9/29 in Central Florida

[Micanopy]

Pretty day.



It was slow and the smaller fish were the only ones cooperating. I was keeping mediums today as an old woman I like was wanting some fish. Had to gather what I could. There were a few nicer fish involved though. Watched many others fishing and they were nabbing baby fish or looking really bored. Tough go. Had to hunt for them. The nicer fish came near the end of the trip. Threw back about a dozen little guys. Had. fairly decent sized fish toss the jig.

There was also a ton of vegetative debris floating amongst the pollen. Duckweed ? Anyways I wanted to go to a few spots that were covered over with it and had to give up fishing there. Instead fished areas I really didn’t want to. The weed was fouling the jigs and became a huge nuisance so it was easier to just avoid it and catch fewer fish.





I stayed with it and was unsure of the actual count. Yes I lost my clicker. I headed home with what I felt would be 20. Cleaned nicely and packaged in a vacuum bag and in freezer. I think I will see her tomorrow for the handoff. She tells me she washes her peanuts three times and likes clean food. I took my time cleaning the fillets and they looked great.



I like that Varivas line and got three solid trips out of it. I plan to swap out for all new leaders before next trip, simply because I tangle lines occasionally and wrap up on my bladed jigs some as well. I like clean looking leaders. I lift everything into the boat, so having clean leaders gives me confidence. Not sure the line caught me more fish, but I did OK with it and feel that it is a winner for me.

30 boats out there today. Ready to try a different lake and let the word of mouth guys have that lake. People would ride up and watch me, then off they would go. Do you know how hard it is to watch a rod bending in half but you don’t dare touch it. They pattern boats thinking we might have found the fish they came out there to get. Looked like a flotilla down from me. I don’t think it was all that much fun, as many boats had single fishermen in them and they were still out there when I left. Usually best for me to avoid that scene.

I am grateful for all the help I have gotten from the members here. My homemade jigs are getting it done.

["G"]

You did ok...it beats working. Great pics, thanks for sharing

[DockShootinJack]

Looks like a nice mess of fillets. G nailed it on the beats working

[BobC]

Very nice photos and fish.
Bob

[BuckeyeCrappie]

Beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing

[Rojo]

I spend a lot of time in the swamps but Florida's Swamp in his picture could easily become my "Mistress"!

[Chuck Adams]

Nice mess of fish!!

What is the water temperature down there?
One of the lakes I fish had a skum like that or algae bloom about a month ago.
Had to take boat to car wash on the way home.
Is pulling jigs the only method you use for catching crappie?
I have read most of your post in the jig/tying section and know you have spent countless hours to modify and make jigs you have confidence in.
Just wondering if you cast, push, vertical single pole or only pull.
Thanks
Chuck


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

[Micanopy]

Chuck,

My local lakes are shallow affairs. Some have weedbeds lining the bottom, others have vast mud flats. Live Scope would be useless IMO, as there is no structure. So of all the techniques available, pulling jigs behind the boat makes the most sense for my venues. I trudge along hunting for aggressive fish and try to get them to give me a little reaction bite as my homemade lures pass by in review. Much like fashion models strutting down runways looking to get themselves noticed.

The thread you mentioned was fun while it lasted. Unfortunately I will not be adding any more content. Glad you enjoyed it as I had fun sharing.



If anyone else is reading this dribble and is having issues with catching fish I have some suggestions. First and most important- fish where the fish are at, and not where you wish them to be. This means trying different locations, maybe new locations, and perhaps even learning new and different techniques to get in there after them. Once the fish are found it is all about dialing them in. Finding the best way to present carefully selected offerings.

On this site there is a lot of information about the various techniques. Scattered and difficult to sort through yes, but it is here if you look for it. My issues with finding good quality info involved losing my focus and chasing after all sorts of optional ideas, simply because the thread went sideways. LOL Seems each technique has someone who has mastered it and then shared the good stuff with others here, who then screamed -Look a squirrel ! If you can figure out what you need, and avoid being sidetracked, it is probably here somewhere.

Understand next that while all jigs will catch fish, each technique will have jigs that work better for your chosen style of fishing, and that style may even have a simple handful that will work best. Choosing the right jig for the technique you use is important. For me, while I can use tube jigs and still catch some fish, they will never be as effective as what I am currently using. This sounds simple enough, use the right jig style, but it was a high hurdle for me to overcome. No one ever mentioned that. Duuuuhhhhhh. I was using all sorts of jigs trying to see what they would want, only later learning that my original choices were poor because they were designed for single jig poling or some such thing. I also got hung up on having to possess and maintain a huge variety of colors. This was also a hurdle that I had to jump.

