islandbass

Crescent Lake Report, Crescent Lake, WA - Sunday July 10, 2011 I had the chance to spend some time with the family in the Olympic National Park area this past weekend. One thing I was blessed with on this trip was having an opportunity to visit and fish at Crescent Lake. If ever there were an example of God’s beauty or hand in creation, Crescent Lake and its surrounding area would definitely be one. We discovered its splendor in August of last year, but it was not in the cards to go fishing on that trip. This visit did set in motion an eager anticipation to fish Crescent Lake on my next trip here. Fast-forward to Sunday, July 10, 2011. I get the green light to go fishing. I recalled the amazing water clarity of the lake from last year and assembled the gear and tackle I thought would provide a fair shot to catch fish from the shore; all of course, done so in my traditional, minimalist fashion: Tackle: A small Plano box containing an inline spinners and spoons and my BASS bag with a few packs of plastic worms. Rod/Reel: 6’6” Shimano Compre mated to a size 20 Rapala 6Sxi, that was spooled with 6# Sea Guar Invizx. Target: The Beardsley Trout -- Lake Crescent is home to a sub species of Rainbow Trout called the Beardsley Trout. As a matter of fact, is it the only lake in the world where they reside. To some, they are also known as blue backs because possess a shade of blue on their backs. Initial Observation and Game Plan Devised The first thing I noticed when I got to the end of the dock was that the depth of the lake appeared to drop off very quickly. At my best guess, the water seemed clear enough see 30 ft. down easily. There was no real cover or interesting locations to try out and being stuck to the dock or shore didn’t help. My gut told me that my best bet would be to work the area where the drop off and back up to where it starts to flattens as it nears the dock. Then hope that a fish or school of these trout would cruise into this zone. The time was 12:20 p.m. Inline spinners were given first dibs to catch a fish. I set up the inline spinner Carolina Rig style with a ¼ oz bullet weight to help me get to my intended depth faster and to make longer casts. Despite working the entire water column in a fan shape from right to left and switching blade sizes and colors, there were no takers. First out! Spoons were up to bat next. Unfortunately, no amount of jigging, or wobbling at any depth proved to be enticing to any potential takers. Second out. It’s now the ninth inning with two outs and the score is tied at zero. The thought of going home skunked cross my mind after about an hour of fishing. To add more pressure to the mix, I noticed my wife and kids started wrapping things up on the shore. Fortunately, I had an ace up my sleeve. It was time to employ finesse tactics… It was time to drop shot. I started with a green colored French Fry type of worm and found a stumbled upon a small patch of grass down deep. After about four casts, I popped my weight free of some grass and started retrieving line quickly to make another cast. As my bait and weight come into view, I noticed something trailing it. It was a trout, perhaps only 8” in length. It lost interest after it caught sight of me. I took the encounter with the trout as an encouraging sign that I could be on the right track but I was running out of time. My wife and kids were already headed to the van. I called my wife to tell her that I would be there in about ten minutes. Yikes!! I made the decision to switch to a Robo Worm because its more lively wriggling action just might be the ticket. The first two casts yielded no results. A quick look over my shoulder revealed that my wife was already opening the passenger door. This was it. The last cast of the day. The curtain was starting to fall. “Never give up!” I shouted in my mind, as I made the last cast. About two-thirds through the retrieve I detected the subtlest hit I have ever felt in my life. My line going slack followed the take. This suggested to me that it was heading up toward me, and it was! Yes! It started to ascend in a very slow and undulating zigzag pattern, meandering back and forth like a lazy river. The poor thing didn’t even realize it was hooked until I added tension to the line! At the top of my lungs I shouted, “I got one!!!” I must have looked like a fool trying to grab the attention of my wife or kids that I had a fish at the end of my line. Fortunately my daughter noticed my attention getting gestures and ran with haste with the camera to the dock. An employee of the lodge who also had fishing gear helped me land and release the trout. The lodge employee also confirmed that trout I caught was indeed the Beardsley Trout (I sure hope he’s right). He had been reading a book the entire time I was fishing and commented that it my perseverance was the key to landing this one and that he also catches them on plastic worms. I thanked him for his help and kind words. I wouldn’t say this was a homerun but I think it was a decent base hit at the very least. Truly this was a blessed day and I’ll never forget it. I can’t believe I caught it! Close up of Beardsley Trout. The photo does not give the trout justice in terms of how beautiful it is to behold in person. Conditions: Overcast, about 69 degrees.

