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Search Results for: name that fish

Cheating bass angler stuffs lead weights in fish; banned for life from tournaments

August 5, 2010 By JD 6 Comments

Mike Hart's method for making bass heavier (Photo from www.bassnman.com)

Professional bass angler Mike Hart of Winnetka, California, was caught weighing in bass stuffed with lead sinkers Wednesday during the WON BASS U.S. Open at Lake Mead, Nevada.

Lead weights commonly known as ring or torpedo sinkers rigged with a single hook to keep them in place were found in the bellies of three dead bass that Hart weighed in as the fish were being cleaned in order to be donated to charity, prompting a lifetime ban from the WON Bass circuit. U.S. Anglers Choice has also banned him from participating in future events and you can rest assured that all major bass tours will do the same.

Read the full story from Rich Holland at WONEWS

Filed Under: uncategorized Tagged With: bass tournament, won bass

Fishing for Sabertooth Salmon

May 21, 2021 By JD Leave a Comment

Let’s take a ride in the ol’ Fishing Boat Time Machine and head back to what is present day Oregon and chase 300- to 500-pound tusked salmon!

Filed Under: Features, Fishing Videos Tagged With: sabertoothed salmon, Salmon, salmon fishing

My Home-Made Fish Hatchery

January 30, 2021 By JD 1 Comment

Ah those were the days…growing up on a little trout creek was an epic way to spend my youth!

Filed Under: Pure Entertainment Tagged With: creek, fish hatchery, fishinging, rainbow trout

Bead Fishing: A Case for NOT Matching the Hatch

December 27, 2020 By JD Leave a Comment

Fishing with beads is certainly all the rage these days for trout, dollies, grayling, steelhead — and even salmon. Delivered via a fly rod or fished under bobber on spinning gear, it’s hard to deny the effectiveness of both hard plastic and soft beads. The little orbs work in a myriad of situations but are perhaps most effective when spawning salmon are present. 

You’ve probably read about — or experienced — how trout and char in particular can get frustratingly selective when there are lots of loose eggs awash in a spawning stream. They see the real thing drifting along by the thousands so if your offering looks even slightly off, it’s going to get ignored. That’s of course how pegging the bead up away from the hook got started but anglers soon found that there was a lot more to it than that.

Having exactly the right size bead to match that of the spawning species is often essential — as is matching the color of the egg in terms of species and freshness. 

Match the Hatch?

While “matching the hatch” is the key to success in most situations, I have also found that there are times when you can throw convention out the window and go almost the opposite direction. 

Traditional Matching the Hatch

The fist time I learned this lesson was on a small stream near Bristol Bay. I had a couple anglers who wanted a break from conventional salmon fishing and liked the idea of going after trout and dollies with a fly rod. I had just the place: A long, shallow flat absolutely loaded with spawning chums. I pulled the little sled over on a gravel bar and walked my guys up to the spot.

Before we fished, we climbed a high bank and looked down onto the flat. There were probably a couple hundred salmon working on redds in there. Behind the salmon were dozens and dozens of dark, slightly smaller shapes — big rainbows and char that were gorging themselves on eggs. 

Chum eggs are pretty good size, so I rigged my guys up with 10 mm beads in a light orange color to perfectly mimic the eggs the salmon were releasing. I pointed the anglers in the right direction and then grabbed my needle nose pliers in anticipation of the un-hooking madness that was sure to come. Only it didn’t…

Neither of my dudes got bit on their first few casts but I’d seen that happen before. It was simply a matter of switching out the bead color. The color of a salmon egg can vary, based on location, water temperature and how long they have been in the water. So, I gave the clients a couple slightly different shades or orange and peach and set them back out into the run. Same result. Well, perhaps the eggs were older than I expected, so I switched them out to more opaque models since real salmon eggs turn cloudy or creamy when they’re dead. 

After a half an hour of working over a teeming horde of actively feeding fish without a grab, I got frustrated and put a 12 mm hot pink BnR Tackle bead on one of the guy’s rods.

