Mississippi River Walleyes & Sauger
Run-and-Gun Approach to Fishing
Swimming Pools for Fish - A Little Advice on Caring for Your Catch
Father-Son Connection
By Matthew J. Breuer
Matthew and son, Tate, enjoying a day on the water. Right: Matt's dad with a nice walleye.
Like most die-hard outdoorsmen, I learned most of what I know about the outdoors from my father. I can remember him taking me down to a small back-water on the river near the town where I grew up to catch creek chubs. We’d put them in a 5-gallon pail and bring them home so we could use them on the river which was a mere block from our house. We’d hook the creek chubs under a big white and red bobber and toss it out into what seemed liked nowhere, and we’d sit, and we’d wait. On long weekends it was up to Lake of the Woods, where we’d either camp or rent a small cabin in the Northwest Angle, my dad’s favorite place in the world. In the fall I’d wake him up well before sunrise so that we wouldn’t be late getting to the field where the geese liked to set-down. I remember sun-up to sun-down days working over old logging trails for grouse… I shot my first grouse with my dad, a moment I’ll never forget.
A couple of weeks ago I got out fishing with my dad for the first time this summer. It was an impromptu trip, and we did quite well. We shared some stories, some laughs, and best of all some time together. Shortly after our fishing trip my dad had a heart attack, and we nearly lost him. It really brought forward all of the memories of fishing and hunting trips of old, and hopeful thoughts of future trips as well. It also made me realize how short life is, and how important the special times we share with our loved ones can be.
A lot has changed since the days when dad took me to the creek. When my old man and me go fishing these days, I do the driving and I buy the bait, and whether he’ll admit it or not I can probably teach him a thing or two… Another big change is the fact that we live 90 miles apart, and we rarely get out hunting or fishing together anymore. The biggest change over the years is that my dad is now a grandpa, and I’m raising a future sportsman myself.
My nearly 3 year old boy is getting more and more curious about hunting and fishing. The poor little guy was born to an addict, and was with my wife and me on the grouse trails at a few weeks old. Last fall he took a bird from my German Shorthair’s mouth and carried it to the truck, and this summer he was able to catch his first fish. He is starting younger than I did, so he may not remember some of these things, but we’ve got plenty of pictures to show him when he’s older. Until the day he gets sick of me, I’m going to get him as involved with the outdoors as possible. And no matter how busy life gets, it’s my goal to make time to get him in the woods or on the water. I already think we’ve created a monster, as my wife asked him what he wanted to do with the money in his piggy-bank and he replied, “Buy a fishing rod!” Hopefully with the things my father taught me, and what I’ve learned afield and afloat, my son will respect and enjoy the outdoors as much as my dad and I do!
Introducing a kid to the outdoors sounds like a simple task, but it’s amazing how many parents leave their kids at home, or how many times children are overlooked as fishing/hunting partners. There are also cases where kids have the desire to hunt or fish, but their parents don’t have the want, equipment, or the means to take them. Be sure to actively seek out organizations like Take-A-Kid Fishing so you can experience the joy felt when a child gives you a sincere “Thanks” with the biggest smile you’ve ever seen. When taking a youngster out fishing, keep it simple and put them first and you’re sure to have a great time!
Everyone knows the age-old question, “If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be?” My answer is simple; I would skip dinner and go fishing with my son and my dad.
Remember to introduce your young ones to the outdoors, even if you’re not an outdoorsman yourself. And always try to remind your father that you’re thankful for everything he taught you, even if it’s through a simple gesture like buying the bait…
Contact Matthew Breuer, North Country Guide Service, at (218) 444-6479 or visit www.northcountryguides.com
Creeks can be small water with deep pools that are never disturbed. What you will catch is somewhat a “Try it and you will see” type of fishing. That is another reason live bait is usually the best, until you learn the water and find out where the largemouth are hiding, and the smallmonth and so on. You will feel like Louis and Clark with your exploring and finding fish no one knew were even there.
By Justin Gardner
Creek fishing is a productive and fun way to fish if you know where to fish and what bait to use. Many people think that there are no big fish in a creek – it’s either too shallow or the only fish in the creek are minnows and chubs. Nothing could be further from the truth. What happens to most of the fish in a healthy creek after a hard rain fall is that the fish migrate upstream from the main water source. When the water level recedes the fish are trapped in the deep pocket water along the creek and they make it their new home. The fish adapt to their surroundings and take up feeding stations at the base of the rapids waiting for food to flow downstream.
Look for shallow riffles and rapids that flow into a deep pool. Most of the fish will be lying on the slope from the shallow water toward the deep water waiting for a meal to float down the creek. Deep holes can hold a surprising variety of fish including chubs, minnows, trout and smallmouth bass. The best why to approach these fish is to see what kind of structure surrounds the holes. Accessing the stream bank maybe difficult as a result of tangled vine growth and slashed timber so wearing waders maybe a smart choice in order to walk down the creek looking for the ideal fishing spot.
There are a number of fishing methods anglers can use to present their lure to fish in a small stream. Using crawfish to prospect for smallmouth bass is a proven winner. Run your hook through the back of a crawfish so that it can swim. Depending on the current you may have to add split shot to your lure to vary the depth that the crawfish swims in the current. Cast your rig into the rapids and let it pass through the deep poles. Leave some slack in the line so the crawfish can move naturally. The crawfish will attract smallmouth bass and other fish out from under the fallen trees and deep holes. Repeat this process for a few casts - if you’re unsuccessful move on to the next hole.
