20180917- at a low 16% fish activity level FAL I decided to fish anyway

At 16% FAL, I don't really get excited to go fishing but the weather was nice the wind was calm and the sun was out. I headed out to the closest launch at one of my favorite Lakes so if the fishing was really bad it would be easy access out of the lake and home quickly.

I love Mondays at the local boat launch... Nobody was there! Basically, I will have the lake to myself except for the local old timers. Just being out on the lake and great weather in the Little Jon Boat was enough for me.

A short ride to one of my favorite waypoints for bluegill and crappie situated on a 2ft depression on a major 9 foot flat. This spot hardly ever fails me. On the way to the Waypoint, I saw very little fish activity on the sonar. The fish was obviously tight to cover.

To throw salt on the wound I started fishing on a 16% FAL in the middle of a Lull.Period. very little fish activity. First fish of the day was a junior Bass just under the legal limit. Then the bluegills started hitting the LCD jig. The dozen-or-so bluegills throughout the afternoon we're small in number and small in size but just one hitting the 8" mark.

I decided to stay out and do some side scan imaging for potential new spots. Some of the key structural features I look for are large laydowns, desirable weed beds, and stump fields… stump fields are potential gold mines.

I even did a thorough perimeter check in the shallows. The ideal weather conditions were optimal for viewing especially with the polarized lenses. I found some nests in large areas of great looking sandy substrate. A good target for next season maybe?.

Today I added to my tan, added a few waypoints and reinforced the validity of the Solunar Tables. Today was a bad FAL day on the charts and on the water proved it.

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20180916- Low FAL but Beautiful Weather… I’m Going Fishing

The Low Fal wasn’t a motivator but the beautiful weather was. I put together the typical rod bundle with three long-casters for micro-jigs and one Slip/Float/Fly/Waxie and was at the boat launch in minutes.

The launch was nearly empty! I love it!. This is one of the counties busiest lake for fishing… mainly panfish harvesters and Bass enthusiasts, club members etc. I thoroughly enjoy it when the locals hang up the rods after Labor Day.

Within a few more minutes I was on my summer pattern waypoints in the middle of a slow bite at the bottom of the major.period. I was timing the major.period/solar.sunset overlap which should produce a few more bites.

For the past few years, I have not been able to pull myself off the 6 to 9-0’ foot weedy flats. I take this pattern to any lake. This is the kitchens of the lake where much of the food is generated between the 1^st and second break weedline. Put me on the edges or gaps and I will be on the fish.

Working the weed line edges, clumps and gaps I was able to coax a few good size b.crappie hanging close to cover on the LCD jig.

Usually, during the lower FAL levels, I’ll use the Slip/Float/Fly/Waxie method above everything else… the fish just need a bit longer to check out the bait.

Since water temps were still at peak summer levels the micro-jig method was finding and connecting with the pannies so i stuck with it covering larger expanses of water.

A 9-inch class B.Gill ended up with the BFOTD award

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20180913-Panfish Harvest Day!

Every now and then I select a trip and a lake to harvest a few slot fish… today was 8.0 and under B.Gills for the slot on a very popular sports lake with numbers of mid-sized Panfish. Every now and then I’ll hook up with a trophy on this lake… they are few and far between. The fish are generally healthy and well nourished with an above normal growth rate.

I spend a lot of time on the water and know my lakes very well when it comes to the fish populations and ranges of size. I have a good idea of what lakes are safe and even beneficial to harvest without damaging a population. A guideline I usually follow is I will usually keep a slot of 85% or under of full Master Angler Rating for the fish… eg. A 10” B.Gill is 100% Master Angler Rated. So at 85% the B.Gill are set at 8.5 a crappie is 12.0 85% of 14.0”. Today the slot was set at 8.0” for B.Gill. I never cull.

Note: I’ve had several 100 fish count days from this lake!

With a FAL sitting at 49% fish could show for a decent bite to bring home about 15 fish. The weather was fantastic with above normal temps and above normal water temps at summer peak levels. Fish should be on that pre-fall eating binge.

Winds were near flat and calm… partial cloudiness. IMO fish bite in the bright sunshine as well as the cloudy skies. Solunar periods matter more than weather.

Once launched and on my way to the first waypoint, water conditions looked perfect for the lake this time of year. Just a slight algae bloom … but did not pose a problem thru the trip.

This lake in particular first thing I make a beeline to a particular waypoint with an underwater cluster of stumps… an area that is small in size but holds quantities of quality fish. A PB LMB earlier in the year came from this very spot as well as some jumbo B.Crappie. I never see fisherman fish this spot. The stump field was discovered when I mapped the lake with my sonar unit last year. Pays to know your lake bottom!

My rod bundle included the popular mix of Micro-jigging rods for the long-cast as well as a couple float rods one with braid and the other with Nano-fil.

I found some jumbo P.Seeds close to the shore in the wood as well as B.Gills at the 2nd break (deep) weedline edge.

Im at the point in my fishing career that I take this sport very serious when it comes to balanced tackle. I don’t use a one rod “does everything approach” like I used to back in the day with LMBs’ etc. I have separate slip float rigs for shallow slop to deeper weed line edges same thing with the Long-Casters for the Micro-Jigs several different setups to fill the need. I enjoy that!

Using the balanced tackle, tagging fish and enjoying the weather the endorphins were flowing!

I filled my 15 fish personal limit quickly ( Michigan Limit is 25 panfish in combination) laying the fish on the ice in the cooler then started focusing on trophy fishing. Came close with a few P.Seeds that were CPR’ed.