This 12mm hot pink bead didn’t exactly match the hatch but it was just what the dollies wanted…

I really didn’t have a good reason for it other than the fact that I had run out of conventional wisdom. Well, you can probably see where this is headed: The guy immediately started catching a good 3 plus pound dolly or rainbow on every single cast! I switched my other client to the “pink wonder” and he quickly got in on the fun too. They must have landed 30 gorgeous fish off that flat — every single one with that funky pink ball in their mouths. 

Since then, I have pulled that one out of my bag of tricks many times when the bite was lackluster. It doesn’t always produce the same results that I saw on that first day but it has been a trip saver on many occasions. I’m not totally certain what’s going on in those cases but my best guess is the color change somehow makes it easier for the fish to key in on the bead. It may just be that the pink (I’ve also tried dark red and chartreuse with good results) stands out just enough against the zillions of orange eggs down there.

When you think about it, it makes perfect sense. The “stand-out” bead may appeal to the predatory instinct that fish use to spot the one wounded baitfish in a school. They’re used to locking onto the loner or injured forage fish against a backdrop of hundreds or thousands of others and that may be what, in effect, is happening in this situation. 

Of course, it’s hard to say but whatever the reason, I know changing to a completely contrasting bead — even when the conditions suggest you shouldn’t — is definitely something to keep in the back of your mind when the fish are playing hard to get. 

“Thunder Beading”

I have also found that there are days when a technique I call “Thunder Beading” out-fishes all others. It’s really just a hyped up name for using a much larger bead than you’d normally would. 

The 40mm BnR Monster Bead… :0

Just like the technique I described above, I stumbled onto this one by accident. One afternoon on a tributary to the Nushagak River, I had a couple clients casting 6 mm beads to match the small sockeye eggs that the rainbows, dollies and grayling were munching on.

The fish they were catching were relatively small — the grayling were all 12-13 inches and the trout and char were topping out around 18 inches. Still, my guys were having a ball catching fish every cast. I, on the other hand, was getting bored. They boys didn’t need my help so I was just hanging out on the bar watching the occasional school of fresh silvers work their way upstream.

Though silvers can become monotonous later in the year, those were the first of the season and I desperately wanted to hook one. Not armed with any silver-specific patterns, I decided I’d put on the biggest thing I had in my box — a 16 mm orange soft bead that somebody had given me to try. That thing looked like a golf ball in my bead box next to all the other 6 to 10 mm sizes but it was the only thing I had that seemed large enough to get a silver’s attention. 

I waited around for a few minutes until the next migrating pod of coho came into view and then I lobbed my “Thunder Bead” into the run ahead of them and was shocked to see the indicator go down immediately. At first, I thought I’d hooked the lead coho but then realized I was fast into a 26-inch rainbow! Purely coincidence…or so I thought!

As it turned out, I started putting a pretty good beat-down on really nice trout and char with that kooky jumbo egg. It didn’t take long for the clients to notice I was catching much larger fish than they were so I handed one of them the rod with the big bead on it and he caught several good fish from 22 to 28 inches before he finally lost it on a snaggletoothed chum’s dorsal fin. 

Sometimes the fish want a BIG meal!

I’m always fascinated by what makes fish do what they do and the riddle of the big beads catching big fish kept me up thinking that night. We didn’t even know there were any big fish in that section of creek until I started using that tennis ball of an egg imitation. The obvious answer to it is the whole “big bait, big fish theory” but I wanted to read more into it. 

As I noted earlier, trout can get crazy-selective when they’re focusing on eggs, so this behavior was pretty weird. Could it be that the big egg simply presented a better protein gained for energy expended ratio to the trout and dollies? Hypothetically, it took the same amount of energy for the fish to move to and grab the 16 mm bead as it would for them to take one of the sockeye eggs half its size. So, all things bing equal, the monster egg presented a better deal to them — especially when you consider it was fall and the fish must inherently feel the end of the season coming sooner than later. 