My quest was for a single jig that would work the best for me and the way I present to my available fish. Trial and error, and testing is always challenging when the fish are fickle. Hard to know if you are discovering or wandering aimlessly. Time on the water gets it done.

When I started surf fishing I soon learned that being able to actually present my bait to the fish was somewhat important to success. Sounds stupid, but it meant that learning to cast for distance was going to be my best way forward. To actually be able to reach out to where the fish were hanging out was more important than the type of bait. I taught myself by reading what I could find on the subject, practicing, and obtaining the right gear. Made friends that knew a few things. The secret to casting for distance is to finely tune each and every single component. The right rod, line, reel, bearings and oil, aerodynamic sinkers, and a streamlined rig design all working together. As each element gets tuned a little better, a little extra distance is gained. Adding all of the tweaks together also adds all their extra distances and wham you are throwing for distance. It took me about 8 months to learn, but I found my way to a casting tournament ( yes hairy legged manly men standing in a field seeing who can toss the furthest ). That contest saw three new American records set. I finished third place in the 150 gram category, recording a cast of 705 feet. This ability then went on to make me a top surf fisherman. Being able to fish where the fish were was the key to the entire mess. Find the fish, reach the fish, present the bait properly, catch fish. Simple. I surf fish at distances around 150 yards, measured by laser not by eye.

I pull jigs as my crappie technique. Would not say it was long lining though. Some jigs are out there a goodly ways behind the boat, and some just a little ways back, and some right next to the hull. Yup, catch good fish right there. No need to turn the reel handle, just lift the rod to land them. The thrill that gives is tremendous. You’re sitting there, admiring the sun rise and suddenly this great ballyhoo of activity happens. Splash Splash and you see the fish on the surface and then start looking for which rod. Fantastic early in the morning as it is an exciting way to wake up. LOL

I would never have figured that would happen and only discovered it by accident. Tossed a jig over the side while unhooking a fish and bam it got hit. Unsure why it works, but I did notice that the boat creates the oddest looking wakes while trolling along. Strange little waves that run at ridiculous angles and such. One day I hope to understand more about this phenomenon.

I know a tournament guy who pulls jigs. He only uses 1/16th oz with 2” curly tail grubs. He does very well, but even if I match his boat speed, ride in the same areas, copy his baits, talk live with him about colors on the phone, everything equal, he catches fish and I sadly did not. Go figure, as we were unable. He would laugh. I even got on his boat twice, and fished, and was catching fish like crazy, and still unable to copy cat his results. I gather that this is something a man simply has to work out for himself. Herself. Anyways we must all stroll through the garden if we wish to pick a rose. You look over there, I over here. We make our own way. Trying to stone cold copy cat someone only takes you so far, in my experience anyways.

For pulling I want to use a bladed jig. This makes sound, adds vibration, and if the water wasn’t so horribly stained, it would make flash. The sound and vibration are the main attractions of my jigs, as those stimulate the two senses they use to obtain food in stained water. They have ways to detect unseen minnows swimming nearby, because if they didn’t, well they would be dead. They have a lateral line for this purpose. It can detect very small vibrations. They may even have a few additional secrets, but basically if they cannot see their prey, they must use the tools they have available. They can’t just up and switch lakes you know. Curly tail jigs produce some sound and vibration, and that is why my buddy can catch huge numbers of fish. They are not smelling his jigs, and the water is murky and visibility is only about two inches. They sense his jigs as they pass by, and he has determined the best speed to pull, etc.

I imagine myself as being a really large crappie in these lakes. Hanging out waiting for a school of shad to swim past me. Glub Glub. Just hanging out waiting for something stupid to swim by. Could be just the slightest of features on the bottom that hold me there in that spot. I want to pass right over that spot., and trolling does that. Sometimes does that.

I don’t think the crappie are following the schools of shad as they wander aimlessly all over the lake. I think the bigger crappie are like the heron. They find a really good spot and sit and wait for the baitfish to come to them. The little ones are like the pelican, and travel around looking for fish. If as I pass by his little spot, he does not notice my fine offerings, well I have zero chance to catch him. He must first detect my jig, before he can decide to bite it. Getting my jig into the situation where he is making that decision is the best I am ever able to do. Put the ball in his court. Done.

