Fishing-Headquarters Magazine by Fishing-Headquarters Online Magazine

Nate Tessler battles with walleye on the Maumee River in Northwest Ohio. The 2011 Walleye Run was excellent. Read a copy of Issue-3 if interested in planning a trip for 2012. Photograph by Andrew Ragas Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

Fishing-Headquarters Magazine Volume 1. Issue 4.

May & June, 2011 Early Summer Issue

• Small Ponds, Big ‘Gills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 About the Fishing-Headquarters The Fishing-Headquarters began as a small homepage featuring a collection of photos and YouTube fishing videos. It even featured a small contingency of misfits and rebellious anglers who were tired of the internet elitism and racism expressed by other websites towards specific groups of anglers and species of freshwater gamefish.

• Early Season Muskies: Find Warm Water! . . 23 • Big Country Smallmouth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 • Bowfin Wrangling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Formally established in January 2007, the FHQ was created for like-minded anglers to share the wealth of information, and enjoy the beauty in diverse fishing. This greatness as we presently know it is multi-species fishing.

• Horsin’ Around with River Redhorse . . . . . . . 67

Designed and created by posessed and gravely obsessed angler, Andrew Ragas, the website has grown to a large world audience. Our basis as an online media platform is to drop the ego, and catch anything that swims and has fins.

• Carp On The Fly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

• Slab Spawn: Locating Trophy Crappies . . . . . 89

• The Soft Swimbait Revolution . . . . . . . . . 111

All fish are created as equals. Only to be pursued as opposites.

COVER STORY Important Biz Stuff http://www.fishing-headquarters.com info@fishing-headquarters.com telephone - 708. 256. 2201 Questions or Comments, and if interested in contributing or sponsoring, please contact Andrew Ragas at: andrew@fishing-headquarters.com Magazine layout and design by Ragas Media http://www.ragasmedia.com

Pictured on the Issue-4 cover is Jacob Saylor, who frequently fishes the Northern Wisconsin waters with E-Mag owner and editor, Andrew Ragas. Like majority of the monster smallmouth bass caught during the springtime, this Turtle-Flambeau Flowage pig was caught from shallow water. In spring, 2010, Jake and Andrew enjoyed epic catches and a great story with a boat-load of springtime techniques was brought forth for you to enjoy. Learn more about fishing for big smallmouth bass by turning to page 33.

Fishing-Headquarters Issue-4 We are happy. Everyone is happy. Are you? What you see is what you get. In terms of quality, design, informative content and star-power, Issue-4 is better than ever. We think that’s the case, but if you can comprehend all 126 pages worth, our opinion is up for you to decide.

Andrew Ragas

Editor In-Chief, Designer, and Owner.

2011 Issue Releases Remaining Schedule

• Issue 5: July 1, 2011 • Issue 6: September 1, 2011 • Issue 7: November 1, 2011

Click to Subscribe

We don’t do it for the pay, or bragging rights, and neither for egos or affiliation. It’s to spread the word, make contacts and connections, gain exposure that hopefully leads to future jobs (for some anyways), and to be players in the realm of fishing. We essentially do this for the love of the game and to share our stories with an engaged audience. From all of the long hours of design and organization invested into putting this latest issue together, we sincerely hope that you enjoy immersing yourselves deeply into the writings and photographs. Each Issue 4 contributor has brought his own unique story to share with all. Before forgetting, we would like to thank our friends, anglers, and team of writers and website bloggers who have dedicated themselves to provide and contribute their knowledge, experiences, and content into this publication. Without their assistance, nothing like this would ever be possible. This will be a FREE internet publication. Thank you for reading our fourth issue of Fishing-Headquarters Magazine. Copyright © 2011 Fishing-Headquarters. All rights reserved. The usage of articles, excerpts, photographs, and any reproduction of this material is strictly prohibited.

ISSUE 4 FEATURED WRIT

Jim Gronaw

David Graham

Joe Bucher

Special Contributors • Jeremy Dunfee Contributed Photographs • Corey Geving • Jacob Saylor • Frank Weilnhammer Editorial Staff • Kirk Cahill • Mike Goode • Jacob Saylor Layout and Design By • Ragas Media Designs Sponsors and Advertising Partners • Bearpaw’s Handpoured Baits • CB’s Hawg Sauce • Cortland Line • Go-Pro Camera • Heartland Outdoors • MC Custom Rods Inc. • Quantum Fishing • Ragas Media Designs • Sims Spinners Inc. • Stankx Bait Company • Time on the Water Outdoors

TERS AND CONTRIBUTORS

Drew Price

Kenny Lookingbill

Bryan Blazek

NEWS AND NOTEWORTHY TOPICS. Stankx Bait Company to host summer 2011 tournament series in Central Michigan. In association with West Michigan Bass and ROI Outdoors, Stankx Bait Company is hosting a Super Saturday Series, set to begin on June 18th, and lasting until August 27th. A total of five events will be held. No membership fee, 100% cash payback open series. $60 entry fee per boat. Directors: Jeff Forbes (616) 318-2166 & Brandon Stanley (269) 908-8132.

Fishing-Headquarters to review and film underwater and extreme fishing video with Go-Pro HD Cameras. Fishing-Headquarters has formed a partnership with Go-Pro Camera, and in 2011 will be doing extensive filming and reviewing of their products for fishermen. Along with traditional HD equipment, we will be using Go-Pro Hero units to shoot underwater video, action shots, and odd angles captured by unique boat mounting systems. Preliminary reviews will be in FHQ Issue-5. http://www.goprocamera.com

Bearpaws Handpoured Baits joins the soft paddletail swimbait revolution, Late in 2010, John Olsen, owner of Bearpawâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handpoured Baits created a first for the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extensive lineup of soft plastics; Paddlte tail swimbaits. Poured in over 150 different colors and at 4 1/2 inches long, these action-packed baits will round-up some monster fish. http://www.bearpawshandpouredbaits.com

Sims Spinners introduces new painted blade styles. Dan Sims and David Mannion of Sims Spinners have introduced a new line of shiny reflective painted blades, front and back, an industry first for inline spinners and bucktails. These uniquely painted and polished blades will be available for all Sims Spinner models and blade sizes in summer 2011. Musky Bucks with size 6 and 7 blades (available in single and double-bladed models), along with flashabou spinners, will also be released later this year. http://www.sims-spinners.com Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

Smallmouth Bass on the Fly Wisconsin River, Oneida County

SOLUNAR CALENDAR May 2011

June 2011

This fishing forecast is based on solar and lunar influences that cycle daily. The chart shows each hour of the day. For instance the hours with the higher rating, and days shaded the darkest have a greater combination of solar and lunar influence and thus indicate the best times to fish. This chart is a general recommendation and all data has been compiled by Weather & Wildlife.

Fishing-Headquarters | Page 6

LEADING OFF. Fishing for smallmouth bass in springtime is a sport all its own; reeling in one of these feisty fish provides fun and a source of pride. The hungry spring smallmouth is a tenacious fighter and an adept hider. Want to learn more about catching monster smallies, keep reading. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll hit page-33 eventually.

Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

Photograph by Andrew Ragas Fishing-Headquarters | Page 8

LEADING OFF.

MONEY SHOT!

“Got to love the Stylus Tough camera by Olympus.”

- David Graham Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

Fishing-Headquarters | Page 10

Small Ponds

HUGE

Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

Frequent FHQ Contributor, Jim Gronaw will tell you that a trophy bluegill can show up anywhere, but he’d put his money on a pond or overlooked, small public lake for record potentials in most states.

E GILLS

Jim Gronaw

By: Jim Gronaw

Fishing-Headquarters Contributor

t all started about 53 years ago. My father got me out on the water at a small pond and there it happened…I caught my first fish! It was a bluegill, probably no more than five or six inches long, but to me, it was a trophy. Years later, while in high school, I would seek out the local bounty of small ponds in the country region of central Maryland where cornfields and cow manure ruled. Hot steamy summers saw me on my bike pedaling within a 20mile radius of my home to seek out more high-end bluegill water. Fast forward to today…and I’m still at it! Looking for good bluegill water, waters that the bass guys all say I can have for my own. They

Photograph by Jim Gronaw Fishing-Headquarters | Page 12

TROPHY BLUEGILLS.

want bigger venues, bigger game. The stakes are higher. Me? I just want to fish away from the crowds and catch big panfish, slab-sided gills that weigh a pound or more. I don’t mind the deer flies and I don’t mind the cow manure fragrance. I’m bluecollar, easy to satisfy, don’t get out much. Low maintenance. And, like that small child fifty-odd years ago, I haven’t changed a lot. Some kids never grow up. That’ right…I caught my first bluegill when I was five, and I haven’t been the same since. It is no secret that small ponds and lakes throughout the land provide outstanding fishing opportunities for bass and panfish. Some are public and some are private. Many are overlooked. All are worth investigating. I have been blessed over the years to have fished nearly 200 private ponds and lakes in the MidAtlantic region. Some were duds, some were fantastic. But the overwhelming pattern I have noticed is that most of the biggest bluegills come from the most humble abodes. Fishing-Headquarters.com

Small cattle ponds out in a field. Woodsy, shaded ponds tucked back at the edge of the forest. Nice, manicured ponds in a rural back yard. Small, public puddles at a local park setting. Retention ponds from past development. All can yield King Kong-sized gills. In just the past few years, I have found a half dozen public lakes with big bluegill populations that literally nobody cares about. Some anglers fish them and catch hordes of 10 to 13 inch bass (fun in it’s own right) yet think you are wasting your time when you constantly catch and release larger than handsized bluegills, all day long. “Kid’s stuff!, I have heard them mumble, as they unhook another 10 inch bass and somersault it back in the drink. That’s OK with me, I’ll just keep on acting like a kid. So….what’s a big bluegill, anyway? Having fished more quality panfish water than most, I will still say that a 10-inch bluegill is a very impressive fish in all but the very rarest of waters. Many states

May / June, 2011

currently list the 10-inch benchmark as the standard for a citation or award patch. Most 10 inch gills will weigh either side of a pound and are awesome fish to the eye. Many state record bluegills came from ponds, pits or quarries and reached astounding proportions. The ‘big fish, little pond’ concept goes a long way here. Many good bluegill ponds I have fished contain high numbers of small bass, with dynamics that seldom see a largemouth in excess of two pounds. Other ponds have a good cross section, and several year classes of both bass and bluegills are in the system. In other words, the pond is balanced. Still other waters have seemingly low numbers of very big gills cruising its’ waters. It can vary. A trophy gill can show up anywhere, but I’d put my money on a pond or overlooked, small public lake for record potentials for most states. Like the old school meat hunters and trophy killers of the past, I used to keep every 10 inch and up

Photograph by Jim Gronaw

Photograph by Jim Gronaw Fishing Headquarters | Page 14

TROPHY BLUEGILLS.

Photograph by Frank Weilnhammer

It is no secret that small ponds and lakes throughout the land provide outstanding fishing opportunities for bass and panfish. Some are public and some are private. Many are overlooked. All are worth investigating. bluegill I caught, along with every 8 and 9 incher to boot. I was the bluegill population’s worst enemy. I was dumb, arrogant and selfserving. It took me a long time to grow up. Now, I have adopted a personal slot limit 8 to 9 ½ inches for keeping fish, which I seldom do. All gills over 10 inches go back. In a lifetime of fishing for them, I have caught nearly 500 bluegills over that benchmark, releasing the last 350 or so to get bigger and enable another panfish freak to hopefully catch and enjoy that trophy fish. Don’t these fish deserve the same respect and treatment of any other top-line predator gamefish? Of course they do! Memorable trips have come and gone, with old black and white photos in faded scrapbooks with outsized gills filling their pages. I Fishing-Headquarters.com

can remember one of our best trips in a small central Maryland pond in 1994 when my son and I caught and released 23 bluegills from 10 to 10 ¾ inches on simple bobber and worm fishing from the bank on a warm May evening. Those fish were amazing! I allowed Matt to keep three fish, which he was elated to do. Then, a few years later, he fussed at me because I kept a deep-hooked 10-incher from another pond. ‘You know you’re not supposed to keep bluegills over ten-inches! Why did you do that?’ I had a hard time explaining that one. I guess the best thing about this big gill gig is that it is so close to home and there are so many places to do it. Sure, I keep my mouth shut on a lot of vulnerable waters. But I’ll take a trusted friend to any of my

May / June, 2011

top bluegill spots. And with a granddaughter just about ready to try the fishing thing, it looks like the pattern is going to continue. It’s back to basics on many fishing fronts during this, and maybe future, economical times in this nation. Small pond, big gills, great fun! Like I said…some kids never grow up! Note: Probably the premier website on bluegills and panfishing is BigBluegill at bigbluegill.com. Check out the fun and info, along with some astounding fish photos and great articles about these and other panfish species. http://www.bigbluegill.com

I have been blessed over the years to have fished nearly 200 private ponds and lakes in the Mid-Atlantic region. Some were duds, some were fantastic. But the overwhelming pattern I have noticed is that most of the biggest bluegills come from the most humble abodes.

