Links

Renew your Ohio Boat Registration online. Simply choose “Register your Boat>Online Renewal.”

 

Books

eastcover  EWL front cover small  westcover

A couple of our favorite books are from Erie Wrecks! We all know finding those sweet spots on the Lake make for a great day of fishing. These books make for a nice read. You can get a much better feel for the size of the wrecks you see on your GPS after reading these.

Magazines

BASS Quest Magazine is one of the newest on the market. A more personal approach where you can really get to know the anglers.

Apps

NAVIONICS is one of my favorite apps. More to follow on how we use this app on Iphone and Ipads side by side with our Hummnibird Electronics!

Jimmy’s Corner

Choosing the Right Musky Rod and Reel Setup

Jimmy

By Jim Evans

Over the years, the world of musky fishing has changed drastically and along with it so has the tackle used to catch them. Musky tackle used to consist of short stout rods, big clunky level wind reels, heavy dacron line, thick steel leaders, and oversized bass baits.

Today, musky tackle has evolved. Many musky rods are now eight to even nine feet long and thick as a broomstick handle to accommodate lures up to 48 ounces. Quality has also improved with better guides, stronger and more sensitive graphite, and reduced weight to make casting all day long more enjoyable. Some reels have a low profile design, similar to a bass reel, with a deeper spool and a stronger drag to help create a better fit in the palm of your hand. Braided line has become the norm with its’ strong no stretch quality and along with a thinner diameter. Many musky leaders are now made from a flexible, no kink titanium and even some being made of fluorocarbon. Perhaps the biggest change has been in the lures. Instead of a number five Mepps spinner, musky spinners are over a foot long with double #10 and even #13 size blades. Soft plastic or rubber lures have gained great popularity. Musky Innovations has developed heavy duty rubber baits in excess of 15” and weighing close to two pounds. Chunking big baits like this all day long can cause wear and tear on the body along with a shoulder that needs to be iced at the end of the day as if you were a major league pitcher. But the reward can greatly be worth the risk.

Over the past five years I have a noticed a significant difference in the musky tackle I’ve used and the change has been successful. Not only am I seeing more fish, but catching more too. Just seeing a fish or two was considered a good day, but now it is not uncommon to see fish numbers in the double digits or catching three a day or even in the span of a couple hours. No longer do I use rods that are 6’6” spooled with 50 pound braid and a titanium leader.

If you’re looking to set yourself up with a musky rod and reel setup I would begin with a rod at least 7’6” long with a medium-heavy fast action. A rod that can hold at least 50 pound test line and can handle ¾ ounce to 3 ounce baits is a good general purpose musky rod. Most of us today are on a limited budget. Musky Innovations and Gander Mountain both make musky rods that start around $80. The prices go up from there to the St. Croix Triump, which will run around $140 and the St. Croix Legend Tournament, which can run about $340, among several other brands and price ranges. A 7’6” rod is easy to cast while allowing for you to make longer casts as well as better hooks ups on fish. Plus you don’t have to bend over as far when doing the figure eight ahead of a following fish. I have found the longer rods to be better for topwater lures and bucktails, while shorter rods are better for jerkbaits. Each one has its’ own purpose.

In regards to reels, again on a budget, Abu Garcia’s Ambassadeur 5600C4 or 6600C4 is a quality reel to go with. It will run around $125. I would choose the C4 over the C3 because it has a higher gear ratio (6.3:1) and the thumb bar is right in the middle of the reel. With the C3 the gear ratio is slower (5.3:1) and it’s always easier to slow down when reeling than it is to speed up. Also, the thumb bar is on the side of the C3 reel which causes for two hands to be on the reel when casting, one to hold the line on the spool and the other to engage the reel. The C3 is more beneficial for trolling. The Shimano Curado 300E is also a nice choice, however is more expensive. It is similar to a low profile bass reel, which fits better into the palm of the hand, meanwhile still has a big enough line capacity. Other quality options are the Shimano Calcutta and the Abu Carcia Revo Toro series. Again you want a reel that can hold plenty of line.