So I have large lakes, no structure, shallow water, horribly stained by tannic or just green algae, etc. What is best ? Trolling jigs is best. This allows me to put a bait in to the arena and make an offering to an aggressive fish. He detects the jig, makes his decision, and then it is on. Or not. Some days they are aggressive, some days I am hunting just the few aggressive fish that are indeed making themselves available. Depends and as I said fish are fickle. When things are hot any of my homemade jigs will catch. All the colors of the rainbow getting in on the act. The common denominator was not the weight, or color, rather that there was a whirling blade passing by and that triggered a reaction bite.

I found that I can produce too large of a presentation, or too small. Blade too big. Blade too small. Blade just right. As the marching band passes down Main Street, I want to awaken a sleepy barber. However, I need to have everyone playing good notes to entice him. Bad notes and he pulls the curtains and waits for me to go away. Hard to know if I will be able to improve the blades, but I will try.

Imagine sitting on the couch, watching the greatest football team in America, your team, and she brings in a snack for you. You see it, and it’s pizza, and you grab at it. Or you see it and it’s tofu smeared with nasty goat cheese and you are repulsed. The real game is that she showed each to you and made you make a decision. Trial and error teaches her that you like pizza. So next time she brings the pizza because she sees you prefer that. She is dialing you in. You dial the fish in likewise.

In that mentioned thread I showed how I modified a few molds so that an under spin blade could be easily added. For using plastic baits with swimming tails, that is the best place to add the blade. Adding the blade to the hook, to follow behind, does not allow for plastic baits to be used. The Beetle Spin puts the blade above. The Road Runner adds their blade underneath, and it spins near the front to midway back. My design the blade can be moved forward, backward, in close or away. I like the blade further back, where the fish would normally expect there to be activity. I will adjust the blade in as tightly as I can and still maintain a spin. This creates a compact profile. It was all actually very easy to do once I got the confidence to try. Road Runners can be rigged with curly tails grubs, or maribou feathers, or whatever, and so can mine. Some fellers do very well using the various Road Runners they purchased. Some can use but six color combos and do very well for themselves. Great choice if you want to get started quickly.

I also make use of UV enhancements, glow in the dark powder paints and brightly colored jig heads. I like bright bright chartreuse yellow heads, no eyes. Paddle tail plastic baits offer an additional source of vibration and sound. Green matches well with yellow.

I like light weight 1/16th oz jigs for way back in the spread and heavier versions for in closer to the boat. This to keep my lines from tangling and to make a more effective presentation. I can make 90 degree changes in direction without issues and do so often. Sometimes I think they swim along behind watching my jigs, as a slight change in travel triggers a bite. Happens frequently enough that when things get slow I will grab a rod and pull, then allow a slight drop before the speed catches up. Nab just a few that way but I still do it.

As I am traveling along, bored in between bites, I consider what would make my presentation better. Being willing to try new things and test them out has made the difference. I hope to improve even further. My goal of having just one jig for everyday use is still unrealized, but I am getting closer. It may be that I end up with six jigs for every occasion. Still better than keeping up with a huge selection of jigs I have zero confidence in. Playing grab bag thinking the fish might want pink lemonade is a waste of time. Find the fish and you can get away with serving yellow lemonade.

Speed is a variable that determines depth, as we all have been told, but when using bladed jigs…..well depth is best determined using lead weight, and then allow the speed to be determined solely by the needs of the blade. Tuning in the effects of sound and vibration by controlling the spin rate. I like 1/4 oz jigs as they can get me deeper when needed. Deeper waters may require a trolling weight ahead of the jig to attain that best depth. Speeds of around 1.0-1.2 mph seem to produce the best spin rates for me. Your results will be completely different, of course.

Chuck, I saw where you outfitted your boat quite handsomely, and got setup for some serious fishing. That tells me you have a need to get out there and have a blast. Take friends and the family along and put them on the fish like a boss. I hope that for you. I really do. Hope I am able to clue you in on something unbefore seen. You may already be loading the boat with more fish than I. I don’t know. But because you asked what I was doing, I thought I might have something of value for you. I enjoy discovery, understanding things, and sharing what I did to solve the issues. I pull homemade jigs. I also like to respond to questions if there are any left.

[DockShootinJack]

Good and thought provoking write up. I am guilty of fishing where I want to fish and not where the fish are. Most days I am okay with that. I will shoot docks for hours just because practice helps. Plus it is fairly relaxing. And a fella can always brush up on boat control

[Micanopy]

Good and thought provoking write up. I am guilty of fishing where I want to fish and not where the fish are. Most days I am okay with that. I will shoot docks for hours just because practice helps. Plus it is fairly relaxing. And a fella can always brush up on boat control

Well it says you are legend. There next to your name.

Yup.