Guiding You In Your Quest For More And Bigger Fish
Down here in the South, we love frying things! There really is nothing better than frying up a fresh catch and having your buddies over to watch a game and have a beer.
Here’s the problem though—my wife hates when I fry fish in the kitchen. If I want to fry some fish that I’ve brought home, I have to open every window in the house, turn on the fans, and grab a bottle of Febreeze. On top of that, it’s usually a good idea to bring her some flowers and apologize in advance! [Read more…]
I went out to the river the other day, and one thing was clear—it was cold! Since we are only in early December, things are only going to get colder.
For me, staying warm is a critical part of having a good fishing trip in the winter time. I can’t tell you just how bad I can’t stand being cold. The right gear makes all the difference, and this is the gear I use.
Great outerwear is crucial.
Columbia has been around forever, and has always delivered some of the best in quality outerwear. Not only is their gear functional, but it looks nice too, and there’s nothing wrong with getting a few good style points.
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Think of these two products as super advanced long john’s.
They take the idea of long underwear to the next level. On top of offering a layer of warmth, they are also constructed of moisture wicking fabric to help keep you dry.
The main reason you will always find me wearing Under Armour underneath my waders when I’m out fly fishing is because they are not bulky, and they won’t restrict your movement. I want to be warm and cozy, but I also need to be able to move so I can wade to the best spots, and cast naturally.
Under Armour let’s me do all of that.
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There is nothing worse than when the cold starts biting at your ears. You have to keep those guys cozy.
While you’re at it, you might as well spread the warmth to the rest of your dome as well! That’s why I have fallen in love with this Chunky Ear Flap Cap from Columbia. It keeps me warm, protects the ears from the wind, and looks nice too.
If you only had one thing to keep your head warm, this would be the best choice.
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Keeping the hands warm can be a puzzle, because you need mobility in your fingers to cast, retrieve, and grab your fish.
These gloves from Redhead solve the problem. Really, they are fingerless gloves, but they have a mitten type attachment that you can move over your fingers when you need them.
These are a must have if you are out on a boat!
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Those are my top picks for keeping you toasty and comfortable while you are out on the water this winter. Don’t let a little frost or a cold front keep you from some killer fishing.
Bundle up right, and you will find you are probably the only one out on the water—and it doesn’t get better than that!
See ya on the water…
Competitive fly fishing is somewhat of an anomaly to fisherman in the US.
We see huge bass fishing tournaments on TV all the time, but rarely do we hear of the fly fishing versions. Indeed, there are not a ton of competitive fly fishing tournaments to be found here.
However in Europe, this is not the case at all. In fact, the technique that you will learn shortly comes directly from a fly fishing competition in 1984.
So, one would automatically think that, given the name, this fly fishing technique was born in Czechoslovakia, right? Well, that would be incorrect.
In 1984, the Czech team was introduced to this method of fishing by the Polish team. By introduced, I mean the Poles kicked their fly fishing butts!
The technique was born out of necessity as the Polish team had limited resources and gear available to them in their native Poland. Instead of complaining about it, they developed a short casting technique that still allowed them to put fish on shore.
The following year, the World Championship was held in Poland, and the Czechs, using the method they learned from the Poles, took home the silver medal—the gold went to the Polish team.
In 1986, the Czech team again used this technique in competition, this time walking away with a gold medal for their methods.
So, by now you are probably saying, “Alright, let’s get to it! Tell me how to do it!”
Absolutely, I thought you’d never ask!
Czech nymphing uses two or three nymphs. I like to use three in deeper water, two in shallower water (no brainer there, right?). You don’t really “cast” the flies so much as you flip, or roll them out. When performing this technique, your fly line will probably not ever have to touch the water at all.
Once you have your nymphs tied on, and you are ready to hit the water, you will flip your flies upstream, just as in a normal fly cast. However, instead of a long cast, you will be flipping only a preset amount of leader. I like to let my top fly get no more than 6 inches under the surface in most situations.
Once you’ve flipped, you are going to start your drift. Since there is not an abundance of line out in the water, there really isn’t a need to mend. You will want to keep your line below your rod tip. As the flies drift, follow the flies with the tip, keeping the same speed.
Important Note: Maintaining the same speed as the flies during the drift, and keeping the line taught. If you do not, you will have a very hard time setting the hook and catching the fish. When fish bite on this technique, they don’t usually blow up on it, and the strike is very subtle.
When the flies get fully down stream of you, go ahead and make another flip. Yes, that really is the whole technique.
The great part about this technique, is that it doesn’t require any special equipment. You can use your favorite fly rod, in whichever weight you like and is appropriate for the species of fish.