Photograph by Jim Gronaw Fishing Headquarters | Page 16

TROPHY BLUEGILLS.

Many good bluegill ponds I have fished contain high numbers of small bass, with dynamics that seldom see a largemouth in excess of two pounds. Other ponds have a good cross section, and several year classes of both bass and bluegills are in the system. In other words, the pond is balanced. Still other waters have seemingly low numbers of very big gills cruising itsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; waters. It can vary. A trophy gill can show up anywhere, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d put my money on a pond or overlooked, small public lake for record potentials for most states. Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

Photograph by Jim Gronaw

Fishing Headquarters | Page 18

TROPHY BLUEGILLS.

Photograph by Jim Gronaw Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

Fishing-Headquarters | Page 20

EARLY SEASON MUSKIES.

Photograph by Joe Bucher Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

Early Season

MUSKIES

FIND THE WARM WATER. The Northern Exposure Rule

By: Joe Bucher

Special Contributor

f there’s one thing, above all else, that has worked well for me in my search for “active” early season muskies; it has been finding warming water. The term “active” is important here, too. It’s important to note that not all the muskies in one given lake will be where the warm water is, but it’s a good bet that the ones using that particular area are sure to be much more active. In fact, I firmly believe that pods of muskies exist in many locations throughout a larger body of water. But these individual musky pods turn on at different times depending upon time of day and prevailing weather patterns.

A shallow north eastern bay, for example, might have a water temperature of no more than 55 - 60 degrees or so on any given morning in the early spring. If the prior night was cold and clear, it could be even colder. However, if the skies are relatively clear on that day allowing a lot of sunlight penetration, and the wind direction is northerly, this same bay is apt to warm up considerably by mid to late afternoon. It could warm up by as much as ten degrees! This northern exposure rule works to a “t” whenever there is ample sunlight and a lack of cold wind and wave action. Any musky inhabiting this bay would most likely be non-active early in the day. In addition, the rest of the food chain that services this musky is not likely to be active early, as well. A periodic check of such a northern bay throughout your day of fishing often reveals startling developments when the conditions are right. This same bay, dead and lifeless in the morning, may now have minnows cruising the warmed surface waters feeding on algae and protozoa that also just came to life

with the warming water temperatures. It might also have a few bass, crappies and perch chasing these minnows causing a visible surface disturbance. All of this, in turn, attracts the larger predators such as pike and muskies to investigate possible feeding opportunities. Early Season Lures Several lures can work well on these warming bay fish, but my two favorites are the traditional bucktail spinner and a minnow bait. It’s usually best to fast-fish the bay first with the bucktail. A simple fancasting approach covering as much water as possible is generally all that is necessary to find a hot fish. Check the size of the overall bucktail lure used as well as blade size in order to determine if there are any fish preferences. While conventional wisdom might suggest a smaller lure with French style blade, don’t necessarily live and die by this. Quite often, a slightly larger 6 to 7 inch bait such as the 500 to 700 series Buchertail with a bigger fluted blade is more effective. Fishing-Headquarters | Page 24

EARLY SEASON MUSKIES.

Channels serve as musky magnets early in the season. Of course, any channel with cover is apt to attract some baitfish and spawning panfish, and with that a musky or two. However, not all channels are created equal, and some are sure to be much better than others. Warm shallow, cover laden channels with minnows and other forage species are much more likely to produce an early season ‘lunge. The overall height of the bay’s weed growth is a determining factor in blade choice, also. High weeds demand a larger blade or a much faster retrieve with smaller versions. Conversely, low weed growth usually means deeper holding fish. A smaller bladed model is sure to be more effective here. If a musky follows a bucktail, it’s usually doubtful it will hit it with repeated casts. In this case, I’d recommend a quick-switch to a five inch minnow bait such as the ShallowRaider worked in a jerk - pause - jerk - pause fashion. This is one of the best applications of a minnow bait for muskies. Bass anglers have made this technique of jerkin’ minnow baits a mainstay method, but musky anglers can be equally successful with it. It is most effective in areas where you are fairly certain you have the fish located.

Buchertail 700 Series

Buchertail 500 Series

South Siders Contrary to popular thought, the warmest water isn’t always found on the north side of a lake. Fishing-Headquarters.com

Shallow Raider

May / June, 2011

Photograph by Andrew Ragas

Other factors can be a surprisingly strong influence on water temperature rise. One of the largest and most surprising is a shallow southern bay that has an incoming creek or a connecting channel to an adjacent warm northerly bay from the lake next door. Any lake connected to another in a “chain” situation is a classic example of this. The adjacent lake may be smaller and much warmer, and it might have a shallow northerly bay that has warmed all day long. The inflow of water from this smaller lake up into the southern section of the nearby lake actually makes the southern bay of one lake much warmer than it ought to be. I have recognized this unique phenomenon allbyacross the country. hotograph Joe Bucher The key is to find the set of variables that match up correctly. Generally, if you’re fishing a chain of lakes, you’ll find this situation somewhere inside that given body of water in the spring. Channel Connection Channels themselves can also be musky magnets in the early

Illustration by Joe Bucher

The overall height of the bay’s weed growth is a determining factor in blade choice. High weeds demand a larger blade or a much faster retrieve with smaller versions. Conversely, low weed growth usually means deeper holding fish. A smaller bladed model is sure to be more effective. Illustration by Joe Bucher

Many of our favorite musky waters have large flats on them covered with reeds and bullrushes. Throughout most of the season, such cover is apt to be too shallow to attract muskies with any regularity. However, muskies gravitate heavily to reed flats in the spring. Fishing-Headquarters | Page 26

EARLY SEASON MUSKIES.

Photograph by Joe Bucher

Fallen trees along a sunny bank can be great spring musky hideouts. Joe Bucher & Spence Petros tactfully work every inch of this big deadfall. season. Of course, any channel with cover is apt to attract some baitfish and spawning panfish, and with that a musky or two. However, not all channels are created equal, and some are sure to be much better than others. Narrow channels with higher shaded banks are rarely as good as ones that are sun baked and lined with small inundated coves and toppled trees. Again, the key is to find channels that attract the rest of the food chain. Warm shallow, cover laden channels with minnows, crappies, and other possible “musky bait”, are much more likely to produce an early season ‘lunge. The best way to fish these channels quite often depends upon the layout of any given spot and the cover options available. The biggest musky ever taken in our spring musky schools during that time hit Fishing-Headquarters.com

a bass spinnerbait crawled over a fallen tree. Most of this tree was protruding above the water making it tough to fish with any other lure style. Again, this is why the bass style spinnerbait is such a vital part of the spring musky fisherman’s arsenal.

3/4 oz. Terminator Spinnerbait

May / June, 2011

The top overall channel producer in my boat has been a five inch minnow bait such as the ShallowRaider worked like a jerkbait with additional “pause” emphasis put on the lure while it was near logs, brush and weeds. More muskies were taken on this lure in channels than all

other baits combined. Quite often, these fish were spotted following another lure, but were triggered on the cast back sometime later with the minnow bait. Reed Runners! Many of our favorite musky waters have large flats on them covered with reeds and bullrushes. Throughout most of the season, such cover is apt to be too shallow to attract muskies with any regularity. However, muskies gravitate heavily to reed flats in the spring. Admittedly, this is one of my favorite early season musky locational patterns and I have taken advantage of this for nearly two decades. In all honesty, I stumbled onto this deadly spring reed musky pattern quite by accident a number of years ago while casting spinnerbaits for bass.

Rigging up to spinnerbait a reed flat for spring muskies is simple. I actually prefer to use a bass spinnerbait over any musky version for this application. The smaller overall size attracts more fish during this time, and you catch lots of bonus bass while in pursuit of a big toothy critter. I’d lean hard on a white ½ ounce spinnerbait with tandem blades featuring hammered nickel willow leaf blades. The newer models that have premium grade hooks in the 5/0 range are much better for hooking and holding muskies than older styles with lesser hooks. For tackle, it’s tough to beat a 7 to 7 ½ foot rod and a bass sized baitcaster loaded with at least 20 pound test braid, but heavier braid is nice to have if you encounter a real hawg inside thick reeds. The actual art of casting spinnerbaits and working them through reeds is nothing special, but you

want to be aware of a few retrieve tricks. For one, this is not a tactic that works well with real fast retrieve reels, and a high rod position. Both of which tend to make the spinnerbait leap out of the water when any heavy reed contact is made. Instead, a slower geared reel and a lower rod position keep the spinnerbait in the water working at a more even keel. In fact, if you work the spinnerbait with the rod pointed right at the lure and literally retrieve the lure through reed clumps instead of pulling it with the rod, it will work perfectly most of the time and you will catch a lot more fish. Bass sized spinnerbaits have always been one of my number one spring musky baits for reed flats, but a few other lures work well here, too. The reeds themselves restrict the use of many conventional multi-treble hook musky lures. You will find out quickly that treble

Spence Petros and Joe Bucher with an early summer musky from Lake of the Woods.

Photograph by Joe Bucher Fishing-Headquarters | Page 28

EARLY SEASON MUSKIES.

hook musky baits simply hang up too much in this environment. An upriding single hook style lure is the only way to travel here. Spinnerbaits and jigs rigged with soft plastics are two of the most commonly used baits for reed muskies. In fact, sight fishing for cruising muskies with a jig & creature combo has actually become quite popular in some locales. It is very much like saltwater fishing flats for bone fish, red fish and other spring flats cruisers. While the spinnerbait tactic seems to work best in reeds under overcast skies or strong wind conditions where visually sighting muskies is prohibitive, the jig & creature thing is best suited for bluebird skies, light winds and high visibility. The key here is to wear a good set of polarized sunglasses, stand high on the front deck of your boat and ease along the outside of a potential reedy flat with a low steady trolling motor speed visually peering ahead â&#x20AC;&#x201D; trying to spot a shallow cruising or holding musky in the reeds. Once a fish is spotted, the trick is to pitch the jig/creature Fishing-Headquarters.com

Bait Rigs Esox Cobra

JMac Lures Musky Jigs

May / June, 2011

Photograph by Andrew Ragas

combo far enough ahead of the fish as not to spook it, and then retrieve it back into its sight plain. Most often, you will be able to see the musky’s reaction to the bait. A fish that turns and swims off is a tougher one to catch. However, the right fish will perk up and approach your jig. Sometimes, they will actually bolt right to it and attack all in one single motion, while other times they will stop momentarily and then snatch it as soon as it moves. In either case, set the hook as soon as you see the fish engulf the bait. The best tackle for this application is the same used for spinnerbait fishing. A flippin’ stick style rod in the 7 to 7 ½ foot range works well comboed with a good baitcaster and at least 20 pound line. So there you have it – a very simple format for spring musky success. Find some warmer water and search out the available cover with a variety of lures including the traditional bucktail and a bass spinnerbait. Once you spot some muskies, give a few other baits a try as well until you hit on a winning formula. Then get ready for some hot spring action.

Joe Bucher is one of the most highly regarded multispecies fishing authorities in the outdoor business trade. He has been an on-camera talent for 24 years. While his specialty is arguably muskies, Joe is equally adept at catching bass, walleyes, and other gamefish. Inducted into the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Angler in 2000, he is considered by many of his peers to be one of the top multi-species anglers in the country. Joe is also founder and Editor Emeritus of Musky Hunter Magazine, and Joe Bucher Outdoors, which has pioneered some of the top-selling big fish lure design concepts in the industry today.

http://www.joebucher.com/ Fishing-Headquarters | Page 30

EARLY SEASON MUSKIES.

