Yesterday afternoon trip and my gear breakdown

[Scout'nStripers]

I decided to take a quick run to the creek this afternoon before the rain arrived. I fished for a couple hours before heading in for dinner. No creek pandas this afternoon but about 6-7 of the creek chubs and a few smaller fish mixed in. Someone asked about my spinning rig that I'm using so I took a few pictures. The rod is a 7'6" MH Enigma HPT. I like this rod because it's thick and it has a lot of backbone for setting the hook on these bigger bass. The reel is a Lew's 11 bearing Orange Crush C40 loaded with 100 feet of 8lb Sunline FC sniper for backing. Next is Sunline high vis 12lb braid with a 8lb Sunline FC Sniper leader about 30 feet long. I tie the fluorocarbon to braid with a geriatric Alberto knot. I'm using a 1/4 ounce round head shakey head jigs and various worms, most of which are green pumpkin in color right now. I'm using everything from a 4 inch Senko to a zoom finesse or just a plain green pumpkin 6 inch trick worm. These fish will eat a lot of different worms right now so I think the worm selection is pretty forgiving. Try some different worms until you find one you and the fish like. For the past few weeks including the BFL I concentrated on deeper docks and rocks with deep water nearby. I've also been targeting some pre-spawn staging secondary points off and on. If I found a stretch of docks that had deeper water and dark chunk rock I was probably going to fish it. On the cloudy days the fish have been scattered around the docks so I've been throwing around the front, back, sides, into the empty slips, skipping under voids and throwing up shallow in between the docks.

 

[Coenen]

Beating em up here lately! Nice.

 

[Scout'nStripers]

Beating em up here lately! Nice.

It just boils down to "time on the water". If I'm out there just about every day I can stay on the fish and follow the pattern. It's been my experience that just prior to the February full moon some of the biggest fish are out cruising and eating. The days are getting longer quicker now and I'm starting to wonder if we have already seen the lake temps bottom out for the winter. From some indications we're in for an early spring this year and with the water levels up we should see a good spawn of baitfish and predatory fish.

 

[Coenen]

There is definitely a correlation between the hours put in and the fish you get out.

 

[TroyBoy30]

That’s a really interesting setup. Never seen anyone do flouro to braid to leader. Most simply do all flouro or braid to leader.

 

[Scout'nStripers]

That’s a really interesting setup. Never seen anyone do flouro to braid to leader. Most simply do all flouro or braid to leader.

It cuts down on wind knots in the braid if you use backing and a smaller amount of braid. I know it sounds weird but it works.

 

[Tarpfisher]

Floro or mono backing will also help the braid not to slip on the reel.

I use cheap mono as the backing and make the braid go further. You can spool several reels this way.

Actually works really well.

 

[RamblinWreck]

Great info. Thanks.

 

[txc35]

I use cheap mono as the backing and make the braid go further. You can spool several reels this way.

Actually works really well.

I set up in a similar way but I never considered adding the 30 foot FC leader. I usually just add about 4-5 feet but may try this, esp if it reduces wind knots.

 

[Papa Bear]

You always have great reports and tips for us weekend warriors!

 

[Scout'nStripers]

You always have great reports and tips for us weekend warriors!

Years ago after military retirement I sat in a 9 by 9 cubical at Lockheed Martin writing how-to manuals for electronic warfare six days a week. I was a weekend warrior myself so I understand the value of those reports.

 

[buckbull]

I too appreciate the tips and reports as I try to get on the water around a busy work schedule.

 

[goshenmountainman]

It just boils down to "time on the water". If I'm out there just about every day I can stay on the fish and follow the pattern. It's been my experience that just prior to the February full moon some of the biggest fish are out cruising and eating. The days are getting longer quicker now and I'm starting to wonder if we have already seen the lake temps bottom out for the winter. From some indications we're in for an early spring this year and with the water levels up we should see a good spawn of baitfish and predatory fish.

I think its gonna be an early spring to, I noticed up in the sky the annual migration of sandhill cranes flew over my house, every year they come and rest on a farm pond just up the road. It usually marks the start of the spring,they been coming for about 15 years. And I also saw some March flowers blooming at a house I caretake, when they bloom early supposed to be a early spring. I am ready, bring it on!