slower, and/or a bit deeper. When you get heat, look for the fish to be willing to chase -you may have to speed up, or go more erratic.

Awesome! What was your weather like over the past couple days leading up to this catch? What time of day?

Very nice. Great time of year. Glad to hear you got out.

Good read: "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder" by Richard Louv

The only thing I've felt fairly sure about was translucent worms under high visibility conditions: clear water and bright sun, and opaque worms under dark conditions. But, I'm always suspicious of color theories even my own! I guess I've just seen too many instances where they just don't hold up. We can all come up with anecdotes about times when color seemed important; but was it really? I wonder if color's not just a lot more important to people than it is to fish. Call me a skeptic (who has been known to switch colors!) Kevin VanDam relates this story in one of his early books: "During a tournament in MI a few years ago, the top four finishers were fishing the same weed flat that was about a quarter-mile in diameter. We were all pitching worms into the weeds and, as we later discovered, we were all using different color that each of us believed was the secret to our success. I was throwing a black worm and it was the only color I could get bit on. Yet one angler caught his on Junebug, another was using Red Shad, and another was convinced that pumpkin was the hot color. Obviously, color didn't matter to the fish as much as it did to us." Nowadays, with the worm in Sexy Shad, and put on a red hook, might he be singing a different tune? For me, I have my ideas, based on as much "reality" as I can muster. But, there are just so many variables in angling that I really can't tell how much color REALLY matters. Al Lindner once described presentation as a tree, in terms of levels of importance: Speed and depth control are the trunk, color is out at the very tips of the twigs. Unless you have the trunk understood, and in control, the tips don't weigh in.