Happy New Year:
I'm not sure how you spent the first day of January, but I went out ice fishing with a friend before sunrise this morning. I was dressed like an Eskimo with multiple layers of clothes, insulated bib overalls and a long-tail, hooded parka, knit hat, knee-high felt-lined pac boots and more. We worked depths of 28 to 30 feet along a drop-off on the west side of Little Bay de Noc with three inch shiners we bought Friday evening and stored overnight. This is near my home in Delta County, Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
We took a chance, heading to a part of the bay that is usually not safe to fish until late January. It seemed that the cold weather we have had would have firmed up the ice down that way enough to make it safe. There were others out ahead of us, so we were not exactly riding into the unknown. We found the ice 8 to 10 inches thick, but a large coal boat had come through from open water farther south and broke a channel to the docks about a mile south of us. We rode on a Honda all terrain vehicle to cover some territory in our search for fish.
We landed just two walleyes, one 28" and another 21". Both hit Swedish Pimple spoons (Bay de Noc Tackle Company) tipped with the minnows in 28' to 30' of water. We took my portable shanty because we intended to move around and a portable makes this easier. We had trouble with the wind blowing the thin walls like sails and moving the shack a little. When both of us sat inside on overturned buckets, there was enough weight to keep it anchored, but when one stepped out it could shift position. Honestly, the bite was slow even though we managed a couple nice fish. The wind chill was bad and after shooting just six photos my fingers were stiff and the camera flashed a "low battey" signal. The strong south winds apparently blew water up under the ice and caused several heaves. The first major jolt we felt (and heard) was an extended rumbling boom that shook the shanty fairly hard. Later, another sharp jolt ran a six inch open water crack running right between the wheels of our ATV parked alongside the shanty. When we went out to investigate, we found that we were on a piece of ice about twenty feet by thirty feet or so that had broken free from the surroundings. Several other pieces were around us. Picture a jigsaw puzzle. We were on one of the pieces and surrounded by other pieces. There was no danger of drifting away, but if one of the pieces broke into smaller fragments, there could have been real trouble. We gathered our gear immediately and rode back to shore, crossing several open water cracks along the way. Obviously none of them were wide enough to prevent crossing, but they all allowed water to spout up onto the surface ice and all we could do was open the throttle a bit and fly through them spraying water all the way. We actually did not get wet, because the water froze on our gear fast enough to keep it from soaking through anything.
This area has the potential to be a real "big fish zone", but I guess we are going to have to wait a little longer before going out there again. I have fished there many times in the past, but never this early in the year. One of the fascinating aspects of this part of the bay is that there are several wooden shipwrecks on the bottom (I've seen underwater camera pictures of them) and the resulting bottom structure holds fish there in the jumbled stacks of wood and iron. Drifting through the area in a boat on a spring day is a lot more comfortable, but I wouldn't trade these winter fishing adventures for anything else!
Ray
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
DEEP WATER SPOON TRICKS - Part two
Author's note: This is the final part of yesterday's blog. I'll be out on the bay Thursday and will probably use some of the tactics detailed here.
I sometimes run two rods, with a live minnow on the second. Keep this presentation simple, such as a split shot and plain hook rig. The second rod needs to “fish itself” because you are going to pay a lot of attention to the spoon while you work it. Choose a large minnow as bait since it can attract more attention that a smaller size. Two and one half to three inches is best. Remember, we are not fishing for small perch. On the other hand, running too large a minnow can attract big walleyes or pike which can shut down perch activity.
Always pay attention to the information you are getting from your locator. Be quick to raise your bait to the level of fish that show up above your bait, but be slow to lower it to fish beneath the lure. When your bait is above fish, they can see it and may rise if you use the nervous twitch I mentioned. When they do not rise upward, they are not very active and may spook easily. Maintain the shake you have been using and lower the bait slowly to their level. Stop just inches above the fish, and hope the closer presentation will trigger a hit.
Above all, think about your presentations. Try new tactics like these. Experiment. Keep moving as you search for fish. Don’t let deep water deter you, as long as it remains safe to walk on. Put some effort into your fishing. You’ll get some new stories to tell around the campfire.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
I sometimes run two rods, with a live minnow on the second. Keep this presentation simple, such as a split shot and plain hook rig. The second rod needs to “fish itself” because you are going to pay a lot of attention to the spoon while you work it. Choose a large minnow as bait since it can attract more attention that a smaller size. Two and one half to three inches is best. Remember, we are not fishing for small perch. On the other hand, running too large a minnow can attract big walleyes or pike which can shut down perch activity.
