WHAT A WEIRD YEAR! SO MANY FISH CAUGHT! HERE'S WHY

[Spoonminnow]

One thing's for sure: the amount of rainfall can affect fish location patterns like no tomorrow! Fish were gone from the areas in all waters due to a 3 yr. drought ending last fall. Even locations this spring were different and at first hard to find, but with persistence and trying water 2-6', fish in large numbers were found. Location patterns changed after staying stable for a week or so, but one thing that stayed the same was the need for a 1/32 jighead.

Shallow water patterns 5 ' or less need lures that can stay in the provocation zone the longest - lure design does the rest. As many of have grasped using small lures, it's the little things fish sense and lures that exhibit even the least amount of action with the slowest retrieve have greater chances of getting an inactive fish to strike.
Here's an idea: you come upon an inactive fish (not all fish that strike were active to begin with and I'd bet few are). Okay, so the fish senses a lure with an interesting design that gets it's juices flowing. It could be the slight quivers or the darting or the flapping - something a fish can't ignore and stay calm.

Let's rate strike activity levels:
Level 1 - suspending off bottom with not a care in the world
Level 2 - fish senses a lure and tracks it's movement and motions as well as computing its size (fish may strike something a bit to big for it's mouth, but not always - as its it's nature
Level 3 - fish must investigate with it's mouth to see what all the quivering is about
Level 4- fish may have missed the first time but follows and attacks again on the same retrieve, slamming the lure like there's no tomorrow and eventually hooking itself!
Level 5- fish attacks with gusto on the next cast to the spot the hook set failed and may even attack again and again just under the boat - even in 4'. That fish won't take no for an answer! - so to speak.

Now, for levels 3-5 to occur, the lure's speed and angler-imparted presentation-manipulations that enhance design motions but be just right. Too fast and the fish observes nature's law of conservation - conservation of energy to be precise. The lure could be the best one ever made, but move it too fast and all you're getting is casting practice.
Along with a slow enough speed are a lure's subtle actions that are so typical of those in nature: the squiggles of worms; antennae waving (craw) ever so slightly; fins slightly moving; bugs twitching on surface; small fish gliding from place to place. Animals are fine tuned detectors of motion and wired to react automatically.

So today and last week the pattern made itself know: a lot of rain (4" since last Fri.) positioned fish out of the deeper areas (sonar showed almost none no matter where I went) and into water less than 5' on flats that came out 30 yds. from shore. Once I launched, I moved the boat only 100' away, parallel to the shoreline and anchored after catching three fish. In that hour I caught over a dozen fish fan casting towards and parallel to shore.

(Note: 2.5" of rain yesterday evening diluted the bright green algae, possibly making lures visible from a slightly longer distance.)

I then moved the boat another 15 yds. maintaining boat position in 5-6', but casting to a lesser depth. Crappie, many yellow perch, sunfish and a few small bass were easily ratcheted up to Level 4 and often to Level 5. In order to motivate those fish, 1/32 oz jigs, slimmer lures with prong tails or small paddle tails and length of less than 2.5" proved work better than 1/16 oz with any lure. Granted, I did cast 1/16 oz jigs and 2.5" lures and did catch many fish that were already at Level 3, but for those in 2-3' of water, slower and smaller proved deadly! (BTW a bass angler term labeling a bass's strike on a lure someone is trying to sell you.)

If you asked me whether I would ever use something as small as 1/64, I'd say, not really my cup of tea. But for the first time, I did ! Casting distance was little different than using 1/32 oz taking into consideration the weight of the plastic lure. (Both are jig weights are somewhat interchangeable, but maybe the 1/64 may work better under a float.)

As for those anglers that only target big fish, good for them. But for my time on the water, I want as many strikes as I can generate using as many lures designs and modifications as possible. The pattern I described allowed this along with one other on the opposite shoreline allowing me to answer more questions I had regarding lure color size, shape and action.

[P-row]

Spoonminnow......very informative post. I really liked your term "the provocation zone". We always talk about it by saying "keeping it in front of them" long enough to provoke a strike. It does seem to make a difference! I have to ask tho.....what type of equipment (line, rod & reel) do you use? We always seem to be looking for something to get them few extra feet on our casts. I agree the 1/32 oz. jig is best for shallow water......Thanks for sharing......

[Spoonminnow]

P-Row, I own the cheapest rod and reels on the market but insist that they have the following:
reels :infinite anti-reverse; bearings; smooth drag; gear ratio of at least 3.5:1 and a decent spool diameter
I can catch as many fish on a spincast as spinning reel, though spinning does allow a bit further casts of light lures

rods: the light action label on a rod's blank can be deceptive and may actually be medium light (too stiff) or ultralight (at times too whippy). I test rods to make sure they have a fast 1/3 end for easier casting. 6-6.5' is my favorite length for either reel types though 5 1/2 ft. is fine for spincast. I never use a 7 ft. rod for light lure fishing. (I have been known to cut a length of rod that has the right bend an attach it to another after removing the end that was too firm. Works like a dream!)

line:I always use braid for spinning and limp mono for spincast, usually adding a 6# test fluorocarbon leader. There are many good quality lines sold and those I stock are abrasion resistant and have the less stretch. (Even straight 8# test mono can do well for shallow fish and shorter casts.)

When you go with a light action rod and especially braid, you not only feel the slightest tick on a long cast and retrieve, but hook sets are only a matter of initially raising the rod tip at an angle away from the fish while reeling in line fast at the same time. After a double tick is felt, the fish seems to always have the lure in it's mouth and begin to panic as more line is quickly reeled in - the panicked fish setting the hook for you! But in order for this sequence to happen, I find the above gear requirements essential.

If a fish is at Level 2 or 3, the last thing you want to do is reduce it's enthusiasm and its uncontrollable will to do or die catching the object in question due to equipment issues. Ya may as well attach a line to a broom stick if you choose to ignore the rules of light tackle.

Now one thing I always find super exciting is catching big crappie and other large panfish or 1 lb bass on light tackle. I swear it feels as though I have a 3lb bass hooked, only to find a 14" crappie or 7" sunfish pulling my drag! The larger the fish, the easier it is to hook because larger fish always seem to jump immediately to Level 5, especially in a schooly conveyor belt where you hook one and the rest follow one after the other.

[Fish on Line]

Most of the time I drag my 10 ft poles fishing for Crappie or Cats. Bream chasing goes to the shallow water and slip corks. those zones you mentioned dont produce much except at first light.. I have several light poles you described with Mono lines. with this Post I will Gear up,,, Or down and change to what works and small Braid lines, saving bigger poles for 20 to 30 foot deep water

[Spoonminnow]

One thing I find important is to oil the bearings and gears every year and sometimes more often. Turning that handle must be effortless when slowly working a light lure. After a few seasons, the biggest problem with spincast reels is the groove line wears down on the inner line pick-up cap that rotates line around the spool. I file it smooth as I can, but eventually order another cap when filing doesn't work.

Again, the retrieve is always a combination of small reel handle turns, a few rod tip twitches, rod tip pulling the bait along and any combination of the three anywhere fish may be - near surface, mid-depth or on bottom.

[Spoonminnow]

One thing I find important is to oil the bearings and gears every year and sometimes more often. Turning that handle must be effortless when slowly working a light lure. After a few seasons, the biggest problem with spincast reels is the groove line wears down on the inner line pick-up cap that rotates line around the spool. I file it smooth as I can, but eventually order another cap when filing doesn't work.

Again, the retrieve is always a combination of small reel handle turns, a few rod tip twitches, rod tip pulling the bait along and any combination of the three anywhere fish may be - near surface, mid-depth or on bottom.