Count Down to Last Ice... Trophy Blue Gill Pursuit

Pursuit of the Trophy Blue Gill/ Ice Fishing Fail/Angler Down

Pursuit of the Trophy Blue Gill/ Ice Fishing Fail/Angler Down

20190308-Today I felt to go the extra mile (literally) and seek potential trophy spots away from easy access. Once on the spot my Sciatica kicks in with a major muscle pull in calf and hamstring… relaxed the leg for awhile while fishing the Major.Period in holes already drilled… got the leg back to walking status. I was able to work a few spots back to the launch while tagging a few dinks here and there… a nice chubby Y.Perch in the eater slot.

Thanks for following my journey for the Master Angler B.Gill tag thru the ice.

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Thanks for viewing my friends!

https://youtu.be/NqDCRl35lSI

Three Days of the New Moon March 2019 (Mid-Michigan)

Three Days of the New Moon March 2019 (Mid-Michigan) 

... best times to fish during the period

Hybridized/Spinning/Casting/Slip-Float Method

Hybridized/Spinning/Casting/Slip-Float Method

So Hey…

As a general rule when using my spinning/slip-float set-ups I do not wind the stopper knot onto the spool because it leaves a definite speed bump on the spool for the following cast. Messes with the accuracy, casting distance, could cause loss of tackle and may cause personal injury. the reason is when line flying off the spinning spool gets caught up underneath the stop knot and brings everything to a screeching halt… been there done that… I think I've cursed a few times when I watched my bobber bait and split shot break loose and sail onto someone’s lawn.

I love slip floating and have really concentrated on the shallower portion of the water column lately. Most of my fishing activities are done in the 1-0 to 10-0 levels where a simple 5-6’ UL action slip float set-up covers the water column without spooling the stop knot. That shallow 1-0 to 10-0’ range to me is the fish activity zone where fish are there to feed. So very rarely do I fish deeper than the shallow spectrum just described for panfish… especially with the slip/float method

However, a couple deep water patterns very early and late in the fall exist for me year after year, I go down to the 15-0 to 20-0’ column for B.Crappie I heavily target with the slip float… it is a stand of trees in 35-0 FOW, 15-0 to 20-0 high that I drop a bait over suspended by a Slip/Float set-up. there are also some deep holes that were dug for bridge construction adjacent to the bridge and its structures that hit the 20-0’ mark in depth… two patterns where I go deep with the slip float advertently spooling up the knot on the reel.

A few years ago while watching an Ice fishing YouTube video of a fisherman deep jigging with a short ice casting set-up... he was using a stop knot for depth control... the line on the reel effortlessly went by the knot on the drop thru the hole... it then hit me!... why wouldn't that set-up work on deepwater slip floating! Immediately I put a stop knot on one of my bait casters and test cast the setup on the lawn proving smooth as silk on the cast.

I quickly put together or hybridized the spinning/slip-float system to accomplish successful smooth casting. I replaced the spinning reel with a casting reel. The reel is an Abu-Garcia Silver Max loaded with 6 to 8# braid, I usually go leader-less… 8# braid is about the same thickness as 2# monofilament or fluorocarbon so the same visibility to fish underwater.

My typical casting rods proved too stiff for the panfish bite… so replacing the casting rod with one of my many spinning rods proved no problem and felt comfortable in the hand… even without the casting rod trigger absent on spinning rods. I have used this setup on 5-6' to 8-0 UL to Lite spinning rods.

Casts are smooth and effortless without hanging up on the knot.

I've had success with rocket bobbers and really like the 1/16 wobble bobber on this set-up.

I have successfully fished in depths from 2-0 to 20-0’ with this setup...

Only negative is thumbing the spool with a knot embedded does require getting used to... so I rely more on the magnetic cast control.

The system does work and tags the fish when used... I have recently more or less replaced this method with vertical jigging and long casting the jigs for a bit better productivity under the same fish patterns.

I love when a good setup comes together!

Tighten Those Lines,

Slip

Basic Introduction to Solunar Strategy & Terms

The Major.Period is when the moon is at the highest (Zenith) and its lowest (Nadir). This approx 2.5 to 3 hours Major.Period occurs twice each day at about 12.5 hrs apart. It has the greatest effect on the whole food chain.

The Minor.Periods are the moon rise and set and last approximately less than 2 hours. This time frame is a secondary trigger not having the greater effect of the Major.Periods.

Both lunar periods shift forward each day at about 1 hour. the Lull.Periods are between the Major.periods and Minor.Periods with very little fish activity.

Then come the solar.periods … sunrise and sunset … less of a trigger than major or Minor Lunar periods. Best time to fish the solar periods are when the lunar periods overlap sunrise sunset… a double trigger.

These are intraday (happening within the day periods).

Then comes intra-month periods full moon and new moon are the best days to fish each month at a near 100% level these days combined occur twice a month 2 weeks apart approx. midway between full and new moon gets the lowest FAL (fish activity level) rating for the month incrementally accelerates or decelerates as it approaches or departs from the new or full moon by day.

The weather then comes into play either enhancing or dulling the solunar periods.
...
screen shot from "Fishing Points App"

20190224 - Working the Minor.Period for some eater slot B.Gills

Working the Minor.Period for some eater slot B.Gills

After doing a scan on the upcoming weather forecasts I decide to quickly head off to a lake to beat an incoming storm and tag a few eater slot gills for the pan.

The Bluegill slot for the day would be 6.5 to 8.0”.

I grabbed an ice fly I received from Allen Morgan that had some serious success last open water season with trophy Lepomis… I was anxious to try its appeal out on the ice…. It did not disappoint.

20190105-Trophy Blue Gill Pursuit... 3rd Day of the New Moon