Always pay attention to the information you are getting from your locator. Be quick to raise your bait to the level of fish that show up above your bait, but be slow to lower it to fish beneath the lure. When your bait is above fish, they can see it and may rise if you use the nervous twitch I mentioned. When they do not rise upward, they are not very active and may spook easily. Maintain the shake you have been using and lower the bait slowly to their level. Stop just inches above the fish, and hope the closer presentation will trigger a hit.
Above all, think about your presentations. Try new tactics like these. Experiment. Keep moving as you search for fish. Don’t let deep water deter you, as long as it remains safe to walk on. Put some effort into your fishing. You’ll get some new stories to tell around the campfire.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
DEEP WATER SPOON TRICKS - Part one
DEEP WATER SPOON TRICKS
By: Ray Hansen
I’ve been chasing perch in deeper water than ever in the past few years - often fifty feet or more, and this is true from late winter through early fall. If you are spending most of your time in twenty feet of water or less for these popular panfish, consider the following deep water methods for late ice fishing.
Start with the right rod and line. A short but thin and stiff spinning rod about twenty-four inches in length, a matching ultra-light reel and four pound test clear monofilament line is about right for ten to fifteen inch perch.
For late ice outings, run a size 3 Swedish Pimple spoon with a single hook and a fresh minnow head as bait. Work the range from two to six feet off bottom, but occasionally let the spoon fall to bottom where it stirs up some silt. Aggressive jigging attracts fish, while the stationary lure makes an easier target for fish to hit, so how do you compromise between the two? Let your electronics tell you.
When fish are present on the screen, use just a simple twitch of the rod tip to make the lure shudder and quiver in place like a live, nervous creature. Watch the screen closely. You’ll see fish approach your lure, and when the marks on the screen merge you know the fish is probably eyeing your bait. Raise the lure slowly while feeling for some extra weight. With a sharp hook, you just need to snap your wrist upward and start reeling the instant you detect a bite.
Some anglers use a variation of the presentation I detailed above. They let the Swedish Pimple “free-fall” on a completely slack line toward bottom. In this way, the lure darts off to one side by several feet. The angler lets the lure go until it is laying on bottom somewhere off to one side of the hole.
With the lure lying in the silt, the angler shakes the rod tip while very slowly reeling the lure forward. This makes it kick up more silt in a slight “trail” along bottom that can appeal strongly to perch that forage on bloodworms from soft bottomed areas. Once the lure is hanging straight beneath the hole, bring it up about four feet off bottom and twitch it while watching your electronics.
Minnow heads work very well as bait, but what about the remainder of the minnow? I like to chum with minnow meat. Toss the headless minnow on the ice next to the hole and mash it with a metal skimmer. Push it into the water where it sinks to bottom leaving a scent trail on the way.
End of part one – check in tomorrow for part two
By: Ray Hansen
I’ve been chasing perch in deeper water than ever in the past few years - often fifty feet or more, and this is true from late winter through early fall. If you are spending most of your time in twenty feet of water or less for these popular panfish, consider the following deep water methods for late ice fishing.
Start with the right rod and line. A short but thin and stiff spinning rod about twenty-four inches in length, a matching ultra-light reel and four pound test clear monofilament line is about right for ten to fifteen inch perch.
For late ice outings, run a size 3 Swedish Pimple spoon with a single hook and a fresh minnow head as bait. Work the range from two to six feet off bottom, but occasionally let the spoon fall to bottom where it stirs up some silt. Aggressive jigging attracts fish, while the stationary lure makes an easier target for fish to hit, so how do you compromise between the two? Let your electronics tell you.
When fish are present on the screen, use just a simple twitch of the rod tip to make the lure shudder and quiver in place like a live, nervous creature. Watch the screen closely. You’ll see fish approach your lure, and when the marks on the screen merge you know the fish is probably eyeing your bait. Raise the lure slowly while feeling for some extra weight. With a sharp hook, you just need to snap your wrist upward and start reeling the instant you detect a bite.
