Chubs

[ryne]

For the guys who fish chubs. I was wondering how you rig them and your setup. My local stream (little vermillion) is full of chubs and can be caught on every cast with just a crawler. Iv never used them for smallmouth, but im gonna try soon. Iv fished with big suckers up north for Muskie but thats on a different level. Any info to lead me in the right direction would be nice. thanks.

[kend]

For smallies, select chub sizes in the 3-5" size.

These size chubs are most ideal for smallies.

In the late season, of Oct to ice-up, I often use 5-7" chubs, when target large smallies.

 

To catch the small chubs, use UL tackle, a panfish size #10 - 14 hook. [A short shank fly hook style is best].

 

Dress the hook with a small piece of garden worm or grub, just to cover the hook, and suspended under a tiny float [Lindy's Thill Ice Float in the small size, or the like, is ideal].

 

When fishing smallies in moving or still waters, the chub can be fished along the bottom or suspended within 6" above the bottom, under a float.

When fishing still waters and deeper fish, I suspend them about 12" above the bottom, under a slip float.

 

Use fixed floats for shallow water and slip floats for deeper water.

 

Select a pencil or cigar float---they offer the least resistance, when submerged.

 

Rig the chub on a circle, #6 for 3" chubs and a #4 for the 4-5" chubs.

[A circle hook is the way to go, so as not to gut-hook the fish, so it can be released with the least damage done to the fish.

The circle hook with catch the fish in the lip].

 

Place the hook thru the chubs lip, when fishing along the bottom, or in the back near the tail, when fished under a float.

 

When hooked near the chubs tail, place the hook behind the anal fin and the tail, and between the skin and back bone.

Position the hook in the "upright" position. The upright position of the hook is important---it provides the least chance of getting snagged-up, with objects along the waters bottom, such as wood, weeds, rocks or the like.

 

When fished along the bottom, a slip-sinker rig is most suitable.

Select a bullet shaped sinker, [they are the least likely to get snagged].

Position the weight, 12-18" above the bait. Install a miniture swivel on the line, to act as a stop for the sliding sinker.

A small plastic or silicon bead, can be placed against the swivel, so as to cushion the sliding weight, to reduce strain or damage to the knot.

 

There's a very informative "Float Fishing" article for smallies, in the previous issue of the ISA Newsletter.

The article describes rigging and presentation techniques.

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PS---ryne,

please send $25 and become a member of the ISA,

to cover the "tips and info" described above.