Screw this! No ice soon, so gonna fish from shore - need tips!

[anthonyjj]

Hey all,
I have never fished open water this late in the year. What are some of the tips for fishing from shore? The boat's already wrapped for winter.

From my shore (at the end of my dock, which is out of the water for the season) I have done pretty well during the warmer months (catching lots of gills, some bass, a few perch, a few cats). I have used typical jig heads (pink, clown, etc.) threaded with a piece of a night crawler or a Gulp Alive 1" shiner about 3 feet under a channel bobber, and doing a slow retrieve after casting. The bobber is used to keep my jig off the bottom/out of the weeds.

Can I use the same presentation and technique now? when the water is a lot colder? Or should I try something else.

Thanks in advance.

[chris71383]

In that situation I would downsize your gear. Use one of your spinning reels already spooled w/ light line from your ice gear and a 6-7ft light-micro light action rod. Use the same jigs you would use ice fishing(had really good luck with the bros blood worm and similar) but use the smallest lightest bobber you can get away with, so it barely holds the jig up but that you can still see at distance. I really like the smallest weighted bobbers in that application, decent visability and adds a bit of weight to help cast your jig a bit farther. As far as fishing its just about like ice fishing, rod tip up high and bounce slightly so the bobber rocks then pause for a second, then reel in 6-12in and repeat.

I used that basic setup(smallest pfluger trion w/ 1lb fireline, 8ft micro light, and bros bloodworm with small weighted bobber)for the last 3 weeks before it iced up and caught everything from trout to crappie, bass, bluegill, and walleye.

[anthonyjj]

Thanks for the info.  Do you need to do anything for the jigging action? If so how do you do that without being right over the bobber?

Also, bait? Spikes? Minnows? Plastics? Waxies?

[chris71383]

Rocking/bouncing the bobber will impart some action to the bait. I use mostly small plastics no bait, thats why I liked the
bros bloodworm: http://www.northlandtackle.com/Category/main.taf?cat=361&pc=231
slug bug: http://www.northlandtackle.com/Category/main.taf?cat=362&pc=231
because slight movement of the bobber imparts alot of action to the jig. Also it depends on the fish, you might have to add some waxies or spikes to get them to bite and hold on.

[northernnyice]

Slow down your presentation.. Upgrade size of your bait. Bounce jigs, tap tap pause.. Tap pause. Repeat.




Caught shore fishing. Late november

[da man cave shack]

Yep since the fish are more lathargic in the winter the smaller the gear the better.

[anthonyjj]

Slow down your presentation.. Upgrade size of your bait. Bounce jigs, tap tap pause.. Tap pause. Repeat.


Caught shore fishing. Late november

Wow! Awesome catch!

Thanks for all the tips. I am startin' to look forward to open water fishin' from shore next week.

[icemantwo]

Downsize gear and use an ultra slow presentation.  Use lures with almost no action.

[just mike]

I'm going to put floaties on my tipups and set them to  drift.

[northernnyice]

I'm going to put floaties on my tipups and set them to  drift.

I've thought about doing this many times in the summer. Never have.

[ICE DOG 69]

Yep since the fish are more lathargic in the winter the smaller the gear the better.

I agree with the slower presentation but not with downsizing bait, then again I only chase Waldo and Perch so I use bigger bait then most even for my perch.

[icemantwo]

One thing about the smaller presentation:  smarter, larger fish actually do think about calories!  In the cold months they need to get the most calories possible while at the same time spending the least amount of calories possible.  So sometimes it is easier for a fish to slurp up 5 small crayfish that they don't have to chase rather than 1 large bluegill that they do have to chase.  Sometimes it can be the other way around:  it is easier to eat one, big slow fish than chase down a lot of smaller ones.  It depends a lot on the species of forage. 

[dkillay64]

I've thought about doing this many times in the summer. Never have.

I remember seeing a television show (outdoor channel i think) where people were using tipups set up on the donut liferafts... they were in a boat at ice out and would row over to each flag... pretty cool to see