Some anglers use a variation of the presentation I detailed above. They let the Swedish Pimple “free-fall” on a completely slack line toward bottom. In this way, the lure darts off to one side by several feet. The angler lets the lure go until it is laying on bottom somewhere off to one side of the hole.
With the lure lying in the silt, the angler shakes the rod tip while very slowly reeling the lure forward. This makes it kick up more silt in a slight “trail” along bottom that can appeal strongly to perch that forage on bloodworms from soft bottomed areas. Once the lure is hanging straight beneath the hole, bring it up about four feet off bottom and twitch it while watching your electronics.
Minnow heads work very well as bait, but what about the remainder of the minnow? I like to chum with minnow meat. Toss the headless minnow on the ice next to the hole and mash it with a metal skimmer. Push it into the water where it sinks to bottom leaving a scent trail on the way.
End of part one – check in tomorrow for part two
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
DEER SOUNDS
DEER SOUNDS
They Don’t Talk, but Communicate? You Bet!
By: Ray Hansen
Hunters, going back thousands of years, have understood that deer make sounds which are interpreted by other deer to mean various things. I’ve heard them many times. In this blog I’ll cite a few examples.
Hunting a remote part of Marquette County in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with life-long friend Duane Deno of Gladstone, Michigan, we encountered three does while walking along a trail out of the woods about 11 a.m. on an October hunt. Two of the does ran off, but the third stood there gawking at us like were aliens (maybe we were to the deer)!
After a stare-down of about ten seconds, one of the does that ran off made a distinct “bleat” from about one-hundred yards away. The doe watching us immediately swiveled her head toward the sound, then bounded off to join the others. We figured that call meant “hey you… get over here!” And that is just what the doe did. Duane and I now imitate that call frequently, using commercial deer calls. Duane refers to it as the “I’m over here” call.
Recently, a company released a new call that imitates a “buck roar”. This vocalization is very rare. I’ve heard it only three times, twice on one day, and once on the following day. I was hunting an area of Illinois where only antlerless deer could be taken. After a few years of these restrictions, the deer population shifted so that it was well-balanced, meaning there were as many bucks as does. Under these circumstances, serious competition for breeding rights occurs, and fights can take place.
The first time I heard the sound, it was so loud that it startled me. My first impression was that someone who knew where I was hunting snuck out to the area and let loose with a fake roar they hoped would sound like a bear. I simply could not associate the sound with anything I’d ever heard a deer make. A while later, I heard it again, this time when a large buck charged at a smaller eight-point buck. I watched the bigger deer drive off the smaller one.
I suppose that sound meant “get out of here, or get killed”, or “stay away from the doe I’m chasing”. I heard that sound once again the following day, from the same stand, and have not heard it since. I’m not surprised about not hearing it again. As I mentioned, it is hard to find an area with the right herd dynamics that might cause bucks to roar in this way.
Most of the time when I hear deer making grunts or bleats, it is just one deer letting others know where it is. On several occasions I have had family groups consisting of a mature doe and several year-classes of small deer (mostly other does, but occasionally including a buck fawn as well) milling around a tree stand I’m in. On very quiet days, I have clearly heard them “mewing” as they browsed through the woods. They sounded a lot like cats, or certain birds.
Finally, I’ve watched deer making sounds on frosty mornings when I could see breath vapor coming out of their mouths. That is always interesting. Cold, clear and still mornings are best for this observation. One of these days I’m going to bring a video camera out to my stand and capture these events. Until then, I just listen to the way they sound, and try to imitate them when I’m calling.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
They Don’t Talk, but Communicate? You Bet!
By: Ray Hansen
Hunters, going back thousands of years, have understood that deer make sounds which are interpreted by other deer to mean various things. I’ve heard them many times. In this blog I’ll cite a few examples.
Hunting a remote part of Marquette County in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with life-long friend Duane Deno of Gladstone, Michigan, we encountered three does while walking along a trail out of the woods about 11 a.m. on an October hunt. Two of the does ran off, but the third stood there gawking at us like were aliens (maybe we were to the deer)!
After a stare-down of about ten seconds, one of the does that ran off made a distinct “bleat” from about one-hundred yards away. The doe watching us immediately swiveled her head toward the sound, then bounded off to join the others. We figured that call meant “hey you… get over here!” And that is just what the doe did. Duane and I now imitate that call frequently, using commercial deer calls. Duane refers to it as the “I’m over here” call.