I started fishing at the beginning of the Lull.Period… caught fish and the pace picked up as the Major.Period approached along with quality.

Really enjoyed tagging the fish on the slip/float/fly/waxie method on the visible structure along the shore.

Very good trip for the books!

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20180904-Slow Bite at Wixom Lake

There is only so much success that can be achieved when all the odds are stacked against… with gorgeous summer weather staring back at me I set out on the closest launch for a short trip during a Lull.Period as well as Low FAL scores.

I take advantage of the weather and who doesn’t enjoy the art of the cast? It’s getting out there that is very enjoyable to me. In baseball, if you want to become a great hitter, you face yourself against the toughest pitchers. It’s like that in any sport! If you want to be a better fisherman, fish the tough bite days. Something my Dad used to say.

While enjoying the short ride to the first waypoint I study the sonar and observe very few targets… only some suspended fish here and there… I’m thinking the fish are in a neutral mood and will be tight to cover or close to the bottom.

I make a swing closer to shore to do a perimeter check in the shallows for signs of life… after observing a short stretch I notice many Lepomis under the 6” slot.

I decide to target B.Crappie along the second break deep weed line. Shortly I score with a couple between 10 and 12” a couple short B.Gills and the bite turned completely off.

Since this was scheduled to be a short trip… I picked up anchor and did a short recon trip up a cut in the reservoir to check on a spot.

8 fish during the Lull.Period I guess I felt lucky… and lucky to have spent a bit of time on the lake.

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20180902-Feeling Like a Guide

Days like today I really appreciate fishing… I’m feeling like a guide being able to take friends and family on the lake and putting us on the bite.

Beautiful summer weather in the mid 80’s way above normal for this time of year on the Michigan tundra. Water temps still at summer peak levels in the low to mid 70’s, slight breeze and clear skies. We made our way to some of our favorite waypoints.

Dennis is very familiar with this lake with a history of slamming the jumbo crappies with a 1/32 oz swimbait and also tagging a very nice trophy certificate P.Seed for the books last season.

Zack, first timer on this lake, was able to tag quite a few fish with the swimbait and also a few fish on the slip/float/fly/waxie in a shallow weedy cove.

After about an hours worth of fishing, I dropped them off at the launch and finished the afternoon Minor.Period with a very good bite even with the FAL levels at mid-teens.

Good time with family, and fishing … nothing better.

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20180615- Allen Morgan Tungsten Fly Tags the Master Angler B.Gill Highlight Bait of the Day!

20180615- Allen Morgan Tungsten Fly Tags the Master Angler B.Gill Highlight Bait of the Day!

Fishing the three days of the Full/New Moon has always been a successful pattern of fishing for me, nailing the Master Angler tags… I was still reeling over the Master Angler Tag just two days ago the day before the New Moon I decide to fish the same lake with the same methods… right?

I set sites on today’s trip for a potential repeat performance So using the same rod bundle from just two days ago I set out on a beautiful spring afternoon to hit the Major.Period, Same lake same methods. Water temps at 77°slight north wind, clear skies looking for the mid afternoon bite… not another fisherman in sight on this typically highly fishing-pressured lake.

I timed the trip to be on my waypoints at just the beginning of the Major.Period which would last about 3 hours. The Major.Period started at 13:06 and lasted thru 16:06.

I started long-casting the Allen Morgan Tungsten Ice Fly (Pink) tipped with a Ping GULP Waxie. I immediately started tagging large Lepomis straight away with lunker class mixed in.

The first Trophy Bull B.Gill 10” class hit at 14:57, then the Master Angler B.Gill soon followed at 15:36 then the trophy P.Seed followed at 16:36. Just an outstanding trip! I was literally shaking the whole time out there.

Definitely a trip to remember!

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20180603-Found the fish despite the weather. 

I waited out the lingering morning cold showers and headed out to one of my favorite lakes… I was at the launch in less than a half hour when a pop up shower delayed me for about 20 mins cutting into my Major.Period of fishing. Once the shower quit I was on my first waypoint quickly.

Once settled in tagging fish the wind kicked up to the point white caps were causing havoc with my methods and boat control. i fished thru another cold shower. Slip/floating was out of the question. Long-casting the UL jigs seemed to be the viable option only when casting with the wind. So positioning the boat multiple times to scour an area was also required.

I was amazed even with a slight bow in the line was able to pick up on the hit with the GLISS and Nanofil lines... just amazing.

Water temps were dropped to the mid 70’s and air temps in the low 60’s. the fish were on the spots hitting the bait in tune with the solunar Major.Period. at times it was fish on every cast taken. The fish were eater slot in quality for the majority with a handful of Michigan Lunker 9” class.

The majority of the fish were hens without eggs leading me to believe some spawning took place recently during the last full moon of May 29^th… with an avg of 4 or 5 days on the bed spawning for the month has finished up… I believe a larger major spawn will occur in the New Moon and Full Moon of June.

With fast and furious action of feeding fish during solunar periods I prefer the Long-Cast/UL Jigs to cover more water quicker than the live bait options. The time loading and reloading live bait cuts my production usually by half in the same period of time.

Short term forecast shows the cold front will linger for a few days further dropping water temps till next week. I still like being on the water to monitor productivity data even during the predictable poorer fishing periods.

after all the dust settled ;>) i was over 60 fish count for the day!... another multiple limit day!... of course all CPR'ed

… continued good fishing everyone!

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