Nope, don't know what you're talking about. I always know a snag from a bite... Always. Kidding aside, I think it's happened to everyone whose fished for some time. I had an embarrassing one myself. I thought I had a huge pig. It turns out that my hook was hooked at the bottom of a smimming ladder that was a little loose. Loose logs fight back too.

Project Hammer Update 07-07-11 I haven’t had any time to work on the project since the last posting until yesterday. It was time to work on the “end caps” that go on the top on the hammer. The larger pieces were what I carved out first. While they fit, they were too “large” and as a result, didn’t like aesthetically pleasing. It turns out that it would look good if the cap were about or just a little bigger than the diameter of the handle, which happens to be 7/8” with about a ¼” thickness. However, I wasn’t looking forward to working on that small a scale with the wood I had on hand. Fortunately, something in the garage caught my eye. Home Depot saved the day! There it was, a paint stir stick from Home Depot. The stick seemed ideal to use. Creating a 1” x 1” square would be a piece of cake now. So after using the same mathematical process I used earlier, it was a breeze to calculate the length of one side of the mini octagon end cap for my daughter’s hammer. If you’re curious, it’s slightly under 0.5”. In the photo, the octagonal end cap is already glued to the hammer. The square in the middle with a circle drawn inside it will be the end cap for my son’s hammer. I am happy with the progress to date. Drilling a hole for the strap, painting, and adding a clear coat are the remaining things left on the to do list. I bet my kids will enjoy painting their hammers.

Weird! They must have restocked or something. Earlier today both the 50 and 51 were out of stock. I just checked again a few minutes ago, and for both, it indicates that they're in stock. It's not too late. Back, monkey!! Stop rattlin' that cage!

Even the 51s are gone too!

Yup, you got it. I love how small the 50 is. But some of the salmon I battle can definitely make short work of a size 50 reel. I have been spooled with a Curado 201DHSV that was filled to optimum capacity by a brutish chum salmon.

Nice write up! Makes me want to go and get one myself. However, for my fishing needs, I try to make certain my reels can serve double duty for bass and salmon. As a result, the 50 sized Curado is ruled out as an option, but your report is making me reconsider.

God bless you and all the other service men and women for keeping us safe. Thanks for all you do and stay as safe as you can.

That is way cool. I would be shocked if it didn't catch fish. Well done and I bet it was worth the wait of learning to paint the blue gill scheme. Well done!

Marty, There is something about your painting style that just rocks. They all look great. I'd be biting Bait #4 if I were a bass.

Project Hammer Update 06-24-11 Just finished basic sanding and making a handle for my daughter’s octagonal hammer. I have reached a small snag in proceeding. I am somewhat torn between wanted to paint them with the traditional colors vs. the colors the want. Son: Red for the head with a black colored handle…. Hmm…. Daughter: Metallic Purple (Say What!?) for the head, and undecided on the color handle. Oh goodness gracious. What’s a dad to do? Lol

Thanks for your concern, guys. However, if they are half as hard-headed as me, then it would be the hammers that would risk getting damaged. j/j Trust me that thought has crossed my mind and I have laid down the ground rules on how they are allowed to play with them. Hitting anyone or anything is not permitted, but by all means, they are allowed to summon lightning and thunder, teleport, or fly.

Project Hammer Update 06-19-11 My son’s hammer is nearly done. I wish I had the right tools so that the work to make it would have been easier. The handle has been added. I will also need to add a circular cap on top and a hole for the leash before the final preparations can start. A little closer view. However, my daughter’s take on Thor’s hammer, is one that is octagonal in shape. I figured that a regular octagon (one in which all sides are equal in length) would be the best shape to use. Unfortunately, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to “eyeball” this without a lot of trial and error so I decided to really think how this could be done. I was hoping that little bit of geometry, trigonometry, and algebra should be enough to figure this out and I was hoping to remember enough of these subjects from elementary school to proceed. I started with the square face of the end of the block and worked from there. After I finished it, I thought that this would be an excellent opportunity to show my daughter (who is at that stage of where she is wondering why she needs to know math because it’s “useless”) how math can be useful, so I wrote it up as shown below for her benefit. Although I felt fairly comfortable with my calculations, I had a little doubt that I could be wrong. I found a page on the web on how to construct a regular octagon, and guess what? The guy did it the same way!!!! Yee hah! I guess I learned something when I was in school after all! The guy was kind enough to take it a step further to eliminate the square root of 2, but I didn’t care to do that. I had a great time working through this neat little challenge and I must say that it really paid off. As you can see below, my calculations weren’t too shabby. I used a ruler to confirm that each was 1.5”. I bought a circular saw this weekend, which I wish I had when working on my son’s hammer. The circular saw made short work of cutting out the octagon and would have made making his a lot easier. So far, so good.

