Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Help Help....I Suck At Fishing!

George,

Thank you for clearing that up!

Those are some good looking flies (if that is the appropriate term).

Based on the name, I'm assuming your wife made those.

Are the Mrs. G's $Gill models ever up for sale?!?! :)!

Gflo - there is an interesting story behind the Mrs.G's $Gills.
I'm going to defer to Theo and Ewest this time ...

The short answer is, they are collector's items.

Just a little update.

I've been fishing twice since I last posted. It seems like fishing is pretty tough once winter starts rolling around. I did manage a small 11 inch rainbow on powerbait at Hart Park near bakersfield, but I would much rather be fishing a lure.

Fishing with bait kind of bores me a little bit. I mean, I wouldn't mind getting a 2-pole license and baiting up for catfish / trout while I fish with a lure on another line. That seems like it would be a good approach.

Yesterday, I decided to try laguna lake in san luis obispo. It is extremely muddy water. I know there are some big catfish in there, as well as large carp, and a few bass. Supposedly there are some small bluegill as well.

The water is VERY muddy. Visibility is like 2 1/2 inches, no joke.

I tried my luck with a tiny 1/8th ounce rattle trap, a 1/8th ounce blue fox vibrax spinner, and a 1/32 ounce roadrunner. I ended up losing my tiny-rat-l trap and roadrunner to weeds and muck. Oops!

Fished from 6:00am to 6:00pm. No luck. Bummer!


Also, I'm trying to put together a list of lures that are absolute must haves. I'm trying to see if I can keep it down to like 5 lures (Will probably have a few variations of the same bait / lure)... Will be trying to get the most versatile ones I can.

I can't afford much right now, and the wife probably wouldn't appreciate me filling my tacklebox. Something about how she could use that money on baking stones or cookware. Sounds boring, but she is the boss.


Here is my list so far... Remember I am using an Ultralight setup 4lb test.

1) Blue Fox Spinner with Foxtail

I do not know what size to use. Would like to be able to catch medium sized trout, crappie, and 1-2 pound bass, maybe even a monster bluegill every once in awhile... I can't decide between size #2 (3/16th ounce) or size #3 1/4th ounce. I'm not sure what size is appropriate for what type or size fish. No knowing what size baits / lures to use is a big problem for me. I'll probably order a few in different colors.

2) Blakemore Road Runners

I figure I will have a few 1/32 and 1/16th ounce roadrunners for small panfish and one or two 1/8th ounce crappy thunder version road runners for crappie and the occasional bass.

3) Senko + maybe size 4 octopus hook?

I am not sure which size senko to use with my ultralight setup, or what type / size hook to use with it for that matter. I just know that I want to fish wacky with an O-Ring so that I am not destroying the bait every other cast. I was thinking about maybe a 3 inch senko. I have no idea. I've just heard good things about them, and for some reason wacky rigging appeals to me.

4)[Have no idea give pretty please give me some suggestions]

I have a few hand-me down 1/4th ounce rattle traps that I could probably throw with my ultralight gear, but isn't the point of a rattle trap to attract their attention with the "rattling" vibrations. Wouldn't the blue fox vibrax spinner do the same thing, but with extra flash? I wouldn't know what size rattle trap to use, and all the different color selections kind of overwhelm me.

I just fished a 1/8th ounce tiny trap the other day because my wife bought it for me. She said it was small and "cute". I agree with her, but have no idea how to fish it.

5) [Have no idea again, could use some suggestions!]




Any and all replies / suggestions are greatly appreciated! I am feeling a little lost, and still suck very badly at fishing!

I noticed that you don't have anything listed that is a floater/diver or any surface baits. I would look into the different floating/"dive when retrieved" crankbaits. For instance, the Manns 1 minus series will float at rest, and dive down to 12".

Manns

The minus series tells you how deep they dive when retrieved minus 15 = 15' deep. Or look at one of the old stand-by's, Rapala. I prefer the floating series to the sinking series. With 4# test, you'd be looking for these type of lures from 2" to 5" long.

You also could go with something that floats all the time. With 4# test, you don't want anything that has hooks that are buried in the bait (like a texas rigged worm) - you won't be able to set the hook hard enough all the time to get consistent hooksets.

With wacky rigging a worm or senko, there is no upper limit on size, although I'd look at staying at or below 8".

I also recommend buying some 1/16, 1/32 and 1/64th oz jig heads

unpainted jig heads

and a package or two of these:

Powerbait Nymph

I've had good luck with the 900 toad color. Just thread it on the hook so it lays straight, cast it out and slowly reel it back in, juggling the rod tip and pausing every once in a while. After you cast it out, count "one thousand, two thousand" to get a consistent depth to start reeling. Vary the depth 'till you fing the fish. I've really had good luck using this when the bluegills are spawning. I don't use a bobber.