You can also use your favorite fly line, and fly reel. Really, despite what you may read elsewhere, you do NOT need to make any significant changes to your fly fishing equipment to utilize Czech nymphing. Use whatever you are comfortable with using.
Here is a quick tip about choosing a leader for Czech nymphing. Make sure your leader is not longer than your rod. For example, if you have an eight foot rod, your leader should not be longer than 8 feet. This will make controlling your flies, and setting your hook much easier.
Here is a great video to give you some live action and get you started Czech nymphing.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzCOBYzAF6U]
I hope you will give this technique a try on your next trip to the river. It really is very simple, and a lot of fun to do.
As you know, we here at MVF love Project Healing Waters.
What they do for injured veterans is of the utmost importance, and it shows the power of something as simple as fly fishing to help make someone’s life better.
Yesterday, it was announced that PHWFF would be the recipient of the Toyota Halftime Handoff, and with that, a $10,000 award to continue doing what they are doing.
Congrats to PHWFF, and be sure to check out their site for more, and to find out how you can help.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIsKdF2-Mqs]
No matter what type of fishing you do, the environment is going to have a say on how well you do during your next trip.
All sorts of factors will come into play every time you get out on the water. From cloud cover, cold and warm fronts, sunshine, and water temperature—all of that will matter at the end of the day.
One of the more overlooked environmental factors is barometric pressure. Hopefully, you’ve already read how cows can predict your fishing success (if not, why not now?), today we will take a much more in depth look at what barometric pressure can do to the fishing.
Before we really dive into it though, keep in mind that keeping an eye on the barometer will not ensure, or rule out, a great fishing trip. I’ve had great days when all of the environmental factors pointed to a terrible day, and vice versa.
Don’t let a barometer, or anything else for that matter, keep you off the water.
So what exactly is barometric pressure?
A barometer measures the weight of the atmosphere above us. The measurement is best taken at sea level, so if you are significantly above or below, a correction factor is used. Obviously, the higher you are, the lighter the atmosphere is.
The effect of this atmospheric pressure on fishing is more readily seen in shallower water. This makes sense if you keep in mind that deeper water will exert a huge amount of pressure on the fish, thus making the air pressure much less significant.
Now that you have a general overview of what barometric pressure is, let’s get down to some brass tacks and look at pressure trends and fish activity.
High pressure tends to result in sunny and clear skies.
Fish will typically look for cover in these situations. To take advantage, fish shallow baits close to cover.
Be warned: If it starts getting really hot, this can often turn the bite completely off.
It isn’t a high pressure day, but the trend says it is rising. This will typically result in skies that are starting to clear up, and the sun is starting to get through a lot more.
Typically, fish will be moving in from the deeper water to the shallower water to feed. It is still a good idea to attack cover, and fish in the shallow to medium range.
If you are struggling with this tactic, cover lots of water to find the fish. Plan your retrieves and tactics to move from deeper to shallower water.
The fish won’t really be reacting to this type of pressure all that much.
This is a great time to experiment with baits, retrieves, colors, and new patterns. You never know what might garner a strike when things go “normal.”
If there is a sweet spot on the barometer for catching a lot of fish, this is it.
When the pressure starts to fall, the weather will start getting a little dodgy. This seems to signal the fish to feed like crazy, and you can have an absolutely killer day.
Figure out what the fish are feeding on, match it, and go to town.
This is where things get really tough.
Often times, fish will really shut off in this situation. They typically move deeper, and you will have to really buckle down to get them to bite. Fish deep structure with things like jigs and swim jigs.
Writing down different environmental factors while you are fishing can be very helpful. You will start to pick out patterns when things seem to be random.
Next time you go fishing, write down the air temperature, the barometric pressure, the water temperature, what baits you used, etc.
Keeping track of everything you experience on the water will make you a better fisherman, and give you more tools to use in the future.
See ya on the water…
I see fish in your future!
Forget calling one of those late night psychics next time you are wondering about your next fishing trip. What you may need to do is seek out a bovine guru for the answers you need.
So what is this magical power of the pasture, or is it simply a wive’s tale?
Years ago, a buddy of mine where driving up to North Carolina for a fly fishing trip.
On the way, we passed one of many different cow pastures, as one tends to do in that area of the South. When we passed one of them, my buddy said, “The cows are up.”
That was the first time I had ever heard anything like that so I had to ask what it meant.
He said, “Whenever the cows in a pasture are standing, that means you are going to have a good day fishing!”
No way, really? Cows on their feet, fishing can’t be beat?
It didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me at that time, so I didn’t really pay attention to it. Our fishing trip that day was nothing short of epic. We caught a ton of fish, with some real monsters in the mix.
Every trip since that one, I started paying attention to the cows in the pasture on the way. Almost without fail, if the cows were standing, it was a great day. If the cows were lying down, it wasn’t. I was stumped.
I needed answers as to how these lumbering giants were so accurately predicting how good the fishing was.
What the cows are tapping into isn’t some cosmic power that makes fish do their bidding, but they do have a crystal ball of sorts.
Falling pressure can have an effect on the digestion of cows. As the barometer drops, they get upset tummies, and have to lie down. They don’t want to go out to pasture, so they take a load off.
Well, that’s the theory anyway. Any while I can’t rattle off a bunch of science to back it up, I have plenty of anecdotal accounts to lend a little support.
Cows seem to respond to falling barometric pressure by laying down. When the barometer is falling, they tend not to want to head out to pasture and graze.
Fish respond to a falling barometer as well. Just like cows, they don’t like to be active in these times of falling pressure.
Now, of course, this doesn’t mean you will not catch anything just because cows are laying down. You could theoretically catch fish in a hurricane.
All this does is give you better chances of catching fish, and by watching the cows, you can have an easy and fun reference for getting a general idea of what the barometer is doing.
Later this week, we will do an in depth analysis of barometric pressure and how it affects fishing. Stay tuned for that, and see ya on the water…
A while back, Pops published an article about getting into bass fishing for $200.00 (read that article here). I was very intrigued by this idea—getting people started in a great sport for a minimum initial investment. I wanted to do the same thing with fly fishing, but was a little stuck.
$200 for a good fly fishing set up was just a little too ambitious. When I started looking at equipment, and playing with the numbers though, I realized it could be done for less than $500. Fly fishing requires a few pieces of equipment that bass fishing does not, and thus the slightly higher price tag.
After figuring out that $500 was possible, I then looked back at my initial investment when a good friend introduced me to the sport. I spent over $900 on my initial investment.
When you look at it that way, $500 seems much better! So here it is, a way to get involved and learn fly fishing without breaking the bank!
I have reviewed the St. Croix Rio Santo in the past. I don’t just give it my endorsement based on it’s affordable $200.00 price tag. I actually own one, and use it 30+ times per year.
When you purchase the combo, you are getting a lot for your money. Not only do you get a quality St. Croix rod and reel, but you also get backing, line, and tapered leader—along with a good travel case.
This really is a great way to get started, and will serve you on your fishing adventures for many years to come. So, our current total is $200.00.
Waders are a funny thing. They can range in price from under $50, all the way up to nearly $1000.00. In fact, I have written about waders in different price ranges before (read that fly fishing waders post).
When you are just getting started, you don’t need to take out a mortgage or save up your money for months on end to get a quality product. The Bass Pro White Water Wader is a great solution for a reasonable price. At only 99.99, they fall into a very affordable end of the spectrum, yet still give you good enough quality to last several seasons of fishing.
So with the Rio Santo, and these waders, we are now up to $300.00.
Boots are one place I don’t pinch pennies. Since you are going to spend your entire fishing day on your feet, and usually wading in rivers, you need a pair that will be comfortable, and at the same time provide good traction on slippery rocks.
I’ve used dozens of boots over the years, and any time I’ve tried to skimp on this expense, I’ve paid for it. I’ve fallen in the water, gone home with hurt feet and crunched toes, and generally just had a great fishing trip ruined.
I now use Simms Freestone’s exclusively. At 129.99, they aren’t the cheapest out there, but where them on one trip and you will see why I feel so strongly about having great boots.
With this investment, our total is now $430.00.
Now, we have $70 left to play with before hitting our $500.00 ceiling.
Spend that money on things like flies, tippet, and extra leader. It would be impossible for me to tell you exactly which flies to buy, because your area of the country may have different hatches than mine. Spend a little time at your local fly shop learning about what fly patterns are productive, and when they are productive.
Get a few stand by’s that seem to work every where like Wooly Buggers, Clouser Minnows, and Parachute Adams’.
Try to get flies that are not overly specialized at first—invest in flies that will work most of the time. This can be tough, but usually you will find a few patterns that work well in multiple seasons. When a fly pattern overlaps certain seasons and remains effective, this is a great fly to get.
So there you have it, follow this little guide, and you are ready to go for less than $500! If you decide to jump into fly fishing, I will definitely see you on the water!
When we posted the 2012 FLW Tour schedule a while back, I was understandably excited. After all, the big day is going to be happening in my back yard.
