Fishing Experiences & Techniques
For months, I have been wanting a Shimano Asquith 8 weight for the winter Redfish season. The other day, I finally pulled the trigger. On the same day, I rigged it up and took it fishing. At the time, the tide was not optimal for Redfish. So, Trout were my target of the day. Thankfully, I got this guy right off the bat. The first of hopefully many.
The Asquith is effortless to cast and added several feet to my casting distance. So far, I love it!
Went fishing on the Clinch River over the weekend. Drove through a snow storm to get there but it was worth it. Completed a Clinch River Trifecta, releasing a Rainbow, Brown and Brook. Thanks to Mike Bone for braving the elements and putting us on fish.
Years ago, there was a commercial with the tag line “Don’t Fool with Mother Nature”. This weekend, I was reminded of such. After weeks of catching fish, seemingly at will, Mother Nature reminded me who the boss really was. Unusually warm weather and full moon tides confused fish and anglers alike. All weekend long, the things that were biting the most were Gnats.
It was not particularly difficult to locate fish, especially Trout. Using the depth sounder, we could clearly see the Trout holding on channel ledges in 15 to 20 feet of water. Getting them to bite was the real challenge. Each time we located a school, we would get a couple Trout to bite. However, the bulk of the fish were not eating. Downsizing our lures and slowing our retrieve cadence helped to get more strikes. Z-Man TRD TubeZ (PB&J) and TRD (Bubblegum) were the most productive lures. Given the strong full moon tides, we fished the lures on 1/5 ounce NedlockZ jigs. At times, when the current was really strong, we resorted to quarter ounce jigs. I never use quarter ounce jigs. Thankfully, we found one pack in the bottom of my tackle box.
After a tough day on Saturday, I called several friends. All reported similar results. We thought we would easily catch 50 to 100 fish and struggled to release 20. I keep telling myself, that catching 20 fish is not bad. But, after the hot bite we have enjoyed for the past several weeks, it sure feels like it.
Hopefully, Mother Nature is done teaching me a lesson.
Recently, I have been experimenting with a couple of finesse lures. The Z-Man TubeZ and Trick ShotZ. Being smaller profile lures, it is critical to match them with a jig that will let them perform their best. After weeks of experimentation, I have settled on the Z-Man NedLockZ jig. This combination has been highly productive on Redfish and Trout. Especially, in post cold front situations. On windy days or when fishing in deeper water with current, the 1/5 ounce NedlockZ gets the nod. On calm days or when fishing shallow, the 1/6 ounce jig is preferred.
It takes a little finesse to consistently catch fish!
Thanksgiving week was all about family, food and fishing. When I was not eating, I was fishing with my family. The bite was good all week if you adjusted your techniques to match the weather conditions.
Early in the week, the weather was warm and the barometer was steady. My niece, Sarah, did great sight fishing Redfish in the shallows.
The next day, a cold front passed through bringing with it a light rain and cooler temperatures. The falling barometer had the Trout feeding actively. My brother in law (Mike) and nephew (Lee) released over 100 fish casting Z-Man StreakZ 3.75 on Finesse Jigs.
The next day brought blue skies and post cold front conditions. My brother (Dave) and son (Elliott) doubled up On the Fly with a couple of nice Redfish. The water was very clear and the fish were very easy to see.
Today, my wife (Amy) and I got out of the skiff to enjoy the perfect weather. After a picnic lunch, we released a bunch of small Trout. Post cold front had the Trout in deeper about (10-15 feet). Once located, vertical jigging a Z-Man TubeZ on NedlockZ jig kept us in steady action.
Yesterday, I fished with my old friend and longtime fishing buddy Ben. Back in the day, when I used to guide, Ben was one of my favorite fishing clients. Now, we are good friends that like to fish together.
Ben got this one on a Z-Man StreakZ 3.75 (Blue Back Herring) on a Finesse jig. When I get to be Ben’s age, I hope I can fish like he does!