IgotWood

I have never fished hair jigs, but it is something that I've been wanting to try. I spun this up this morning while having my coffee. Simple tie; some marabou, flashabou, estaz, schlappen, and laser dub, tied on a size 1 Owner Deep Throat, with a few lead wraps, and a large tungsten cone under the fish mask. Probably weighs in at just a hair more than 1/8oz.

I highly doubt they were any type of game fish. I would think they would spook quite easily before I could get on top of them in 3' of water. Yes, I know debris, sticks, leaves, etc. will register on the sonar. It could have been debris. However, I'm thinking that I may have located a good school of small bait. I went back there the other day, same conditions, same setting on the sonar, except increased ping speed, I found a large school of shad in the same area. With increased ping speed, and a slight breeze to keep me adrift, they were marking as small dots, schooled tight together.

As I said, I posted this somewhere else too. Several others replied with a thought that makes perfect sense. Because I was so shallow, the ping speed was set to slow, and the boat was not moving at all, they thought perhaps that I was marking bait fish, like shad. Because of the scenario, the returns appeared on the screen as large fish because the targets were directly under the boat for a long period of time because I wasn't moving. If they truly were fish, then I walk with my tail between my legs, because I threw everything I had at them and never got bit. Very good info in the links you posted...thank you!!

Thank you. I posted this in another forum as well. Most guys were saying that because of the depth, and the fact that I wasn't moving, these marks were likely shad in the 3"-4" range. It makes perfect sense. This is why I usually don't read the marks in anything less than 10 or 15 feet.

Hey folks. I am new to this sonar. This is my 4th time out with it. I don't normally feel confident in anything I mark in shallow water, except for bottom topography. However, I just couldn't ignore what I saw on the screen today. I was off a point, and the bottom is mostly mud and some grass. I threw everything I had at these fish, and couldn't conjure a single bite. I then tried a few panfish jigs, thinking perhaps it was a school of crappie, or something...but no bites. I had marks like this all over the place today. Once I got out to deeper water (5'-7'), I was finding marks like this way more frequently, and they were very close to structure. Am I wrong for trusting that these marks were actually fish? Am I misreading my machine? If they were fish, what the heck could I have done to get a bite? I tried jigs, cranks, jerks, wacky worms...no bites. My machine was set on 800mhz, noise rejection on, chirp speed was set on slow.

Thank you both! I appreciate it!

Awesome! I've been dying to make the trip up there, but it's much bigger than what I normally fish, and it's quite intimidating considering the two hour drive. Nice job!

Depends on the water, and season. When I fish a spot I am very familiar with, I should be able to predict which techniques, and which baits I will be fishing. Having said that, I would carry only one rod, if I could....maybe two, max. If I am fishing unfamiliar water, and I know I will be a good distance away from my car, I'll maybe consider carrying 2-3 rods.

All season I refused to buy one out of spite for its silly name. But then I got tired of seeing whopper plopper threads in the "Reports" forum, so I went and bought one. In the first hour on the water with it, I was only sorry that I hadn't bought one sooner. I caught MANY fish with the plopper this year, and I didn't buy one until late summer. I use the 90, and I have caught dozens of bass over 4, and several over 6 on it. I tie it direct to 20lb braid. It casts like a bomb, and yes, fish will often hit it the moment it hits the water. However, the 90 seems to take a few seconds to float back to the surface, so I usually give the rod a good pull as I start my retrieve, which causes the prop to begin turning while the bait is still submerged. This often triggers a lot of strikes. This is a very fun bait to fish.

I am in the market for a rod...and just like many fishermen, I want the rod to be able to do everything. Just kidding. What I am looking for, is a rod that will be used primarily for pitching jigs around trees and timber. Ideally, I would also like to be able to also get away with frogging, and maybe a light-weight, compact A-rig on occasion. Is this even possible? I fish out of a kayak, so I limit myself to carrying no more than four rods at a time. I hear most guys recommending med/hvy, or heavy power rods with a fast action for jigs. I am looking at heavy, moderate-fast rods in the 7'6" range. Am I out of line thinking I can do these things with just this one rod?