Photograph by Joe Bucher Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

Northern Wisconsin

SMAL

Andrew Ragas Photograph by Jacob Saylor Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

LLMOUTH BASS

The Six Weeks of Spring.

magine the quality of fishing in Northern Wisconsin. Probably the first ideas coming to mind are its legendary world record muskies, and the thoughts of walleyes sizzling on the frying pan. Although muskies and walleyes aren’t my most frequently fished quarries up north, I still spend significant amounts of time each year catching them like the locals do. While these two gamefish species are the most pursued and popular amongst Wisconsin anglers, another prominent fish species is usually overlooked and far too often ignored.

Photograph by Jacob Saylor

Wisconsin is a great state for catching smallmouth bass. In fact, it’s even better for catching giant smallmouth bass during the spring season. Being a resident of Northern Illinois four roughly 8 months out of the year, I am significantly limited to a handful of productive rivers and streams, and only a few select lakes that are sustained through stocking. We are privileged enough to have neighbors to our north that have healthy fisheries that are home to tremendous populations of big fish. Best of all, several of them are within reasonable traveling distances, with enough class to offer worthwhile fishing getaways. There are literally hundreds of lakes and rivers to fish where big

smallmouth bass can be caught. If you want to catch some of the biggest and most exciting fish of the year, head north of highway 10 to where the lakes are clear and the fish run big. Springtime offers eager anglers something so great that it can only be experienced once each year during a six week long speciallyregulated season. For me, personally, this is a six week bass fishing holiday. From opening weekend of May through the third Saturday of June, Wisconsin has a mandatory catch and release spring season on bass. These regulations were first established in the mid-1980’s to Fishing Headquarters | Page 34

BIG COUNTRY SMALLMOUTHS.

Underwater video screenshot by Dan Cahill

Nearly every productive smallmouth lake contains clear to moderately stained cola-brown water, and features a habitat comprised of sand, rock, gravel, wood, and some weedgrowth that is mostly occupied by baitfish species. protect the vulnerable and spawning fish populations. During this period, some of the largest fish of the season are caught and released, and enjoyed by conservation-minded trophy hunters who fish purely for the sport and love of the game. Who wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to catch four, five, and six pound smallmouth bass in a repetitive fashion as if it were a video game? There are over 2,300 different lakes to choose from in the region I fish in Oneida, Vilas, and Iron counties. Although having a lifetime of fishing destinations and opportunities within a 50 mile radius is troubling for folks who operate with limited schedules, what makes this area special is that there are too many good places to fish in such Fishing-Headquarters.com

wood, and some weedgrowth that is mostly occupied by baitfish and other juvenile species. First and foremost, smallmouth bass usually relate to certain areas of the lake as opposed to others due to the forage factor. Big fish reach their sizes for a reason; they gorge themselves on what is available in front of them. The best lakes are late oligotrophic to mid-mesotrophic, are fertile, and contain a diverse fishery of both predator and prey species. Most lakes are home to crayfish, and some lakes are more The Forage Factor abundant with them than others due Nearly every productive small- to infestations of non-native rusty mouth lake Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve fished contains crayfish. In my opinion, the more clear to moderately stained cola- native and rusty crayfish available, brown water, and features a habitat the better the quality of fishing is. comprised of sand, rock, gravel, However, it is important to note that little time. Since my youth, I have fished hundreds of lakes containing smallmouth bass. Nearly all of these places have differed in terms of size (acreage), growth rates, and fishery. Although good populations of fish are present in most places, some of the best lakes I fish possess a number of variables, enabling them to contain fine smallmouth bass fisheries that consistently produce big fish year after year.

May / June, 2011

the best smallmouth bass lakes are ones that contain both crayfish and pelagic baitfish species that includes shiners, smelt, juvenile ciscoes, and even yellow perch. In any healthy smallmouth bass fishery, the lake better have a full fridge, as it takes a number of available forage options to rear big fish in large numbers.

Determining The Lakeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Productivity Understanding lake habitat and fertility will generally determine whether or not your outing results in numbers of undersize small fish, or trophies.

INFERTILE OLIGOTROPHIC LAKES

Productive Fisheries Traditional smallmouth lakes offer deep and cool water. However, the best lakes contain depths of everything from shallow to deep, and somewhere in between. Some of the most incredible bodies of water I have ever launched my boat at possess a maze of transitions from shallow to deep water and underwater contour. Such examples are shelves, drop-offs, rock bars, sand bars, sunken islands, trenches, and fields of boulders. Any time you are faced with a lake offering all of this, it will be a smallie paradise. In my opinion, lakes offering too many specific spots to fish in one single day are the places worth spending your most time at. Although smallmouths are present in most lakes containing the aforementioned variables, big water and lakes larger than 1,000 surface acres are places that will usually contain the bigger fish along with substantial numbers of them too. As opposed to smaller lakes, 50 to 200 acres, that might not receive as much angling pressure, lake size, available habitat, and a limited forage base are the deterring factors that hinder the number of big fish being present. One of the most common axioms in fishing is that big water grows an abundance of big fish. In the case of smallmouth bass, this goes undisputed.

Photograph by Andrew Ragas

Oligotrophic lakes are infertile, usually deep bowl-shaped and offer crystal clear water. Fish populations here have slow growth rates. A typical day of fishing usually results in a numbers day with very few fish caught over 14 inches.

FERTILE MESOTROPHIC LAKES

Photograph by Andrew Ragas

Mesotrophic lakes are fertile and offer a diverse amount of fish habitat and forage species. Consequently these lakes contain an abundance of adult size fish whose populations have fast growth rates. These are the common trophy lakes. Fishing-Headquarters | Page 36

Oligotrophic Lakes

The cold, infertile waters are best suited to populations of lake trout, muskies, northern pike and walleyes, but many of these lakes have warm shallow sections that hold tremendous numbers of smallmouth bass. Water typically warms the slowest, spawning sites are located deeper, summer thermoclines develop in deep water, and water temperatures stay cooler year-round. These lakes exhibit slow growth rates, but their potentially large acreage can support big fish.

Mesotrophic Lakes

These moderately fertile lakes rank among the top producers of smallmouth bass, and are well-suited due to clean, well-structured bottoms that offer excellent natural reproduction. Likewise, these lakes contain moderate populations of other species such as muskies, walleyes, northern pike, and panfish. Meso lakes are able to rear the best populations of large fish due to warmer water, greater and diverse habitat, fast growth rates, and an abundant forage base.

Eutrophic Lakes

These fertile lakes are shallow, weedy, have silty bottoms, and warm summertime water temperatures. Eutrophic lakes warm the fastest and develop shallow summer thermoclines, and are best suited to largemouth bass and northern pike. However, a few in the northcountry hold a few smallmouth as a result of limited stocking efforts. Spawning sites are usually scarce and habitat is poor. Consequently time is better spent fishing for the other more abundant species.

Trout Lake - Boulder Junction, WI 3,816 acres, max depth 117 ft. clarity 18 ft.

Photograph by Andrew Ragas

Turtle-Flambeau Flowage - Mercer, WI 19,000 acres, max depth 49 ft. clarity 4 ft.

Photograph by Andrew Ragas

Little John Lake - Boulder Junction, WI 166 acres, max depth 19 ft. clarity 3 ft.

Photograph by Andrew Ragas

BIG COUNTRY SMALLMOUTHS. Once you have your lake selections made and defined fish locations figured out, it’s time to enjoy the six weeks of spring.

Pre-Spawn Picks - Cold Water Power

The Six Weeks of Spring The North Country spring season is defined by stereotypical winter weather that, without any pauses, rapidly turns into summertime heat. Quickly, within a few short weeks beginning the first week of May, the 40 degree water temperatures that are synonymous with the ice-out period warm themselves into the cool 60 degree range. In essence, during most normal years, the calendar bypasses the spring season altogether. Therefore, the pre-spawn period associated with 50 degree water temperatures rapidly progresses into the spawn and post-spawn periods taking place late May through early June. With the winter season progressing into the early summer period as it seems, a number of big fish catching tactics may work on any given day. Thus, it is important to be well versed with power fishing tactics that are best employed during the pre-spawn and post-spawn periods, as well as light line and finesse that is frequently used on calm days when trying to coax readying prespawn and spawning fish. There are several ways I like to fish during the six weeks of spring. During the pre-spawn period as water begins to warm, nothing beats locating them with a power fishing approach. At this time fish are staging, and transitioning themselves from Fishing-Headquarters.com

Rapala Clackin’ Rap

Rapala DT-6

Rapala Crankin’ Rap

Strike King Wild Shiner

May / June, 2011

deep to shallow. As water temperatures begin to warm from the upper 40’s into the mid to upper 50’s, my favorite methods are to fish with rattle baits, and shallow to mid-range to mid-range crankbaits. Some of these early spring days may feature a reaction bite while on other days the fish will be feeding. On lakes that have a dominant forage base of crayfish, craw patterns are the best. Meanwhile certain lakes feature baitfish more than crayfish. In these situations, where open water feeding habits take place, matching the hatch offers best results.

Shallow Water Attack - Spawn Period

Booyah Pigskin Jig

Spawning Season As soon as water temperatures encroach into the 58 to 64 degree range, we finally enter the spawn period. At this time, it is important to employ shallow water tactics and paying attention to detail seeing whether or not fish are moving throughout the shallows and bedding. Of all available methods to catch big fish during the spring season, my absolute favorite is sight fishing the shallows for staging, cruising, and spawning fish. For instance, last May I fished a 1,000 acre lake in Vilas County for the very first time. The lake was deep, crystal clear, had rocks and drop-offs all around, and several off shore points, sunken islands, and deep water hangouts. In addition, it had a serious infestation of rusty crayfish. Due to the crayfish factor, most anglers would normally resort to sight fishing for shallow pre-spawn fish with weighted tubes or jig and craws being dragged along the bottom. After not catching anything with either crayfish imitators for over an hour, I stumbled upon the

Kalin’s Lunker Grubs

(Rigged with 1/8 oz. jig)

Stankx Bait Company Mud Bugz

Stankx Bait Company Tubez Fishing-Headquarters | Page 40

BIG COUNTRY SMALLMOUTHS.

Stankx Bait Company Stix - HGH Leech

Rigged with 1/8 oz. Owner Bullet Head

wizardry of a weighted stick bait. What I began to fish with was a 4.25 inch stickbait produced by Travis Crosman at Stankx Bait Company. It was a custom color, one of the first I suggested to be created in 2009 to be produced in the color lineup to resemble big juicy jumbo leeches, a smallmouth favorite. The color quickly became known as “HGH Leech”, a plastic formulated in a translucent dark navy/grey color, and contains specks of black pepper. This color contrasts so well in both clear and murky waters, and when presented properly, it performs better than the real deal itself. Fishing this simplistic bait with six and a half to seven foot medium action spinning rods and 6 to 8 lb. Fishing-Headquarters.com

copolymer line, I experienced a day of epic proportions. In six hours of fishing, I caught over 100 pounds of smallmouth bass. Every specimen caught was over 18 inches long and between 19 to 22 inches, and in the range of four, five, and six pounds apiece. If there wasn’t any proof of evidence, my day of fishing would have seemed unreal and unbelievable to most. For sight fishing like this, probing the shallows by casting to all of the nests, depressions, rock piles, and sighted fish, I recommend fishing stickbaits on weighted worm hooks. The best weighted hooks I’ve found are produced by Owner and I prefer using them in 1/8 oz. and size 1/0.

May / June, 2011

Since this discovery (made out of desperation and for the fact that anything resembling a craw was not working) I have begun utilizing weighted stickbaits on other smallmouth bass waters that are similarly dominated by a crayfish forage base. I keep questioning whether smallmouths ever get tired of seeing and eating crayfish. They eventually must, because when presented alongside live and artificial crayfish, it seems like big smallies can’t get enough of plastics that are made to resemble jumbo leeches. Post Spawn & Early Summer Following spawn, we enter the post-spawn period and this signifies

Like majority of the monster smallmouths I catch in mid-May, this 22 inch megafish came on the simple weighted soft stick bait produced by Stankx Bait Company. This lure choice is best fished in clear shallow water, in depths less than 8 feet, while sight ffishing.

