20180224--With the recent record-setting above normal temps, we've been experiencing here on the tundra (Mid-Michigan)… left us with swollen over the bank rivers, streams, and creeks resulting in large sections of the thawed reservoir, ice dams, and flows. A really messed up ice fishing situation for me. This area was my go-to walk from home ice spot… looks like it is damaged for the rest of the season. Large sections of 8-12” thick icebergs stacked up along the bank pushing up to the road guard rail. Wow… I have never seen this are in such a transitional mess. Gotta love witnessing the raw power of nature though… for me it’s part of the sport of fishing… witnessing and being a part of.

Weather Delaying Ice Fishing Activity

Weather Delaying Ice Fishing Activity

…even though we are recording over 10" of ice... weather conditions have been  so harsh with health threatening wind chills has kept me off the ice looking on the horizon of avg temps of 29 degs to get back on.

…temperature graph showing below normal temps for the month of January. looking like 20-30" of ice by the end of January. might be fishing thru the ice March this year!

2017-Final Report Card is In!

20180120-the final numbers are in for 2017 ending the year for a total of 15 registered and documented trophy Michigan Panfish.

I waited till the last minute to register (2) Green sunfish attaching a personal fisherman’s story to the fish… the fish was identified as the same fish caught 3 different times twice in one day by two different fishermen and then again two days later in the same small cut in Wixom lake… an amazing fish tale focusing on the benefits of Catch and Release! … What amazing odds and would make a great fish-story!!

After tagging just 2 master anglers in 2016 including my first 10” plus B.Gill… in 2017 I end up with 6 total B.Gills and 9 additional other panfish Master Anglers. Many firsts and Personal Bests would also be included.

1. (2) P.Seeds thru the ice one being my PB at 9.8”.

2. First 14” plus B.Crappie in over 40 years.

3. First 14” plus Personal Best trophy Yellow Bullhead

4. Personal Best B.Gill

5. Multiple days of Multiple Master Angler Fish in single trips

6. Personal Best Trophy Green Sunfish at 9.25”

7.completed the cycle in just one year... 4 patches for 4 different species!

2017-Final Report Card is In!

20170827-"A Bad Day For The Addicted"

20170827-"A Bad Day For The Addicted"

20170827-so here I am an addicted panfish fisherman itching to go out even on those bad days… today was forecasted to be “BAD” all the way around… weather (rain Showers) and solunar at 15%.

I headed out with either of two lakes in mind… it was a toss up. I currently hold 2 Master Angler certificates on each and they were just minutes apart. I picked the tough lake just a few minutes further down the blacktop.

Even as a kid in Little League… you want to get better at hitting the ball?… practice against the best pitcher on the team. Want to tag more panfish on your future trips? Fish some bad days, develop your methods and wean yourselves off the spawning beds. Summer trophy B.Gills are deep, shallow and in between.

I put my best techniques and methods to work that day on the lake and nearly came up empty… best b.gill to eight-inch class with some dinks in between. The best method was dropping a vertical presentation using sonar into schools of fish…watch the fish bite or choose to ignore.

My excuse?... it was a 15% solunar day… one of the worse days in the month to fish and I’m on the lake tuning presentations. for me, those are the best times to practice and tweak a presentation.

A finely tuned and practiced technique gets a few bites on those tough days but look out on those great days! I know I’ll be rewarded.

http://bigbluegill.ning.com/forum/topics/slip-s-2017-logs-status-and-strategies?commentId=2036984%3AComment%3A735587

20170521-i made a bid on fishing a remote spot with only an hour point 5 to fish and struck out. After a couple days of the severe cold front drop in temperature, the fish left the shallows and I did not have the time to go and find them. The cove temp just a few days prior was a whopping 74 degs now just short of 62 degs… that does something to fish biology… they head out deep. Nothing but negativity here.

Knowing this I could have stayed home and waited it out weather-wise… but I believe to be a good fisherman you need to experience this… not once but over and over again. Sure today was a beat down … I'm glad to have experienced it.

First fish after a long wait for Major peak was a mere welcomed 6” b.gill. then a b.crappie bite on the worm… how pathetic is that?... lol

Soon afterward I was rewarded with the best bite of the day … a nice chunky R.Bass that pulled a little drag. The turtle bite was the bitter pill… I packed it in what was left of the major period.

PB Trophy Class Y.Perch from the Kayak

Slip/Float/Fly/Waxie Set-up

Here’s a little set-up I want to share that has been causing some excitement for me with the shallow gill lately. It’s a set-up that is not new and was learned when I was just a young lad from two fishermen I loved very much… my Dad and Uncle Clare. They used to put flies tipped with worms behind everything… my favorite was under the float.

I was tossing the slip float into a bunch of fish the other day and I was flatly being rejected with a crawler bit or waxie. With my polarized glasses in the calm water I witnessed it right before my eyes. A few gills would approach and kiss the split shot… that was it!. Then I remembered the fly and bait trick.

Once installed and dropped into the water the split/shot drops first and quickly while the fly and waxie bit descends like a parachute… drives the gills crazy!. The fly and bait bit is in motion while the split shot is still and motionless is the best feature. Its been so successful ive left it setup on my slip/float rig for the past week.

with the waxie bit the fly is in more of suspension while the crawler bit sinks the combination more quickly... the suspended fly/gulp waxie was more enticing then the quickly settling crawler bit/fly in the long run but both baits caught fish. another argument for to carry that jar of waxies in your tackle box.

since it is mainly in suspension around the split shot pay careful attention to the bobber for the slightest movement to prevent swallowed hook. Pinch the barbs before hand for easy removal.

http://bigbluegill.ning.com/group/pattern-rigging-presentation-for-bluegill/forum/topics/slip-float-fly-waxie-set-up