2020 Season Off to a great start!

2020 has been great for me so far! We got a couple hundred bass in the boat so far. Some of my biggest coming on the 1.5" square bill with my sunfish pattern. Not to mention the 100 a day perch trips back in February and March.

The pre spawn chomp started about the second week in March for me with netting my biggest so far at 4.7lbs. I am blessed to be able to say that most of my fishing takes place with my Dad and my Daughter Sophie. The best fishing crew a guy could ask for. My goal for 2020 was naturally to fish as much as possible. Well today marks my 5th day in a row! I actually missed one this morning! 😤😤😤

I have also been able to get out and fish with some cool anglers and check out their set ups and boats and learn cool new shit. Been killing it with my 1.5” Squarebills in the sunfish pattern. The bass can’t seem to get enough. I also added custom made spinner baits to the tackle box on the website. Made by one of my best friends and fishing buddy for over 25 years. Check out the pics and don’t forget to check us out on Facebook at Lou’s Custom Pianted Lures and also the Get Hooked and Fishing Fiends groups. Always tons of useful info and killer fish pics. Thanks for stopping by! #gethooked #louslures

Walleye Technique Alternative

When you are lucky enough to live less than 3 miles from the Detroit River in the spring, you get the opportunity to fish for and catch a lot of walleyes. By the time mid-May comes around a lot of angler pressure is lessening and many move to the big lake (Erie) for trolling cranks and harnesses. We prefer to do a combination of that but to stay in the river still.

We have been doing this for many years, probably since 1999, with great success. We are utilizing bottom bouncers with harnesses or small spoons following along the bottom. We simply position the boat facing downstream, and turn on the bow mounted electric motor to a speed just slightly faster than the current. When dropping our harnesses or spoons into the water alongside the boat, we like to look at the blade action to make sure the presentation is running correctly. You want to make sure that the spinners are doing full revolutions every time to create flash and vibration for the fish to find.

Once we have the correct speed, we try to then use the correct weighted bottom bouncer to achieve about a 45 degree angle of entry into the water for our lines. Once this is achieved, it is a very relaxing day of sitting back and watching your graph for current breaks, new weed edges, or balls or bait fish. This method allows a lot more maneuvering on each pass than vertical jigging since you can counter the wind without losing your presentation's effectiveness.

With a bow mounted Minn Kota, we can either control the direction and speed with the fob or the foot pedal pulled to the back of the boat. We prefer the foot pedal so we can both slow the boat down upon a fish being hooked. Keep in mind, you may encounter the random Musky or huge schools of silver bass as well and having your partner control the boat during these times is crucial and adds to the experience in a positive manner.

The next time you are looking for a new alternative presentation, give bottom bouncers a try and see how it works out for you.

Kevin

A Special Spawn

There are 3 periods of spawning during the spring that directly affects our ability to catch bass. And the third one is my favorite, and often overlooked.

Of course the first spawn is the bass spawn. It puts them up where we all can catch them and we all look forward to it every year. Second happens in many places, the shad spawn. When the bass are done doing their thing the shad spawn as the water temp rises into the 70's. Often spawning in coves or marinas, it is definitely a morning bite as the bass gorge until the sun comes up. And then, my favorite, the bluegill spawn.

As summer begins in many places north and south the bluegills go to the beds. Flat sand, the inside edge of weedbeds, and the back of flatter coves, once they start you can often see their beds everywhere. And that is when I really get excited.

The Swim Jig

Once I started fishing the swim jig I was hooked. While commonly used in areas of vegetation, I fish it year round. Weedy lakes, rocky lakes, ponds, it does not matter, it catches fish. And the major revelation, it can be an absolutely killer on spawning panfish. If there are panfish on the beds it will get the job done. Big fish love to eat them, and a really big bass is happy to eat the swim jig.

Generally during this period a 1/4 ounce swim jig is plenty as the fish are shallow. Many companies make them and I have yet to try a clunker, though the Strike King is my favorite. Color selection is easy, bluegill, watermelon red, or anything that has some of the colors of your local panfish. Fish due to their eye makeup can only see 2 real colors, red and green, which simplifies color selection.

Trailers basically come in the paddle tail or the craw style. I have learned that if you are going to use the craw style, keep it lighter in weight (Small bodied.) as you are fishing shallow. The last year I find myself using the Knockin Tail from My Coast Outdoors as my go to trailer. Fish have a hard time passing on that tail with the built in rattle whether used on a swim jig, A rig, or a simple swim bait. No matter your choice just match the hatch and you are ready to go.

http://www.mycoastoutdoors.com/index.html

There is one trick I learned from a swim jig maniac, trim it. If you used a shorter trailer, or shorten your favorite trailer by cutting some of to make a more compact bait, trim the skirt so it just goes slightly past the bend on the hook. Besides making the bait more compact, it is easy to match the hatch and reduce short strikes.

Retrieve it near the beds is easy, just slow roll it out of sight. Of course you can hop and drop it, rip it, and other methods, but the fish often do not care, they see and hear a small bluegill and it is going in their mouth. One thing about the bigger fish they will hit it a variety of ways. It might be the old line just goes completely slack, or they might try to jerk the rod out of your hands. Or maybe your line will just start moving sideway, you never know. But if it does not feel right, set the hook, it does not cost anything and one will occasionally jump it. Which leads to one last trick, give it a jerk. Bass often track your jig, so it pays to slow roll and give it a jerk and a little fall, and start reeling again. Do it a little ways off the bank, half way back, or right before it gets to the boat. It is just a matter of trying it out and seeing if it works.

So next time you find the bluegill/panfish beds remember the swim jig. And you can always contact Lou and have him paint you up a couple of beautiful square bill crankbaits. The pattern is the same and nothing like giving them a couple of options. Good luck and can't wait to see your pictures on Get Hooked!

Good Luck and Tight Lines