Recently I fished a lake where my sonar told me many things about the bottom such as hardness, weeds, depth, etc. In conjunction with that aid in finding fish locations – i.e. any size fish on the screen – is the use of light lures on light action rods. I still own med. – med. hvy action rods and large lures used for large predator fish (bass, pike, walleye) but all they do is collect dust. I guess in my old age I prefer numbers vs size though do appreciate decent size fish of any species that take my lures. By my lures I’m talking hand-made or modified using a flame to melt and fuse ends together.
I’ve posted pictures of fish caught on those lures, almost none sold anywhere and continue to update their usefulness on different waters. Most catch fish anytime and the strikes are anything from a slight tick coming up my 8# test braid to something really strong such as feeling
- nothing
during the retrieve. A few days ago this one lake I’ve fished for over 25 years yielded 131 fish in 6 hours of fishing. The lake has an annual post-seasonal weed pattern where a certain type of annual weed that dies to the bottom in early June. When the weed in all around the lake, I fish the gap from weed tops to the surface and do well. The gap is around 4′ even in water 8′ deep so it’s like fishing shallow water.
What has been surprising in the three local lakes I rotate fishing is that the majority of fish caught are crappie. Fewer yellow or white perch though sunfish are second in number. Regardless, lure success confirmations get me on the water or I wouldn’t bother – ie. Live bait. New lure shapes that catch fish are a pleasant surprise especially when I can catch over a doz. in a school.