When choosing line I like to use braid because I cast 99% of the time. Heavy monofilament is better for trolling where I prefer a little stretch. With the braids you have a no stretch line that help improve on hook sets. When casting and you’re using monofilament, it can have up to 20% stretch, which means a 100 foot cast can have 20 feet of stretch if you’re trying to set the hook and could lead to the loss of a fish. I prefer using monofilament for trolling because I prefer a little stretch as to not pull the hooks from the mouth. There’s too much resistance when you’re trolling at a couple miles per hour and a then a 20 pound musky decides to pull in the opposite direction. I tend to use 80 to 100 pound test braid. It may sound a little silly, but there’s good reason for it. I use to use 50 pound braid, which is strong enough, but if you get a backlash and you’re using 50 pound braid that has a 12 pound test monofilament diameter, it can be very difficult to get the backlash out. An 80 to 100 pound test braid has the diameter of 18 to 20 pound test mono, which makes getting a backlash out much more manageable, plus I’m never worried of a fish breaking off. When using bigger, heavier baits the likelihood of a backlash running deeper into the spool is more likely, so make it easier on yourself and choose and heavier pound test braid. I would recommend Power Pro for about $18 for a 150 yard spool. It’s a strong line with a low-vis green color. Another advantage with braid, although it’s more expensive than mono, is that you can keep it on a spool for years. The sunlight and elements do not damage braid like it does monofilament. Also, whenever you put braid on a spool, I don’t care if it’s a spinning reel, trolling reel, or baitcast reel, always use a monofilament backing. There are two reason for this. First, if you tie braid directly to a spool the braid can slip around the spool so in essence the drag is worthless and the line will keep spinning while you’re trying to land that trophy fish. Second is cost. Braid can be expensive. If a reel is rated for 120 yards of 10 pound test monofilament and you chose a 10 pound test braid that has the diameter of two pound monofilament, it could take 300 yards and $40 worth of line to fill the spool. So put some cheap monofilament backing on there, roughly the same diameter, and tie the two lines together using a uni-to-uni knot or a blood knot. The amount of line can vary depending on line diameter and spool capacity. Until you become efficient at doing so, I would take the reel and line to your local sporting goods store where they can spool it for you for a couple dollar fee. They normally with have a yard meter to determine how much line they’re putting on.

Lastly, determining which leaders to use. I never use wire or titanium leader anymore. I will occasionally use a straight piano wire leader for topwater side to side baits, but other than that I use fluorocarbon. Fluorocarbon is great because it has less stretch and is also invisible under the water because it doesn’t reflect light like monofilament. This is very advantageous especially in heavily pressured lakes or when the water is super clear. I feel I also see more action in the bait than I do with a stiffer wire leader. I typically start with a 12” to 14” 80 pound fluorocarbon leader and will even use up to a 100 pound or even 150 pound test depending on where I’m fishing and what I’m throwing. Spro makes a fluorocarbon leader that will start around $8 for a two pack. However, I prefer Stealth Tackle fluorocarbon leaders. They’re going to cost about $13 for a two pack, but it’s well worth it. The reason being I like their components better. They use a high quality ball bearing swivel along with a “magic eye” snap which allows for less chance of the snap opening up when you’re in a battle with a mean green toothy critter. They also not only crimp their leaders, but they are tied and glued as well for extra hold. Fluorocarbon holds up well. Occasionally you may see a nick in the line after catching a fish, in that case I would discard the leader. The same thing can happen with wire leaders though, but it’s rather a kink you will get in the wire and in which case I would discard it.

So if you’re looking to get started in musky fishing or looking for a gift for the musky angler I would chose this set up.

7’6” MH Musky rod, 30-50 pound line, ¾ ounce to 3 ounce lures ($80)

Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 5600 C4 ($125)

80 pound test Power Pro braided line ($18)

80 pound test, 12” Stealth Tackle fluorocarbon leader ($13)

This gets you an all-around musky setup for about $240, but it’s well worth it because with a fish like this, the fish of 10,000 casts, you don’t want to risk it using cheap gear.

