Just some Yammering

[clm]

I hit a local spot yesterday that I know has pickerel. I read a thread on completing a fishing challenge of catching a fish every month for a year. It doesn't sound that difficult...I look at it from the perspective that there is no reason that I shouldn't let myself get too busy that I can't fit in some "me" time. I tried again to cast with the steel telescopic fly rod that I picked up from ebay...it is just too flexible...I tried with 8wt, 5wt and 3wt line. It manages to tie a half hitch at the eye after a few casting attempts...it is just too flexible....you can feel it whipping around like crazy on the back and forward cast...I will bring it back out this summer, just to catch some bluegill on it. Right now it is hanging up as an 100 year old fishing decoration. I did manage to land two picks yesterday. I missed, but briefly felt two more, and had one self release as I lifted it out of the water. 16-18 inches. I was using a green clouser style that I ordered from China. I then switched to the smaller spinners from Walmart that come in a pack of 5. Those are my go-to lures on the ultra light spinning rod...they catch everything it seems. I had the barbs pressed down, but still mangled the smaller pick, as he had it fairly deep...it still swam off, but it didn't make me happy. So I cut a barb off, leaving two. When I got home I modified another spinner to a single hook only. I'm hoping to test it out after the snow goes away. I love fishing, but I dislike harming something if I'm not going to eat it.
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If it swims well, I will make a few more. I will have to find my stash of snap rings first though. I know that in order to find them, I will first have to buy some more, that's how it works right? Big thank you to Mark too...I was using my Ted Williams fly rod with 8wt line...and instead of using tapered leaders, just a single length of heavy flourocarbon...It casts well and turned over the heavier clouser with ease....and the picks didn't seem to care that wasn't a crafted tapered leaders/tippet. If it gets me fishing faster, easier and still produces...win, win, win.

[Mark]

Good start in 2021 for you Chip.

Nice looking spinner.

[clm]

Good start in 2021 for you Chip.

Nice looking spinner.

Thank you. I know there are some manufactured models, but at this point, I have tons that I can "upgrade" or "downgrade," depending on how you view it..for a little effort and minimal cost...and I need something to tinker with since the weather is being a pain.

[DanMarino]

I have some of those spinners CLM. I like your single hook modification. It is a bummer when fish get a lure down deep. Nice job getting some February fish. You are 2 months ahead on me for 2021. haha.

[Mark]

We're fortunate here in the Chesapeake region to have many well-protected (from wind) tidal creeks and ponds that are ideal for winter fishing. Last year, the virus and governor's restrictions kept me from catching fish from my kayak each month locally. Was it April 2020 that we were banned from recreational fishing? I have no photos of outings from that month in my computer file. I must not have fished that month. In a normal year, catching fish each month locally is not difficult.

This year so far it has been weather and a busy schedule that have kept me off of the water in February. January was rather mild and I got out several times and caught bass and picks. February is still young. I hope that in the next few weeks the Canadians keep their polar vortex near their border and we have better days for fishing.

Until then, it's a good time to tie flies and make jigs, spinners and other lures. Experiment. The fish we target from our kayaks are not picky. Anything you create that wobbles, makes noise and/or is the right size is likely to work. And, single hooks as opposed to trebles are always a wise choice.

[thedutchtouch]

Over the winter I changed all of my larger lures to inline singles after reading about it for a while on here. I was somewhat wary of changing the smaller spinners and the like because I thought that it would throw off the balance of the lure and affect the spin/action somehow. After reading this I suppose that was an incorrect assumption and I need to buy some smaller inline hooks to complete the transition.