Very nice work!

X3. The main purpose for that knot is for their lures that don't come with a split ring. That said, with a split ring that can happen with any other knot. It is wise to take an occasional look at the ring and knot for this.

Those look great!

Those look great. Just wait until your creativity starts to flow. For example, I have dubbed this my "Patriot" pattern, inspired after one Fourth of July. You take good 'ol red, white, and blue feathers: I use it on poppers and inline spinners. Yeah, I suck at painting. Pretty soon you'll be incorporating flashabou and other materials. I find it fun and like lure building, therapeutic.

I've caught bass on the "last" cast and it is awesome when it happens, but I will say I despise it when the last cast hooks up but I lose it. To me that it worse than an empty handed last cast.

Ouch! At least you weren't this guy:

Tie on whatever you use. However, on the downside with crankbaits is that the typical spincasters Line recovery rate might not be sufficient to keep them wiggling without a lot of handcranking. I noticed this with my son's spincaster. So it can be done, but depending on the reel, it could be a lot of work. It might not be the case with his reel. Any reason you won't let him go with a spinning reel or even a casting reel? I think you'd be amazed at how fast they will pick it up.

You have already received a lot of great advice, and it could be a little bit of everything, from the increased sensitivity of the fish (I suffer from this when using my better rods too). Sometimes the take is quick and an instantaneous hook set works, and other times you feel the take but they haven't gotten to the hook yet so when you yank you wind up ripping it from them. A variation of that is they hold on enough to make you think you set the hook and then the let it go. Since the hook wasn't in its mouth, they was no chance for to set the hook. Other times on the hook set, somehow the hook fails to meet up with the fish's mouth. Also, just because a blue is small doesn't mean it won't take a 5" senko. They will! I would chalk this up to, "You win some, you lose some."

Project Hammer I decided to take a short break from making another wooden lure and started on a minor project for my kids. They both thought that Thor’s Hammer was a pretty cool weapon so I took a block of wood 7” in length and possessing a height and width of 3.5” and got started. Unfortunately for me, I don’t have a table saw or else this would have been a breeze. I definitely have a lot of shaping to do. My son opted to go with hammer that should look how Marvel Comics draws it while my daughter wants to make hers octagonal as is lightly traced on the block in the first picture (much easier to cut). Incidentally, I’m going to give that crankbait an Iron Man color scheme.

If you're referring to the CRCX610MH, I have this rod. Shimano says it's good for: spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, Texas rigs, jigs and Flukes I love this rod and it is definitley up to those duties. So the answer to your question is yes!