Photograph by Dan Cahill Fishing-Headquarters | Page 42

BIG COUNTRY SMALLMOUTHS. that summer is fast approaching. By now, fish begin to disperse from the shallows, and become less-concentrated throughout many areas of the lake. Moving on from fishing with plastics, I eventually progress to power fishing mode again by fishing exclusively with jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, and topwaters. At this point fish become so active that sometimes you cannot fish fast enough! Good fishing will still take place throughout much of June. However, once water temperatures peak at 65 degrees and remain warm for extended periods, the fish head deep and then the six week holiday of spring catch and release officially concludes. To date, some of my favorite bodies of water are the large lakes and flowages found in the towns of Minocqua, Mercer, Lac Du Flambeau, Boulder Junction, and Sayner. Several lakes in the region are home to smallmouth bass. However if you fish many of the larger ones, you will quickly find that they possess several of the same characteristics I have described of having great smallmouth fisheries. Thanks to the special regulations set in place by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and for several lakes being able to grow and support numbers big fish to create world-class inland fisheries, conservation-minded trophy hunters are able to enjoy the pursuit of catching the gamest fish that swims. Of all the species and places one can fish for up north and get lost in, I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t trade these big smallies for anything else in this world. Fishing-Headquarters.com

Post Spawn - Fish on the Move

Bandit 100 Series

Rapala X-Rap 8

Rapala Skitter Walk

Terminator T2 Spinnerbait

May / June, 2011

TACKLE BOX EXPOSED!

I basically gave away my entire tackle box as if it werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a big secret. With information exchanged and article concluded, apply the shared knowledge into your own big fish adventure this spring. Locate your lakes, find the fish, and enjoy catching some biggunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like the fish being showcased here.

Photograph by Jacob Saylor Fishing-Headquarters | Page 44

BIG COUNTRY SMALLMOUTHS.

This 22 inch, six and a half pounder, was the largest fish caught duringour epic afternoon of fishing that took place in mid-May of 2010. Like majority of the other fish caught, this monster fell victim to the 4.25 inch Stankx Stix being sight-fished with a weighted bullet-head hook. This fish is one of my largest smallies to date.

VIDEO VAULT

Photograph by Jacob Saylor

Click icons below t

to watch HD video from our 2010 season of fishing for spring smallmouth bass.

Photograph by Jacob Saylor

BIG COUNTRY SMALLMOUTHS.

Photograph by Andrew Ragas Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

Photograph by Jacob Saylor Fishing-Headquarters | Page 48

BIG COUNTRY SMALLMOUTHS.

Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

Photograph by Jacob Saylor Fishing-Headquarters | Page 50

Bowfin

(n.) A voracious yet harmless pred fresh waters of the United States; t Grindle, and dogfish.

Bowfin are contemporaries of T Rex and his other dinosaur friends. Unlike them, however, the Bowfin is a survivor and swims on, and is one hell of a fighter for anglers to reel in. David Graham, a multi-species advocate from the Southeast talks about the pursuit of his ultimate fish, the bowfin.

By: David Graham

Fishing-Headquarters Contributor

Photograph by David Graham Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

datory ganoid fish found in the the mudfish; -- called also Johnny

Fishing-Headquarters | Page 54

BOWFIN WRANGLING.

ne of the most intriguing things about having a non-species specific approach to angling is the challenge of not merely dedicating your time and effort to become a master of one species, but a combined level of moderate skill culminating in an overall mastery of all that makes an angler, a complete angler. I have always tried to divide my time during the course of each year to pursue different species of fish, and over the past ten years or so I have had such an outstanding variety of experiences, both in victory and defeat which I will never forget. Fishing a variety of species for so many years has familiarized me with the different manner in which many fish attempt to elude capture. Almost without exception, every species has its own battle tactics. An experienced angler may often recognize what he has hooked before ever seeing the fish surface, simply based on the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;feelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of the Fishing-Headquarters.com

fight. Tit for tat, equivalent retaliation is made while playing in a fish based off of its direction and momentum. Whether pursuing fish that rely on speed, agility, cover and concealment, or raw power; most fish seem to rely on particular and identifiable methods of evasive maneuvering. Perhaps it is this variety that makes multi-species fishing most intriguing, but what if we as anglers could take our preferred characteristics of our favorite fish and puzzle them together into the ultimate fish? There is a creature lurking in the shallow weedy backwaters of the eastern United States that might fit the bill; a Frankenstein of fish, and a creature which is so unpredictable, and so ferocious in battle that more often than not it leaves anglers scratching their heads in awe at their broken steal leaders, busted reel gears, and crushed hard plastics. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the little understood and

May / June, 2011

often scorned bowfin. Welcome to my World In all my years of pursuing large fish, it is not the species that grow to enormous size which have captivated me most. No, I have spent more hours on the losing end of the water chasing a fish that seldom exceeds ten pounds, but is so violent, so unpredictable, and so versatile that I can honestly say it single handedly changed me as an angler. The bowfin has been called many things such as mudfish, dogfish, cypress trout, grinnel, lawyer, and choupic. Call it what you will, but this fish, despite its sporting qualities is perhaps the single most underappreciated, and least understood fish in all of North America. It is a species that has subjected my conscience as a fisherman to such torment and frustration that I cherish each punctuated incident of success more so even than personal bests of more easily attainable species. It

Photograph by David Graham

boggles the mind that a fish which can grow to twenty pounds, fights so hard, and can be taken on artificials has been largely frowned upon by the fishing community, and it has been a tremendous point of frustration to me as I have found continued difficulty in promoting the fish as a worthy sport fish, and essential part of its eco-system.

This begs the question as to why many anglers seem to believe that a The bowfin is, in every sense fish which has endured long before of the word, a survivor. It is the last todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most popular game species remaining member of a family of ever emerged could possibly have a fish (Amiidae) which has extem- negative impact on our most popuporary history with the dinosaurs. lar fisheries. If species like largemouth bass Like gars and sturgeon, the bowfin has been swimming in our waters were ever able to climb the evolufor hundreds of millions of years. tionary ladder during the long esThe Resilient Survivor

Photograph by David Graham Fishing-Headquarters | Page 56

BOWFIN WRANGLING.

Photograph by David Graham

The bowfin is a survivor. It is the last remaining member of a family of fish (Amiidae) which has extemporary history with the dinosaurs. Like gars and sturgeon, the bowfin has been swimming in our waters for hundreds of millions of years. To hold one of these creatures in your hands is to experience an indescribable sense of awe that should engage your conscience unlike any other fish. The bowfin is an exceptionally well-equipped species of fish which seems designed to endure the harshest of environments. Bowfin have superior camouflage for the muddy, weedy, dark waters in which they flourBowfin Characteristics ish. Equipped with a swim bladder Upon an initial ‘up close’ look which operates almost as a primitive at a bowfin, the primitive struc- lung, the bowfin is capable of gulpture of the fish is instantly evident. ing air from the surface in standing These are the same deep black eyes water which sees depleted oxygen that once stared at long-ago prehis- content. This is perhaps the one antoric creatures that we can scarcely gle from which fisherman targeting imagine. To look into the eyes of these stealthy predators can visually a bowfin is like looking into a win- approach these fish. Locating the bowfin is simply a dow to the Jurassic world. tablished existence of bowfin in the first place, it should be clear that the bowfin does not negatively affect or out compete with more popular fish species in such a manner that they should deserve the scorn and disdain so often displayed by anglers who incidentally discover a bowfin at the end of their line.

Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

matter of patient observation of the water’s surface. A bowfin, despite its stealth, will eventually reveal its position as it rises to the surface for a gulp of air. Its sleek cylindrical body scarcely tapers from one end to the other, making the bowfin a solid piece of muscle connected to a rounded tail which operates much like a powerful oar. This combination offers optimum power and propulsion through the water and allows the fish to make disproportionally powerful runs for even the smaller specimens. The bowfin also has a characteristic ‘false eye’ black spot on its caudal peduncle, which during its juvenile years may help the young bowfin escape predators. The black spot is often lost or reduced in fe-

males, but remains prominent in males. The bowfinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most distinctive feature, however, is its long, spineless dorsal fin which encompasses more than half its body length. While hovering in place, the bowfinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long dorsal ray appears to writhe with the rhythm of a snake. The serpent-like head of the bowfin is undoubtedly the business end. The bowfin has exceptionally powerful jaw pressure, and a mouth lined with very sharp teeth. Any angler who values the use of his thumb would be wise not to handle this fish as he would a largemouth bass. Handling the bowfin is a chore, since its body is very slick and soft, with no hard, bony spines and little to grip. Rough and Tough Fishing Bowfin never seem to slow their pace from the hookset to the climax of the battle. They will continue to fight on the land, or in the boat, making the experience as a whole very exhausting. The bowfin is an exceptional predator which will feed on smaller fish, amphibians, insects, or crustaceans. They are predominantly an ambush predator which will feed opportunistically, and because of this, anglers should target shallow weedy backwaters. Successful capture of a bowfin requires tough gear, but they can be taken on much the same tackle as largemouth bass. Bowfin can also be taken on cut or live fish either from the bottom or suspended under a float. Because these fish inhabit heavily vegetated waters and will seek out cover, heavy braided line is recommended so they can be pulled from underwater snags. They can be found as far north as Ontario, and as far south as the Southern tip of Florida.

Photograph by David Graham Fishing Headquarters | Page 58

BOWFIN WRANGLING.

Photograph by David Graham

Bowfin never seem to slow their pace from the hookset to the climax of the battle. They will continue to fight on the land, or in the boat, making the experience as a whole very exhausting. The question must be raised as to why the bowfin have somehow earned such a poor reputation. Many avid bass anglers across the Eastern United States have expressed dissatisfaction, even agitation, at discovering that an anticipated 10-pound bass was actually a three-pound bowfin. Bowfin are not particularly known for the quality of their meat; they do not possess elaborate coloration, and they prefer the weedy muddy backwaters of swamps. These things are indisputable, yet there should be a primal instinct in all serious anglers, I believe, that leads to joy in the pursuit of a fish which requires us to dredge through mud, get a little dirt under our nails, and stand toe-to-toe in a no- holds Fishing-Headquarters.com

barred slugfest with the big uglies of the fish world. Specifically targeting these fish requires a strong hand and a lot of guts. These fish do not inhabit trickling mountain streams or gently pluck midges or nymphs from the surface. They are going to rip, tear, bust, and destroy everything in your tackle box in a manner that is anything but graceful. When you gear up for a day in pursuit of bowfin, you can rest assured you are going off to war. Considering the essence of fishing and the thrills that it provides, there is much that can be said about bowfin. Whether it be in scorn or praise, we as fisherman are as unique in our differences individually as the fish we pursue, and yet

May / June, 2011

at the core of all fisherman there is a thirst for adventure and the thrill of the catch which we all share despite our different philosophies and beliefs. I am certain the experience of catching a bowfin satisfies in such a way that this fish should be considered more than worthy of great recognition, exposure, and respect. David Graham, of Greenville, South Carolina, has been a Fishing-Headquarters member and contributor since itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beginning days in 2007. A 2010 graduate from The Citadel Military College of South Carolina, Grahamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passions in fishing are focused on the monster fish and lesser-desired species. In order to contact David, you may find him online at Facebook, or send e-mail to davidg2006@aol.com

The Bowfin is an exceptional predator which will feed on smaller fish, amphibians, insects, or crustaceans. They are predominantly an ambush predator which will feed opportunistically, and because of this, anglers should target shallow weedy backwaters. Successful capture of a bowfin requires tough gear, but they can be taken on much the same tackle as largemouth bass. Bowfin can also be taken on cut or live fish either from the bottom or suspended under a float. Because these fish inhabit heavily vegetated waters and will seek out cover, heavy braided line is recommended so they can be pulled from underwater snags. They can be found as far north as Ontario, and as far south as the Southern tip of Florida.

Photograph by David Graham Fishing-Headquarters | Page 60

BOWFIN WRANGLING.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Considering the essence of fishing and the thrills that it provides, there is much that can be said about bowfin. Whether it be in scorn or praise, we as fisherman are as unique in our differences individually as the fish we pursue, and yet at the core of all fisherman there is a thirst for adventure and the thrill of the catch which we all share despite our different philosophies and beliefs. I am certain the experience of catching a bowfin satisfies in such a way that this fish should be considered more than worthy of great recognition, exposure, and respect.â&#x20AC;?

David Graham Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

Photograph by David Graham Fishing-Headquarters | Page 62

BOWFIN WRANGLING.

