Norm M

you could prolly substitute any kind of sinker if you go home made.

I'm scheduled for the 6:05 am slot Saturday Feb 11 on WJOL 1340 AM. prolly chat about cold water river fishing.

This would be a great article for the Bronzeback Bulletin. Make sure the issue is fish-free. Just pictures of anglers holding their hands apart and giving the, "It was THIS big!" look. The cover can just be a dotted outline of a smallmouth.

There are going to be times when it's necessary. Sometimes for hook removal, other times to measure a really big fish and other times to take photo of really big fish. No need to take photos or measurements of every fish though.

This is supposed to be a C & R oriented organization with an emphasis on education. Teaching folks how to minimize possible injury and stress to the fish should be one of the things we do. It is just like emphasizing proper tackle to bring the fiah to hand as quickly as possible to reduce lactic acid build up and possible post release mortality.

it really helps if you can release the fish without taking it out of the water. i realize that is not always possible but it is something to strive for.

lists like that is why I don't pay attention to those magazines, not much bearing on reality.

Norm, where can you get pc? That stuff is is strong as nails... and I can see where it'd be less prone to snag.

 

Everyone in my kids scout troop got survial bracelets made out of pc for Christmas so I know a little bit about it...

here is one example

http://www.worldfishingnetwork.com/users/gary/blog/simple-sandbags-for-river-fishing-124158.aspx

you can heat seal both ends and punch a hole with a awl. add spilt ring or snap if desired

a sand bag is a length of parachute cord filled with sand and sealed at both ends, a slinky is the same except filled with lead.

with the 3 way or wolf river rig, I like slinkies or sand bags for weight. slides a lot easier than lead over snags.

jigs such as the Mr Twister weighted keeper hooks or the swim bait jigs that have the weight on the hook shaft are more snag resistant than jigs with the weight on the nore or head of the jig, up by the eye of the hooh however you want to term it.

The nose weighted jigs have more of a tendency to drop into the crevices in the rocks and get stuck[snagged]. The jigs with the weight on the hook shaft, the weight tends to have more of a keel type effect and helps the kinda glide over the crevices.

I have found that using flurocrbon can also add to the snagging issue as it has a tendency to sink and settle into rock crevices when the jig sits.

Another option is to use much heavier jigs than normal, cast downstream and slowly retrieve against the current. Not a perfect solution but it got me a 22 inch smallmouth last week.

If you have a water craft, try vertical jigging, much more control account less line out and you can use lighter jig swhich always helps.

Gravity, current and weighted lures, a tackle makers best friend.

when i get into the zone it's kinda like that.

west of the wabash, east of the mississippi

PITA, not for me.

Listen to that voice in the back of your mind.

If in doubt, don't try it.

Zeno should move a little closer.

7 ft St Croix Avid Diawa 3000 Coastal Reel one spool 12 lb McCoys Mean Green for day to day other spool 15 lb McCoys Mean Green for fishing amongst flooded trees and such

Back when I was obsessed with 20 inch plus smallies I used a 7 ft medium heavy with 17 lb XT or McCoys Mean Green, caught a lot of them with the heavier tackle

Heavier line doesn't deter smallmouth and when you have a big fish in the harder flows I fish it's your duty to land them as fast as possible to avoid lactic acid buildup. Heavier tackle is the most ethical way in my opinion.

Start with big, aggressive lures and work back not the other way around.

edit

only wade, don't own any type of watercraft

You could put copies of this article and the one in the June/july 2003 article at the booth.

More like you ran up so I didn't catch you and beat you!

If Don ran up that hill there was a hot babe and a cold drink at the top.

In the photo of me, that fish was caught on a crankbait worked upstream against the current.

Manny

I would definitely return to those spots. Don't get locked into using just "coldwater" techniques, you'll find the fish don't all react positively to those particular triggers.

Jonn

The quality of the jigs you or any one else makes was never in question. The point was that it wasn't the materials used in the construction of the rig that lead to success but rather that the rig allowed a lure to be presented at the proper depth and speed that allowed success. If someone utilized a $1.99 jerk bait instead of an expensive Japanesse model at the proper depth/speed they would trigger a response. Who is going to catch more fish, someone who understands current, how fish relate to it and how to make current work for them using an Ugly Stik or a guy who doesn't understand those concepts using custom made gear ?

Dick Bergfield [Mr Jig] said it best an ounce of knowledge is better than a pound of gear.

As far as the jigs I use for f-n-f, they work for me so far. If I see the need to upgrade, I will as I have in other types of tackle. Truth be told f-n-f is not that high on the list of options for me in coldwater. Yes I know it works, it's just that there are other options I prefer and feel are more suited to how I like to fish.

I know I'm in the minority here in that I don't think that specially crafted jigs or specialized floats are the key to the success of the system. The key is that a lure is being presented at the proper depth and at the proper speed to trigger a response from fish. When I use the technique I use an old stick bobber with the spring replaced by a latex tube above a cheap hair jig or one those those chennille/marabou jigs. It catches fish because of proper depth and speed control.

I have said it before, it's way groovy to catch fish on lures you have made yourself. I just don't find it necessary to use materials such as craft hair which I have tried and will agree does work. All I am saying is that there are alternatives that are less costly and readily availible to those who wish to try the technique. If you have less than a buck tied up in a rig, you are a lot more likely to fish it into the heavy cover that will hold fish this time of year.

Fishing for smallmouth bass in rivers in coldwater isn't really all that new. I contributed to an In Fisherman article on the subject back in 2004. I, like Phil , Josh Mcdermott and a few others in the midwest have been doing it longer than that. That's not to mention the folk out east the Butch Ward inspired, well he inspired me too.

If you read the latest In Fisherman did on fishing with jigs and floats for steelheading, you will find a strong case for soft plastics as well. Both Phil and I have found them to be effective for coldwater smallmouth as well.

Stay versatile in your approach to fishing.

Winter topwaters, any one ?

Tom

The whole float n fly thing is nothing new, folks were fishing jigs under bobbers for a long time for a multitude of different species. My earliest memory is fishing for crappies in river backwaters with some of my great uncles while using cane poles when I was a tad.

crankbaits, rattlebaits, spinnerbaits, topwaters still catching fish