4/23/16


Rule #8:  Always clean your guns each time they're fired.


Today was my first trip of the year to "Fisher Pond."  That's not what it's officially known as, the Family doesn't even own the place anymore, but let's just say that this pond and I go WAY back, even before the Doc and I started to fish together, when it was Dave showing me what he knew about fishing.

CONDITIONS:  Today was almost as cold as yesterday, the difference is that today I was ready for the weather.  I wore my thick Notre Dame hoodie, fingerless gloves (DIY, of course!), and even remembered my polarized sunglasses because I wanted to see if the fish were nesting in the shallows or not.   The temperature was probably close to 50 degrees, but the wind was gusting up into the high 20's, low 30's.  The water temperature was 55 degrees on the eastern shore.  When I first got there, the wind was blowing consistently against the eastern bank, so I started there, but after an hour or so, it began to whirl around indiscriminately.  I began fishing south of the little square "jetty," where there are some big boulders close to the bank and a groundhog hole amidst the smaller stones.   The small cove to the left of that bank is a really good looking area, and I expect to see some nesting sites there in the next few weeks.  I only saw one certainly new nest--on the northern side of Goose Shit point--that green finger that sticks out from the far bank in the picture.  If I had to guess, I would say that the fish are beginning to move shallower with an eye toward picking out areas for spawning.

This is the first fish I caught today, and I was proud because I got him on a "Galati" bait rig!  I finally got the damned thing tied last night and it cast very well.  The only difficulty I had with it is that it was so windy today, I really needed to fish that rig exclusively.  I'm not skilled enough with it to leave it for any length of time.  As it was, I had to just bite the line off, as it had swallowed the hook completely before I could get to it.

It wasn't the biggest bass I've ever caught, but I got him on my UL 7 1/2 foot pole, so he felt like a "lunker."


I caught three more, but all were in shallower water, maybe two to four feet.  I caught the remaining three fish (no pics, 'cause my phone went out, so you'll just have to trust me!) on a small lipless crankbait, all white body, with an orange belly.  All three of those fish were caught on the other rod I brought with me, the 7 foot, bronze BPS Micro-Lite, Light, with 6 pound mono on a Pfleuger, Presidential reel.  They gave me good fights!

The only thing that went wrong, is that I should have brought a cooler or stringer or something to take my catch home.  Two of the fish might not make it, and that just makes me sick--I hate wasting fish!

4/22/16

Rule #13:  Always stand when an older person enters the room.


Tomorrow when I fish the "Old Fisher Pond," one of the rigs I will be using will be one that I learned from watching videos on Youtube.com produced by Tim Galati.  The basic premise behind his rig is to get the bait as far out from the bank as you need it to be.  Also, Tim's rigss are intended to lose the drop weights before losing the hooks, swivels, leader material.

I'll try first to explain the rig using words.  Then, tomorrow I will take pictures of it on the ground to give you a better view.  I'll describe this by explaining how I have put together the rig -- now twice.

1.  Trip the bail of the reel.
2.  String line through each eye.
3.  Set (loosely) the smaller barrel swivel on the line.
4.  Tie to the end of the line, a larger barrel swivel.
5.  Tie a 2-3 foot piece of flourocarbon to the other end of barrel swivel (#4).

6.  Tie, loosely, with 12"--18" of monofilament, a weight that will go
 to the bottom of the river/pond.

7.  Watch line as it is picked up by fish and goes through the large barrel-swivel hole.


I will cast this out and prop it up so I can keep an eye on it; then, to cast, I'll use small to medium crankbaits, "jig-n-pigs," lipless crankbaits, maybe some Kelley's, in-line spinners.



The temperature tomorrow will be 55 to 59 degrees, but remember, the temperature will be much lower, given the wind--which should gust up to 30 mph.

1.  Identify which shore is being blown against.
2.  Identify the NW shore--which will be warmer.
3.  Look for nests or signs of beginning.

Bring warm drink.
Also:

Long yellow pole.
Short yellow pole.
Bronze pole.
Nightcrawlers
Bass spray.
Folding chair.
Knife.
Stringer/cooler.

4/21/16    


Rule #75:  Always unlace your shoes before you get into a boat or canoe.  If the "ship"should go under, you want your feet free!! [See Lutheran Hills Campground "I almost drowned" story for background on this rule.]