Just My Take on the Drop Shot Fishing Technique I am no expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I have grown fond of the Drop Shot technique in my short, six-season fishing journey. I found this technique to be a very productive method to catch fish in a variety of states. In my first outing for fishing for smallmouth bass ever, I hooked and caught three smallmouth bass on three consecutive casts. It is the only method that has done this for me to date, and from the shore to boot. At the very least, I can share with you what I have learned through trial, error, and experience (which isn't much). As a method of catching fish, I believe the Drop Shot, as many bass anglers call it, has been around for a very long time. In its most basic form, it consists of having a weight at the end of the line with the hook a set distance above it. Basic Drop Shot Diagram Here is a generic set up: As previously noted, the weight that gets this rig to the bottom is attached at the end of the line and the hook is placed above it. Although weight of the sinker can be of just about any shape, there are some that are available that have a clip at the top of the weight that can be quickly attached to the line. It is not necessary, but it can be a convenient to use. A teardrop shaped weight with a clip for the line is used in the photo above.   Rod Selection You don't need a Drop Shot specific rod. A medium-light to medium-powered rod with a moderate to extra-fast action, and a length ranging from 6'3" on up to just over 7' should work for you for now, unless you plan to fish heavier cover. If you find drop shotting to your liking, you can then opt to go with a Drop Shot specific rod of your choice. As a rule of thumb, a longer rod will enable you to have more line control, which is a plus when using the drop shot. Unfortunately, many anglers perceive the drop shot to be an exclusively finesse (fishing with lighter line, and smaller baits) technique. I do not limit myself to such a narrow view. I believe that the drop shot technique can be successfully employed not only in finesse but also heavier situations. One would simply have to adjust the rod and line to suit the environment. Reel Selection – Spinning or Casting? The decision to use a spinning or casting reel is up to you. I will use either, depending on the conditions I face. I prefer spinning reels (a size 20 or 2500 reel is an excellent choice) if I am going to face light cover, use lighter line and a lighter weight (1/8 oz. or 3/16 oz.). This is because they require less work on my part to give the bait a better vertical drop than a baitcast reel ever could. I realize it is minor, but it is a major peeve of mine to have to strip line off when using 1/8 oz. or 3/16 oz. weights just to produce a vertical descent of the bait. This is not an issue with a spinning reel. A vertical descent is achieved without any extra effort when the bail is kept open. With that said, casting reels can also be used. Even a Barbie pole can get it done for drop shotting! I will not hesitate to use a baitcast reel if I were going to fish cover that required the use of heavier line, heavier weights, and larger baits. Drop Shot Weight and Type A 3/16 - 1/4 oz weight is a good starting weight. Going any lighter might make it harder for you to read what is going on until you get experience. As for the shape, I like to use either the teardrop (like the QuickDrops sinkers. They are my favorite.) or cylindrical shape and prefer the former as my first choice. I have not experimented with other shapes. When facings windy conditions, strong currents, or if you have to fish a greater depth, you might want to consider using a heavier weight. Line Because you are drop shotting, lighter line is preferred if the cover you are fishing allows it. Use a heavier line if the cover dictates it. The conditions I generally face allow me to use six-pound fluorocarbon line. I usually use Seaguar's Invizx or Cabela’s house brand. Seaguar’s Invizx line is surprisingly limp and that is what I like about it. It is very manageable on spinning gear, which is something that cannot be said about other fluorocarbon lines whose stiffness can make it a pain to use on a spinning reel. I know that some also like to use braid. I know the benefits of braid and am not against it and maybe someday I’ll use it with a fluorocarbon leader. Given the amount of sensitivity my rod and line already provide me, I just don’t have a need to take it up another notch to braid for the depths I typically fish, which is usually no more than 25’. If you plan to fish greater depths, braid may very well be the ticket. The enhanced sensitivity braid provides should be helpful.   Baits I keep an open mind when it comes to the baits I use. Many types of baits can be used. The general rule of thumb is a tendency to use smaller baits since we are "finesse" fishing (translates to downsizing in general). The length of a typical drop shot bait usually ranges from 3" - 4.5". However, this is not set in stone. Senkos, Sniper Snubs and Bolts, Roboworms, Reaction Innovations Flirts, Baby Brush Hogs and Tubes can be used. Think out of the typical angler’s zone. Do not limit yourself to using just a worm. Here is a picture of a smallmouth bass I caught on a longer Roboworm hoping for a bigger smallie. Bless its little heart. The Roboworm is nearly as long it is!   Hook, Knot, and Rigging I prefer to use size 1 or 2 (mostly size 2) Owner Mosquito or Gamakatsu Split Shot/Drop Shot hooks. If I am fishing a grassy area in which grass can catch the exposed hook, I opt for the Owner Down Shot hook, which is in essence a mini version of an EWG (extra wide gap) worm hook. Naturally, if you plan to drop shot much larger baits, you might need to go up in hook size. When tying the line to the hook to fish the drop shot, many anglers like to use the Palomar knot. Tie the Palomar knot as you usually would but do so with an extra long tag end. After the knot has been tied, position the hook with the point facing skyward and feed the tag end through the eyehook from the top. Next, tie, or if you have a drop shot specific weight, attach the weight to the tag end. TIP: To ensure that the point of the hook will face up after tying the Palomar knot, hold the hook so that the point is facing skyward in one hand. Then, initiate tying the knot by inserting the line through the hook’s eye from the top (the point’s side). If you start the Palomar knot by inserting the line the other way, the hook will be oriented point down upon completion. The two most commonly used ways to place the bait onto the hook when fishing the drop shot rig are to hook the bait through its nose, as shown in the