Post by ikMOON on Mar 26, 2017 15:16:11 GMT -5
Weather: Slightly overcast, cool morning in the high 40s warming to low 70s afternoon, calmer winds building into the late afternoon, falling pressure
Water: 53-57 degrees, 2-5' clarity, nice and green, slightly to moderately trashed in certain places.
Method: Pulled small to medium sized gizzard shad on free lines behind planer boards.
I got skunked. Thought I'd get that out of the way to begin with. I pulled bait for most of the afternoon until 4:00 in two separate places about two miles apart minus the pedal time. I didn't get as much as a swirl! No nervous bait, nothing. Talked to two other fellas at the ramp--they were asking the same questions, where are the fish? Maybe on spring break.
I spent most of the morning getting acquainted with some new electronics and putting in some much needed practice time with the cast net. Bait was easier found than caught earlier in the morning, for me that is. I was able test the limits of my 8' Tim Wade 1/2" mesh 1.25 lb. per foot net as the bait was pretty stacked up in a river bend.
Most of the bait was found in 20-25 feet of water but suspending at 10 feet or deeper. Even what I found in 17 feet of water was still suspending at the same 10 feet or more depth. At this holding depth in deeper water the bait seems to have plenty of time to get out of the way of the net at its sink rate.
Even in shallower water, but at depths of 10 feet or more, they have sufficient time to move away for my particular net specs. I really would have liked to have had a 3/4" mesh, same weight, to try at the same time.
Later in the day I found some mixed sized bait in less than 10 feet of water. Whole different ball game there, more like shooting fish in a barrel. My practice now echoes the wisdom of other experienced opinions I've read about--there is no one-size-fits-all cast net.
I was also able to make adjustments to what I've found to be a workable casting method for throwing an 8' net from a kayak. My shoulder after surgery isn't going to handle a one handed cast that requires rotation of the net (like the striper soup method). What I needed was something similar to the shrimper's method where the front of the net (12 o'clock) is thrown away from you, while the rear (6 o'clock) is held momentarily and basically dropped at your feet. Trouble was the shrimper's method needs room to load. What I settled with is something similar to this fella... www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SZC3qrhZ4Q
I don't use my teeth, but my thumb on the hand the holds the rope and net coils and my pinky finger on the other. I still need some practice getting the right side (2-4 o'clock) open all the way.
Water: 53-57 degrees, 2-5' clarity, nice and green, slightly to moderately trashed in certain places.
Method: Pulled small to medium sized gizzard shad on free lines behind planer boards.
I got skunked. Thought I'd get that out of the way to begin with. I pulled bait for most of the afternoon until 4:00 in two separate places about two miles apart minus the pedal time. I didn't get as much as a swirl! No nervous bait, nothing. Talked to two other fellas at the ramp--they were asking the same questions, where are the fish? Maybe on spring break.
I spent most of the morning getting acquainted with some new electronics and putting in some much needed practice time with the cast net. Bait was easier found than caught earlier in the morning, for me that is. I was able test the limits of my 8' Tim Wade 1/2" mesh 1.25 lb. per foot net as the bait was pretty stacked up in a river bend.
Most of the bait was found in 20-25 feet of water but suspending at 10 feet or deeper. Even what I found in 17 feet of water was still suspending at the same 10 feet or more depth. At this holding depth in deeper water the bait seems to have plenty of time to get out of the way of the net at its sink rate.
Even in shallower water, but at depths of 10 feet or more, they have sufficient time to move away for my particular net specs. I really would have liked to have had a 3/4" mesh, same weight, to try at the same time.
Later in the day I found some mixed sized bait in less than 10 feet of water. Whole different ball game there, more like shooting fish in a barrel. My practice now echoes the wisdom of other experienced opinions I've read about--there is no one-size-fits-all cast net.
I was also able to make adjustments to what I've found to be a workable casting method for throwing an 8' net from a kayak. My shoulder after surgery isn't going to handle a one handed cast that requires rotation of the net (like the striper soup method). What I needed was something similar to the shrimper's method where the front of the net (12 o'clock) is thrown away from you, while the rear (6 o'clock) is held momentarily and basically dropped at your feet. Trouble was the shrimper's method needs room to load. What I settled with is something similar to this fella... www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SZC3qrhZ4Q
I don't use my teeth, but my thumb on the hand the holds the rope and net coils and my pinky finger on the other. I still need some practice getting the right side (2-4 o'clock) open all the way.