Second day of fishing this year.  White River, just upstream of the Jackson Street Bridge.

CONDITIONS:  I fished about 200 yards upstream from the Jackson St. Bridge.  The wind was blowing almost exactly upstream.  The sky was partly cloudy.  Though the temperature was in the high 40's, the wind was brutal, and I lost feeling in my hands after 90 minutes.  I was going to wear my rubber boots, but they still have water in them from doing "hard time" in the back of the truck.  The barometer was falling, but not much, from 30.18 to 30.14.  I took a reading of the water temperature before I left.  Unfortunately, I couldn't trust my fingers enough to string the thermometer on with the bobber set I was using, so I had to just kneel down and set it in the water next to the bank.  The reading I got was 48 degrees.  I'm assuming that out further in the current, away from the warmth of the shallows, it would be even colder.  According to the Solunar charts, I was fishing in the middle of the best time of the month--someone should have told the fish.

Today was cold.  Period.

Before I left, at about noon, I looked outside and by all appearances, it was T-shirt weather.

I was wrong.

I fished the White River for about 10 minutes before I trekked back up the hill to my truck to see if I had an extra shirt or jacket laying around behind the front seat.  Of course, I didn't.  What I did have was the Army blanket I always keep back there and a large bath towel I'd used to soak up some water from the last time I'd let it rain on the passenger seat.

I thought for awhile about cutting a hole in the Army blanket with my belt knife and wearing it like a poncho, but I just couldn't mess that blanket up!  So, I took the towel and wrapped it around the back of my neck and let the ends rest over my chest.  It kept me reasonably warm.

However, I could tell by the wind, that my time on the river today would be limited--as the tips of my fingers had lost feeling by the time I got my first line tied!

I've been trying to set up a "Tim Galati" (from Youtube.com) drop-shot for bait fishing.  Last night, I tried to set everything up, but it's complicated for a guy who can't see to tie knots nearly as well as he once could!  Is it some kind of sign if you have to put a pair of "cheater" eyeglasses in your tacklebox?

When I got to the river and set my gear up on a fallen sycamore, things started going "Monday" on me.  We've talked about this before; it's when all of the little things go wrong at every turn, leaving you with a negative thought about what you're trying to accomplish.  Sometimes, like I've said before, I've been able to take a breath and a sip of coffee and "re-set" myself.  But this morning, it was too cold to do so.  The longer I was exposed to the wind, the worse things were going to get, so I plugged along--screwing up everything at least twice before finally getting it right--and eventually, I was able to fish a small section of the river.

I started with a small white and chartreuse crankbait.  It was one of the best small crankbaits I've used.  The action on it was just incredible.  I know that when the water warms up, this will be a very good bait.  It has two treble hooks, but over about an hour only got hung on itself once, and it has a square bill that really DOES make it bounce off of rocks in its path!

The lure only got hung up once and I was able to free it by going upstream and giving it an extra pull.  I think I had one or even two small nibbles on the bait, but it was hard to tell, because both of my hands were beginning to freeze.

After about an hour, I knew that I didn't have long before I wouldn't be able to feel my fingers, so I rigged up my 7 1/2 foot pole with a maribou jig and a bit of night crawler on the hook.  I set these below a stick bobber, one that wasn't quite up to the task of keeping the jig and worm above the bottom.  I spent a lot of time freeing the rig from whatever it was grabbing on the bottom.

Eventually, I gave myself one more cast . . . then one more, etc.  Finally, after I'd fished for about 90 minutes, I gave up.

RESULTS:  No serious bites that I could discern; maybe one or two nibbles.  Really cold, but fun!  Also, as soon as I got home, I put an extra sweatshirt and a pair of gloves in the back seat of my truck.  I went to Walmart later for groceries and stopped at the Sporting Goods area long enough to pick up some of their hand-warmers.  I have an old pair of warm gloves that I'll cut halfway through the fingertips.  That way, I can keep my fingers totally covered when I want to, and expose the skin when I need to.  I plan on putting a hand warmer inside each glove, maybe in the palm and on the back of my  hand.

We learn, we learn.

No pic's today, because no fish.  As soon as I start catching anything, I'll have pictures--I promise!

3/28/16

Rule #16.  Admit when you're wrong.