Recently, a company released a new call that imitates a “buck roar”. This vocalization is very rare. I’ve heard it only three times, twice on one day, and once on the following day. I was hunting an area of Illinois where only antlerless deer could be taken. After a few years of these restrictions, the deer population shifted so that it was well-balanced, meaning there were as many bucks as does. Under these circumstances, serious competition for breeding rights occurs, and fights can take place.
The first time I heard the sound, it was so loud that it startled me. My first impression was that someone who knew where I was hunting snuck out to the area and let loose with a fake roar they hoped would sound like a bear. I simply could not associate the sound with anything I’d ever heard a deer make. A while later, I heard it again, this time when a large buck charged at a smaller eight-point buck. I watched the bigger deer drive off the smaller one.
I suppose that sound meant “get out of here, or get killed”, or “stay away from the doe I’m chasing”. I heard that sound once again the following day, from the same stand, and have not heard it since. I’m not surprised about not hearing it again. As I mentioned, it is hard to find an area with the right herd dynamics that might cause bucks to roar in this way.
Most of the time when I hear deer making grunts or bleats, it is just one deer letting others know where it is. On several occasions I have had family groups consisting of a mature doe and several year-classes of small deer (mostly other does, but occasionally including a buck fawn as well) milling around a tree stand I’m in. On very quiet days, I have clearly heard them “mewing” as they browsed through the woods. They sounded a lot like cats, or certain birds.
Finally, I’ve watched deer making sounds on frosty mornings when I could see breath vapor coming out of their mouths. That is always interesting. Cold, clear and still mornings are best for this observation. One of these days I’m going to bring a video camera out to my stand and capture these events. Until then, I just listen to the way they sound, and try to imitate them when I’m calling.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
TOUGH DRAGS
TOUGH DRAGS
By: Ray Hansen
As I write this piece I’m preparing to head out into the woods again tomorrow with a muzzleloader. By the time you read this I will have hiked out a mile or so in the frigid pre-dawn weather, picked a good spot, and have been sitting for a number of hours waiting for an eight-point buck to slip by in range (that is what I have tags for). And I’m going to love every second of it! The following paragraphs detail some challenges I’ve in the past getting deer out of the woods after the shot.
“I’m getting too old for this” I told myself as I pulled the big doe along using a rope attached to a shoulder harness. Dry, snowless ground made this part of the hunt a real challenge. Four or five steep ridges and a lot of flat ground stood between me and where I parked. On the steepest parts I could only manage ten feet at a time before resting. Even downhill sections were tough after a while. Several hours passed before I was able to load the large animal into my pickup. This deer was taken on a hunt in Illinois where walking in and dragging your deer out was the only option.
Of course getting the animal out of the woods is part of the hunt. I might gripe about it a little, but secretly, I’m glad I can still do it.
Sometimes the chore is made simpler with machinery. I keep an old 1981 Honda All-Terrain Vehicle in a friend’s shed here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where I hunt each year. What a great piece of engineering! It always starts (with a pull rope), gets me out into the woods quickly, and does a workhorse of a job when pulling deer out of the swamp.
My friend Duane Deno of Gladstone, Michigan also keeps an old (1978) Honda handy when we hunt. It is a very small – 90 c.c. – machine, but therein lies its utility. It can get in and out of spots that larger ATV’s can’t access.
One year I arrowed a deer on a bow-hunt in which we had to cross a one-hundred yard stretch of flooded swamp using hip boots. The footing was treacherous, and we dreaded trying to drag the deer across that beaver-flooded, marshy pot-hole.
Using some “Yooper” ingenuity however, Duane and I devised a solution. He rode his machine back into the woods to the last of the high ground before it dropped into the swamp. Using several odd lengths of rope we scrounged, we managed to create a piece long enough to span the worst part of the waterway. I am not exaggerating when I say the rope we pieced together was all of three hundred feet long. Tying one end to the Honda and the other end to the deer, he took off, skidding the doe across the water like it was water-skiing. We’ve had many good laughs about that incident over the years, and it will always be a good story to tell around the campfire.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
By: Ray Hansen
As I write this piece I’m preparing to head out into the woods again tomorrow with a muzzleloader. By the time you read this I will have hiked out a mile or so in the frigid pre-dawn weather, picked a good spot, and have been sitting for a number of hours waiting for an eight-point buck to slip by in range (that is what I have tags for). And I’m going to love every second of it! The following paragraphs detail some challenges I’ve in the past getting deer out of the woods after the shot.
