What did you learn this year?

[Scott Ferguson]

No matter where I fish, I am always trying to learn more. This year, I discovered suspending jerkbaits. I used Rapala Husky Jerks a couple of times in the past with unremarkable results. This time, while fishing with Paul Trybul I saw how great Lucky Craft Pointers and Rapala X-Raps can be. I'm sure this is not anything new to many of you, but I'd been on a major senko kick for years and just ignored everything else. If I'd have stuck with my usual soft plastics presentation, I'm sure I would have caught fish, but the X-rap bite was just so much better, it turned a good trip into a great one. One of the keys Paul taught me was to jerk the bait a couple of times, pause, crank, and repeat. Worked like a charm. This will be a featured part of my arsenal from now on.

 

What new tactic did you learn this year?

[Guest rich mc]

even thou it wasnt a new tactic. when i fished fence lake in wisc it was a big clear lake that was overwhelmimg at first . fishing deep was another factor. ill be ready for next if i go at the same august timeframe, but would be easier to fish it earlier or later. another thing i learned was using a foot control eletric motor , not a tactic but very useful tool in presentation. rich

[Norm M]

starting to figure out how the fish are reacting to all the changes the sand/sediment is causing.

[Bterrill]

Feeder creeks have water in them in the Spring allowing awesome fishing with clearer waters when larger flows are blown out.

[chrisserafin]

As my first year with the ISA and first real year fishing in rivers, I learned ALOT and caught the most smallmouth ever in my life. The boards and outings introduced my to a number of great locations on rivers and lakes, and a number of techniques. Slider heads/grubs, sm cranks, and inline spinners did the trick this year; or were what I used in the rivers. I also took to night time topwater fishing for green carp down the street from me during the summer.

 

All in all, great year, much learned, and planning for next years adventures. Thanks ISA!

[dcashion]

Lesson #1 of the year - when it is 35 degrees outside try not to trip over a rock within minutes of getting in the stream and filling up your chest waders with very cold water - tend to ruin the trip

 

Three things I've added to my arsenal this year:

 

1. Weightless plastics. Always fished weighted plastics of one type or another - normally texas rigged.

2. Flukes - (@Eric - try a Zoom Arkansas Shiner pattern fluke) Carolina Rigged and weightless Flukes are something I just started using in the past two or three weeks for LMBs locally. Since I started I've landed more than six LMBs in the 18-24 inch range, even in the current cold water conditions. A definate 'keeper' technique for next year's smallies.

3. Swimming Grubs. About a month or month-and-a-half ago I started slow rolling grubs on light jig heads and they produced an incredible number of LMBs(including some reasonably big fish), a pike on a trip with Jonn G., and a few smallies on the Vermillion about 3 weeks ago (one or two topwater running the grub like a mini buzzbait.

[ronk]

Re smb fishing in good years you can do well fishing banker's hrs;in poor years such as the past 2 fish early, fish late.

[Paul Trybul]

No matter where I fish, I am always trying to learn more. This year, I discovered suspending jerkbaits. I used Rapala Husky Jerks a couple of times in the past with unremarkable results. This time, while fishing with Paul Trybul I saw how great Lucky Craft Pointers and Rapala X-Raps can be. I'm sure this is not anything new to many of you, but I'd been on a major senko kick for years and just ignored everything else. If I'd have stuck with my usual soft plastics presentation, I'm sure I would have caught fish, but the X-rap bite was just so much better, it turned a good trip into a great one. One of the keys Paul taught me was to jerk the bait a couple of times, pause, crank, and repeat. Worked like a charm. This will be a featured part of my arsenal from now on.

 

What new tactic did you learn this year?

 

I have to give the ISA and more specifically Jonn Graham credit for my introduction to the suspending jerkbait. I want to say Jonn spoke glowingly about the power of jerkabaits at an ISA blowout along with f&f and other cold water smallie techniques. Jonn even helped me pick out my favorite color and size which is the chartruse shad for the Lucky craft pointer 65. For x-raps I like olive green. It's not just for smallies. I've put a spanking on the lazy green bass in the spring on suspending jerkbaits, along with crappie, white bass, and pike. Pike waters and lucky craft pointers are not a good mix. Things can get expensive fast. Other jerkbaits work but the lucky craft is finely tuned with near perfect horizontal balance during the pause. For $15 a pop they better be good. If you think about it though, how many dozens of minnow or packs of plastic would I have had to buy to catch all of the fish I caught on one lucky craft before it fell victim to a toothy critter. Probably well over $15. All that said it would not be my choice for "if you had only one lure what would you choose" but it definately has a place in my arsenal.

 

The thing I learned or at least stood out to me more this year is: If you want to catch more fish, you have to fish where the fish are. It seems simple but this year out of around 120 days of some fishing, more than 1/2 of my fish caught came during 9 of those 120 days.

[Jonn Graham]

I guess the biggest "thing" I learned this past year was not to be afraid to explore different parts of your river. I had a certain section of river where I had been spanking smallouths for years and then the population seemed to "dry up". I made a long move upstream and found a much better population. I know in following years I will not be afraid to "throw out conventional wisdom" and explore new areas of river no matter how good or bad they look at first glance.

[Norm M]

Jonn

 

One thing I learned over the years in that vein was the more pressured the water, the better the non conventional areas can be.

[Kev-mo]

I learned...

 

A bit more about the Dupe, Fox and Kish, that I don't need lots of different plastic or in multiple colors (tackle was starting to look like the wife's closet). Carry enough confidence baits to cover the water column, much more is just dead weight on my shoulders. Have two sets of waders and boots for when one fails. I actually like braid (PP) and might use it again next year. To try to stop buying stuff I don't need or might not use just because it's on sale or somebody else is catching fish on it. Pay attention to the details when comparing/purchasing new equipment. That there are multiple ways to do something and I need to find out what works best for me. That there is still a lot I need to learn.

 

I need to get in shape if I wade with Don again, that a rest stop can be found just about anywhere on the river

[John Gillio]

One thing I learned, a few years back when I spent more time chasing flatheads,changed my approach for smallies. I found that the large artificials I was using for cats were catching very large smallies at a rate I wasn't used to. Throwing small lures catches more fish, and some can be fairly nice sized. Throwing larger lures will cut the total catch down but I can expect a few 20 inchers a year throwing them.

[Norm M]

One thing I learned, a few years back when I spent more time chasing flatheads,changed my approach for smallies. I found that the large artificials I was using for cats were catching very large smallies at a rate I wasn't used to. Throwing small lures catches more fish, and some can be fairly nice sized. Throwing larger lures will cut the total catch down but I can expect a few 20 inchers a year throwing them.

Big, fat, dumb, slow, eat me. That's why you'll find very large cranks and plastics in my stuff.