Bobfish Tales

Does color really matter? I have often debated whether color really matters when it comes to crappie fishing or for that matter, any type of fishing. After all, everyone has their favorite, the one that kills the fish, the one color they can't do without. Yet, none are the same. Fish will only hit red, green , blue, pink, black, chartreuse, yellow, white, etc. and a mixture of all the above. So why do fisherman/women have a favorite color? The next person fishing the exact same area may be catching as many fish with a totally different color than you. Is it confidence or perhaps the "Vibe" (a term used when you feel no matter what you do is going to work). Perhaps, it's presentation. Although, you will never win the argument with a fellow fisher. The controversy will continue. There have been days when I have stuck to my favorite while my buddy rumbled through his box trying every color in the book with no real results, all the while I stuck with the same color boatin

Ok this for those folks who may not understand the etiquette of boating or for that matter fishing. So here is the skinny on it. First if you are gonna slow down for someone ..slow down!!! that half speed only creates bigger waves. So either slow down all the way or just speed on by. Second, if someone is fishing down a bayou/canal, do not motor in front of them and start fishing. Catching or not, its not RIGHT. Personally, I don't mind fishing behind others. They aren't going to catch all the fish and they may not be using what you are. That also goes for lakes too..Get behind someones drift not in front of it. Its cool to motor up to people catching fish to ask their advice, just don't disrupt their spot. Seldom does one spot hold all the fish. Besides cold weather dead ends, most spots will have fish scattered throughout the system. So my advice is to observe what folks catching fish are doing, then give them their space..It will make you a better fisher and certainly a

Patients, patients , and more patients. Today was a prime example. Fished most of the day catching enough to eat, but not the numbers we were looking for. But stayed with it and about an hour before dark, they showed up. Mother nature turned on the switch. Might have given up like most did today, but we kept pitching and it payed off..So stay the course for more crappie.

Spawning crappie are probably the easiest to catch, if you are there when it happens. What to look for here in the southern Louisiana bayous are standing trees, reeds, stumps or any structure along the banks. But, not all fish spawn in shallow water. While this is certainly true for the most part, I have caught spawning fish in 5-7 feet of water. Targeting fallen trees can produce in deeper water. Standing trees can be the most productive, but also the most fished. So if you are fishing behind boats beating these spots, it can be tough. When fishing pressure is great durning the spawn, look for areas and places that have not been hit. These can be hidden stumps, or isolated standing trees that most folks have past by. Marsh fish will typically move right up against the bank. Bayous with reeds or grass and decently clean water are good spawning areas. Try going shallow on your approach, it could mean the difference between catching fish or not. The good thing about spawning fish is that

This blog is not informational, but a real life fish story that will be etched in my memories forever. It was a cool late October day here in south Louisiana. It was the annual run of the redfish through lake Decade. The top water bite was fantastic. Many 5-8 pound redfish were slamming my mirror lure she pup top water bait. We, my friend Tim Dusenbery and I were in our favorite part of the lake, along a stretch of bank that has a lone standing tree. We termed it the big fish tree. That stretch of bank had always produced either big reds or specs. This day was no exception. Every pass down that part was producing some really nice redfish. I tossed the she-pup against the bank, walking the dog as usual. Walking the dog is a term used in top water fishing, where you twitch the bait back and forth in a ryhtmatic motion. On my third twitch, bam a huge explosion. I was hooked up on what I thought was a really big red. But to my amazement the giant fish came tail walking out of the wate

Ok there aren't 101, but they do have a bunch. So here is the list that I know. You may have something new that is not covered in this blog; 1. Single long pole tight lining with a jig or live bait. By long pole I mean 9-12 feet. 2. Single long pole using a cork;slip cork; or clip on cork with a jig or live bait. 3. Casting rod; can be spinning, bait cast, or spin cast using a jig, spinner, crank bait etc. With or without a cork also. 4. Shooting docks; this is usually done with a medium to light action spinning rod in which the bait is sling- shotted under a dock or camp. The technique is to bend the rod by holding the bait and then releasing it to "shoot" under the structure. 5. Spider rigging; This is done by setting poles in front of your boat in a fanned out position. Typically 8 poles or more from 12-16 feet are used. In some cases shorter rods can be used also. Some states have regulations on the number of poles that can be used, so please check the r