Suckers are a fun fish to catch while creek fishing. Finding suckers is relatively easy - you can see their beautiful colors flash as the sun reflects off their scales. They usually live in the deeper pools where they have room to roam around looking for food on the bottom. Night crawlers or garden variety worms are a great bait to use to catch suckers. Cast your rig into a deep pool, let it sink to the bottom and leave it. The suckers will eventually feed near your lure and decide to eat it.
Creek fishing can be a fun experience. Prospecting and finding the deep pools and offering the fish what they want to eat can mean the difference between success and failure when fishing small streams. Using live bait is always best, but artificial lures can be productive depending on the time of year and the fish’s feeding cycle. Find a good creek or stream that is fed by a good water source (such as the Ohio River) and you’ve found an ideal fishing spot.
The Multifaceted Marabou
Old School Jig Defies Time and Technology and Continues to Smoke Fish
By Brian “Bro” Brosdahl
Jot down a list of the last fishing destinations you’d expect to find a bluegill-bumpkin like me from Northern Minnesota soaking marabou feathers and getting his jollies jigging for rainbow trout. Pretty much narrows it down to one southern spot: Branson, Missouri.
Yep, the old hick from the sticks made steam for fabled Table Rock Reservoir and linking Taneycomo, my new favorite marabou jig casting love children. (I’ll get back to the jig thing in a minute…) No my intention here isn’t to recant the morning’s escapades cast by cast on the pure flowing, rock and gravel nested waterway. Rather, it’s to draw attention to my longtime object of affection, the classic but often overlooked marabou jig.
So I bumbled down the bank to make acquaintances with the water, which invariably included visual surveillance of docked boats. More specifically, getting close enough to see what the locals were throwing without getting so close to be confused with the common thief.
Honestly, on this occasion, I didn’t know what to expect to find. Sure, I had amateurish guesses about spawn bagged in ratty hosiery, miniscule inline spinners, or the odd fake pasty ball of biodegradable mush in some audacious color. But to my surprise – and relief – this wasn’t the case. Strapped to the front platform of the rig I would soon board was a battery of spinning outfits each dressed with a welcoming, earthy toned marabou jig.
I felt at home. Here, a half dozen states from my personal polar icecaps, chasing species that I’ve seen in more aquariums and mounted in bars than on the end of my line, were angelic marabou jigs. God I love this country…
Just as comfort and confidence had taken root, though, I was thrown a curveball, and not a hanging knock-it-out-of-the-park pitch. I would not be flicking jigs from the beautiful bass boat. No, my hosts had other plans for me. Green-light on the marabou jigs. But red-light on the ride. Mr. Outboard Motor would be bringing jigs to life from a sleek, peddle powered Hobie kayak. Huh? Well, my options were to throw a hissy-fit or buck-up and be a man…an outwardly secure but inwardly panicky man. Big Bro in a kayak? Can’t make this stuff up. The short version is that I saddled-up and was instantly impressed by the craft’s stability and fishability. So hats off to Hobie for “making me” run the river from a loon’s view. The nearness to the water certainly gives you greater appreciation and perspective of a fish’s environment.
Comfortable in my seat, confident with lure selection, I peddled upstream. The far bank held promise. The climbing sun had yet to light the craggy shoreline. It was rife with rock like my bronzeback bass waters back home. And here I was strapping a lure that’s duped more bluegills, crappies, perch, walleyes, bass and northern pike than perhaps anything I’ve ever fished. Advantage…Bro.
A quick kayak-side pump to regain a visual perspective of the jig’s universal appeal was again self-evident as it pulsed life to attract certain death. Once dampened, the dry feathers formed a free-flowing physique. Quivering the rod tip made it breathe. Heartier jigging caused it to swim like a luscious minnow. Here, on Taneycomo, it replicated the food-fish known as sculpin. Back home, it’d emulate a shiner minnow or chub to perfection. And how about a small pink marabou in the weeds? It becomes one of many immature winged insects in line to be crushed by a crappie. The final report being that a marabou jig can imitate virtually everything that fish eat.
Taneycomo trout cling clean to the bottom so that’s where the jig needed to be. Trial and error quickly taught me to cast upstream, peddle the kayak to hold a stationary posture in the current, and walk the marabou jig downstream to about 45-degrees and then recast, that is, if a trout hadn’t interrupted the cycle.
To imitate the action of a fleeing sculpin called for a sharp snap followed by a taut line drop back to the riverbed. Most strikes, as is typical with a marabou jig, occurred on the fall. The trout weren’t timid, either. A high percentage of strikes resulted in boated fish, which were admired and released.
A nearly identical process proves effective on river-going smallmouth bass. Flick the marabou upstream, tight to the bank, and bump it back downstream. The more fixed you can keep the boat the more effective the cast. The jig’s simply in the water longer.
Immediately, the new Bug-A-Boo Jig, a marabou marvel from Northland Fishing Tackle, earned gold standard status –it’s all I throw. Each gorgeous jig is hand-tied. They come in 10 different patterns, each imitating specific types of baitfish, or for shock and awe purposes, there’s Pink/White, Chart/Orange and Firetiger.
For smallmouth bass, which tend to have a discriminating eye, I go as natural looking as possible, favoring darker greens, browns, blacks, and any color combination of a Bug-A-Boo that emulates the proverbial crayfish – aka “crawdad” to my brethren from the south.