SEASONAL INVENTORY/"WISH LIST"

At the beginning of each season, I try to compose a post that's a kind of "wish list" of equipment and things I will need for the coming season.  It's also an opportunity for me to take inventory of the things I have already.

I start the season with:

Rods & Reels:

1) a VERY good, Bass Pro Shops "Micro-Lite," 7 1/2 foot, yellow UL pole, with an EXCELLENT   UL Pfleuger "President" spinning reel, with 4 pound Stren monofilament.

2) another VERY good Bass Pro Shops "Micro-Lite," 7 foot, fast action, bronze, L pole, with an EXCELLENT L Pfleuger "President" spinning reel, with 6 pound Stren monofilament.

3) another VERY good Bass Pro Shops "Micro-Lite," 5 foot, yellow UL pole, with a decent (but OLD) Shimano reel, loaded with 4 pound Stren.

-----

4)  a decent Shimano rod, 5 1/2 foot, black, UL pole, with an OK Diawa reel (New Castle flea market, $5!),  monofilament backing under 4 pound Spider Wire braided line.

------

Then, I have individual parts that I can switch around as necessary until I find a "suitable" rod or reel to complete the outfit.

1)  a VERY GOOD Quantam KVD Series, gray, MH Graphite Spinning Rod (my wonderful wife chose this for me in a bank account give-away promotional series!), 7 foot, 9 eyes, line weight 10-25 lb., lure weight 1/4 -- 1 1/2 oz.

2)  an old large "EXPRESS" spinning reel with several unnecessary parts missing; it's loaded with an unknown, but heavier monofilament (looks like Stren); I'm pretty sure the bail has to be manually switched.

3)  a "Mr. Rowland," Mitchell, fiberglass, 6 foot, ML spinning rod; it's almost certainly an antique, but it casts well and is a really fine plastic worm rod.

4)  a crappy Mitchell "Advanta" reel:  too much plastic, too few bearings, you name it.  I'd much rather throw this in my recycling bin, but I have too few reels.

5) an ancient Wright & McGill, 8 foot, dull yellow, fiberglass fly rod, 2 piece, "mini-ferrule," 6 eyes;  I have an "automatic" self-winding fly reel for this rod that I bought thinking I might give fly fishing a try.  I'm much more likely to duct tape a spinning reel to it for bluegill fishing!


Needed Equipment for This Season:

• One GOOD medium-heavy weight spinning reel, Daiwa or Shimano, with 6 or more bearings to pair with the Quantam MH rod--this will probably have to be new.  I'll look for sales at Meijer and Walmart--wink, wink!
• Two decent ultra-light or light weight spinning reels, to pair with the Mitchell 6 foot, and the fly rod, respectively.  There's no sense in spending more than a few dolllars ($20 at most) on these, because the rods they'll be matched with just don't merit that kind of quality.  Flea markets and rummage sales!

When I complete this part of my "wish list," I will have four really good rigs, matched reel to rod, and two decent back-up outfits--but still, matched reel to rod.


Also needed:

• Good, polarized sunglasses, with a case to leave in the glove box of my truck and only used when fishing.
• Repair kit for waders.
• Lightweight, "invisible," flourocarbon for leader material.
• Cast-a-Bubble--I already have the solid, clear, teardrop-shaped one, I also need a few of the clear, hollow ones that you can fill, or partially fill with water to give them weight.
• Fishing, "Kiss My Ass," hat.  Bucket, Pork-Pie, light blue--just like Grandpa B's, the only hat I've ever worn that was actually too big for me!
• Wader socks.
• Dunham's football cleats for wader shoes.
• Treble hook "bonnets."
• Triple Swivel rigs for bait fishing.
• Cheap hand warmers.
• Huge cotton socks to put over shoes and up over the bottoms of waders.
• Seine net--if you can find one.
• Spray bottle and Isopropyl Alcohol for wader repair.
• [Always looking for used jon boats, float tubes.]

4/12/16

Rule #5:  NEVER wear your pants inside your boots, unless they're rubber--I mean the boots.  If your pants are rubber, a whole different set of rules applies to you.

