Catch Big Fish

speckled bass

Old School Crappie Fishing Family Secrets

The crappie has so many different names such calico bass, speckled perch, speckled bass, white perch, pole crappie, strawberry bass, and papermouth depending on what part of the country you live in. Going bait fishing for strawberry bass during the fall can sometimes be a very frustrating time of the year if you do not understand the fall transition period in your area. During the period between late summer and the start of fall the water will start too cool and a common term called lake turnover will start to happen.

If you intend to get serious about fall crappie fishing and intend to be bait fishing for white perch in lakes or large reservoirs and you want to continue to catch crappie you need to know the basics of what is called lake turnover. During the summer months lakes with stratify into 3 distinct layers. The surface layer, which is the warmest layer and somewhat oxygenated water, next you ave what is called the thermocline layer which is cool and well oxygenated, and then you have the bottom layer which is the coldest and least oxygenated layer.

During the summer and late fall crappie generally are suspended in the thermocline layer relaxing in the cool well oxygenated water. The key to fall crappie fishing using your bait fishing techniques is to find where the speckled perch are located during and after the lake turn over. When the temperature starts to cool this layer in essence starts to sink. It has long been known the colder then after the heavier it gets. The layers below the surface water is warmer and will rise. The three layers of water will continue to mix, rise, and fall until the temperature of the water reaches approximately 39 degrees. When this temperature is reached it is harder to go fall crappie fishing using your bait fishing skills because the three layers and the crappie could be located at any depth. After lake turn over , the water will stay this way until late spring when the water once again starts to warm.

One key factor I have found with papermouth in the fall is they feel most comfortable when they are close to good food sources. If you can find what food sources they are feeding on you can make your fall crappie fishing using your excellent bait fishing skills for trip more successful.

I want to thank you for reading my article about Strawberry Bass. We wish you the best of luck on your next fishing trip!

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channel catfish in ponds

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Much like in rivers, the hole will hold the channel catfish for bait fishing action in ponds. Catfish will winter in the deepest holes in a pond and they will roam structure like points and flats that are close to their hole during spring, summer and fall before the ice is on. In barren ponds look for channel catfish along banks that drop off fast into  deeper water. You can find them around docks and weed beds.

Getting the bigger channel catfish in a pond to bite is sometimes very challenging, but not impossible. One of the best catfish fishing rigs to use is a simple slip sinker rig. To make a slip sinker rig to be used for bait fishing for channel catfish  in ponds follow the following simple steps. Silde a small  ¼ ounce egg sinker up your line, then tie on a two way ball bearing swivel. Make sure the ball bearing swivel is large enough so the egg sinker does not slide over the top and past it towards the hook. Next tie on a 8” to 12” inch leader with a 3/0 to 5/0 bait fishing hook. Use creek chubs cut into 2” to 3” chunks for catfish bait. You can also use gizzard shad cut into strips or chunks if creek chubs are not available. Dip baits work well if you ar targeting small channel catfish.

To catch the large channel catfish it is best to fish at night. When you find the spot you want to set up for the night you can increase your chances of catching some larger channel catfish if use a underwater fishing light and you chum the area. You can use fish guts and blood, or small chicken guts laid out in sun all day for chum. If there are some large catfish in the pond the small and taste of the chum will attract them. The underwater fishing light will attract small bait fish to the area and they will start feeding on the chum. The larger channel catfish will much les wary and come looking for an easy feed.

Its best to use bait fish using natural catfish cut baits such as creek chubs and gizzard shad. Although the shad are not native to most ponds bigger channel catfish like to eat oily fish as food. The reason chumming attracts the bigger catfish is because it intensifies there smell and taste senses. Also because as I said earlier the chum also attract small bait fish to the area. Large channel catfish cannot resist a feeding school of bait fish and you can use this fact to your advantage on your next bait fishing trip to a pond.

Well that concludes my article about Bait Fish. Have a great day and the the best of luck to you on your next fishing trip

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Old School Catfish Fishing Family Secrets

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channel catfish

Old School Catfish Fishing Family Secrets

You might be surprised there may be 30lb blue catfish or channel catfish or even a flathead monster in a river very close to you. There are parts of small rivers and large rivers that change on the way riffles, holes, and runs always align them selves within the river systems. The key is being able to recognize a riffle because a hole follows down stream, and a run always follows a hole down stream. This pattern is never out of order in any river system. This seems simple but all three of these river elements change in size, in shape all along the river. Also what was identified this year as a good hole may or may not be there next year.

Once you start to recognize this distinct pattern on small or large rivers you can start to identify good holes that may hold populations of blue catfish and channel catfish and your bait fishing efforts will start to be rewarded with good catches of catfish.

Riffles will extend down river and will be shallow and have a hard bottom. The rushing water over these shallow riffles and the rushing water flow will then cut the softer sand and soil creating a hole. Holes are also called a river pools and blue catfish and channel catfish will hold here. Just a note all holes are not created equal. Some holes will only be 2 or 3 feet and may not hold any catfish. Blue catfish and channel catfish will normally hold in the largest and deepest holes. Runs are river flats that begin at the tail out of holes down stream. Many times silt and any debris starts a run by sinking to the bottom of holes. Runs make up the majority of the terrain in the rivers. Eventually runs meet a riffle and another hole will be created down stream of the riffle and potentially more catfish bait fishing opportunities.

Catfish are seasonal and will move to different sections of a river as the seasons change. But how far they move depends on the species of catfish. For example channel catfish may move into small tributaries far removed from the main river, but flathead catfish may only move one tributary away. Blue catfish will seldom move away from the main river and you will only find a very few in tributaries away from the main river. They just very seldom ever move from the deep water of the main river.

One very effective river catfish fishing rig is a slip bobber rig.Slip bobber rigs are great for drifting over catfish holes downstream to find holding catfish. To make a slip bobber rig slide a bobber stop up your line. Next slide a slip bobber on the line. Next slide a small egg sinker up the line, then tie on a two way swivel. Then tie on a 8” leader with a 3/0 to 5/0 hook. Your cutbait type will depend on the type of forage fish are native to the river. For example if creek chubs are plentiful then you definitely would want to be bait fishing with them either as a cut bait or live bait, either would work as your catfish bait selection.

We hope the information here has bin helpful about about Blue Catfish. Have a great day and the the best of luck to you on your next fishing trip

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