Fish are definitely catchable from 7:30 am – 1 pm!

I’m not one to rush to a lake at sunrise especially if I know I can catch fish later. A lake 12 min. from the house holds bass, y. perch, 11″ crappie and 6″ sunfish. If one knows the lake bottom and is a pattern angler, anyone can catch fish even after 12pm on a hot 90 degree sunny day. We did – over 48 fish caught in 5 hours from 7:30 am – 12:30pm. Before that we caught over 150 fish between the two of us and the conditions were perfect: overcast, 78 degrees with a breeze. Depth fish location ranged from 8′ to 5′ on flats and humps.

My partner will use nothing other and a red/chartreuse Crappie Magnet rigged on a 1/24 oz ball head jig and excels at catching fish using it. I switch lures after catching 4 fish on one, wanting to prove other designs work. I discover more lures in an ever expanding range of lures that catch most species and doing so get to disprove misconceptions about what fish bite and where.
Example:
I hadn’t cast a black soft plastic lure in years but figured that the algae suspension may hide translucent color more. Black did well with different soft plastic lures. The overhead spin was another I hadn’t used for over 10 years and figured it was time to try it. Dang it caught fish rigged with small plastic worms, curl tail and straight tail grubs. (some call it a Beetle Spin)

We both use 8# test braid with spinning and spincast reels on light action rods. So nice to be confident we will catch fish anytime we go while being watched by other anglers not able to catch much of anything. Good thing none of you live near me or this post would be nonexistent.

I know a couple guys that are just like you, they know the lakes they fish well and have no trouble catching fish. The one thing that can throw them a curve is the wind, but they will just go to sheltered bays, etc. and catch fish during the middle of the day.

They use similar type tackle as you mentioned. Their mantra is “there is not a walleye, crappie or bluegill swimming that can’t be caught on a smaller jig head with the right plastic”. And they prove that each time they go.

Buffalo Fishhead

Too high a wind speed and I’m off the lake especially when 2-15 lb anchors don’t hold. 10 mph wind is the max I tolerate for casting accuracy (pads and weed pockets), feel of the strike on long distance casts and boat position in one spot. If an anchor isn’t used once I catch school fish in one area, I throw in a buoy marker and note shoreline landmarks so I can keep on them. If I drift even 10′, the direction of the school is lost – usually for good.

Idea for those that use buoy markers:
A foam swim noodle floats right on the surface and is easily seen from over 50′ away when used like a buoy.
I cut two 2.5″ sections of foam cylinder, insert a 7″ length of pvc pipe through both leaving a 2.5″ gap in between them. I weight the bottoms of each cylinder with metal – usually a few screws – securing them by wrapping the cylinders completely around with bright orange or chartreuse fluorescent duct tape.

Add a length of heavy duty string (for thickness) and wrap it around the PVC gap of after which you add a heavy weight to the string (a wheel weight work well). The cylinder weights keep the marker from turning from the wind once the weight hits bottom regardless the wind speed.

Markers can go from over $12 to $23. Noodles cost a buck, PVC pipe section, duck tape wrap, string and weights also cheap.

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Spoon Minnow, before you put the orange duct tape on, could you put a slice in the foam, and slide the bolt into that, and then wrap the duct tape around the foam and bolt? Would that work any better or not?

It might, but wrapping it is easier and besides, when not in use, I put the line tied to the weight under the bolt head to keep it from unraveling. The marker was a lifesaver this afternoon!

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Thanks Spoon Minnow. I’m going to try and put your set up together.

I recently ran out of my normal white/chartreuse plastics and threw on a black colored plastic. Man did they crush it. Now I use them just as much as the brighter colors.

A few of the Lakes I fish if I throw out a marker it`s like a magnet it does not take long and I have company, either fishing right close or guys setting down waypoints. Me I usually hit spot lock and any boats close or going by is never use a net and drag fish over the transom unless it is BIG, another tip from James himself..

nord wrote:

Thanks Spoon Minnow. I’m going to try and put your set up together.

I’m a huge fan of black plastics for panfish. The original black beetle spin with yellow stripes is still a go to. They are particularly good in low light and overcast conditions.

Thanks all for the very relevant replies. On some forums the original post detours to who knows where and the original intent is lost.
One comment I totally agree with:

“there is not a walleye, crappie or bluegill swimming that can’t be caught on a smaller jig head with the right plastic”.

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Use a gull “decoy” as a marker buoy. It may fool a few anglers.

Buffalo Fishhead

LOL !