Photograph by David Graham Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

Fishing-Headquarters | Page 64

RUNNING WIT Redhorse belong to the sucker family. They are one of the largest and most common groups of North American sucker species. They are characterized by their shiny scales and red or orange fins. They serve as excellent gamefish - tough fighters and eager biters. Native to North America and found nowhere else, they thrive in clean rivers east of the Rocky Mountains.

This is a two-part series. Written by Andrew Ragas and Jeremy Dunfee. Images and additional information courtesy of Corey Geving and Roughfish.com

By: Andrew Ragas Editor In-Chief

andrew@fishing-headquarters.com

By: Jeremy Dunfee

Fishing-Headquarters Contributor

Photograph by Corey Geving Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

TH REDHORSE Andrew Ragas & Jeremy Dunfee

Fishing-Headquarters | Page 68

RIVER REDHORSE.

Part 1 : By Andrew Ragas

Photograph by Corey Geving Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

s avid anglers, it is frequently common to experience outings that result in surprising fashion. Oftentimes the outings that go unplanned are usually the ones that become most memorable for storytelling purposes, especially when unlikely catches are made. For instance, have you ever caught species of redhorse while fishing for muskies? Now this sounds even crazier, but have you ever caught several of them within an hour-long period on a Mepps Musky Killer bucktail? This happened to me just a few years ago. I was once skeptical of something like this ever happening, and I still laugh about it to this day. Since then, the redhorse I have experienced catching are no ordinary musky bait. During May of 2009, I embarked on a strenuous morning wade down the shallow, sandy, rockladen stretches of the upper Wisconsin River. I recall my original plan consisting of stalking pre-spawn smallmouth bass with medium action spinning gear. In addition, since the northern zone musky season had opened the day prior, I felt compelled to peg one of my musky rods to the belt of my waders. Most of the time my outings go as planned, often in the way I envision it. However, on this day in particular, very few of the desired species other than a stray smallmouth came to play. Rather, something else of epic proportions was lurking in the light cola-colored water with me. Luckily I was prepared for it. The river was running so thick in number with both silver and river redhorse that all other species calling the wild Wisconsin River home

The upper stretches of the Wisconsin River are home to both silver and river redhorse, two of the largest sucker species. Amongst locals their spring runs are epic as fish by the several hundreds school in the mid-river sections.

Photograph by Andrew Ragas Fishing-Headquarters | Page 70

RIVER REDHORSE.

In the state of Wisconsin, and other nearby upper Midwestern states that yield fishable self-sustaining populations of river and silver redhorse, ideal habitats are moderate to swift currents in medium to large river systems. These fish in particular serve as excellent indicators of habitat and water quality as they are bottom dwellers. went dormant on me. Influenced by their annual spawning migration, these 5 to 10 lb. fish were striking my musky lure with brute force like it was their duty to protect their midriver gravel beds from a harmful intruder. Unfortunately, photos from this event do not exist, but if you do a search for my YouTube videos, you will see what I experienced. In less than an hour, I caught over half a dozen redhorse legally in the mouth, using a musky bucktail and other assorted lures. Ever since then, at least once every May, I have tried to relive the same experience

Fishing-Headquarters.com

whilst utilizing different tactics that that are located to the north, populaare more efficient at catching them. tions of this fish still remain strong and are thriving. Redhorse Fisheries & In the state of Wisconsin, and Spawning Characteristics other nearby upper Midwestern states that yield fishable self-susCertain species of redhorse taining populations of river and are either threatened, endangered, silver redhorse, ideal habitats are or protected fish species in many moderate to swift currents in meareas of the country. For instance dium to large river systems. These in Illinois, despite being listed in fish in particular serve as excellent the Kankakee River basin, the river indicators of habitat and water qualredhorse statewide presence is cur- ity as they are bottom dwellers. rently unknown and are more than In any productive redhorse likely to be extirpated. However in fishery, the river system needs to be the few clean, free-flowing rivers free of migratory barriers such as

May / June, 2011

Photograph by Jacob Saylor

dams. In addition, the river must be devoid of siltation and turbidity, and bottom must be comprised of clean gravel and bedrock to sustain eggs. Spawning typically occurs from the middle of May through June when water temperatures reach 68 to 74 degrees. During a typical spawning year, redhorse will migrate upriver in packs of several dozen individual fish. Each pack of fish in general will utilize the mid-river gravel beds, and males will create redds, which are referred as dug-out nests. On the upper Wisconsin River for instance, in between the shallow pools of its several dams, it is common for a single mile stretch of river to yield as many as 1,000 different spawning fish, providing that clean gravel and habitat is at a premium. Typically, a female will lay between 6,000 to 23,000 eggs that will hatch within four days. The peak of their spawn is when redhorse fishing becomes action packed and full of surprises. What makes it such a great period for fishing is that you will not encounter these highly concentrated

fish at any other time of the year. Once the spawn is over, redhorse will scatter and retreat downstream like everything else and then your usual species of smallmouth and muskies return again from hiding. When located on their spawning beds, redhorse eat a variety. Therefore, anything you throw at them such as a musky lure will likely be struck. However, they normally eat mollusks, snails, insect larvae, invertebrates, small baitfish, and crustaceans. Born and bred to live in swift current, these torpedo shaped bottom feeders possess incredible strength and endurance. In their many varieties (70 species in the Catostomidae family to be exact, and 22 redhorse species overall), redhorse possess all of the characteristics an ‘alternative’ fish should have. A specimen amassing 5 pounds will quickly peel off 20 feet of drag if you’re running 6 lb. line, enough to make you wonder if your rod and reel will hold. Then it burrows and shakes, dodges other fish of its same spawning pack, runs another time or two, and perhaps jumps before eventually

being landed. Therefore, if you are pursuing redhorse, you should gear up well enough, equipping yourself with the proper gear and tackle to detect bites, and to play their powerful runs. Gearing Up The most common way anglers pursue redhorse is with light to medium action spinning gear with 6 to 8 lb. line. Sight fishing with a stealth approach is usually the most successful way of catching them. Using split shot rigs or any bottomrunning rig that grazes yet slowly bounces current with small circle hooks is often used. Small live bait rigs are by far the most effective. Such examples are the following: Pieces of nightcrawler, leech, and naturally found cut clam, and small crayfish. In addition to light spinning gear, along with my accidental catches on musky gear, fly fishing also serves its purpose, and offers anglers an exceptional fun method Fishing-Headquarters | Page 72

RIVER REDHORSE.

Redhorse Baits

for catching redhorse. While fishing for smallmouth bass on a river wade again in May 2010, we encountered redhorse on Live Bait fly gear for the first time ever. My wade partner, Jacob Saylor, endured a legendary ten minute battle with his 5 wt. when an explosive 5 pounder engulfed his clouser minnow. Saylor recalls, “I was stripping my fly across a pack of fish that were very intent on holding their position in a mid-current gravel depression. When spooked by any sudden underwater movements such as wading, they would only retreat 20 feet away, then quickly return and jockey for their old positions on the Nightcrawlers spot.” According to Saylor, what really surprised him was that the behavior exerted by his fish was consistent even after it was hooked. He Flies adds, “Once I applied pressure with the fly rod, it bolted off, peeling whatever amounts of line he wanted. I couldn’t keep up with reeling, so I tried chasing him downriver. After changing directions two or three times and peeling another several more yards of line out, I finally managed to get in close and beach him on shore.” Black Stonefly Nymph Most productive redhorse flies are size 10 or 12 black nymphs, smaller beaded wooly buggers and clouser minnows, as well as yarn eggs. In addition, patterns that are tied to resemble clams are also effective when drifted in the current. In order to keep the presentation drifting with current flow, anglers will either use sinking line or attach small split shots 12 to 15 inches Beaded Wooly Bugger above the fly. Typical fly set ups are Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

Leeches

5 to 8 wt. models. When drifting flies it is extremely important to watch the tip of your fly line for any hesitations. Once weight is felt, set the hook and hold on! When their spawning packs are located, be patient and alert, as redhorse will strike at any moment. Underrated Fishing Redhorse can exceed ten pounds in weight. Their sheer strength, combined with the heavy currents they live in, demand great respect from anglers. When put into perspective with other gamefish species that can be caught on the fly, or any angling methods in general, the fight exuded by river redhorse is no different from the highly prized steelhead. Redhorse are quite possibly one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented fish species found in the upper Midwest. Just because they possess a strange appearance, does not justify the â&#x20AC;&#x153;undesirable or trashyâ&#x20AC;? stereotype. As one of the cleanest and robust fish species that will be encountered on any clean, healthy river system, redhorse populations and their natural spawning migrations are indicative of healthy fisheries. Where you find redhorse, especially river redhorse, on our nearby northern rivers, you will find great angling. If you ever get the chance to target a new quarry on one of your out-of-state fishing trips this summer, I highly recommend chasing this unique species of fish. Having experienced two straight years in which epic catches have been made by accidental means, I finally have an excuse to fully dedicate an outing to redhorse.

Jacob Saylor patiently works his fly setup in the midst of a spawning school of redhorse.

Photograph by Andrew Ragas Fishing-Headquarters | Page 74

RIVER REDHORSE. “Once I applied pressure with the fly rod, it bolted off, peeling whatever amounts of line he wanted. I couldn’t keep up with reeling, so I tried chasing him downriver. After changing directions two or three times and peeling another several more yards of line out, I finally managed to get in close and beach him on shore.” Jacob Saylor

Photograph by Jacob Saylor Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

Fishing-Headquarters | Page 76

RIVER REDHORSE.

Part 2: By Jeremy Dunfee

Sucker behavior is affected by local and seasonal weather, barometric pressure, lunar activity which I am fully convinced, as well as those familiar “x” factors. All play a role in a redhorse’s eagerness to take your offering. The more of these puzzle pieces that come together to make a pretty picture, the less chance you’ll leave with dry net and a tear in your eye. Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

Photograph by Corey Geving

When the ‘Horsin’ Gets Tough

remember the relief I felt when the hot, muggy, late May sun sank behind the trees and day gave way to a brisk evening chill. Aside from that the frustration of the day was almost palpable. There had been no smallmouth bass or straggler steelhead to be found that day. Holding tightly to a tree branch I followed my fishing buddy, Nick, up a small, rocky hill. After reaching the grassy crest I looked back at the stream one last time and something caught my eye. I have always been a fan of catching all fish, including those most people don’t understand. When I found internet forums it opened up an even wider world for me. One family of fish I was aware of, but knew little about before the internet forum era, was the redhorse

family. They quickly became a holy grail to me, something I wanted to experience. Before I even knew it I was on a babbling brook upstream of the mouth, face to face with a school of shorthead redhorse, a species I had never gotten to pursue. It was getting dark, so we decided to just return the next day. To our surprise, a slow steady overnight rain had raised the creek a few inches, and brought a ton of hungry fish in with it. What ensued was by far the greatest day of redhorse fishing I’ve ever experienced. Over 20 shortheads apiece measuring between 15 and 23 inches, along with a few goldens and northern hogsuckers sprinkled in. . . . . . If we had only known how lucky we truly were. Like all other species of gamefish, redhorse exhibit periods of heavy feeding and even some aggressive behavior. This ultimate-

By Jeremy Dunfee ly results in some easy fishing if you’re timely (or lucky) enough to be at the local river at the peak of their action. Redhorse Behavior Sucker behavior is affected by local and seasonal weather, barometric pressure, lunar activity which I am fully convinced, as well as those familiar “x” factors. All play a role in a redhorse’s eagerness to take your offering. The more of these puzzle pieces that come together to make a pretty picture, the less chance you’ll leave with dry net and a tear in your eye. Unfortunately, as any avid sucker fisherman knows, these windows can be short and sweet, and few and far between. That reality, mixed with their timid nature, creates a lot of less than ideFishing-Headquarters | Page 78

RIVER REDHORSE.