first picture in this article and wacky rigged, or through the middle of the bait as shown below. A “Wacky-Rigged” 3” Senko   Tag End Length (Distance from the hook to the weight) The best way to figure this out is to experiment. I have had success with the tag end being as short as 4-6" to nearly but not quite 24”. Because drop shot method is not limited to a purely vertical presentation, a longer leader is an option if you wish to work it like a Texas or Carolina rig (i.e., dragging it on the bottom from spot to spot). When fishing from the shore and as I do most of the time, a longer tag end will enable you to keep the bait off the ground with the shallow angle that results from a long cast and being on the bank. For a more vertical presentation, a shorter distance from the hook to the bait could work. Another influencing factor is the depth at which the fish are staying. You might need to adjust your tag end accordingly to get the bait into the fish’s strike zone. Imparting Action and Giving Life to the Lure Despite my initial perception of working a bait on a drop shot rig, I have learned that it is not all about jiggling and wiggling the bait to death. An angler can indeed work the bait this way, but I can tell you from personal experience that wiggling and jiggling the bait to death (continuously) has accounted for the fewest number of catches. By no means am I saying to not wiggle and jiggle it to death. It is however, just one method that can be effective on certain occasions. So what should one do in addition to the wiggling and jiggling tactic? Keep the weight on the bottom for the most part and leave enough slack in the line to let the bait sink/float/suspend on its own accord. For lack of a better term, I call that slack, “semi-slack.” Then, when you think the bait is near the bottom lift/twitch the rod just enough to move the bait a little (without moving or minimizing the movement of the weight on the bottom) and repeat. In effect, what you are doing is working a semi-slack line, which in turn, imparts action and life to the bait. No hits? Repeat if you wish, or add a little dead sticking to the mix or, drag your bait to the next spot. All are good choices. The dragging of the weight from one spot to the next also imparts life and action to the lure and can help to draw a strike. Working a semi-slack line, dead sticking, or a combination of doing both have been very effective and productive for me. Give it a try and see if it does the same for you. Not sure what the bait will do? Find shallow water and drop your bait down. The depth should be one where you can see all the way to the bottom. Once the weight is on the bottom, let your bait fall by lowering your rod. After the lure hits the bottom, raise the rod’s tip enough to bring the lure up a little while keeping some slack in the line, and do your best to keep the weight in place. Watching this will give you an idea of what will likely be happening when you are not able to see the bait with your own eyes. Visualizing what the bait is doing when I can’t see it helps me to focus on what I am trying to do, and that is catching fish. Concerned about not being able to feel the bite on this semi-slack line if you are using fluorocarbon or braid? Let me put you at ease. It is not an issue. Either of those lines combined with a sensitive rod is more than adequate to feel the bite when the line has a bit of slack.   The Strike or Hit The strike or hit can vary depending on the activity level of the fish, the quality of your set up to a certain extent, and the line you are using. More sensitive rods do a better job of transmitting what is going on to you. I have had the blessing of drop shotting with my Berkley Cherrywood Rod, which is decent and not too shabby, but comparing it to my Lamiglas Certified Pro Drop Shot rod is something else. Here is my analogy: If the Cherrywood rod provides stereo sound to me while watching a DVD movie, the Lamiglas rod gives me the sound in THX and Blu-Ray for the mental image, for the full cinema experience. The latter rod is not necessary to enjoy drop shotting, but it makes it a lot easier to feel and detect the subtle strikes. The line you use can also influence the feel of the strike. My experience working with both mono and fluorocarbon is that the latter always seemed to give me a better picture. We all know now that although FC line can have as much or more stretch than a comparable monofilament line, it is likely that its density still enables it to beautifully transmit information from the end of our line, to the rod and to our hands. We all know how well braid transmits data back to the angler too so I don’t think I need to elaborate further. The hit or strike can feel like: A) A mushy tug or tick, which could translate to a complete inhalation of your bait or the fish attacking the lure from the hook's side. A nibble or nibbling that transmits vibrations through the line to you. Sometimes you can see or feel the line vibrate through your semi-slack line. More sensitive rods tell you this much better and more clearly. I believe when the hit is like this (my best guess anyway as I visualize the strike), it is possible that the fish might have taken the lure from the side opposite the hook and the nibbling/vibrations you feel is the fish taking in the bait into its mouth, eventually getting to the hook. C) Bam! An aggressive hit and it's on! The Hook Set For one and three, just reeling up the slack and adding enough tension to make the line taut is sufficient for most cases to drive the light wire hook home. For case two, you have to wait until the fish gets to the hook and then do as mentioned above. If you don't, you will pull the lure from the fish's mouth. Since it didn't get to the hook, there is no way the fish can get hooked. I have written this based on the experience I gained from drop shotting. Take it for what it’s worth, an opinion at best. I will close by giving you a final warning: WARNING: Drop Shotting is as addictive as it is effective. Good luck and go get’em! islandbass - ALA Review of My First Season Using the Drop Shot Technique The Drop Shot technique has been so effective for me that in my first season learning and using it, it has accounted for 100% of the smallmouth bass and about 70% of the largemouth bass I have caught in that season, I caught a lot, the most ever!!! And here is the thing that makes this even sweeter. They were all caught from the shore. No, this is not a testament to my skills, but a testament to the effectiveness of the Drop Shot technique.

Go two piece for convenience. That will greatly reduce the chance for trunk mishaps. All of my "trunk" rods are two piece for convenience.