As for the spinners, 1/8 oz to 3/16 oz should be small enough to target BG. The weight, type of blade and whether the hook is dressed or bare will all have an impact on how deep the spinner runs, as does the speed of the retrieve. Willow leaf blades will typically run deeper than french blades, which will run deeper than colorado blades. The fatter the blade, the easier it is to get started spinning, and the slower the retrieve can be and still keep the blade turning.

If you want to paint the jig heads, a cheap way to do it is to get some white fingernail polish, give them a coat and let dry. Then look at what colors your wife has & "borrow" a bit instead of buying your own colors. Heck, she probably won't use every last bit in the bottles anyway!

Esshup,

Thank you for the tips!

I am definitely am going to give the power nymphs a try. You recommend 1/16th, 1/32, and 1/64th ounce jigheads.

Why the variance in jighead weight? I'm assuming this means that the weights should be changed out depending on the situation, but I'm not familiar with what kind of situation would call for different jighead weight.

You are right, I need to look into a topwater / shallow diver lure. I went through some of the gear I inherited, and there are a few "rapalas". One of them appears to be a floating rapala. I'm assuming it dives based on the shape of the lip.

You have recommended the Manns series. Do you prefer that brand over rapala? Any pros / cons?

If anyone else has some suggestions on topwater / shallow diver lures, please let me know! I really appreciate the input from you guys.


Another Question (It seems like every answer I get, I have 3 more questions... Sorry!)

When should you use a topwater / shallow diving lure?

I have not yet developed the skills or experience to say "Oh, I should switch to topwater, or a spinnerbait, or a jighead, etc".

When I go fishing, I just kind of throw out the spinner baits for like 2 hours, then switch to a jig, then start feeling badly about myself, and throw everything else I have into the water in desperation, even though I don't know how to fish them

The different jig head weights will determine how fast the lure sinks on the "pause", as will the poundage of the line. I normally fish those micro's on a 1/100th oz jig head, with 2# test line. I've noticed that the BG will strike the lure more readily the slower that it falls. But, then again, I'm doing a lot of sight fishing in 3' or less of water. When fishing deeper water, and wanting to fish closer to the bottom, I'll increase the weight of the jig head. 4# test? I think the 1/64th oz. would sink as fast as my 1/100 oz with 2# test. My problem is that I am used to casting farther with the 2# test, and I feel like I'm handicapping myself with the heavier line. I DO need to re-tie the lure after 8 or 10 fish, or I find myself losing fish due to the line breaking right at the jig head.

Manns vs. Rapala. Manns will run shallower than Rapala, depending on what Manns you use. If BG are the predominate forage fish, then go with a chubbier bait like the Manns. If there are a lot of thin fish, like GSH, then Rapala gets the nod. If there are weeds growing within 2' of the surface, the Manns is easier to use for a novice. What color? That's a whole 'nother long chapter. The KISS system works for me. If I had to only have a few lures, I try to "match the hatch" whenever possible. Young GSH are silver, so the silver/black Rapala is my pick. Are there Smallies in shallow, rocky water? Crayfish colored Manns 1 minus.

Topwater/shallow diver - use when the underwater cover doesn't allow a deeper diver, use at dawn/dusk, and when fishing shallow water (<6'), or when predators are pushing baitfish up to the surface.

Lots of weeds? Senko wacky rigged, but using a weedless hook. As for Senko hook size, larger will make them sink quicker. Fishing deeper water with one, larger hook. Fishing in a couple of feet of water? Smaller hook.

With 4# test, try to fish in more open water - you'll lose less lures that way. You can put an amazing amount of pressure on the line if the pressure is built up slowly, and you can pull out of some nasty weeds, but the thick stuff is usually heavier line territory.

If you're using a spinner and catching the bottom, and still want to use the spinner, reel in quicker, or try holding the rod tip up a LOT higher.

Thanks again. I think I will go with the 1/64th oz at first, and see how it goes as far as jighead weight is concerned.

It looks like I have a few rapalas about 2 1/4th inches long. I took a look at them and they say "deep runner 5" on them. I have one "fat" looking one that isn't branded anywhere, but looks similar to the manns series.

Also found one I hadn't seen before, it says heddon tiny torpedo. Looks like he floats as well.

It looks like most of the crankbaits i inherited are deep divers.

Just found a rebel pop-r. What in the heck is that?

I would probably feel a little more comfortable with something that runs a little more shallow, at least to start out with.

The baby minus 1 elite series looks cool!