Mussels, river chubs, and northern hogsuckers are good indicators in any area that there are probably ‘horsies around. Learning about these predators, meals, and neighbors can pay off. Look for feeding trails. If you find fish that seem to be dormant, case the area before casting. Some feeding fish might be present, but it’s a better bet to find faster water nearby. al days, and even the Spring Sucker Run is not impervious to this. If you want to target them year round with success it’s assured that most of your time will be spent thinking, plotting, waiting, creeping, and many times trying not to make the tiniest mistake that can turn a great opportunity into something that keeps you up at night. Trust me when I say an unsuccessful day of redhorse fishing might be the most frustrating thing in fishing. But there is nothing like the feeling of being so in touch with the nature, and the rewards of coming out on top and hulling in one of God’s most beautiful creatures after it burns line off your reel and leaps, glistening gold and blood red. To me it’s well worth it. These are a few tips that will hopefully make it easier to put fish in the net on those hard days. Locating Fish Before hitting your local tributaries, do your research, especially Fishing-Headquarters.com

before checking out waters you don’t know. DNR, Fish and Boat, college and independent studies, local message boards, and even word of mouth are good places to begin. Research the species you will be targeting and learn their habits and preferences. When you are on the water scouting, be alert and perceptive. Don’t just look for the species you’re targeting. Noticing fauna with similar habitat means you are on the right track. Mussels, river chubs, and northern hogsuckers are good indicators in any area that there are probably ‘horsies around. Learning about these predators, meals, and neighbors can pay off. Look for feeding trails. If you find fish that seem to be dormant, case the area before casting. Often times there are feeding fish around the dormant ones, but it’s a better bet to find faster water nearby. Be Invisible Mind your environment. Suck-

May / June, 2011

ers have heightened senses, and it’s that mixed with schooling behavior and a general suspicion of the unkind world around them that gets them to adulthood. That should be kept in mind at all times. Even when fishing in a situation where schooling isn’t a big factor they often occupy the same habitat, so it can’t hurt to be too careful. There is nothing worse than creeping around on a hot, fishless summer day, finally spotting a school of willing suckers, then having a bad cast or a startled flock of waterfowl sending them off to a riffle far, far away. Making your presence seem unknown, or at least distant or unthreatening, is key. Be as low-key as your comfort level allows. Stay low whenever possible. The way a fishes eyes, especially a “forage fish” are positioned and function make you look a lot higher than you actually are. In other words, you stick out like a sore thumb if visibility is high. Wear camoflauge. This isn’t absolutely necessary, and I end up fishing on laundry day a lot, but

Photograph by Corey Geving

you would be shocked the difference it actually makes, especially on those hard days. Try not to make a lot of noise or take clumsy steps. You don’t exactly have to be John Rambo, but it couldn’t hurt. Use Finesse Use the lightest tackle possible for what you’re trying to do. Downsize everything, including live bait. Garden worms or craw meat instead of nightcrawler chunks might be a better choice, for example. Use as little weight as fits your style of fishing you’re your sinker is too large the fish will be more inclined to drop the bait fast. There is also a risk that it may see it and be scared away. A slow action rod may convince a fish to hold on a little longer, as will an arch of semi-slack line. In my opinion drifting or rolling bait is my favorite technique for rough days, casting upstream and drifting near the bottom, along the edges of schools or feeding areas is probably the best thing you could do, and often takes little or no weight. Anchoring bait to the bottom works just fine,

as long as you don’t KERRPLUNK it on top of their heads. Either way use the drift to your advantage, casting directly into a school of suckers is never a good idea. Experimenting with your leader length can help a lot. My general rule is the tougher the fishing gets, the longer my leader gets. Probably most important, watch your line carefully, on less than ideal days suckers can bite very lightly. Every extra measure of carefulness should make you more confident, and bring you closer to success. It may even help improve your finesse fishing tactics in general, and make you more creative when on the water. Those 2 things have single handedly turned around more trips for me than anything, and I owe that mostly to hard-to-convince suckers. Fly fishing would be another great option. I’m actually convinced that if evolved to deal with them more specifically, fly fishing would be the best possible way to catch suckers in most conditions. Plenty of people do it, but compared to other species it’s a drop in the bucket. I’m not a very good fly fisherman, so

I’ll leave that up to someone else. Use Water Clarity to Your Advantage Low, clear and high, and murky water sometimes make redhorse species difficult to catch. For these reasons you need to use water clarity to your advantage in order to come out successful. For instance, stay away from flat and shallow water. The deeper or faster the water, the less light penetrates. This means you are harder to see on shore than if you were in other, sometimes even similar looking areas of the river. These are often some of the best areas for redhorse fishing anyway, whether it is a difficult day of fishing or not. This seems to be especially true on small streams where habitat is limited. The mouths of murkier warmwater tributaries and any other sections of lower clarity may give you a tactical advantage in this case, as well. Just look for areas with a reasonable amount of current nearby, or flowing through them. Fishing-Headquarters | Page 80

RIVER REDHORSE.

Photograph by Corey Geving

In certain situations high water levels actually help, but when dealing with really high water that is inaccessible check out the lower sections of clear tributaries nearby. This includes their mouth with the river, and the line where there is a distinct mud line.

be necessary, but in the right situations they might be. If you fish in the right places at the right time you may have a great day while sitting on a chair and sipping a beer. I love those lazy days just as much. The beautiful thing about fishing is that it’s only as easy or as difHave Fun ficult as you make it to be. I promise you, study and learn about the kings This article is simply intended of suckers and you will be happy to share techniques that maximize with your decision. Lastly, when the my success for catching redhorse ‘horsin gets tough, remember these when they aren’t cooperating. Ob- tips, and above all else have fun out viously these tactics will not always there. Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

Jeremy Dunfee is an avid rough fisher and multi-species angler who resides in McDonald, Pennsylvania. He has been a Fishing-Headquarters member and contributor since its beginning in 2007. Likewise, he also serves as an active member with Roughfish.com. You may read more about Jeremy online at Fishing-Headquarters or at Roughfish.com. In order to reach Jeremy he can be contacted via email at j_fridge@yahoo.com

Photograph by Corey Geving Fishing-Headquarters | Page 82

RIVER REDHORSE.

Photograph by Corey Geving Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

Special thanks to Corey Geving and the folks at Roughfish.com for allowing us to use their photos for this two-story piece about redhorse fishing. Roughfish.com is the all-comprehensive fishing source for species, tactics, and biology related to multi-species rough fishing.

http://www.roughfish.com Fishing-Headquarters | Page 84

RIVER REDHORSE.

THE FINAL WORD.

“Steelhead are always a fun species to target. I did this a couple times. While these trips yielded no Steelhead, I did get some bonus catches. To the right is an enormous Silver Redhorse that took a nightcrawler. The fish measured a whopping 30.25” and was a new personal record for the species. I had just about given up for the day when the monster hit. I had light taps on my rod that felt like a small fish, I set the hook and thought a dink ran the hook into a log. I can’t describe how awesome it felt when I saw the line going against the current and got a few headshakes from the fish. This thing was robust and strong, giving one heck of a great fight in the current. I also felt very fortunate getting it in on 6# test line. What a memory this fish was!” Adam Eibling Read more about Adam and his pursuit of multispecies at his website:

http://www.coolwaterfish.com

Photograph by Adam Eibling Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

Fishing-Headquarters | Page 86

Photo courtesy, Jim Gronaw.

TROPHY CRAPPIES.

Photograph by Jim Gronaw Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

Slab Spawn

Locating Trophy Crappies by a variety of methods. One popular and easy way to catch a limit of crappie is using small floats and Early in the season when the live bait such as minnows and night water is still within 40 degrees, I crawlers. In addition, small jigs and focus on main lake points as well grubs are also used efficiently and as structure close to the main lake effectively. channel. Fish are moving from deep Some of my favorite methwater where they hold during the ods to use at this time are swimbait winter months and begin staging to- style grubs such as Mister Twisterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wards the shallows. Sassy Shads. In particular, a Charlie My favorite structures to tar- Brewer 1.5 inch slider grub rigged get are the sunny side of docks and on Blakemore 1/32 oz. Road Runbrush piles. Crappie are utilizing ner jig is my preferred choice. The these structures sunning themselves paddle tail on the slider creates a and feeding on smaller inverte- swimming motion similar to small brates. This type of fishing early in baitfish while the spinning blade on the year requires a lot of patience the jig imparts vibration and flash and mobility because the fish tend that really attracts the attention of to be lethargic and scattered. In ad- fish. dition they are also stubborn about what they eat. At this time, I use Spawning Period a small float with a 6 inch fluorocarbon leader and a 1 inch Berkley By the time the water reaches Gulp Alive Fish Fry on a 1/64 oz. 60 degrees, the crappie spawn is in jig suspended next to posts or over full swing. During the spawn pesunken brush piles. riod crappie are concentrated in the As the water warms into the shallows, mostly on beds. With the mid to upper 40 degree range, fish aid of polarized sunglasses their debegin concentrating themselves pressions are seen by boat, or from more and move toward weedy flats shore. Located in wind protected that are located in the vicinity of bays, their nests are in less than their spawning habitats. They are six feet of water. Females occupy also more aggressive as they begin the nests while male guard the nest heavily feeding in order to meet the from intruders. metabolic needs of spawning. Fishing-Headquarters | Page 90 At this point fish can be caught Prespawn Movements

By: Kenny Lookingbill

Fishing-Headquarters Contributor

pringtime crappie fishing is one of the most diverse styles of fishing there is. For example, one day you might find yourself fishing with a float, while the next day you could be using jigs. Fishing during this period is a feast or famine. However, fishing for crappie during the spring season is some of the most rewarding and entertaining fishing there is. For instance, some of my largest crappie have been caught at this time of the year, including a massive 17 inch fish taken on a Charlie Brewer slider jig in the spring of 2009. Much of what crappie are caught on is dependant on weather conditions, water temperatures, and water clarity.

TROPHY CRAPPIES.

Photograph by Kenny Lookingbill

Some of my largest crappie have been caught at this time of the year, including this massive 17 inch fish taken on a Charlie Brewer slider jig in the spring of 2009. Much of what crappie are caught on is dependant on weather conditions, water temperatures, and water clarity. Not only can limits of fish be caught, but trophies can also be had too. You can do almost no wrong at this stage of the crappie spawn with the fish aggressively guarding their nests. Traditional jig and grubs as well as tubes work very well. Sometimes crappie are caught on larger lures such as Rapala Husky Jerks when anglers are targeting bass. At this time, aquatic vegetation might be an issue. This can be combated by using a small pencil float to keep your lure at a constant depth above the submersed vegetation to avoid getting your lure fouled in weeds. Fishing-Headquarters.com

Charlie Brewer Crappie Slider

Berkley GULP! Alive Fish Fry

May / June, 2011

Variables dictate good fishing Time of the day has little bearing on success when fishing the crappie spawn, but has an obvious impact on prespawn fishing. To better clarify myself with the factor about seasonal timing, I revert back to discussing the prespawn period. For instance water temperatures are still relatively cool and crappie seek the warmest water they can find. This results in them being more active and therefore more likely to feed. I tend to target crappie later on in the day in the mid afternoon hours when the sun reaches its high point and surface temperatures reach their peak. Once the fish are active in spawning, success can be had at any time from early in the morning hours till before sunset with some additional active feeding windows mixed in. Water clarity also plays a large role in lure selection and angling success. Utilizing basic color principles such as darker colors for murkier water and natural colors for clear water pays dividends. For murky water, my favorite colors are junebug, dark green, dark yellow, and black. In clear water I stick with bright colors such as chartreuse and fluorescents, and white when threadfin shad are present. A fluorocarbon leader may be used conjunction with a jig and a minnow in extreme clear water situations but be aware of any regulations restricting the use of minnows on certain lakes. Tackle Selection Water conditions, temperatures, and clarity are variables one cannot control but tackle is one variable the angler has complete control of. I use a 6 foot light action Abu Garcia Condolon spinning rod

TTI Blakemore Lures Roadrunner

Not only can limits of fish be caught, but trophies can also be had too. You can do almost no wrong at this stage of the crappie spawn with the fish aggressively guarding their nests. Traditional jig and grubs as well as tubes work very well.

Photograph by Jim Gronaw Fishing-Headquarters | Page 92

TROPHY CRAPPIES.