Walleyes seem to respond better to flare. Chart/Orange and Firetiger are perennial producers. White and Pink/White issued as backups if the former patterns aren’t inciting riot.
Crappies? Well, nothing that I’ve ever tied-on trumps White or Pink/White, particularly when tossing featherweight marabou jigs with or without a minnow accompaniment. And to be sure, when in the land of crappies, you won’t catch me without livebait of some shape or form in the boat. Oftentimes, meat is required.
So some three hours later, my legs exercised via peddling and my opinion of kayaks forever changed, I set down the mighty marabou and took one last gaze at the trout-filled, etched waterway they call Taneycomo.
Know that I’ll be back. And next time, carrying a wide assortment of marabou jigs, because I have a hunch they’ll drive the bass on Table Rock Lake equally as wild.
Branson, Missouri isn’t only about souvenir shops and live shows – although there are plenty to choose from. To the angler, Branson’s Table Rock, Taneycomo, and other nearby waterways provide amazing multi-species opportunities in a pristine swath of the Ozark Mountains. Contact the Branson/Lakes Area Convention and Visitors Bureau to plan your next adventure – www.explorebranson or 1-800-296-0463.
Fishing Regulations are Changing
By Bob Jensen
In the past couple of weeks there have been some changes in fishing and boating regulations that anyone who is boating or fishing need to keep in mind. It is important to remember that many of these regulations vary from state to state, but if you’re going to be fishing or pulling a boat through that state, you need to be in compliance with that state’s laws. Following are some changes you need to be aware of.
In Minnesota, when you’re pulling your boat down the road, you need to have the plug pulled out of the boat, and the livewells need to be empty. You can’t transport fish in water in your livewell. You need to get a cooler with ice and put the fish in there for the trip home if you want to keep the fish fresh.
This may not be a new law, but it’s one that many anglers don’t know about it. You can’t transport minnows that you’re using for bait from lake to lake if you put lake water on them. Let’s say you’re on Lake X and fishing with minnows. To keep them lively, you take some water out of the lake and put it in your minnow bucket. If you decide to go to another lake, as I understand it, you have to destroy the minnows. You can’t dump them into the lake, and you can’t take them with you.
But, as I understand it, you can transport from lake to lake if you keep the minnows in the water that was at the baitshop. So here’s my plan. Frabill makes a series of very nice, quiet, aerated bait containers. They keep minnows lively for extended periods of time. When I get minnows in the morning, I’m going to put them with the bait shop water directly into the Frabill aerated container. I won’t need to add lake water, maybe just a little ice every now and then. By doing so, I can travel from lake to lake without worry about violating the minnow transport law. That is, if I understand the law correctly. Similar minnow transport laws are popping up in a lot of places.
These laws were enacted to prevent the spread of invasive species of plants that live in water, to prevent the spread of critters like zebra mussels, and to prevent the spread of diseases that minnows can carry. More and more bodies of water are being infested with unwanted plants and organisms that can be harmful to the ecosystem. Because of floods and birds flying to different lakes, the spread of these unwanted elements are going to happen anyway. The goal of the new laws is to slow the spread of the invasions until we’re able to develop a way to eradicate the various unwanted stuff.
Just as our waters are being invaded with unwanted things, the fishing world is being invaded with more regulations. However, if we want to continue to enjoy fishing, we need to accept these laws as a small price to pay for improved fishing.
To see the new 2010 episodes of Fishing the Midwest television on-line, go to fishingthemidwest.com or visit MyOutdoorTv.com
By Mike Frisch
Regardless whether casting using the bowmount motor or backtrolling with a transom mount, a powerful motor that is smooth running and reliable is important.
I am a fishing guide and tournament angler. That means that I make a good portion of my living by catching fish. Since my livelihood depends on my successes on the water, the equipment that I use is very important. My boat and motor must be dependable, plus the rod-reel-line combinations used must be high quality, and I try to use the best baits and lures available as well.
Two other important tools of my trade are my trolling motors and my fish-finding electronics.
These tools help me locate fish and help me stay on or near those fish. Being close to fish is obviously an important part of my job and so these two tools are very important to me.
My trolling motors consist of a foot-controlled cable steer bowmount motor which I use all for all my bass fishing. Bassin’ is cast and retrieve fishing and a foot-controlled bowmount keeps my hands free for casting, allowing me to stand on the boat’s casting deck and make long casts to potential fish-holding areas.
My bowmount is also used when casting small jigs to panfish or when pitching the shallows with jigs or crankbaits for walleye.
I also use my bowmount when walleye are located in deep water and I want to hover over them with a jig or live bait rig and attempt to coax them into biting. Here's where the cable steer part of my trolling motor is important since this steering style allows for almost instantaneous movement of the boat which is critical when trying to hold over deep walleye, especially in windy conditions.
My boat also has a hand-controlled transom mount electric motor which is used mainly when fishing walleye with live bait rigs or jigs along drop-offs or along deep weedlines. A transom mount motor is ideal for these walleye techniques utilizing the classic "backtrolling" boat control technique.
Regardless whether casting using the bowmount motor or backtrolling with a transom mount, a powerful motor that is smooth running and reliable is important. For that reason, I have long relied on Minn Kota motors. In fact, I have a new boat and motor scheduled to be delivered next week and it will feature a Minn Kota Fortrex on the bow and Vantage on the transom.
