Fish Smarter, Catch More!
If you’re anything like me, it seems like the weekends go by in the blink of an eye. Fighting traffic on a Friday night is almost a right of passage for those heading to cottage country, but for those of us whose passion is fishing, that drive is so worth it. The weekend offers time on the water pursuing our favourite finned species hoping to catch a few good one’s worthy of photos. However, too many anglers find themselves packing up on Sunday night after enduring yet another mediocre weekend of fishing, but that’s about to change for you!
Follow these simple guidelines and I promise, you’ll be hauling them in this year and catching more fish than ever.
Target the ‘Golden Hours’
There are several reasons why more fish get caught in the early morning and late evening hours. Depending on the lake, it could be something as simple as boat traffic. Everyone is entitled to enjoy the water and unfortunately some of the popular activities don’t make it easy to fish. Water skiers, kids tubing, jet skis and pleasure boaters all cause a disturbance in the water and in some cases force fish to alter their feeding habits; enter the Golden hours.
If you are not out on the water as the sun is just starting to pop up over the horizon, or starting to dip behind the trees, not only are you missing out on some spectacular scenery but more importantly you are missing the best bites of the day. Bass, Walleye and Musky are all popular gamefish in the Kawartha lakes and as luck would have it, they are all considered to be sight feeders, relying on their excellent vision to locate and catch prey. Actively feeding fish can be found shallow during this timeframe so concentrate your efforts throwing topwaters, shallow diving crankbaits and spinnerbaits.
Up Your Finesse Game
Sometimes the key to getting more bites is to downsize your presentation. Smaller baits, worked slower along the bottom are often tempting enough to entice a strike from fish that are otherwise not interested. I like to utilize soft plastics for this type of fishing. Wacky rigged worms, Ned rigs and small weedless rigged creature baits can be very effective. It is important to make sure you present these baits on light line, and to work the baits as slowly as possible. Fish will often take advantage of what they think is an easy meal. I like to have a quality fluorocarbon leader tied on for this type of set up as the fish are getting a good long look at your offering. Fluorocarbon becomes nearly invisible in the water, and this makes your lure appear more realistic. Slowing down your presentation is the key to finesse fishing.
Don’t Force It
Far too many anglers try to target certain species when the odds are horribly stacked against them. As a fishing guide, I can tell you that I target certain species at different times of the year because that’s when it’s the easiest to catch them. At the same time, if I’m fishing for Smallmouth Bass and they are being stubborn maybe I’ll switch over to Largemouth instead. It’s all about making the most of your time on the water. If a certain technique isn’t working try something different, what worked last weekend may not hold true this weekend.
Be Stealthy In Your Approach
I always try to minimize my presence while fishing, think of it a bit like hunting, I wear light coloured shirts to help my silhouette blend in with the sky on bright days and keep my movements to a minimum. Fish can “hear” with their lateral line which picks up vibrations in the water. Dropping a heavy object in the bottom of the aluminium boat or blasting the radio gives away your position and can easily spook wary fish. Sound travels 4 times faster in water than air so it’s important to keep the noise level down. I always wear Polarized glasses which help cut the glare off the surface of the water and enable me to see fish and spot submerged objects in the water.
This year, make the most of your time out on the water and put these simple tips to task, don’t fish harder, fish smarter!
Good Luck and Get Outside!
Mike Quesnelle, GOAT Angling Adventures
www.goatanglingadventures.com
705 934-1450
