Jan log

[wiljack78]

First let me say that I've never fished in Jan before. This monthly challege got me out of the house casting on 5 days this Jan. I'm currently traveling in Denver, Colo and was hoping to get a day on a stream to catch a trout. Not going to happen and my fishing days in Jan are done. Too many other things. Now my original goal was to catch a Walleye and I'll have to say right up front, that did not happen. Here is a quick run down of my 5 days. All were on the Susquehanna river in moving water.

Day 1 wading on New Years day. Got skunked, tried a variety of swim shads and rubber on a jig head.
Day 2 was in the revo and I got skunked. Too much current to deal with and I could not really focus on fishing. Starting to think this might be harder than I thought.
Day 3 Caught 1 blue gill and 1 Sun fish. Nice day. I was doing nothing with lures and really wanted to catch something. So I followed my fishing buddies advice and tried worms. They always seem to work.
Day 4 was wading, 1 beautiful 19 inch Smallie on a white 4" swim shad. However, while I was there a local fishing guy suggested I try shinners if I want to catch a Walleye. So I got set up to try it.
Day 5 wading and caught a 13 inch Musky, 2 Sun Fish, 2 Smallies. All on shiners
So if the goal was to keep me involved in fishing through the winter, It's working, Now I'm looking forward to Feb in hopes of landing a Walleye.
Wil

[DOGFISH]

Thanks for the info. Sounds like you are doing ok. Even on the upper Potomac, shinners are the way to go for walleye. I think, I can only remember ever catching one on anything other than a shinner, and that was on a crankbait. There are supposed to be musky in the upper Potomac, but I have not gotten one yet.

I just don't think it is going to warm up to thaw the ice. I may have waited too long for January.

Good Luck.

[surfdog]

good job, looks like live bait over lures in the cold water. lures have to worked vvvery slow in the cold and some sent might be helpfull

[wiljack78]

DOGFISH and Surfdog,
Shinners do seem to be effective. I still like the convenience of lures. My problem with Lures is the Vvvvery slow thing. As soon as I slow lures down, I get hung up on the bottom. I'm in an area that is not deep and has lots of structure to get caught on. Any suggestion on how to slow down and not get hung up in current?

[Redfish12]

Old gene mueller (spelling?) trick is to use a thin wire hook leadhead and a grub with some smelly jelly. I haven't adopted the goo or the catching rate he has but the hooks are nice and bend. Just bend them back. I wouldn't do it in the salt but the freshwater fish I've been catching this Jan feel like I snagged a bunch of leaves so I dont worry about it. Maybe try that with some of those scented walleye grubs?

[DOGFISH]

DOGFISH and Surfdog,
Shinners do seem to be effective. I still like the convenience of lures. My problem with Lures is the Vvvvery slow thing. As soon as I slow lures down, I get hung up on the bottom. I'm in an area that is not deep and has lots of structure to get caught on. Any suggestion on how to slow down and not get hung up in current?

That tends to be a problem with cranks. You could maybe go to a more shallow running crankbait. Also some of the newer suspending crankbaits would work in a crank and stop type of retrieve. Some of the newer soft swim baits, like from Sebile, have weedless style hooks. That may also be an option. The little fat crankbaits, like a fat rap, tend to bounce off and work over structure better. In fact the bumping over and off of the structure is supposed to entice strikes. Walleye and smallies also like tube jigs. I use the coffee type tubes on the upper Potomac. I think the coffee tubes are made by Strike King. A tube can also be rigged weedless. I have had good success on smallmouth with the tubes. There is also the old reliable Texas style or rigged worm.

Also remember to try the slingshot method of freeing a snagged lure. Pull your line out, just above the reel, with the reel engaged, until the rod is bent with alot of pressure on the line, and snap it loose. This sends a shock wave type action down the line and sometimes will free the bait. If not in too deep of water, a lure freeing device, of the screw type wire end pole design, may be a good investment, over the loss of many lures. It may also be cheaper than a broken rod tip, if you are now using you rod tip to free the lures. Rocks are unforgiving on rod tips.

[surfdog]

Dogfish covered that well, you also could try weighted hooks and rig a soft plastic weedless. the new suspending baits are good for slow stop and go retrieves

[Memory Maker]

Drop shot worms .......... go as slow as you want ......

[wiljack78]

lots of good suggestions. The detail and willingness to share is greatly appreciated. I'll give some of these a try. Thanks. Wil