Trolling motors are important tools of my trade and so is my fish-finding sonar units. I use these units to find potential fish-holding structure, to fish, and to navigate to fishing hotspots.
I have a sonar unit with side imaging and GPS in the back of my tiller model boat and a big-screen sonar/GPS unit in the bow.
I use the sonar in the back for cruising potential fishing spots looking for fish or fish-holding structure with the big motor as my power source. When fish or potential hotspots are found, I usually slow up and use one of my electrics for fishing power. If backtrolling, obviously the rear sonar is used, while fishing from the bow means use of the big screen unit up front.
Regardless the case, the GPS capabilities of both sonar units play very important roles in my fishing. They are equipped with mapping chips which allow me to see and precisely follow depth contours. Plus, I save waypoints and icons when fish are located and caught that serve as markers from which I can use as reference points when fishing. In fact, I rarely throw floating marker buoys anymore, instead relying on my GPS units to mark spots.
As with my trolling motors, I must have quality when it comes to sonar units. Reliable units that are also easy to use are high on my list. I have been using Humminbird sonar units the last several years and am impressed with their user-friendliness and dependability.
Being on the water every day requires dependable equipment. Boats/motors, rods/reels, and lures/baits are important parts of those equipment needs. Overlooked at times, are trolling motors and sonar units. Hopefully the information provided here regarding those tool categories will be useful to anglers this summer. Good luck on the water!
Mike Frisch is a multi-species fishing guide in western Minnesota. He can be reached by calling (218)731-8141 or check out his website at www.fishinwithfrisch.com
Mississippi River Walleyes & Sauger
By Bob & Ginny Riege
The walleye is king in the Upper Midwest when you talk to many anglers about what kind of fish they like to pursue. One fish that is closely related to the walleye is the sauger. The sauger is a "cousin" to the walleye and the meat is very similar to that of a walleye, but this camouflaged commando of the deep is different in other ways.
First of all, the walleye and the sauger are similar in shape. Both of these fish are "cigar shaped" and to the novice they are sometimes mistaken. They both like similar "haunts" and they are often times caught in the same general area. The saugers are usually found in the river systems and some anglers have reported catching saugers in lakes. But with a closer observation they discover that the lakes are part of a river system. Saugers are also referred to as "sand pike" and many times they are caught adjacent to sand. The walleye in comparison can be found in river systems lakes and close to sand flats.
With all these similarities in mind you should also realize that there are differences. The physical appearance of a sauger is noticeable. They have mottled colored sides that gives them the camouflaged pattern. They have the ability to blend into their environment, especially the bottom structural patterns. Their dorsal fin (top fin) is even camouflaged; it has a system of polka dots. In comparison the walleye doesn't have any of these physical characteristics. Likewise the sauger doesn't have that distinctive white spot on its tail that the walleye has.
River walleyes love the moving water of the Mississippi, and never stray far from some sort of current. A classic walleye holding spot is a wing dam. Wing dams are man-made rock piles, which extend out into the river, deflecting the current and reducing its tendency to silt in. As the local fisherman knows, all wingdams hold fish, but some are better than others. The wing dams that hold the most fish are the ones that have a deep scour hole behind them and are located on the outside bend of a river or a straight stretch. These wing dams receive less current and therefore their scour holes are not silted in. Needless to say the rocky composition is habitat for food, and the wing dam provides a current break.
There are two popular ways to fish a wing dam. Anchoring is most common, parking the boat on the front side, tip or back side of the wing dam. Jigs or bottom bumping lures can be cast to cover the area near the dam. Since you can fish with two lines at once on boundary waters, many anglers set live bait over the side of the boat and cast jigs to find fish holding closer to the wing dam.
The local walleye fishermen do well most of the time with a jig and minnow. The size of a jig would vary according to the speed of the current. A 1/8 to 1/4 ounce is the favored size for most situations. Popular colors are yellow, pink, black and chartreuse. Live bait rigs such as the Lindy Rig or Wolf River Rig are also used.
River walleyes are more aggressive and seem harder hitting than still water walleyes. They hit a fast moving crank bait. These lures attract fish from far and wide to see what is going on or to stimulate a feeding desire. These lures may be as small as a jig or as large as a muskie crankbait. Two of my all time favorites are the Storm ThunderStick and the small Storm Lighting Shad.
Don’t over look the presentation of drifting to find fish near a wing dams. By letting the current swing you behind the rock piles you can quickly find out if there are any fish around. If you catch one or two, anchor and fish it some more, if not find another wing dam to fish.
Lake walleyes often suspend, and they are very inclined to concentrate at certain depths. It’s different on the river. River walleyes are bottom fish. Always make sure your bait is tight to the bottom. If you aren’t losing baits, you are fishing too high.
The speed of the current is one of the major elements of the river walleye’s world. They want some current, but not too much. They don’t pay as much attention to light presentation, seemingly, as lake fish, and will hold in one foot of water at times if the current is right.
Saugers have adapted more to a river’s murky environment than walleyes have. Their eyes allow them to feed in silty waters where walleyes have trouble seeing. Saugers, maybe because of that fact, stay deeper than walleyes. I like the fact that saugers strike harder than walleyes; too; even small fish hit a lure with gusto.