Mansfield Park Pond

Well, the 2016 season is off and running!  Last Saturday, March 13th, I went fishing.  I headed down to the river, but as I crossed the Wheeling Avenue Bridge, I could see that there weren't going to be fish taken out of that particular body of water on that particular day.  We've been having rain, but the Water Company must have also let water out of Prairie Creek Reservoir in the days leading up to the weekend--it was running the color of a Burger King Chocolate Shake and the waterfall below the bridge was just a "speed bump"!  So, where could I go without having to drive to the Reservoir, and without prior permission?  I settled on driving down to Mansfield Park.

But even when you CAN catch fish at Mansfield, it's kind of a boring, desperate place to fish.

The pond has primarily stunted bluegill and mud cats.  At least, that's all I have ever caught from it. Since I was rigged to fish the river, I had a small tackle box with an assortment of little crankbaits, a Panther Martin spinner, two Beetle Spins, and a black and blue "jig-n-pig."

I said my annual prayer for Grandpa Bird--which must be done before the first cast of each season--and started in.

The jig was on the bronze ML pole with 6 pound monofilament on the light Pflueger President reel.
 I had previously modified the 1/8 oz. blue glittery jig by cutting back some of the fiber weed guards; the "pig" part was a Tiny Paca Craw in black.  I was very encouraged by the way the rig slid through the rocks and slimy weeds--until after about an hour, I got it stuck on something that did NOT want to give it up.  Had it been warmer, I'd have gone in after it, but that would have been a cold and miserable drive home.  I'm going to wear my waders next time I go out there.

I had one of my new tiny Bass Pro Shops crankbaits on the long yellow UL pole with the ultra-light Pflueger President reel with 4 pound test.  I was pleased with the distance I could get out of the outfit, but the action of the crankbait was way too exaggerated.  The "wobble" didn't look like anything I'd seen in any water, and  apparently the fish were repulsed as well.

CONDITIONS:  It was about 50 degrees out; it rained later that evening, so it was overcast and the air was damp.  There wasn't enough wind to hamper tossing small crankbaits into the wind, and there was minimum chop on the water, so I could watch for those small "ticks" in the line, indicating a nibble when casting that "jig-n-pig."

I didn't get so much as a nibble in the hour and a half of fishing, but did make some observations:

Even though Mansfield is a very shallow body of water and should warm up quickly, there weren't any signs of the panfish moving in to start to build their nests.

There are signs of crawdad activity in the form of those little mud towers they build on the shore, so I think when I return, I'll try to match the pattern of whatever color those 'dads are.  Maybe I'll even poke around with a stick under some rocks to see if I can spook one out of its hiding place.  Ideally, I could catch one, but at any rate, I should be able to see what color they are.  Depending on the water and the composition of the bottom they crawl around on, I've seen them from bright orange to a green so dark it's almost black.

No pictures from the day's activities.  It was cold, humid, and there was litter everywhere--and, of course, Canada Goose shit.

Ideas for the next time I visit Mansfield Park:

1)  As per above--wear waders.  If I go back soon, I should definitely wear some sweats under the waders.
2)  Bring some bait.  When they're in season, the bait store on Memorial west of the park, sells soft-craws, or used to.  It's also one of the last places to get Kelly's Pier-Boys.
3)  The water here is murky, stained to say the least.  I need to use brighter colors--perhaps the small, brighter orange and white crawdad-imitating crankbaits (I also have one in a silver finish that may additionally, look like a small shad if there are any in the pond.)
4)  The two poles I brought are fine.  Until I hook something large enough to warrant it, I'm not going to use anything above 6 lb. monofilament.
5)  There's a fountain out in the middle of the pond, and I've heard that the majority of the fish hang out near there, probably for the oxygen.  It's a long cast at best!  I might consider a weighted bait rig, either a 3-way swivel with a hardware nut for bottom fishing, or a "Gescheidler"-rig with one of those lead-weighted bobbers to fish just off the bottom.
6)  If I bait fish, I'd bring another long rod, instead of the 6 foot ML pole.  Crickets, worms, leeches, crawdads, maybe some shrimp left out to spoil for some bull-heads!  Also, that place gets so  fishing pressure, I think I'll go with a flourocarbon leader.

If I can get permission, I'm going to try to go fishing Tuesday or Wednesday of next week at the Fisher Ponds.  Those mark the first days when it should be warm enough to fish and when my wife won't need me at home.