Fishing-Headquarters File Photo

I tend to target crappie later on in the day in the mid afternoon hours when the sun reaches its high point and surface temperatures reach their peak. Once the fish are active in spawning, success can be had at any time from early in the morning hours till before sunset with some additional active feeding windows mixed in.

with a Pflueger President 6725 reel rigged with 8 lb. Berkley Fireline. The light superline provides casting distance and strength to handle big fish that might be accidentally caught and not targeted. However, if you prefer fluorocarbon, Berkleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vanish 6 lb. test will do, and if you prefer monofilament line Berkley Trilene XT 6 lb. test will work as well. Whether you are looking for light, crispy fillets for the dinner table, with selective harvest in mind, or just a few hours of entertainment, Fishing-Headquarters.com

fishing for crappie in late spring is some of the easiest fishing known to all of man-kind. It can be done in relatively simple means without the hassle of carrying around tackle bags full of gear. Crappie tackle is relatively inexpensive compared to other types of tackle. Something as simple as a push-button combo can be used or a decent spinning combo can be purchased for under $100. Likewise the costs associated with jigs and plastics are minimal. What is another good thing about fishing for springtime crap-

May / June, 2011

pies you might ask? It is a great way to get beginning anglers started on fishing and keep interested in. Early success will be experienced due to the relative ease of the techniques used to catch and enjoy the aggressiveness of the crappie.

Mister Twister Sassy Shad

By the time the water reaches 60 degrees, the crappie spawn is in full swing. During the spawn period crappie are concentrated in the shallows, mostly on beds. With the aid of polarized sunglasses their depressions are seen by boat, or from shore. Located in wind protected bays, their nests are in less than six feet of water. Females occupy the nests while male guard the nest from intruders.

Photograph by Kenny Lookingbill Fishing-Headquarters | Page 94

TROPHY CRAPPIES.

Photograph by Frank Weilnhammer Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

Fishing-Headquarters | Page 96

CARP ON By: Drew Price

Special Contributor

Carp have quickly become a sensation in the fly fishing world. They are an extremely challenging fish requiring stealth, precision and patience, they run far when hooked, get to large sizes and are found almost everywhere. Many compare it to fly fishing for bonefish on the saltwater flats and the similarities are striking between the two fish. So how do you get started chasing golden bones?

Read On . . . Photograph by Drew Price Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

THE FLY

Fishing-Headquarters | Page 100

CARP ON THE FLY.

For the fly tying angler the diversity of a carp’s diet means a bonanza of imitations to tie up. There are a number of flies that a carp box should not be without though. Crawfish are a high priority so have several patterns in sizes 4 through 10 in rust, olive and brown.

dency to spook carp. Think of carp like trout on steroids. They are very nervous fish and have a very sensihese fish are large and tive lateral line. Choose a line that powerful but also require a bit of is muted in color and that will help delicacy when the fly line is land- out. A bonefish leader is a good bet ing. 6 to 8 weight rods are the norm for chasing carp but an appropriate with the majority of people opting trout leader will do as well. It does for a 6. These rods will give you pay off to add a couple of feet of tipplenty of backbone when you get pet to the end of your leader, espeinto a 20 pound fish but will also cially in clear water. keep the line from smacking down The more distance between on the water too hard. your fly and line the better. You A medium to medium fast ac- won’t need much tippet- a spool of tion rod is perfect for this purpose. 8 lb will work very well. FluorocarA very fast action rod can be coun- bon tippet is an excellent choice beter-productive because it doesn’t cause it is tough and disappears in provide quite as much flex to pro- the water. tect lighter tippets. If you don’t have one already, consider a large arbor Carp Diet and Fly Patterns reel. These reels have a better capacity for backing and will pick up Carp have a highly varied diet. your line much faster. This will help They will eat almost anything availyou when the carp takes off. able to them including (but not limited to) vegetation, worms, snails, Fly Lines insects, crustaceans, terrestrial insects, berries and smaller fish. It is Line color can be a factor. amazing to consider that such large Bright colored lines have a ten- fish will eat such small food. How is Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

it possible for a 30 pound fish to eat midge larvae? The answer is volume. Carp eat a lot and they browse continuously. As an angler you can take full advantage of that fact. For the fly tying angler the diversity of a carp’s diet means a bonanza of imitations to tie up. There are a number of flies that a carp box should not be without though. Crawfish are a high priority so have several patterns in sizes 4 through 10 in rust, olive and brown. A good selection of nymphs including the Beadhead Prince (8-14), Caddis Larvae in green and tan (1014), Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear (8-14) in natural, rust and olive with and without beads, and Dave Whitlock’s Rubber Legged Red Fox Squirrel Nymph (6-12) in olive, rust and natural. Another deadly nymph is the Clouser Swimming nymph (4-10) in rust, tan and olive. If you are fishing streams be sure to include a stonefly pattern. Worm flies are a must so be sure to have San Juan Worms (8-14) and the Eggi-Juan-Kenobi (10-14) in red, pink and tan handy as well.

Photograph by Drew Price

San Juan Worm

Dave Whitlockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rubber Legged Red Fox Squirrel Nymph

Beadhead Prince

Eggi-Juan-Kenobi Crawfish Fly Fishing-Headquarters | Page 102

CARP ON THE FLY.

Photograph by Drew Price

Carp behavior is a very important factor in getting one on the end of your line. If you spend your time making observations before you fish you will catch more carp than if you just start blind casting. If the body of water you are fishing has Hexegenia mayflies be sure to have some imitations of the nymphs with you as well. A very important consideration with flies is weight. Carp feed at different levels so to be successful fly fishing for them you have to be ready to put they fly where they are feeding. Weighted flies should be in three categories- unweighted, medium weight and depth charge. It is not unusual to find carp near the surface which is where the unweighted flies will come into play. To get carp in water up to 2 or 3 feet in depth a medium weight is in order but if they are deeper than that you want something that is going to drop like a rock. Lead eyes or tungsten beads can really be very helpful to get flies down. Heavily weighted Fishing-Headquarters.com

crawfish patterns are a good way to get a carp’s attention- they will kick up little puffs of mud as you retrieve them. Carp Behavior Carp behavior is a very important factor in getting one on the end of your line. If you spend your time making observations before you fish you will catch more carp than if you just start blind casting. Carp fishing is a very visual game which is one of the reasons it is so exciting. Take full advantage of that and watch what they are doing. If the carp are splashing around in weedy shallows, especially in the spring time, your odds are not good. Those fish are spawning and won’t eat. Don’t bother casting at groups of fish that

May / June, 2011

are moving fast- they have somewhere to go and won’t be interested. Lazy carp sitting motionless near the surface of the water give you a 50/50 chance- often an unweighted worm pattern put gently in front of them will get their attention. What you really want to look for is actively feeding fish. Carp will mud or tail just like a bonefish or redfish. Look for fresh mud coming up from the bottom and put your fly in the middle of it. A crawfish pattern works great in this situation. Pods of slowly moving fish are another excellent choice. Look for their mouths to be opening and closing which will indicate that they are feeding. These fish will give you a great shot at hooking up. There can be opportunities to catch carp on the surface too.

Carp fishing is a very visual game which is one of the reasons it is so exciting. Take full advantage of that and watch what they are doing. If the carp are splashing around in weedy shallows, especially in the spring time, your odds are not good. Those fish are spawning and wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t eat.

Photograph by Drew Price Fishing-Headquarters | Page 104

CARP ON THE FLY.

Photograph by Drew Price

What you really want to look for is actively feeding fish. Carp will mud or tail just like a bonefish or redfish. Look for fresh mud coming up from the bottom and put your fly in the middle of it. When mulberries are ripe along rivers carp seem to relish the chance to eat them. A purple berry fly or just simply some purple chenille or yarn on a hook will make a decent representation of the berry and look for those rubbery lips near the top of the water. Time it right and you will get your fish. Carp will also look up if there is a good insect hatch. Here you should do your best to imitate the flies on the water. Another time that carp will slurp down flies from the top is when there are a lot of seeds from dandelions or cottonwoods available. Simple white hackled patterns will serve you well in this situation. Casting and Catching Accurate casting makes a huge Fishing-Headquarters.com

difference in the quest for carp. A feeding carp’s vision is fairly limited. A fly needs to be in a fairly small window- you want to put the fly in a basketball sized area around their head. This is where good casting and strategy pays off. If a carp is feeding on the bottom in water four feet deep an angler will have to put the fly out in front of it with enough time for the fly to get deep. Leading the fish you are targeting is critical. Also remember that unless carp are feeding on something on the surface they generally don’t look up. Most of their food resources are on or near the bottom. Put the fly down near the fish’s mouth for best results. Once a carp is hooked the fun begins! Carp are definitely a fish that fights like crazy. Carp in open water will take right off and run like

May / June, 2011

a bonefish. They will make a good run or two before giving up. Sometimes they will also bulldog deep. If there are weeds present don’t be surprised if the carp digs right into them. This is where your patience can be tested, but if you take your time you can pull a good sized carp out of heavy weeds. A big net makes landing a carp much easier. Rubber nets will cause less damage to the fish as well. Final Tips Unless the fish are in small to mid-sized rivers or are on a relatively shallow hard bottomed area of a lake or pond where you can wade easily, one of the best ways to fly fish for carp is by boat. Canoes and kayaks are excellent ways to access

Photograph by Tom Rosenbauer

Once a carp is hooked the fun begins! Carp are definitely a fish that fights like crazy. Carp in open water will take right off and run like a bonefish. They will usually make a good strong run before eventually giving up. carp water but motorized boats can work as well. A caution for using a boat- if you have an older motor that dumps a lot of gas or oil you won’t catch many carp. The smell of the petroleum products will put the fish down and they won’t come back. Similarly, loud boats make it harder to catch carp. Aluminum and metal boats that bang around a lot will spook fish too. Some indoor/ outdoor carpet on the bottom of the boats will make a big difference in this situation. Spring time provides a few opportunities for carp. The fish tend to be a bit sluggish and don’t feed as heavily as they will later in the year. Once the water hits the 50’s this changes. They start putting on the feed bags but then something hap-

pens that will prevent a lot of carp from being caught. The spawn tends to happen sometime in May or June. During this time it is not unusual to see very large congregations of carp in the shallows splashing around. The water will be very muddy and the fish will be very active. It is not likely that many fish will be caught though. Shortly after the spawn the fish will be much more receptive. Hot summer days are a great time to target these fish. Carp will remain active all summer. They are also able to handle higher temperatures and lower oxygen environments very well. When it is too hot to target trout, carp are an excellent option. Carp are safe to fish for even when water temps get up into the upper 80’s. Fly fishing for golden

bones remains excellent until water temps start dropping below 50 degrees. If you are up for a challenge try out carp on a fly. They are widely available in most areas, get to large sizes, will test your skills, and are a lot of fun. If you are able to put aside the “trash fish” image that they have had you will find that you have a new worthy adversary to consider. One last thing to keep in mind with carp- their musculature and physiology allows them to swim twice as far and fast as similar sized trout or bass. Just try to find a place where trout or bass routinely get over 20 pounds….

Fishing-Headquarters | Page 106

CARP ON THE FLY.

Fishing-Headquarters.com

May / June, 2011

Drew grew up in Northern New York where he received his first fly rod as a college graduation present. He cut his teeth on trout, salmon and bass out of Lake Champlain tributaries but soon realized that there was a lot more to catch with flies. A true fish geek, Drew has worked at a public aquarium and routinely spews fish Latin names despite being deathly allergic to eating his finny friends. He is a science teacher for the school year and spends his summers guiding for warm water fish in the Green Mountain State. To learn about Drew Price and his angling pursuits, or to schedule a guide trip, you may visit him online at:

http://www.drewpriceonthefly.com/

Photograph by Tom Rosenbauer Fishing-Headquarters | Page 108

TACKLE LOGIC. Optimum Baits Double Diamond

THE SOFT SWIMBAIT

REVOLUTION By: Bryan Blazek

Fishing-Headquarters Contributor

any advances in technology have changed the way we Fishing-Headquarters.com

collectively view fishing tackle and artificial baits. The most influential factor that often contributes to innovation is new synthetic compounds used for materials that are the products of an increasing technology driven market. One only has to take a quick look at the evolution of the golf club, for instance, to realize the way materials and new technology driven designs have changed an entire sport. Fishing may be less affected than golf by these advances; however, it is affected nonetheless. The advances in technology and materials have created a plethora of new

May / June, 2011

bait and tackle options, with some artificial baits offering lifelike realism and swimming characteristics that were previously unattainable. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not here today to discuss or preach about fancy high modulus graphite composites in our rods, or alloys that make our reels lighter. I am not even here to talk about fluorocarbon and braided lines that have made some fishermen regard monofilament as a thing of the past. What we are here today to examine is the evolution of the swimbait, from their humble west coast and saltwater beginnings, to the versatile multi-species tools they have become today.