Gflo, I suck at fishing as well. That being said two lures that I have found to be the best producers are the Rapala X-Rap Top Water lure and the Rooster Tail. The X-Rap Top Water stays at/near the surface, has a terrific swimming action and is fun to fish, I've caught several LMB on this lure. The Rooster Tail has been by far the most productive lure used in my pond. BG, GSF, LMB all have hammed a Rooster Tail. My pond record (4 pound LMB, caught by none other than me) was caught on a Rooster Tail. IMHO this two lures are must haves.

DIED taught me quite a bit about lure action and varying retrieval speed. After he taught me to do the reel - pause - reel type of retrieval I was surprised how many times I got a strike on the pause.

Usually, the bigger the lip, the deeper that it'll dive. The Heddon Tiny Torpedo is a surface lure, it should have a small spinner propeller at the rear. It doesn't dive at all, you can fish it by giving it a short jerk followed by a long pause - sometimes waiting until the ripples made by the lure dissapear.

The Rebel is a surface lure as well, cast it, give it a sharp jerk and it'll "pop". It'll sit at rest with the rear of the lure hanging down at about a 45* angle. You can fish it as loud or as soft as you want by varying the sharpness of the jerks you give it.

Like JHAP said, the X-Raps are great. I've had better luck fishing for trout with the Rooster Tails than any other in-line spinner, especially the bumblebee color in the smallest rooster tail that they make. The tail hair should be black and yellow.

When you thread the micro on the jig head, check how it retrieves in the water close to you. It shouldn't roll over to the left or right. If it does, you don't have the hook going thru the center of the plastic. Another tip to get more action out of it is:

Make sure that your knot is tight on the hook eye. Grab the jighead in one hand, and with the other hand pull the line so the knot is facing the hook point. It'll bounce up and down more on the retrieve this way when you pause and start reeling again.

You can do some minimal tuning to the lure by having the knot come off one side of the jig eye or the other, but it won't totally compensate for having the plastic on the jig crooked.

beetle spin

http://www.georgiariverfishing.com/GAarticles/TopRiverLures/Roostertail/Roostertail.htm

catch shiners, panfish, bass, trout. black with yellow stripes

Gflo-

Always good to see a person getting into fishing!

For largemouth bass, the most common lures I use are beetle spins and rubber worms.

Beetle Spin

Beetle Spins are pretty straightforward, you just cast them out and reel them in. I like the larger ones in green or white for bass, panfish will hit the smaller ones in any colors. You can replace the rubber grub with a curly-tailed grub to give it some more action, or a berkely gulp grub for scent. You can buy the spinner arms individually at a lot of bait shops, and put them on jigheads with any kind of rubber grub you like to make your own beetle spin type lures pretty easily.

Rubber worm and jighead

Thread the rubber worm on the jighead like this.

Cast out and retrieve. This usually only catches largemouth bass, but has been very effective for me. I like dark purple worms with curly tails and light jigheads.

For bluegill, I usually use extremely small single hook spinners, OR a leaf worm/cricket/power grub under a bobber. I like to use snelled hooks because they can be used with snap swivels. #8 is a good size for bluegill.

I like to smash the barbs on my hooks using a pair of pliers. I might lose a couple of fish because of it, but it makes it a lot easier to get them off the hook and raises the fish's chance of survival significantly when released. If you ever deep-hook a fish with a hook and don't want to keep it, you can just cut the line and let it go, they'll often expel the hook on their own.

Consider where and when you are fishing. Fish usually bite the most around sundown and sunup, and the middle of the day is usually the worst fishing. Different fish like different areas. Largemouth bass tend to relate to weedlines and timber in the water. Bluegill like weedbeds and especially lily pads.

While I have never really fished for trout in lakes, I hear great things about kastmaster spoons from people who do. They are easy to cast long distances, so they are ideal for a shore angler. Kastmaster makes them in a lot of colors with dressed and undressed hooks.

Gflo,

I'm serious, you need to check out the ponds on Cal Poly Campus. There are several. Poke around on google earth to find them. Drum Reservoir and the pond next to the surface water treatment plant (stenner rd.) are good. I've heard that the pond next to the equestrian unit is good these days too but I've never had any luck there in the past. Almost all of them are public access. There are also small steelhead in Brizziolara creek (Poly Canyon) on campus but I suggest observing them rather than harrasing them as there are not very many plus I'm not sure it's legal. Honestly, the fishing in Laguna Lake hasn't been good for years. The water quality is very poor. You might also check out Whale Rock Reservoir in Cayucos. There are land locked steelhead but there is only limited access on the south end of the reservoir on old creek rd. Even if you don't catch anything there, it's a beautiful place. Good luck.