Winds of Change

Sometimes the wind can be just too much. Even with drift socks, chains, or what other devices you are using to slow your roll, they may not work. That being said, a few years ago while fishing my favorite lake, Poverty Point, I learned to let the wind work for me. By chance, I was fixing to call it a day because the wind was just too much. But as luck would have it, I had a pole that I had not pulled in. Just as I lifted the trolling motor, bam, a fish tried to jerk the pole out of the boat. In the midst of gathering up my gear, that forgotten rod that was trailing behind the boat had hooked up on a nice crappie. Just as any good fisherman would do, I tossed the jig back behind the boat and another fish hit. Needless to say, I was suddenly on a pattern. I had fought the wind trying to spider rig, then by casting, none of which was producing fish. But this technigue was producing. I decided to toss two jigs behind the boat, and letting the wind do the pulling for me. I had discovered "long lining". This saved the day and I boated a bunch of fish. The upside to this is that you can cover a lot of water, and because you are keeping a tight line, it is easy to feel the bite. The downside, as I learned, is that once you hang up, it is a lost lure. But through trial and error, I have solved that problem by using a heavier line and a light wire jig. This technique works well in open water lakes, but can also be used just about anywhere you fish, even the bayous of south Louisiana. When pulling jigs in shallow water, I use a cork and jig. Also, it is a killer technique for speckled trout and even redfish. Wind speed will determine what jig weight to use. Typically an eighth ounce is best. So, next time the wind is too much, changing techniques just may be the answer. Good luck fishing. I'll see ya on the water.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shallow Water Live Scoping

Image
Shallow water livescoping is not as easy or simple as one might think. The sheer amount of noise can make it difficult to spot the targeted fish you are trying to catch. When talking shallow, I mean 6 ft or less. So you have bought the coveted holy grail Garmin livescope or the new Lowrance Active Target. These innovations have changed the way fishers fish for certain. Deeper lakes/reservoirs are easier to navigate and spot brushpiles and fish. Shallow water seems to be more difficult. The settings are basically the same, usually noise rejection on low or medium. Then you adjust the gain and depths accordingly. Some scopers like to keep the bottom at the lower part of the screen which works fine in deep water. But sometimes in real shallow water, the view gets distorted and it's harder to see the fish. I like to put the depth at half or three quarter screen. These are only personal preferences that work for me. The key to catching more fish in real shallow water, is knowing what t
Read more

Catching That Crappie Wave

Image
Every year, starting late winter, well-into late spring and even early summer, crappie begin their spawn. The wave starts here in the deep south and will continue as far north into Canada. It is perhaps the favorite time of year for crappie anglers. It's that time of year when even the novice of novice fishers can catch numbers of spawning fish. Just like clockwork, the spawn occurs here in the southern regions of the United States and progressively moves like a giant wave of crappie fishing heaven. Typically starting late January to mid February, the flurry begins and spreads north through the middle states from middle March through April. The wave continues north through April and May. So if you are a crappie enthusiust, and have time to travel, you can ride this crappie wave all the way to Canada. This may be a little far fetched for most of us, but it is possible to catch part of the ride by traveling a few hours north of where you are fishing. Perhaps the best example here in
Read more

The One Question

Image
 Fellow fishers are always curious about how other fishers are catching fish. They ask what kind of bait or color you are using, but the  one question that everyone ask, that is probably the most irrelevant, is "how deep are you fishing"? The one thing modern technology has proven is that under most circumstances, there is no right answer to this question. Unless there is extreme weather like really hot or cold, fish will be all over the water column. This is especially true for crappie.  Livescope technology has totally changed the perception that fish all school together at a certain depth. As a matter of fact I have seen fish swimming a few inches under water, even in 30 feet of water. One would think that if a fish in that depth of water, it surely would be suspended deeper than a few inches.  Even in cover like standing timber, some fish may be at the top, some in the middle, and some may be on the very bottom and all on the same tree.  So next time you are fishing and a
Read more