How many times have you been out on a trout stream and seen someone netting trout regularly? When we see someone hooking up pretty consistently, the first question that probably comes to mind is, “What are you using?”
In my early days of trout fishing, I watched the guy who taught me the art of salmon egg fishing catch trout after trout. It was common for someone fishing nearby to ask him what he was using, and he didn’t hesitate to pass along the bait that was taking all of those trout. It was not unusual to watch that fisherman switch over to salmon eggs and catch nothing.
Over the years, I’ve seen the same scenario occur on lakes while I was fishing for bass or some type of panfish. Our boat might be going nuts hooking crappies, but the boat 20 yards away can rarely buy a strike. At times, the question rings out, “What are you using?”
If I’m on a trout stream and my buddy is picking up trout consistently on a dry fly and I’m not, guess what I’m asking, “What are you using?” Sure, that’s an important question that’s worth paying attention to because fish can sometimes be very picky, and maybe only certain lures, baits, or fly patterns will be produced. That’s very common in fly fishing when certain mayflies are hatching, and the trout will only take a fly pattern that matches that natural fly’s size and pattern. So the point is it’s not just knowing just “what” they are taking but “how” are you presenting and fishing that particular lure or pattern.
When it comes to the “how” of fishing, there are a lot of things to consider. I might be stretching it, but I think the “how” of fishing is a lot about getting into the details of what you are presenting, the equipment you are using, and the techniques used in presenting your offering.
There’s no way I can cover this in one column because there is so much involved in the “how” for all the different species that we pursue. Certainly, size is a major factor when it comes to lures and baits.
All too often I see anglers using lures that are too big for the fish they are after. This seems especially true when it comes to panfish angling. Bluegills, perch, and crappies, for the most part, have smaller mouths, so smaller lures and baits will allow for more hookups, but smaller hooks and jigs will also increase hookups.
Not only is it important to be careful of size when it comes to lures and baits, but the equipment you use to present those lures and baits must also be of the appropriate size.
It’s not at all unusual to see anglers on a trout stream with spinning outfits that are too large and heavy to consistently detect the strike of a trout. Not only are the outfits themselves too heavy but the heavy line sometimes of double-digit strength will also not allow for light strikes. I often see the same thing when pursuing panfish: equipment and line too heavy for adequate strike detection. Once the size is correct for the fish you are after, the presentation is also important.
There are a host of ways to present lures and baits for all the different species that one might pursue; again, there is no way that all can be covered in this space. When it comes to bait fishing or presenting small jigs, I generally keep a tight line and a high rod tip so that I can feel that light tap and set the hook quickly.
That tight line, high rod tip is fine for a lot of presentation, but when it comes to presenting the great host of artificial lures for bass, walleyes, pike and muskies, there are several techniques that must be mastered. When it comes to bass fishing, working a jerkbait, “walking the dog,” cranking a spinnerbait, working a Texas or Carolina rig, or presenting a wacky worm rig all require a different approach.
Hopefully, I can cover some of those techniques and give presentations in the days to come. In the meantime, don’t just ask “how,” but also “what” type of presentation is also important.