Trout fishing is fantastic here in South Louisiana, especially during the fall and spring, but the winds can be crazy! Fronts cause winds either blowing strong from the South before, or strong from the North after. But you can take advantage of this, especially on the lakes. So, what technique works best in these conditions? Long lining; Depending on wind speed, I typically troll two, one eighth ounce jig heads with a tout or swim bait. At times, you may need a lighter jig, in lighter winds or heavier jig, in stronger winds. It all depends on dragging speed. This can also be done under a popping cork. The good thing about this is that you can still cast your lure of choice while dragging the baits behind the boat. The second choice, and at times the best choice, is to troll suspending lures, such as the Paul Brown Suspending twitch bait, Mirror Dine M17 or Mirror Lure Catch, Jr. But, there are a number of suspending baits that work well. I start with different colors, typically a ch

There is an approaching cold front which means one thing, put on many layers of the warmest gear possible and head to those deep holes or dead end canals for limits of redfish. Yes, freezing weather means the redfish will pile up. I would say slow roll a tout, but that might be too fast. It is more like cast out and barely lift the bait off the bottom. When the water warms during the day the fish become more active and you may need to change your approach. What occurs when these really strong cold fronts come in, is that the water pours out of the marsh. This moves the bait and the fish into either deep holes or dead end canals. Market shrimp or minnows work well under these conditions, but my preferred method is to cast a small tout against the bank and let it set or barely move it. Another thing to look for is leaches attached to the fish. This is a good indication the fish are hugging the bottom and you should slow your approach. If you really want to catch reds in an unusual meth

There are few times where you can predict when fish will bite. But there are circumstances when you can take advantage of what mother nature gives you. Living here in the south there are many conditions that will affect fishing. Perhaps one of , if not the most, is tidal flow. Tidal flow can be affected by many factors; moon phase, rainfall, strong winds from the south or east, and river stages in a particular area. All of these can make water levels rise significantly. But when the water starts to recede, fishing ,especially crappie fishing can be fantastic. This can take place anytime of year. So what are the factors you should look for? First, if there was heavy rainfall, a day or two before. Second, if there is a falling tide. Third, if the affecting rivers are falling, and of course wind direction. Any one of these can have significant impact on fishing, but when two or more of these factors happen together, its time to get to your favorite fishing hole. Today was a prime e

One of my, perhaps my favorite fish to catch is crappie/sacalait. I grew up fishing with my dad using a cane pole. He graduated to a fly rod way before the modern day crappie pole was developed. He was ahead of the times for sure. Today there are a bunch of crappie poles to chose from, but here in the south the long pole really hasn't caught on. Seems that the spin cast or spinning rod is the rod and reel of choice. But you may be missing out on the best rod to use for catching more fish. So why a long pole over a short? First, a long pole can get you into cover that a 5ft spin cast won't. Second, most of the time if you get hung its a lost bait where as with a long pole it is easy to punch out that lure.(fyi, use a cork that you can slide up and down your line) it makes punching your lure out easier . Third, a light weight 10ft crappie pole is easier to flip into to that sweet spot and heavy cover. A prime example of this was today when the fishing was tough. Of the 18 fish c

With this warm weather here in south Louisiana, the top water fishing has been fantastic. For most folks using medium to heavy tackle would seem to be the best bet. But for me I op-out for the lightest tackle I can get away with. After all what is more exciting than hooking mule trout on 8-10 pound line with a medium to light weight 7ft spinning rod and a 1000 series spinning reel.. Crazy right? Most folks would think that, but that's exactly what I have caught over 40 fish with in the 3-6lb range these last two months. Plus this type of finesse fishing is great if you are using plastics or suspending baits. I prefer braided line also. but the key to using a light braid, is to have at least a 15-20 mono leader.. Those big trout have very sharp teeth and will slice through that braid better than any knife. As far as lures, that's a matter of preference. But a good topwater for the novice would be the mirrolure she-pup with high pitch rattles.. color seems to be secondary. Depend