The sauger gets the commando reputation because of its' systems of hiding and waiting in ambush of its' prey. The sauger is also found deeper than walleyes and it usually will not achieve the weigh size that a walleye will. In fact, most state records on saugers tell the angler that a large six-pound sauger will be close to their state record. These commandos like current. They live out their lives in current breaks behind rocks, man made rip rap, stumps, downed trees and below dams, bends of the river, and off the tip of sand bars. They wait and watch and when the food offering floats by they attack and retreat to the protection of the current break.
The middle of the main river channel is where you will find saugers just about all year. In spring, they will be found tight to steep breaks next to shore, where they have easy access to their spawning areas. Saugers spawn later than walleyes, so when walleye action tapers a bit in the spring you can still find saugers ready to hammer your lures.
Whenever I find walleye fishing slow, I follow a simple plan for locating saugers. First I’ll drive up and down the river, looking for the deepest hole I can find. Usually it will be at least 25 feet deep, and often deeper. I’ll stop my boat upstream from the hole and drift back over with at least a 3/8 ounce Northland Vegas Glitter jig, which I hold right under the boat. In these holes the saugers hit the jig with quite a jolt. Schools of saugers roam from area to area. If you don’t find them on the first or second pass through an area move on to another hole. Saugers will usually inhale a bait on your first drift through.
Walleyes and saugers are the glamour fish of the Mississippi River. Whether you are searching for the king of the Upper Midwest or the commando of the deep, methods and table fare are very similar. Hope to see you on the river soon!
Run-and-Gun Approach to Fishing
By Babe Winkelman
The run-and-gun approach means fishing as many different spots as possible in as little time as is necessary. The theory behind run and gun is simple enough: Every minute wasted on an unproductive spot is a minute not spent on a good one.
One of the most important lessons I learned from years of tournament fishing is how to "run and gun."
The run-and-gun approach means fishing as many different spots as possible in as little time as is necessary. The theory behind run and gun is simple enough: Every minute wasted on an unproductive spot is a minute not spent on a good one. Rather than frittering away an hour on a spot that's not kicking out fish, you run and gun until you find a hot school.
Running and gunning is particularly effective during the fall period, when fish of all species can be just about anywhere. They may be holding in two feet of water one day only to move into 30 feet the next; prowling a mud flat this weekend and working a steep rock edge next weekend.
The most common mistake weekend anglers make is to fish the same old spots hour after hour and day after day, even if they aren't enjoying much success. These are "confidence spots" that were productive last year, last weekend or even the day before. But previous success is no guarantee there will be fish on a spot today, and every tournament fisherman knows it.
The pros try to establish several different patterns rather than just one. During their days of practice fishing they'll attempt isolate a number of good "spots.² If one of those spots doesn¹t produce during the tournament, they'll try something else
Not long ago I was entertaining a guest on one of my favorite walleye waters; a lake I know like my living room and is teaming with good fish. I visited half a dozen of my favorite walleye haunts, working each thoroughly, and had just a couple small fish to show for the effort.
"Time to run and gun," I told my guest.
I motored across the lake at half throttle, zigging and zagging and watching the depth finder for anything interesting. When I spotted something, I'd slow down and circle. I looked for shallow water, the availability of deep water, bottom content, forage fish and signs of game fish.
If I didn't find what I was looking for, I'd move on. If the spot showed some potential, we'd bait up and give it a quick try. And when I say "quick," that's exactly what I mean. A couple times my guest barely had his line in the water before I was ready to move.
Then I located a tiny submerged island that doesn't appear on most maps. It topped out at 10 feet and dropped quickly on one side into 40 feet, some of the deepest water on the lake. There were scattered weeds on the top and rocks along the deep edge.
In circling over the deeper water I noticed a cloud of baitfish on the locator, and when I snuggled up to the drop-off I saw some telltale hooks indicating walleyes just off the bottom.
In less than half an hour we caught and released our limits, including a couple of the biggest fish I caught from that lake all summer.
Running and gunning improves the angler's odds of finding active fish by tripling or quadrupling the number of spots he tries. And if there are any active fish on a spot, chances are it won't take long to catch one.
The run-and-gun technique is also a great way to zero in on the bigger fish it takes to win a tournament. If you're working a spot that's producing lots of average-sized fish, you may as well pick up and head for another area, because fish often school by size.
Another thing I've learned about big fish is that they often spook from an area after a pass or two. If you catch a nice fish on the first pass but nothing but little ones on subsequent passes, you may as well run and gun, looking for similar structures that may kick out another big fish on the first or second pass.
When incorporating that run-and-gun approach, it's a good idea to look for a variety of different structure types. Try weed edges, sunken islands, rock piles, creek channels and even mud flats until you figure out what kind of bottom content and configuration the fish are using.
Running and gunning improves the angler's odds of running across a school of active fish. And in the process of hitting multiple locations and using varying techniques, you become a much better fisherman.
Good Fishing!
Babe Winkelman is a nationally-known outdoorsman who has taught people to fish and hunt for nearly 30 years. Watch his award-winning "Good Fishing" and "Outdoor Secrets" television shows on Versus (VS.), Fox Sports Net, Wild TV and many local networks. Visit www.winkelman.com for air times where you live.
Swimming Pools for Fish - A Little Advice on Caring for Your Catch
By Tony Roach
Have you ever caught the same fish twice in a single day? How about the same fish two or three times inside a week? I’ll bet many of you have. Even on a massive fish factory like Mille Lacs in Central Minnesota, these daily doubles occur more often than we probably realize. Last year, for instance, fishing a particular shallow weed flat, we caught a hungry 27-inch walleye with an odd black spot on its tail. Only reason I remember it is because the very next day, a client caught what had to be the exact same walleye. Three days later, when the marked fish ate my Fire-Ball jig once more, it was like seeing an old friend—Dottie the hungry walleye. Hope she’s still swimming out there— chomping on perch and the occasional jig and leech.
