Its gotten pretty chilly here in SE Minnesota now but I still have open water on the river right behind the house. I sneak down to the banks to flip a few casts into a deeper hole about a block from home and as the temps and water temps have gone down hill, so has the bait size.



These are the little nano frys that come from Caney mold. In this pic, the belly portion is a glow purple. I've been fishing these on a 1/32 head cast on a #8 sickle hook, the head is left plain....no paint. The hole where I'm fishing has a long stretch of rock running at right angles to the flow and by letting the bait free fall behind the rock line and slowly jigging it back I manage some decent bluegills, crappies and a bonus walleye once in a while.

I hate to think of winter coming but this afternoon I made my walk, rod in hand, and after casting about twenty times I had to take a minute to pop the ice out of a couple smaller guides. Its a signal of whats to come I guess. Last week I could flip a much larger plastic out there and get everything that I mentioned but now they fish are pressing for smaller offerings. Its been quite dry here and this river's flow is way down which will likely mean the river will lock up in ice, then my little escapades will grind to a halt.

None the less, this little plastic is a super bait for down-sizing as I am finding out. It also has worked wonders earlier this fall while fishing docks in a Mississippi River marina. Its a sweet bait for anyone locking for a bait that has some profile yet stays trim enough for teasing cold water fish. I can't wait to see what it does under ice.