“I’m getting too old for this” I told myself as I pulled the big doe along using a rope attached to a shoulder harness. Dry, snowless ground made this part of the hunt a real challenge. Four or five steep ridges and a lot of flat ground stood between me and where I parked. On the steepest parts I could only manage ten feet at a time before resting. Even downhill sections were tough after a while. Several hours passed before I was able to load the large animal into my pickup. This deer was taken on a hunt in Illinois where walking in and dragging your deer out was the only option.
Of course getting the animal out of the woods is part of the hunt. I might gripe about it a little, but secretly, I’m glad I can still do it.
Sometimes the chore is made simpler with machinery. I keep an old 1981 Honda All-Terrain Vehicle in a friend’s shed here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where I hunt each year. What a great piece of engineering! It always starts (with a pull rope), gets me out into the woods quickly, and does a workhorse of a job when pulling deer out of the swamp.
My friend Duane Deno of Gladstone, Michigan also keeps an old (1978) Honda handy when we hunt. It is a very small – 90 c.c. – machine, but therein lies its utility. It can get in and out of spots that larger ATV’s can’t access.
One year I arrowed a deer on a bow-hunt in which we had to cross a one-hundred yard stretch of flooded swamp using hip boots. The footing was treacherous, and we dreaded trying to drag the deer across that beaver-flooded, marshy pot-hole.
Using some “Yooper” ingenuity however, Duane and I devised a solution. He rode his machine back into the woods to the last of the high ground before it dropped into the swamp. Using several odd lengths of rope we scrounged, we managed to create a piece long enough to span the worst part of the waterway. I am not exaggerating when I say the rope we pieced together was all of three hundred feet long. Tying one end to the Honda and the other end to the deer, he took off, skidding the doe across the water like it was water-skiing. We’ve had many good laughs about that incident over the years, and it will always be a good story to tell around the campfire.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
COYOTES IN THE COLD
Author's Note: We have had another mild blizzard here in the Upper Peninsula. The snowfall was not excessive, but the blowing created a lot of drifting. I got stuck up in Rock, Michigan near the Delta County/Marquette County line, but I'm back today. I've been hearing coyotes howling in the woods near me recently, and that prompted today's blog. I hope you enjoy reading it.
COYOTES IN THE COLD
Slim Pickings in January Alters Behavior
By: Ray Hansen
I’ve encountered coyotes in the wild for many years in settings from suburbia to the Sylvania Wilderness Area in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. One of the most informative meetings we’ve had however, was while I ice-fished Mallard Lake in Bloomingdale, Illinois just west of Chicago. I believe I observed two adult coyotes teaching two juveniles how to forage for food when times are tough. This is what I saw:
January always brings some lean times for scavengers like coyotes. Most rodents are hidden deep in brush cover, birds are present only in small numbers, roadkill is rare, vegetation is scarce, and food in general is hard to find.
I had the lake to myself on this day, and my intention was to catch bluegills and crappies. I augered a series of holes in deep water not far off shore in the lake’s northwest corner. Before long I was catching small ‘gills and releasing them back into the water.
I noticed a coyote slip out of the brushy shoreline cover to the east and walk across the ice while keeping an eye on me. Another canine joined it shortly thereafter. Later they both re-entered the heavier cover along shore and I lost track of them.
Before long I watched as the two reappeared, this time with two smaller coyotes in tow. They positioned themselves at four locations – like compass points – surrounding me at a distance of about one-hundred yards away. Slowly, step by step, they converged on me from the four different directions. This seemed like a classic hunting strategy, but I really found it hard to believe they were targeting me. I think perhaps these brush-wolves had previously found small fish lying on the ice where other anglers had tossed them. They just wanted to see if I was leaving any for them.
The largest coyote approached closest. He (I’m assuming this was a male) stopped about thirty yards away, standing on a sand / gravel shoreline. There, he made what seemed to be at least a mildly aggressive maneuver by pawing and kicking sand and small rocks out onto the ice toward me like a dog will sometimes do.
At that point I stood up and banged my auger on the ice once, causing the coyotes to slink away. I stayed another couple hours, and caught glimpses of the animals at times, but they made no further close approaches.