In many cases the musky fishing is better today than it’s ever been. A lot of that success is due to the efforts of state fishery management and stocking programs, and organizations like Muskies Inc. who urge folks to be careful when handling a musky. They are not a fish meant for eating. They are a true sport fish so please be careful when handling. The best way to handle the fish once it’s in the net is to keep the fish in the net and in the water when unhooking it and searching for the camera. Then grab the fish under the gill while supporting its’ stomach with the other hand. Catch the fish, take a picture, and release it. This allows for other future fisherman to enjoy them so put them back.

Making Your Own Livewell

By Jim Evans

Pump
Materials Needed:

-Metal Marine Products Catch Saver 12 volt DC Aerator Kit $42.99

-Coleman 70 quart Cooler $39.99

-3M Marine Grade Silicone Sealant $7.49

-Small 12 Volt Battery $19.99

Fishing tournaments out of my canoe, I do not have the luxury of having a built in livewell as is the case with many jon boats and smaller aluminum boats. However, there is a way to build your own livewell at a reasonable cost. All that is required is an aerator system, a cooler, silicone sealant, and a power source.

Metal Marine Products makes an aerator kit that is pretty easy to install and includes a 500 GPH pump with suction cups, aerator spray pipe, 5.5 ft. flexible tubing, foam filter, and a 10’ 16 AWG power cord with copper battery clips. I like to mount this in a 70 quart cooler as this seems to be a sufficient amount of room for a sizeable limit of bass. The aerator pump can also double as a bilge pump and can adjust to any size cooler. I permanently mounted my aerator kit so it cannot double as a bilge pump.

When installing the aerator kit I decided to use screws to permanently mount it as I noticed the suction cups would not always hold in place as the bass moved around in the cooler. The aerator spray pipe uses suction cups and instead I used screws and drilled into the cooler. Do not forget to use a marine grade silicone sealant when you drill into the cooler as this could cause water to leak into the liner of the cooler. After cutting the hose down to the right size, I used screws and zip ties to attach the hose to the side of the cooler. I left the pump attached to the suction cups to make it easier to remove the filter for cleaning. I beveled out a little grove in the top lip of the cooler and on the lid as well to allow for the power cord to pass along outside the cooler to reduce the chance of crimping or pinching the wire. Then you simply attach the positive and negative ends of the wire to the corresponding terminals of your 12 volt battery. A small 12 volt 9 amp battery works well or you can connect it to your 12 volt marine battery.

When filling the livewell I use a cut down bleach bottle or milk jug since the pump is permanently mounted and I cannot drop it in the water and pump in water from the lake. In the beginning of the tournament I only fill the livewell with a couple inches of water. This helps to cut down on the weight as a livewell completely filled with water can add a significant amount of weight. Once I catch a keeper and put in the livewell I then add more water. Meanwhile, there was enough water in the livewell for the fish to swim in and be able to breathe until I was able to fill it. You may not catch your first keeper until halfway through the day and if you have a livewell completely filled with water then this added weight can drain your battery quicker as you travel from spot to spot with the electric motor.

Other optional features I use include adding either Sure-Life Please Release Me or Rejuvenade powder to the livewell. These will run about $12 for a 10oz. bottle and all that is needed is one capful. The powder dissolves quickly and helps to calm the bass, preserve their protective slime coat, heal hook wounds, reduce weight loss, and remove chlorine. I also put a piece of foam in the livewell. When opening the cooler lid, the bass tend to hide under the foam and are less likely to try and jump out, as this has happened to me where the fish jumped right out of the livewell and back into the lake. In the summertime, you can also freeze some bottles filled with water and place them in the livewell over the course of the day. This will help to keep the water cooler as a 90 degree sunny day can warm up the water quickly, especially in boats with aluminum livewells. However, with the insulated cooler, the water temperature remains pretty constant all day.

This rig is pretty easy to install and can be done for a reasonable price of about $100. Plus, the fish seem to be a lot more healthy and lively when using a cooler as opposed to other types of livewells. Just be careful when lifting the cooler if it’s filled with water and bass. It can be quite heavy and you don’t want to injure your back. Once the fish are released you can open the drain plug and let the water drain out. I also will spray out the cooler when I get home to get some of the stink out. I spray some Simple Green in there as it is non-toxic and leaves no lasting residue or fumes. Then just rinse it out, let it dry, and you’re ready for nest tournament.

