Fishing Tips

By the number of e-mails coming in about my blog here, I guess someone is reading it. Thank-you. As a fishing guide I have many responsiblities. I've got to be a Jack of All Trades. It might not seem important to you right now in front of your computer but if you were 30 miles from nowhere, a storm was brewing and the outboard motor was acting up, you might think so. Or imagine if you've got your vactation dollars ear marked for your fishing trip and you want to have a carefree productive fishing excursion, a fishing guide has to carry a very heavy load. A guide has to prepare and maintain equipment, know weather conditions, know the water and species you want to fish for, he's a writer, knows first aid, CPR, woodsmanship, wilderness survival, engine mechanics, computer operation, is an expert in fishing techniques and equipment, boating safety and aids to navigation, business and finance not to mention how to debone and cook a northern pike, maybe a pyschologist. I wouldn't recommend taking this up if you don't want to learn these things. Probably the most important attributes of a good fishing guide is that they are terrible tournament fishermen. Clients aren't paying the guide to show them how well he can fish. The guide has to be free with information, patient, forgiving, physically fit, organized and above all professional.
I believe as a guide,it is important to share information. Not necessarily specific fishing spots but techniques and general location is open for discussion. I've been catching monsterous walleye near long mainlake windblown points using jerkbaits. Rogues, Huskie Jerks, and Lucky Craft Pointers have been the best. Well the Lucky Crafts have been to tops but they are so expensive that I wouldn't recommend the kids whipping them around. Larger suspending jerks are the most productive but you have to be very deliberate in your presentation. Be accurate in you casts, crank the bait down with three of four turns of the reel and let it sit. Move it a bit with a good solid jerk, take up the slack and wait a bit. Do this all around a likely point, you'll catch a ton of fish. If you aren't catching fish, you are probably working to fast. Again be deliberate. Smallmouth and very large pike are likely to grab your offering as well. Give the fish time to move off structure or the bottom to strike your bait.
Some of the secrets to fishing jerkbaits that I have kept, well they won't be secrets any more now, are: Always use a fiberglass rod that isn't too long or to short for you. I'm not a tall guy so I like to use a 6 foot Seeker or Lamiglass rod. Glass rods are less likely to break and they handle the shock of a big fish strike. They also have a little more give so you lose fewer fish on the fight. Taller folks may want to use a longer rod. An expensive graphite rod can be in pieces very quickly if you get into big fish. You really don't need the ultra sensitive rod anyway. Try to find a rod with a strong backbone, not a buggy whip. A good top quality glass rod can be tough to find. If you scrounge one up, your going to pay but it will last for years. I like to use bait casting gear in most applications but If you have to throw a smaller jerkbait or if it's really windy I'll use spinning gear.
Now the secret part. If you have fished Rainy with me, you know that jerkbait fishing can get very expensive when the big northerns are active. You also know that you catch a ton of fish using jerks so you just grin and bare it. Now I have a way to minimize bite offs that will help increase your catch of every species. A simple 4 foot long Fluorocarbon leader tied directly to your main line is the ticket. I've been using a surgeons knot to do this or if you want try a double uni or double blood knot. Use 20+ pound test fluorocarbon line. Trust me, fish can't see it and pike rarely bite through it. Walleye and smallmouth shy away from wire leaders, they can't see the fluorocarbon. I know that the fishing really isn't any better than last year but by using the fluoro leaders I'm fooling more fish. Don't you be duped by wanna be flourocarbon lines. Be sure it is 100% fluorocarbon not just coated mono. My favorite fluorocarbon is made by Seaguar. They make line and leader material. Either one works well.The pink colored one is great if your eye sight is a little weak. I like the clear. It's unbelievably expensive stuff. Keep the filler spool dry and out of the sun then it will last for years. 200 yards of line broken down into 4 foot leaders makes for lots of productive fishing.
Next blog I'll share some of my topwater tricks or maybe some plastics tips for Rainy Lake. You'll have to check back later.