Seems to me the adults were showing the young ones how a small pack should close in on potential prey. Of course that is just my interpretation. I did not feel threatened by their actions. I didn’t leave them any fish either. I do not think showing coyotes that humans can provide feeding opportunities is a good idea. Some people learn the hard way that leaving dog food in their backyards for coyotes simply teaches them that feeding opportunities exist where dogs are found. They’ll eat the dog food alright, and have the dog (or cat) for dessert. Local newspapers carry stories about snatched pets every year – especially during the toughest part of winter.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
COYOTES IN THE COLD
Slim Pickings in January Alters Behavior
By: Ray Hansen
I’ve encountered coyotes in the wild for many years in settings from suburbia to the Sylvania Wilderness Area in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. One of the most informative meetings we’ve had however, was while I ice-fished Mallard Lake in Bloomingdale, Illinois just west of Chicago. I believe I observed two adult coyotes teaching two juveniles how to forage for food when times are tough. This is what I saw:
January always brings some lean times for scavengers like coyotes. Most rodents are hidden deep in brush cover, birds are present only in small numbers, roadkill is rare, vegetation is scarce, and food in general is hard to find.
I had the lake to myself on this day, and my intention was to catch bluegills and crappies. I augered a series of holes in deep water not far off shore in the lake’s northwest corner. Before long I was catching small ‘gills and releasing them back into the water.
I noticed a coyote slip out of the brushy shoreline cover to the east and walk across the ice while keeping an eye on me. Another canine joined it shortly thereafter. Later they both re-entered the heavier cover along shore and I lost track of them.
Before long I watched as the two reappeared, this time with two smaller coyotes in tow. They positioned themselves at four locations – like compass points – surrounding me at a distance of about one-hundred yards away. Slowly, step by step, they converged on me from the four different directions. This seemed like a classic hunting strategy, but I really found it hard to believe they were targeting me. I think perhaps these brush-wolves had previously found small fish lying on the ice where other anglers had tossed them. They just wanted to see if I was leaving any for them.
The largest coyote approached closest. He (I’m assuming this was a male) stopped about thirty yards away, standing on a sand / gravel shoreline. There, he made what seemed to be at least a mildly aggressive maneuver by pawing and kicking sand and small rocks out onto the ice toward me like a dog will sometimes do.
At that point I stood up and banged my auger on the ice once, causing the coyotes to slink away. I stayed another couple hours, and caught glimpses of the animals at times, but they made no further close approaches.
Seems to me the adults were showing the young ones how a small pack should close in on potential prey. Of course that is just my interpretation. I did not feel threatened by their actions. I didn’t leave them any fish either. I do not think showing coyotes that humans can provide feeding opportunities is a good idea. Some people learn the hard way that leaving dog food in their backyards for coyotes simply teaches them that feeding opportunities exist where dogs are found. They’ll eat the dog food alright, and have the dog (or cat) for dessert. Local newspapers carry stories about snatched pets every year – especially during the toughest part of winter.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
TACKLING DEEP WATER PERCH
Author's note: Ice fishing season is just starting here on the north end of the Great Lakes in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The action id still in shallow water, but I can tell you from experience that winter anglers will hit deep spots as soon as the ice out there becomes safe. Here are some tactics for perch found deeper.
TACKLING DEEP WATER PERCH
Great Lakes Water Clarity Moves Fish Deeper
By: Ray Hansen
The improvement in water clarity on many bodies of water in the past ten years or so has been nothing short of amazing. Non-native invasive species such as zebra mussels that filter sediment from the water have dramatically changed their chosen habitat. Lake Michigan for example commonly has places where the bottom can be seen in fifteen feet and deeper – especially along the northernmost parts of this Great Lake.
Whereas many fishermen chasing salmon and other species that commonly suspend at some mid-point in the water column have noticed fish hold deeper, perch anglers have really seen the difference. Since they typically find these fish close to bottom, they quickly noticed dramatic changes. Catching these popular panfish in depths to seventy-five feet is now common. The same patterns can be seen through the ice.
Using lightweight lures to tempt fickle biters in shallower water still works on occasion, but much of the time you’ll have to get much deeper – especially on huge bodies of water where schools of smelt or alewives provide forage.
