Does anyone have any tips on catching RES? I keep catching these when I throw a light jig head with a small chunk of nightcrawler...I have only caught one RES out of my pond this year.
In the warmer months when RES are not on their beds, finding structure, particularly woody structure in deeper water is key. I like to use a conical worm weight of 1/32-1/8 oz on 6 pound test tied above a high quality small swivel. I then attach a 18"-36" leader of 2 pound fluorocarbon to the swivel. From there I have a couple different set ups. I usually use a size 6-10 hook, usually a simple bronze bait holder, but will sometime use an octopus of the same size, depending on the bait used. For bait, I really like live crickets. In areas where there are grass shrimp, they are hard to beat as well. I have also used small red worms, wax worms and meal worms. On the longer leaders, I will sometimes use a float that you will find on a nightcrawler harness used for walleye fishing. Black is my preference, but sometimes a little flash helps, especially in dingy water. Bounce the rig right on the bottom as close to structure as you can...