Not long after that article, I took a trip out to Lake Lanier to target some Spotted Bass. Because the water level was so low at the time, I was able to get a few pictures of some things that not a whole lot of people know about. Lake Lanier features man-made structure piles specifically so bass can congregate and ambush their prey.
Obviously, these are going to be fantastic places to fish, as they provide everything a bass would ever need. In fact, if we go back in time a little more than a year, we will see just how productive these little brush piles can be.
In 2010, Kevin Hawk narrowly qualified for the Forrest Wood Cup. Knowing that the tournament would be held on Lake Lanier, he made a bold move.
He decided to pack his bags, and move to Georgia 9 months ahead of the tournament so he could practice all day every day. He found a place for rent on Craigslist, threw everything he could in his truck and boat, and made the 2,500 mile drive across country.
He still fished on the FLW Tour during this time, but did so as a co-angler. All told, he was fishing 4-5 days a week on Lanier, specifically searching out these man-made brush piles. And it payed off!
On the final day, when his closest competitors barely cracked double digit bags, Hawk weighed in 14lbs. 13 oz.
His strategy was to run and gun from brush pile to brush pile—spending no more than 7 minutes at a spot.
By now, you are probably curious as to what these brush piles look like. Check out the picture on the right. I was able to get this photo
There are a ton of these in Lake Lanier
because the lake levels were down on a recent trip.
Of course, they don’t all look this way, but most of them are intentionally placed in such a way as to create a perfect place for bass to hide, live, and ambush their prey. They will also attract a lot of sunfish, which the bigger bass will eat just as happily as they will a blue-back herring.
When Kevin Hawk moved from California to Georgia in preparation for the Cup, we new about these piles. He spent months and months, and hours and hours on the water finding as many of these as he could find.
He was the only angler on the water following this strategy—a strategy he developed from months and months of dedicated practice.
It is safe to say that as much research goes into being a successful angler as anything else. These aren’t just a bunch of guys drinking beers and fishing all day—they are dedicated to the sport, and they work hard to get the success they have.
Guess what? Lake Sidney Lanier is not the only lake in the world that features these types of man-made structures. Lots of lakes, maybe some you’ve fished time and again, have this kind of structure.
For as long as people have been fishing, there have been a group of people trying to preserve fishing for the next generation, and helping mother nature help anglers is a good way to do that.
Do a Google search of your favorite lake. Look for anything you can find. Search for man-made structure, or anything else that is published that would help fish hold, and attack their prey.
When I did this, I found the Blueridge Resevoir (one of my favorite local smallmouth fisheries) had at least 20 man-made structures consisting of large plastic tubing and other items. They are like jungle gyms for fish!
Finding these in your local lake, whether you fish in tournaments or not, will help you have a lot more fun on the water, and catch a ton more fish!
The FLW tour rolled into Clear Lake California over the weekend, and saw Michael Tuck take home the top prize.
Over the course of three days, Tuck managed to bag 76 pounds, 9 ounces of Clear Lake largemouth. Tuck also had the distinction of weighing in the event’s largest one day bag, at 27-12.
All in all, tuck brought the trophy home with big fish, and a simple strategy.
Primarily, Tuck used a swimbait called the Trashfish by Little Creeper Baits to bring home the title. He rigged the four and six inch versions of the bait onto Owner Twist Lock hooks with quarter ounce belly weights.
While the bite started to become slightly infrequent due to an approaching cold front, the approach paid off big in the end.
Joe Uribe Jr. of Lake Forest California managed to bag an impressive 71-10 of his own using a Spook bait in the morning, then switching off to a Zoom Horny Toad later in the afternoon.
All in all, it was a fantastic tournament and both anglers have a lot to be proud of.
Another win for Ish
Ish Monroe grabbed an early lead, and never really looked back. Riding a frog bite, and mixing in some action with a prototype flipping bait, Ish brought 51 pounds, two ounces to the weigh in stage over three days. This proved to be more than two pounds more than his nearest competitor
Since he had already qualified for the 2012 Bassmaster classic, Ish was pretty much just having fun. All in all, he’s now won an Open, Elite Series, and Federation event. Not too shabby!
Ish was tossing one of his own signature baits, the Snag Proof Ish’s Phat Frog, on top of matted grass along the bank.
When things got windy, Ish switched to a prototype bait designed specifically for flipping. The full details have been a bit hush-hush, but one two details have come out—first, the bait was black and blue, and second, he used a River2Sea specialty flipping weight.
Hopefully, more details will start to become available soon.
Michael Simonton of Fremont, Ohio, made a hard charge at Ish, trying to make a tournament of it, but the lead just proved too much. Simonton had to settle for 2nd place, which is nothing to hang your head about.