Early Swimbaits Sometime in the late 1970’s and early 80’s, soft plastic shad baits were appearing on the fishing tackle market. The baits were characterized by a paddle tail and a shad profile that is still found today on baits such as the Mister Twister Sassy Shad. This venerable design has found a place in the market mostly among light tackle saltwater, as well as walleye anglers. The smaller size Sassy Shad is still a very effective multi-species river tool for everything from smallmouth bass to walleye and pike, and carp of many varieties. The original shad bodies were made of a much less flexible soft plastic, therefore they often required heavy jig heads and deep water to impart the action on the lure. Because of these two reasons alone, these shad bodies were often disregarded by all but a few west coast bass anglers. The Sassy Shad has been catching fish since the early 1980’s, but many anglers fail to realize it may be the grandfather of many of the modern swimbaits on the market today. The tail action that these lures create with their large paddle tails not only provides an ultra-realistic swimming action, but also a noticeable vibration to stimulate the target fish’s lateral line.

Photograph by Bryan Blazek

The first generation swimbait, the Mister Twister Sassy Shad. The original shad bodies were made of less flexible soft plastic, and required heavy jigs. by crafting meticulously detailed swimbaits that recreated the look and swimming action of the fish they were modeled after. This new bait was an instant success, spurring a number of similar designs from big name manufacturers. These baits were beautifully designed and painted. However, they were much too large and ap-

plication specific to be widely accepted among the bass fishing community. Again, the common feature in the high quality giant baits was usually a large paddle tail. In recent years, however, these lures have been adapted to fish every depth with combinations of hard and soft plastic construction and other significant advances.

Second Coming Shortly after this, around the early 1990’s, Alan Cole of AC Plug Swimbaits, largely considered the ‘father’ of the swimbait, and a former Fishing-Headquarters sponsor in 2008-2009, began testing a prototype of a huge new rainbow trout swimbait. Stocker size trout had become the main forage for large bass in California reservoirs, and Cole

AC Plugs Casitas Revision 2.0

AC Plugs Minnow Fishing-Headquarters | Page 112

TACKLE LOGIC.

During the early 1990’s, Alan Cole of AC Plug Swimbaits, began testing a prototype of a huge new rainbow trout swimbait. Cole began crafting meticulously detailed swimbaits that recreated the look and swimming action of the fish they were modeled after. This new bait was an instant success, spurring a number of similar designs from big name manufacturers. Brand new, for the third time In 1996, a California company, Optimum Baits, began producing hand poured swimbaits with insider jig heads. Optimum’s design allowed for precise control over the action the hook and weight imparted on the lure, as well as taking the responsibility of rigging the bait out of the fisherman’s hands. This was a huge innovation, and many other companies quickly followed suit, as is the case with any tackle innovation. There are many companies still manufacturing this style swimbait, further innovating on the appearance with complex paint schemes and extremely detailed molds. Looking at some of the modern insider head swimbaits is often like staring at an exact soft plastic replica of the bait fish, but again with a paddle tail and ultra soft plastic for realistic swimming action and lateral line stimulation. Some companies have gone so far as to add rattle chambers as well for an ultra shad-like sound. Fishing-Headquarters.com

Photograph by Bryan Blazek

A few examples of the modern renditions of the insider jig head swimbait. Pictured is the Storm WildEye Swim Shad, and Berkley’s Swim Shad. store shelves of tackle outlets, initially in 5 inch followed by 3.5 inch The revolution of the mod- varieties. This, in turn, made a huge ern swimbait is most definitely at- impact on the use of swimbaits as a tributed to advances in computer bass catching tool for anglers in the technology, as well as advances in majority of the country, where these manufacturing techniques. In the sizes more accurately represent the late 2000’s, many hollow bodied bait fish forage size for large and swimbaits started showing up on the smallmouth bass we encounter. Modern Swimbaits

May / June, 2011

Photograph courtesy, AC Plugs Swimbait Company

These are very effectively rigged on specially designed swimbait hooks with screw type bait keepers and belly weights. This style of rigging allows for a very natural swimming action, as well as weed resistance. Some companies have also added a fluttering blade beneath the hook for added flash. These hook designs are able to incorporate a screw type bait keeper, but you can get a slightly different action by using a belly weighted standard EWG hook. Rigging with this hook can be good for ultra thick grassy situations where you want an ultra stealth entry in and out of cover. In addition, there has been a recent innovation adding a belly slit to these baits, making rigging an easier chore. These style baits can also be fished on a ball head or mushroom style jig head, my preferred method for smallmouth bass fishing on rivers. Though one side of the market was concentrated on hollow body swim baits, the folks at Optimum were not content, and went to work on further innovating their corner of

Photograph by Bryan Blazek

The creation of holloyw belly swimbaits made a huge impact on the use of swimbaits as a bass catching tool for anglers in the majority of the country.

YUM Money Minnow Fishing-Headquarters | Page 114

TACKLE LOGIC.

Digital simulation courtesy of Matt Paino, CEO Optimum Baits

Optimum Baits capitalizes on computer aided design processes both in the modeling and manufacture of their molds, as well as actually swimming the bait in a cyber platform in order to create a distinct action in their baits. the swimbait market. In an interview with Matt Paino, CEO of Optimum Baits, Matt stated “The swimbait market has seen a surge in hollow body swimbaits over the past couple of years. At Optimum we focused on our Line Thru swimbaits, which were a variation of our Suspending Optimums, as well as the Double Diamonds.” Optimum Baits capitalizes on computer aided design processes both in the modeling and manufacture of their molds, as well as actually swimming the bait in a cyber platform in order to create a distinct action in their baits. He further explains, “Technology speeds up everything and allows you to make more changes freely. Before when masters were carved or molded it was extremely time consuming and Fishing-Headquarters.com

costly to start over from scratch. Now we can have 3 slightly different designs created on one rapid prototype and can narrow the necessary changes down real quickly.” Paino concludes, “Optimum’s key focus on creating the Double Diamond was the action of the bait.

May / June, 2011

That’s why Optimum turned to a computer-aided design and a simulation program that would virtually ‘swim’ the computer model of the Double Diamond through all possible water flow simulations representing the fresh and saltwater scenarios where the Double Diamond

Digital simulation courtesy of Matt Paino, CEO Optimum Baits

would be used, thereby enabling Optimum to fine-tune the hydrodynamic swimming actions of the Double Diamond shape until perfect.” The Double Diamond style bait is so significantly different than many other baits, I thought it would be a good idea to discuss all available rigging options, as there are a couple you normally wouldn’t think of, and this can be where this bait truly shines. First of these would be the weightless rig. Simply rig it texasstyle on an EWG hook. This is not possible with most baits due to their propensity to roll over. Despite the issue, the hydrodynamic stability of this bait that was gained in the design process allows for this and Carolina rigging options. That’s right; rig one on a Carolina rig for an ultra wide zig-zag action at depth. I could see this as an effective way to present in grass flat situations, as well as for fishing their goby patterned bait for smallmouth bass on Lake Michigan. Lastly you can Texas rig one with a bullet sinker, if you are the guy who wants ultimate soft bait versatility without ever changing your hook. All of the traditional swimbait hooks are also applicable here. Optimum has also recently developed a line-though swimbait that utilizes a single treble hook, and rides up the line when a fish is on to reduce the chances of being torn or lost; all while remaining a hand poured soft bait.

Optimum Baits Baby Line Thru

Photograph by Bryan Blazek

The Double Diamond style bait is so significantly different than many other swimbaits. These versatile baits have a number of rigging options.

Photograph by Bryan Blazek

Optimum has also recently developed a line-though swimbait that utilizes a single treble hook, and rides up the line when a fish is hooked.

Fishing-Headquarters | Page 116

TACKLE LOGIC.

Photograph by Bryan Blazek

Do you like fishing a swim jig? Adding a paddle tail bait to your swim jig adds a different look to the bait, and may be just the ticket when the grub isn’t doing the job. Adding a bait like the Double Diamond will even add a side to side wobble to your jig. Gearing Up Ultimately the responsibility lies with the angler to select the bait and rigging method that most closely imitates the available natural forage. It is very important to establish the available natural forage when selecting a bait in order to ‘match the hatch’. With all of the various spawning seasons throughout the spring and summer in ponds, lakes, and rivers, it is important to know what bass and possibly other large predatory species are feeding on. Many professional anglers will turn to a 5 inch swimbait to seek out larger fish once they have a limit, because these baits are known to Fishing-Headquarters.com

catch some big bass. For instance, this is exactly what Skeet Reese did in April 2010 to win at Virginia’s Smith Mountain Lake Bassmaster Elite Series event with an astonishing three day weight of 78 lbs. Reese focused his efforts on big fish in shallow water, throwing Jerry Rago swimbaits to close shoreline quarters. Personally I have had the most success retrieving swimbaits at a good speed, remembering that bait fish move fast, especially when there’s a big bass around. I make long casts, with a constant fast retrieve. The occasional jerk, or dead pause is often what it takes to get a curious bass to strike. You can cover

May / June, 2011

all depths with soft paddle tail style swimbaits, but they can be a good search tool in order to establish a pattern or find fish. The beautiful thing about these baits is none of them are more than 5/8 oz. in total weight. They are effectively fished on a 6 ft. 6 in. medium heavy rod. Either spinning or baitcasting outfits are fine, but I definitely prefer a baitcaster for everything larger than 3.5 inches. For lighter baits, I use 14 lb. braided superline with a 3 ft., 10 lb. fluorocarbon leader. For the heavier baits I often use a combo of 40/15, braid/fluoro, starting with the same 3 ft. leader length. Sometimes I tie my leaders even longer; this is not

for stealth, but so I can retie a few times without tying additional leaders. If you are fishing particularly deep water, a fast sinking fluorocarbon line will aid in getting your bait deeper, faster, and stay there. Line choice can be of particular significance when fishing swimbaits, so I would advise to go with the lightest line you think is responsible in order to minimize the affects of wind and current on the bait.

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note: Thanks to Optimum Baits CEO, Matt Paino, for allowing us to showcase their swimbaits and the product development process, and for taking the time to interview with us and address any questions I had that were related to this piece. If interested in Optimum Baits, visit their website and tell them you saw the article in Issue-4 of Fishing-Headquarters Magazine.

http://www.optimumbaits.com

Photograph by Bryan Blazek Fishing-Headquarters | Page 118

THE FINAL WORD.

ADVERTISE WITH FISHING HEADQUARTERS. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not desperate, although acquiring real day jobs involving catching fish for a living would be nice. We just want to earn some benefits from our hours invested, and we would like to reward our designers and contributors for their damn good work. We want to compensate our contributors by offering them your gear and products, and promotional fishing trips for future showcasing and articles. All for your advertisement. Half a million website visits per year / 5,000+ individual E-Mag readers. . . . . . . You get the idea. Fishing-Headquarters.com

March / April, 2011

Fishing-Headquarters.com has evolved into an excellent and informative online resource for multi-species fishing in North America. We offer our several hundred members an interactive and multi-media website that allows the free exchange and promotion of fishing and all that encompasses it. Our website was established on January 1, 2007. Since our inception, we have drawn nearly 600 registered members and attracted several thousands of visitors who read and browse on a daily basis. In addition, we have reached yearly website page views of 5 million, and our homepage receives half a million visits per each calendar year. Among Google and other popular search engines, when searching for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Multi Species Fishingâ&#x20AC;? and other related keywords, we are ranked among the top ten of all searches. This proves how we are continuously growing, and becoming more popular in the realm of sport fishing. Click Image to read copy of our 2011 Media Kit.

Need more information? http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/mediakit.html

Please contact us at:

info@fishing-headquarters.com

Fishing-Headquarters | Page 124

Click this Button

Follow Fishing-Headquarters on Facebook! Receive the latest and most up-to-date news and information for the Fishing-Headquarters on Facebook. Almost 650 fans and still counting. http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Fishing-Headquarters/56986315418

Proficient frog fisherman, JayPee Hey, hoists a largemouth bass that fell victim to the surface frog.

July / August 2011 Issue: • Float Trip Smallmouth Bass • Froggin’ For Largemouths • Open Water Muskies • Lake Michigan King Salmon • Longnose Gar • Plus more!

Expected Release Date: July 6th, 2011.

SUBSCRIBE CLICK ICON BELOW

For article and photo submissions and advertising, contact us at:

info@fishing-headquarters.com