There’s always a good chance that I’m over-thinking the situation and that the big bead was just easier to spot — kinda like the pink one in the sea of orange eggs I described above. I suppose you could also argue that, due to large size of the bead, there was less competition for it. The grayling certainly couldn’t get their little whitefish mouthes around it, nor could the smaller trout. Therefore, one could theorize that the largest fish in the run would be the most interested in the “Godzilla Egg.”

I suppose its sometimes best to just accept that something works without overanalyzing it. Just take my word for it, there are times when the biggest bead in your box is the one the fish will want!

I have also found large beads to be the ticket when the water is off-color due to the fact they are more visible. The larger profile of a 14 mm or 20mm bead in extremely cold water can sometimes coax otherwise lethargic fish in to striking when smaller presentations are ignored. Thunder beads also really seem to shine when there are no spawning fish in a river. Though the fish aren’t dialed into eggs at that time, they are still very familiar with the round shape and color of a large bead and eat them frequently. 

Kings love beads!

Since I started fishing a lot of larger-sized beads (even up to the 40 mm size), I have noticed that salmon are pretty keen on them as well. Kings and silvers in particular have a taste for big beads but I have also caught plenty of chums, pinks and even reds on them as well. And that’s what really makes fishing these things fun — you just never know what you are going to catch when you have one on the end of your leader our tippet. 

I guess the moral of the story here is to remember that fish often act in ways that we don’t fully understand. In the context of fishing with pegged beads under either a bobber or an indicator, keep in mind that perfectly matching the hatch doesn’t always ensure success. There are times when going against the grain and throwing something completely different at the fish pays huge dividends. 

I’m a big fan of BnR Soft Beads, which you can get HERE.

Filed Under: Salmon, Steelhead, Techniques, Trout & Kokanee Tagged With: beads, bnr tackle, bobber dogging, Salmon, steelhead techniques, trout

JD’s Gear: Steelhead Fishing

Let’s take a quick look here at the main gear I use for steelhead fishing! This is a partial list, but it will get you started!

Drift Rods

There are lots of really good rods out there these days from many different manufacturers. A few years back, I switched everything to Douglas Outdoors, which offers a really nice combination of durability, feel, action and price. And I’ve been incredibly happy with every one of their rods I have tried.

A good all-around steelie spinning stick that will do just about everything (but is really nicely suited for drift fishing specifically) is the LRS S9042F and the casting version: LRS C9042MF

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Float Rods

The main bobber rod in my arsenal is the Douglas LRS S9842F. This is an amazing Bobberdoggin’ rod and also works incredibly well for just about any steelhead float situation.

If you are dealing with big water and big fish, try out the LRS S9852F, which has a little more power (I also use it for salmon).


Centerpin Rods

Centerpin fishing for steelhead is rapidly gaining in popularity and if you haven’t tried it yet, you’ll be amazed at the incredible line control this style of using floats affords you.

A really nice alternative to overpriced “Pin” rods, these Douglas LRS series rods are light, durable and, in a word: “Fishy.” The 11’6″ LRS P11632M model is a good place to begin but there is also and 13’6′ version (LRS P13644M) as well for anglers who want the most in line control and extended shot patterns.


Plug Rods

Nothing beats a good plug takedown from a hot steelhead and the Douglas LRS C7103MF is such a fun stick to fish! I’ve been using them for several years now and love love love them!

They have a perfect blend of finesse and power: Soft enough in the tip to allow maximum lure action — and flex when a fish strikes and lots of bottom end to help you stop a rampaging fish.


Side Drift Rods

Regardless of what you are throwing: little pieces of bait with a 4-bead slinky or a yarnies with a fat ol’ Mad River Drifter (aka: “Sploosh Ball”), the LRS S7104F is one heck of a side drifting rod!

While the LRS series are really nice, if you want to splurge and buy yourself something really nice, check out the mind-blowingly light X-Matrix version.


Casting Reels

The Shimano Curados…going way back to the green models of the 1990’s…have been my workhorse reels fora long time. The new Curado 200K models are sweet! Because there’s not a ton of line capacity I’ll run 20 or 30-lb. braid as my mainline. As a right hander, I always run left-hand retrieve so I don’t have to cast and then switch hands but some folks like it the other way.