Feather-Craft is pretty awesome for fly tying materials, including flashabou, and dozens of other similar materials. Bear's Den too.

I have many years experience with winter trout fishing in New England...and it's COLD! The best trick I learned is that wool is your friend. Not this synthetic merino wool garbage. Straight up, 100% wool! The most effective combination is a pair of silk socks, with a mid-weight or heavy-weight 100% wool sock over them. Two of the most important things to keep in mind, which most fishermen neglect, is that the socks stop wicking once they are saturated. You need to bring extra changes of socks, depending on how long you plan on being out. I try my best to change my socks twice throughout the day, if I am out all day. You must also lace your boots pretty loose. The tighter they are, the more they restrict blood flow to your feet, which also causes them to be cold. And once they get cold, they're not warming back up until you get home.

As much as I hate Diawa products, I was gifted a Diawa 6'6" S Spinning rod, medium, x-fast. I use it exclusively for wacky worming, and it does the job very well. It's lightweight, casts well, handles bigger fish well, and it's super sensitive. And it comes in under $100 bucks.

I'm looking at the 7'6" Dobyns Fury Med Heavy...Is that too much rod for pitching?

What size worm do you fish in the cold? Do you downsize?

I like this thread, and I'm interested in everyone's thoughts. My question is, on lightly pressured water, do you think fish spook when they see a bait several times without biting it? I often feel like a fish will only tolerate seeing a bait once or twice before it gets annoyed ad leaves the area, except when they're bedding, of course. However, if I'm fishing a large piece of structure, like a tree, I'll fish it as slowly and thoroughly as possible. Once I've covered the whole area, I'll switch to a different bait, and then maybe repeat. Once' I've canvassed the area 2-3 times, and with different baits, I'll move.

Has anyone ever tried UV resin? I use it a lot in fly tying. It basically works just the same as epoxy, except you cure it with a UV light, and it only takes a few seconds to cure, which would also give you more control. I like Silver Creek, and Clear Cure Goo brands. The thicker material is good for building thickness, like the body of the fly in the photo, however, it cure a tad bit tacky. Hard, but tacky. Then I use a thinner resin as a finish coat, because it typically cure tack free. I think for clear coating lures, the thin types would be perfect. For Silver Creek, I like Crystal, and Clear Cure Goo brand, Hydro...these are their thinner resins. And if you don't like the way they come out, you can simply wipe it off with alcohol.

River smallies are a hoot! I tie a few articulated patterns that the smallies back at home crush. If you want some flies, PM me. I tie really cheap.

I'll be fishing between 4-12'. Thanks again for the replies. You guys are a huge help. The old threads you guys posted are more than enough information for me. Thanks!

Thanks guys! What size jig head...typically?

I like to tie throughout the winter to keep busy. I mainly tie trout flies, which I don't really have any use for since I moved this spring. This is one of my favorite winter time streamers. It has two large tungsten heads between the two hooks and two large tungsten cones under the mask on the head. Comes in at 4"-5", and probably 1/4oz. I use this fly to fish the bottom of dams in the winter, where the trout like to hang in the DEEP and slow moving water. I would fish these for bass, but the lakes I fish are covered in thick grass, and no rocks. This would be less than ideal for where I fish. Thought I'd share.

It's cold. I would like to start fishing some hair jigs, but I seem to not find very much information about them. I tie a ton of flies, so I don't plan on buying jigs. Can some of you post a photo or two of your favorite jigs, size, and weight? Where can I buy the jig heads from? Thanks!

I fish right through winter, however, I certainly fish much less than in the warm months. I spend a ton of time fly tying. If anyone is looking for flies, let me know!

Holding a fish completely vertical by the mouth, I think is ok for short amount of time. Holding a fish horizontally, or even at a slight angle, I think puts a good amount of hurt on the fish's mouth. The "pros" on TV who I constantly see swinging 5+lb fish around by their jaw tick me off. Of all people, the pro's should be the most respectful fishermen of all. I cannot stand seeing fish being mishandled. Another common form of this is people pulling a fish up a bank and letting the fish flop around in the grass, dirt, mud, etc. It removes their slime coat, which is the fish's protective layer against its environment. No to change the subject....