Lucky Craft Live Pointer 110 BB
by admin, 03.11.10 at 6:50 am :: Uncategorized :: permalink :: rss
Until weather events like big winds and storms bring the weed dwellers and the suspended specimens into similar, predictable locations. Suspending baits worked quickly and erratically through collection zones created by wind and weather events always produce. Put a jointed version, like the new Rapala X-Rap Jointed Shad, in the neighborhood of aggressive pike and it should be found more quickly and molested sooner, thanks to the added sound, vibration, and flash.
Some pike suspend and some roam deep flats in summer. With no wind or foul weather to collect them in predictable spots, these pike turn on for an hour or two at predictable times each day. Suspended pike, being nearer to the surface of the water, have better luck foraging during the low-light periods of early morning and late evening. Pike on deep flats tend to turn on later in the morning and again during mid-afternoon. Water clarity helps you pinpoint these activity periods more precisely, with pike tending to become active later in dark water and earlier in clear water.
Suspended pike are common in lakes with oily, open-water bait fish like ciscoes, smelt, or alewives. These pike can be few and far between until large masses of baitfish are found. The idea is to find the biggest school of bait available, note the range of depths being utilized, and troll around it. Pike stay on the perimeter or flank the school beneath it, like a pack of wolves. Deep living jointed cranks, like the new River 2 Sea V-Joint Minnow, can target almost any part of the water column being used by suspending pike without down riggers or weight on the one. On a short line (pike are not boat-shy), say 40 feet of 50-pound braid, of lure can be held up in the top 10-12 feet. On a long line, the lure dives feet or so- deep enough for active, spended pike most of the time. Pike rise 15 feet or more for a bait they know its there. In open expanses, nice to know the lure is doing everything possible to allow fish to hear,
“MOST JOINTED LURES DON’TJUST HINGE BACK AND
FORTH. THE CABOOSE ALSO ROLLS
PRODUCING FLASH AT MORE ANGLES”
feel, or see it while maintaining a natural profile. That’s the jointed advantage, and with the V-Joint Minnow, it’s coupled with a lure so realistic pike can barely discern it from the naturals swimming around nearby (realism isn’t always a huge advantage with pike, but it’s never a disadvantage).
With a precise weighting systems, like Off Shore Tackle’s Snap Weights, any jointed lure can be placed anywhere in the water column, allowing a shallow-diving jointed Rapala or Bomber to run 15 feet down or deeper. In stained or murky water and during low-light hours, jointed baits maintain a definite edge over straight-back lures. Most jointed lures don’t just hinge back and forth. The caboose also rolls, producing flash at more angles.
With wire or braided line, presenting 3-way rigs weighed down with 4- to 8- ounce weights, those 40- to 55- foot flats are easily approached. Pike can scatter on deep flats, and it’s darker down there. The clicking-hinge effect, the added flash, and the increased vibration of a quality jointed crank combine to call pike in from a considerable distance.
A 3-way rig is simple. Tie a 3-way swivel to the end of the mainline; tie on a 2- to 3-foot piece of 20- pound mono as a dropper to a bell sinker or cannonball weight; and tie in a 6- to 7- foot 20- pound mono or fluorocarbon leader to the final eye on the swivel. Add a steel wire or titanium leader with a 60- to 80-pound-test crankbait clip on the terminal end, and you can troll any lure near bottom at 60 feet or deeper with the right amount of bait. With a 3-ounce weight, a deep-diving crank generally achieves one foot of depth for every 3 feet of line out. With shallow divers, go with 4-, 6-, or 8- ounce weights, depending on how deep the flat is, how snaggy it is, and how far you want the lure from the boat.
With heavier weights and shallow divers, the idea is not to drag the lure or the weight on bottom, but to “thump” the weight down every 10 to 20 feet to keep the lure in the zone (within 5 feet of bottom) and to raise a small cloud of sediment. Those “thumps” and puffy clouds become curiosities to pike, creating a sensory trail they can follow right to your noisy, jointed plug. This hands-on operation requires casting tackle with round reels. When the rod tip is dropped and bottom isn’t there, hit the thumb bar and drop the rig down until it hits. Sweep the rod in the direction of the troll occasionally, too. Following pike can be triggered by a burst of speed and tail-wagging action.
A lure with a hinge or two looks alive. A pause-and-twitch applied here and there brings results, probably because a jointed lure responds differently, in ways pike haven’t seen recently. Let a toothy scratch up that pretty bait. Pike don’t care if it’s pretty, so send her right back down.
http://blog.fishlakemanitobanarrows.kirks-office.com/
Related Websites - Fishing Report: February 12, 2010 Striped Bass, Crab and Halibut A trip went out of Berkeley/Emeryville on Friday and brought back lots of rays and sharks, and one good sturgeon, but nothing like the 80-pounder...
- The Truth Behind Your Mineral Water Nowadays it seems as though people are for ever asking whether or not mineral water is healthy for you. Let's face it; if you've ever paid attention to any supermarket...
- Wakeboarding: Picking Your Board Wakeboarding is an intriguing surface water sport that was originally known as skurfing because it combines snow boarding, surfing and water skiing principles together. Wakeboarding specifically involves riding the wake...
- Fishing Report: November 23, 2009 Overall, crab fishing has been better than most anglers expected, with some rough saltwater conditions near the end of the week slowing it down a little. Those looking for sturgeon...