You’re probably wondering why I’m telling you this. It really isn’t to convince you that you actually are smarter than the fish (most of us). Instead, I want to tell you that the next time you pull one of these daily doubles, you ought to pat yourself on the back. You’ve done your job well— not only as a skilled angler, but even more as a caretaker of fish.
Catching and releasing larger individual fish like Dottie isn’t just a great idea. In more and more lakes each season, special length and slot limits require it. Even when you’re selectively harvesting smaller, more numerous fish, enjoying them at dinner means caring for the catch. Keep them healthy in your livewell, or fresh on ice, all the way up to the fillet table. Harvesting a limit of small walleyes or crappies, then allowing them to spoil in the sun is a tragedy.
Still, much of the time these days, we’re releasing most of the fish we catch. And that means doing everything possible to assure their health and survival. Released fish can be hurt in a number of ways, but they all relate to stress and wounding. Most stress occurs between the hookset and landing. Wounding, on the other hand, can result from hooks, as well as poor handling practices. We can’t always prevent fish from stressing themselves during a long fight, but we can certainly prevent problems related to improper handling. Whether I’m fishing for bass, walleyes, muskies or even big crappies, I almost always rely on a landing net. Frabill’s Conservation Series nets are like big swimming pools for fish. Slip a big walleye into one, and just keep the net draped over the side of your boat, fish calmly paddling around inside. Keep the fish in the water, while you quickly remove hooks. If it’s a pike, say “AH” and get the Mouth Spreaders.
Now, if you want a photo, leave the fish safely in its “holding pen,” and ready the camera. The fish remains in the water and happy while you prepare. You’re doing everything necessary to assure a safe, healthy release. When you’re ready, wet your hands, and then lightly grip the gill cover with one hand, supporting its lower abdomen with the other. Snap your shots, and immediately lower the fish back into the water. If it doesn’t immediately swim away, hold the fish gently by the tail, and just let it pump its gills and draw oxygen. Do not thrust the fish back and forth. Fish don’t swim backward, and they’re gills aren’t able to extract oxygen from water when you do this. Simply hold them in place underwater, and they’ll do the rest. If you’re in a river, face the fish upstream, not down.
In summer, consider that when surface water temperatures surpass the 70-degree mark, it’s best to minimize the time you spend fighting fish, handling them boatside. If possible, avoid removing them from the water altogether. Again, a fish-friendly net like my Conservation Series is the best catch-and-release tool in my boat. The net’s special design keeps the catch relaxed in soft, padded netting. While a spacious interior and flat bottom panel supports their entire body, protecting its anatomy and preserving fin structure.
If I’m fishing for panfish, I usually set my own release size standards. I never keep bluegills over 8-inches. And for crappies, anything over 11-inches goes back. There’s this really cool device called the Grip ‘N Check (it’s also called the Crappie E-Z Checker) that greatly eases the measuring process. Slide the fish into the measuring basket and you get an instant accurate length. A lot of states now have crappie size limits, and this little gadget makes quick work of accurately measuring panfish. It also assures that fish can’t flip-flop away, causing damage to gills, fins or scales.
Few other things I like to do to care for my catch. One involves hooks. Excessively large barbs on some hooks can do plenty of damage to fish. First, though, consider that rarely are three treble hooks required on plugs—particularly those on big crankbaits. Consider removing one set of trebles, the middle set, in particular. Lots of times, an extra set simply means a greater chance that one tine will lodge into an eyeball or penetrate a gill.
Beyond that, I like to reduce the size of the barb on hooks. File a three-sided knife-edge on larger single or treble hooks, reducing the barb by half or more. Reduced-barb hooks penetrate easier, still hold plenty firm, and pop free with much less effort or damage to fish. It’s a small step that can make a huge difference, not only in terms of fish survival, but also in hookset success.
A little about fish caught from deepwater. When certain fish are brought up from depths greater than 40 feet too fast, their swim bladders— which control buoyancy— can overinflate. You see a bubble in their throat, and the fish has trouble swimming back down. Sometimes, you can get fish to release (burp) air from their swim bladder by massaging and gently pressing on its abdomen. Some anglers do what’s called fizzing—puncturing the bladder with a hypodermic needle to relieve air pressure. I highly discourage this practice. Fizzing (puncturing) often does more harm than good, even if you know exactly what you’re doing. The third option is to burp fish with a small, smooth end tube. Take a 14-inch section of ½-inch PVC pipe, and sand the end smooth. Gently insert the tube into the fish’s throat several inches, until you hear (or feel) that the air has been released. Again, improper or forceful procedure here can damage fish. This may, however, be the safest, most effective means of burping fish.
Finally, a tip for deeply hooked fish. Holding the line in one hand, keep the hook eye exposed in the throat. Using a set of long, curved forceps, slide the closed grips through a gill opening. Frabill offers a slick catch and release tool kit, perfect for this scenario. Grasp the upper portion of the hook shank, then twist and push it back outward, completely freeing it. Using a hook with a reduced barb, this procedure has been shown to greatly minimize damage to fish. Fish swallow sharp spiny things all the time, and wounds in the larynx usually heal quickly. Certainly, this is safer for the fish than cutting the line, leaving a hook lodged in its throat.