Using compact lures that are “heavy for their size” is the best approach to catching deep-water dwellers. Lures that have enough weight to zip down to bottom in fifty or more feet let you get your bait back in front of fish faster than a presentation that sinks slowly.
One of my favorite deep-water perch rigs is an eighteen-inch ice rod coupled with a tiny spinning reel and spooled with four-pound test monofilament line. I attach a size 2 or 3 “Swedish Pimple” spoon (Bay de Noc Tackle Company), using a very small, thin wire snap (not a snap swivel) to clip my lure to the line. The snap allows maximum lure action while jigging it to attract bites.
Use the small treble hook this lure is packaged with, and load each hook point with two or three “spikes” (maggots) as bait. This means you’ll be hooking six to nine spikes on the lure. Remember to remove a few old spikes frequently, replacing them with fresh bait. The maggots exude a milky fluid into the surrounding water when fresh, which attracts and holds perch in your spot.
The rest is simple. Let the lure plunge to bottom by opening the reel’s bail, and when it stops sinking you know it is resting on the lake’s floor. Next reel in a little line so that the lure hangs two or three feet up from the rocks, sand, or mud. As always, run a locator constantly while fishing. That shows you what level fish are holding at, and indicates when fish are approaching your lure.
Two different actions may attract fish: “shaking”, or “ripping”. Shaking is done by simply shaking the rod tip to make the Pimple “dance in place for five to ten seconds, then pausing to watch for a hit. The sequence is: shake – pause – shake – pause, until you get bit.
“Ripping “means to start just off bottom, rip the spoon upward one to three feet, then allowing it to settle back into place. Again, pause to watch for a bite. This lure is a proven perch killer, and it is especially effective when you need to work great depths.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
TACKLING DEEP WATER PERCH
Great Lakes Water Clarity Moves Fish Deeper
By: Ray Hansen
The improvement in water clarity on many bodies of water in the past ten years or so has been nothing short of amazing. Non-native invasive species such as zebra mussels that filter sediment from the water have dramatically changed their chosen habitat. Lake Michigan for example commonly has places where the bottom can be seen in fifteen feet and deeper – especially along the northernmost parts of this Great Lake.
Whereas many fishermen chasing salmon and other species that commonly suspend at some mid-point in the water column have noticed fish hold deeper, perch anglers have really seen the difference. Since they typically find these fish close to bottom, they quickly noticed dramatic changes. Catching these popular panfish in depths to seventy-five feet is now common. The same patterns can be seen through the ice.
Using lightweight lures to tempt fickle biters in shallower water still works on occasion, but much of the time you’ll have to get much deeper – especially on huge bodies of water where schools of smelt or alewives provide forage.
Using compact lures that are “heavy for their size” is the best approach to catching deep-water dwellers. Lures that have enough weight to zip down to bottom in fifty or more feet let you get your bait back in front of fish faster than a presentation that sinks slowly.
One of my favorite deep-water perch rigs is an eighteen-inch ice rod coupled with a tiny spinning reel and spooled with four-pound test monofilament line. I attach a size 2 or 3 “Swedish Pimple” spoon (Bay de Noc Tackle Company), using a very small, thin wire snap (not a snap swivel) to clip my lure to the line. The snap allows maximum lure action while jigging it to attract bites.
Use the small treble hook this lure is packaged with, and load each hook point with two or three “spikes” (maggots) as bait. This means you’ll be hooking six to nine spikes on the lure. Remember to remove a few old spikes frequently, replacing them with fresh bait. The maggots exude a milky fluid into the surrounding water when fresh, which attracts and holds perch in your spot.
The rest is simple. Let the lure plunge to bottom by opening the reel’s bail, and when it stops sinking you know it is resting on the lake’s floor. Next reel in a little line so that the lure hangs two or three feet up from the rocks, sand, or mud. As always, run a locator constantly while fishing. That shows you what level fish are holding at, and indicates when fish are approaching your lure.
Two different actions may attract fish: “shaking”, or “ripping”. Shaking is done by simply shaking the rod tip to make the Pimple “dance in place for five to ten seconds, then pausing to watch for a hit. The sequence is: shake – pause – shake – pause, until you get bit.
“Ripping “means to start just off bottom, rip the spoon upward one to three feet, then allowing it to settle back into place. Again, pause to watch for a bite. This lure is a proven perch killer, and it is especially effective when you need to work great depths.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
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