REVO SX

Abu Garcia has been making some really nice low-profile bait casters lately and the whole Revo series is sweet These REVO SX’s are nice reels for a nice price and hold up well! Again, I like left handed models…


Spinning Reels

Strong, light and equipped with a smooth drag, the REVO SX reels are pretty solid performers…and for a reasonable price.

I’ve been running Pflueger Supreme XT Spinning Reels on my guide trips for a few years now and they are dang near bullet proof. Lightweight in the hand, they also have a sealed carbon fiber drag system that won’t heat up when a steelie goes on a crazy run for the Pacific (or the Great Lakes).


Line

For the bulk of my steelhead fishing, I use braided mainline and either mono or fluorocarbon leaders.

As far as braid goes, I’ve been using 20- and 30-pound P-Line TCB 8 Carrier Braid

When I’m float fishing, I’m a big fan of P-Line’s Tactical Premium Fluorocarbon for leader material (usually 8, 10 or 12-pound).

And then when straight mono is the name of the game (drift fishing and plug leaders mainly), I’ll go with CXX in Moss Green.


Floats

I’ve really been happy with Hawken’s lineup of floats in recent years. Innovative, nice and durable and, perhaps the best feature: the line holes feature metal rings so that braided line doesn’t cut into the foam of the float.

For Bobberdoggin, I like the Small and Medium size Chubby or longer, more skinny AF-BBRDGN-M models:

The ½ or 1/4-OZ Aero-float weighted slip bobber is a good all-around float for suspending baits and things like worm jigs. Just make sure you match the amount of lead you use with the weight rating of the float.


Soft Beads

Speaking of float fishing, soft beads are one of the hottest things going for steelhead these days! I hardly use bait anymore because they are so effective! A good place to start is the BnR Tackle Bobberdoggin Kit.

You can also start off smaller with one of BnR’s smaller Pro Packs, each designed with specific geographical areas in mind.


Steelhead Worms

I love to fish plastic worms on drift gear behind divers, under floats, bobberdogged and on jig heads (here are some of my go-to rigs).

Pink, black and nightmare are my top colors. Mad River Mfg. makes the best ones!


Steelhead Jigs

One of the simplest ways to get into steelhead fishing is the good ol’ jig and bobber rig. Marabou jigs like Worden’s Maxi Jigs in the ?-ounce size are easy to learn how to use. Pink shades tend to be the top getters.

In super clear water, the nightmare pattern Aero Jig is one of my favorites.

Steelhead Plugs

Back in the day, we didn’t have a whole heck of a lot of choices when it came to steelie plugs. Now days, it’s almost swung too far the other way, with so many makes a models out there it can make your head spin. Luckily, you can still get buy with just a handful.

If I had to pick one plug to use for steelies from here on after, it would likely be the Yakima Bait Co.’s 3.5 MagLip in a pink shade such as Misty River.

Brad’s Wiggler in silver/fluorescent orange herring bone is another all-time killer!


Steelhead Spoons

“Throwing metal” is one of the most exciting ways to hook steelhead. Especially since giant, wild bucks seem to really have a sweet tooth for them. The good ol’ Little Cleo in the 2/5 or ? ounce sizes are great and I generally keep it simple and go with silver, gold and copper.

More expensive, the Pen-Tac BC Steel spoon in the same color schemes and sizes are great baits when you are ready to go next-level.


Reading Material

Well, if you are struggling to catch fish, you can always brush up on techniques with giant, almost 300-page digital book, The Ultimate Guide to Steelhead Bank Fishing, which covers everything you need to know to get better at this crazy sport.


Online Steelhead Course

For those of you who are just getting started in the steelhead game — or have been trying without much success for awhile — you may want to consider enrolling in my online steelhead fishing course: Catch More Steelhead.

With over 6 hours of on the water video instruction, plus all sorts of rigging diagrams, lectures and how-to photos, this puppy will teach you everything you need to know to get going on the path to becoming a proficient steelheader.

Here’s a sample lesson to give you an idea of what kind of stuff you’ll find in this class:

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