The beauty of fishing today and that we have the knowledge and tools to care for the very fish that make what we love to do possible. Not only are things like the right net an insurance policy against lost boatside brawlers, they’re also invaluable for keeping fish healthy, happy, and hungry enough to bite again tomorrow.
It's a Guide's Life
By Mike Frisch
I'm a fishing guide. Here's a look at a successful guided fishing trip through a guide’s eyes.
A successful trip often starts in advance of the fishing. I'm a multi-species guide fishing a variety of lakes taking pride in customer satisfaction. Therefore, a clear idea of client expectations is important.
Some clients want to fish for a particular species, some want to learn about a fishing technique, and some folks just want an enjoyable day with fish for the table at day’s end. Whatever the goal, good communication between clients and me when the trip is booked is a good way to increase success.
Preparation starts for me the night before the trip. I rig rods and organize equipment around trip goals.
The fishing day starts at a bait shop near the lake. I secure live bait and any last minute supplies while clients can purchase fishing licenses. Once bait and other supplies are secured, it is time to head to the water.
Since I'm on the water every day, I usually have a good idea where to start the fishing day. Walleyes are a client favorite and I rely on my Humminbird sonar/GPS units to help me quickly find fish-holding structure and walleyes. Many clients are amazed at how easy the new sonar/GPS units make finding fishing spots and fish.
Often we start a summer walleye trip with a Rock-Runner Bottom Bouncer/Roach Rig combination tipped with a nightcrawler. This presentation allows us to present live bait naturally, but still cover water searching for active biters.
When bass or panfish are the order, we head to the deep weedline and start by throwing jig-soft bait combinations. A 3/32- ounce Lip-Stick Jig-Worm head tipped with either a 7-inch Power Worm (largemouth) or a Slurpies Swim'n Grub (crappies/bluegill) is a good set-up.
Regardless the targeted species, the rest of the day centers around moving from spot to spot and picking off biters. Sometimes conditions change and we need to adjust our presentations or, if the bite is really tough, sometimes a change in lakes or species is in order.
As earlier stated, my goal is customer satisfaction and I work hard at communicating with my clients throughout the day to make their trip successful. Often, the conclusion of the trip involves me cleaning a few fish.
A chance to catch fish, learn more, and enjoy a fresh fish dinner often makes clients happy. For me, it's the smiles on clients' faces and comments like, "We really had a good time" or "We learned a lot!" that help define success. Mostly, however, its about the new friends made and time spent doing what I love!
Mike Frisch is the owner/operator of Fishin' With Frisch Pro Guide Service. He can be reached at (218) 731-8141 or www.fishinwithfrisch.com
Fishing for Your Sixth Sense
By Babe Winkelman
Does Mother Nature provide signs that help us predict when and where the fish will be biting? Is it possible to look at the sky, sniff the air and know whether or not it's going to be a good day on the water?
Crazy as it may sound, the answer is yes. Experienced anglers say they can see, feel and-yes-even smell whether or not the fish will be biting on a particular day.
Several years ago I went fishing with my good friend and pro angler Spence Petros. As we launched the boat for an afternoon of smallmouth bass fishing, Spence said, "The fish are biting, can you smell it?"
I could. The air was heavy and had a "fishy" odor. As we rigged our lines, the exhaust from the idling outboard seemed to hang in the air around us. We caught fish until our arms ached that day, the smallies blasting everything we threw at them like they hadn't eaten in weeks.
Since then I've smelled a good day of fishing hundreds of times, but it wasn't until recently that I understood there is a logical scientific explanation. Everyone knows fish become aggressive when a storm is approaching, especially if the storm is preceded by several days of steady weather.
When the barometric pressure is high (fair weather), the weight of the atmosphere keeps odors pinned to the ground. As the barometer falls (impending storm), those odors are released from swamps, bays and ditches. Around a lake, the air will smell "fishy". According to an old weather proverb, "When the ditch offends the nose, look for rain and stormy blows."
Another weather proverb says, "When smoke descends, good weather ends." There's a logical explanation for that one, too: Pre-storm humidity tends to keep smoke from rising, which explains the outboard exhaust hanging around the boat.
Put it all together-heavy air, descending exhaust and fishy odors-and it means a change in the weather likely to produce a good bite.
There also are ways to "see" the quality of fishing. It's been my experience that "shiny" water is the kiss of death. By shiny water I mean a harsh glare on the surface of choppy water, a glare so strong it almost hurts your eyes.
The explanation: During several days of steady weather, humidity builds in the atmosphere, blocking the sun's rays almost as effectively as a pair of sunglasses. A hard rain often washes the moisture from the atmosphere, leaving in its wake a harsh light that hurts your eyes. Apparently it hurts the fish's eyes, too, because I've rarely enjoyed much success on those kinds of days.
The ability to sense a good or bad day of fishing comes from years of experience. As Spence says, "After you've fished long enough, you get a feeling about these things. It's a feeling based on past experiences. If you've caught fish under certain conditions, those memories are locked in your brain and you just know it's a great day to go fishing."
So what are the absolute best days to be on the water? Most professional anglers agree a cool day with a slight wind, high humidity and heavy overcast produces the fastest action. Such days usually occur after several days of steady weather.