Photos courtesy of Marine Metal Products

PleaseReleaseMe SuperSaver cooler FishInWell JimmyBatteryLiveWell

Go Green FISHING

I am excited to announce our newest writer, James Evans.  Jimmy is one of the nicest guys I have met in this sport. He is going to help all of you hook into that Dream Fish!

From Lunker Bass to Monster toothy Fish he knows the tactics! He is also going to share his secrets on fishing from a canoe!

Jimmy shares his first Tactic with TLT!

Bass Rigs On A Budget
By Jim Evans

So you think you need an expensive bass rig to compete and fish effectively… Not necessarily the case.

Nowadays there are many bass tournament circuits across Northeast Ohio and across the country. These tournaments include a wide range of small bass clubs to open circuits with fields of up to 80 boats or more. Many people feel that in order to compete in these tournaments a $40,000 bass boat, such as a Ranger, Nitro, Champion, or Bass Cat, is required, but that is far from the truth.
Being a college student an expensive bass boat isn’t in the cards so I’ve had to look to elsewhere in order to find a way to get out on the water and fish. My answer to that is a 1980 Michicraft canoe. Over the years I have critiqued this rig, which has allowed me to compete in several tournaments, especially on the electric motor only on lakes around Northeast Ohio. It is a very simple rig that is very cost efficient and allows me to stand up and fish all day long.
The canoe I fish out of is 15 feet long and runs on a 40 pound thrust Minn Kota Endura trolling motor. Electric motors can be mounted on either flat-back canoes or simply by adding a mounting bracket to the side. I always keep two batteries in the canoe, one in the back by myself and the motor and the other in the front. It’s nice having two batteries in case one runs out of juice, and by having the other battery in the front it helps to keep the nose of the canoe in the water and help balance out the weight. However, always keep a paddle with you just in case, you never when the prop may come off or some other malfunction may occur, leaving you S.O.L. without any way of making it back to the weigh-in on time. I’ve also added a fish finder to the rig. Both Hummingbird and Lowrance make portable fish finders that are fairly inexpensive and start around $130. The transducer attaches to the boat via a suction cup and runs off of either 8 AA batteries or a small 12-volt battery. Next is the livewell. I bought an inexpensive 70 quart cooler and permanently mounted an aerator inside, which runs off of a 12-volt battery. An anchor or small drift sock can be used to help control your drift and positioning. The rig is not complete without a couple of doormats. When I’m standing up all day fishing, I tend to move around a little bit and with it being an aluminum canoe that can produce a lot of noise, thus spooking the fish. My solution, purchase a rubber doormat from the hardware store and place it in the bottom of the canoe. This will help decrease the noise and help with the traction on the floor should water get in the boat. From there, all you need is your fishing gear and you’re ready to go.
And don’t think that just because you have a canoe you’re limited to calm inland lakes, which are restricted to electric motors. I have even taken my canoe up to Presque Isle and fished the bay. I’m sure it’s amusing to other fisherman to see a guy out there fishing out of a canoe, but when you put a 4 pound smallie in the boat and other anglers in bass boats start to converge on you because they’re not catching any fish and you are, it’s even more amusing. When I first started taking the canoe to some of my bass tournaments the guys in the club would tease me about it, but when I started winning and finishing in the money the guys kiddingly wanted to ban the canoe. This proves that you don’t have to invest thousands of dollars to fish effectively. If you’re fish catching techniques work, that’s all that matters because the fish don’t see what you’re fishing out of, all they see is the lure you present to them.
Bottom line, it’s a simple and effective rig. Just use common sense. If you’re not comfortable standing up, then don’t do it. Be careful especially in colder conditions and wear your PFD. If you are going to stand, I would suggest that it be just yourself in the canoe as an unexpected movement from a co-angler could cause you to take a swim. So if you see a tall skinny guy fishing out of an old aluminum canoe chances are it’s probably me.

See you on the water.

Jimmy_TLT_Toothy

Jimmy’s Corner