A strong wind after several hot, calm days also can produce great fishing. Wind does a lot of things to a lake, all of them good. Fish might not move up to feed until several hours after the wind kicks up but may continue to be active a day or two after the lake goes flat.
Big waves stack algae and plankton on the shore and rile up the water, all of which attract forage fish, which in turn pull in the predators. Even on calm, sunny days active fish may be found in extremely shallow water. The key is to fish the side of the lake that was exposed to yesterday's wind where the water is stained. If anglers have trouble catching shallow fish, it's usually because the boat traffic spooks them into deeper water. Tournament pros know this and like to cast to the shallows, keeping their boat a good distance away.
I've always maintained the best way to develop a sixth sense about fishing is to keep a log, recording the date, the place, depth, how many fish were caught and what lures were used to catch those fish.
Other pertinent information might include the temperature, wind velocity and direction, the barometric pressure and cloud cover. An even more valuable log would include the smells, intensity of light, yesterday's weather and even the weather that follows.
If nothing else, keeping such a log would help anglers pay closer attention to all the factors that can-and often do-influence fish behavior, locking those observations into their memory bank.
Good Fishing!
Babe Winkelman is a nationally-known outdoorsman who has taught people to fish and hunt for nearly 30 years. Watch his award-winning “Good Fishing” and “Outdoor Secrets” television shows on Versus (VS.), Fox Sports Net, Wild TV and many local networks. Visit www.winkelman.com for air times where you live.
4 Tips for Booking a Guide
By Jeff Hanson
Over the past dozen or so years of guiding, I’ve met a lot of great people. Many of whom I’ve become quite good friends with and I look forward to fishing w/ them every year as they return for their annual trip. It is rewarding to see people come back year after year because I know they must’ve had a great time fishing with me in the past. However, if you are planning a trip for the first time, how can you insure it will be an experience like this that you’ll want to repeat year after year? Well, here are some tips to help you plan ahead and make your next fishing trip everything you hope for.
Talk to your guide before you plan your trip. Make sure that it’s a good time to be fishing for the species you’re after. Call your guide and say, “I want to fish for walleyes, when’s the best time to be there”? Guides will be straight up with you. They want you there during prime time so you have a great experience and come back again. That’s job security for guides. I’ve had people over the years show-up during the worst time of the year and do the last minute-thing, saying, “I am staying at _____, and I want to go fishing tomorrow”. When I told them it wasn’t very good fishing right now, they were disappointed. In addition to this, you run the risk of the good guides being booked up and then you’re stuck on shore.
Have your guide help you w/ your lodging: Like I said earlier, your guide wants you to have the best experience possible. They don’t want you getting stuck in some dump. Ask them where they would recommend you stay, some guides will even handle this for you. Just tell them what you are looking for, a hotel room? Condo? Cabin?
Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions and get details: Some examples of questions to ask are: how long have you been doing this? What kind of boat/equipment do you use? How many people can you take out? What kind of fishing will we be doing? What should we bring? Can we go ashore for lunch? These are all important things to know for you and your guide so there are no surprises for either party.
Go early in the week to avoid crowds. Friday-Sunday can sometimes be very busy. By booking on Monday-Thursday, you will deal with less road and lake traffic, you’ll get better lodging rates, and (most importantly) you won’t have to share the fish with the weekend crowds!
Use these tips when planning your next fishing trip. If you do your homework, find a good guide, ask the right questions and plan accordingly, you will, no doubt, have a great time.
Jeff operates Jeff Hanson’s Guide Service, on Mille Lacs Lake. To book a trip with him, call 763.477.8553, or visit his website at www.hansonguideservice.com
Fishing in Color
By Mike Frisch
Open-water fishing season is getting closer every day! With that in mind, here is a look at two technological changes involving color that can make open-water fishing more successful.
Color-changing fishing lines
Anglers often prefer using fishing lines that are nearly invisible under water so that fish, especially those in clear water, can not detect the line’s presence. However, a line that is visible to the angler’s eye is advantageous as it helps in bite detection. A few years ago, Berkley introduced Vanish Transition, a fluorocarbon line that is either gold or crimson red above the surface, yet remains clear under the surface making it nearly invisible to the fish.
In following this trend, Berkley’s new Trilene TransOptic line is a monofilament line that is bright gold in the sunlight, yet nearly disappears under water. Last fall I sampled this line when pitching Jungle Jigs tipped with soft trailers to heavy cover bass. Often a jig bite is detected by a jump or twitch in fishing line and this line made seeing those bites easy!
Additionally, the line was abrasion resistant and strong allowing for powerful hook-sets and the fish-fighting ability to horse big bass away from heavy cover like reeds, weeds, and along dock posts.
Color sonar
When walleye fishing, a sonar unit that allows an angler to “see” fish holding right on bottom is advantageous. For that reason, the new color display sonar units that have become very popular the last few years have been a big hit as they make detecting bottom-hugging fish easy. For example, my Humminbird 958c shows bottom in red and any fish right on it show in lighter colors.
Late last summer while guiding on Ottertail Lake, this feature really helped me and my clients catch more fish. We pulled Roach Rig snells baited with nightcrawlers behind Rock-Runner Bottom Bouncers in water depths between 30- and 40-feet. Color sonar was a big advantage as it helped in finding those deep water walleyes.
Put color to use this summer on your fishing trips. As always, good luck on the water!
Mike Frisch is the owner/operator of Fishin' With Frisch Pro Guide Service. Check out his new website at www.fishinwithfrisch.com
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