Thread: Float tubing for Panfish

For Crappies and Bluegills there isn't a bag limit...I am not sure how the Wild-life biologists monitor the ponds and how often, but the majority of them are very good fishing....for panfish, not many people fish for them here why.... I don't know...they just ain't right, in my opinion...they don't know what they are missing which is good for me, they are big into trout, salmon, stripers, bass...

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/regul...hing_dates.pdf

MassWildlife - Freshwater Fish Records

gillbuster, tell me how to fish, or rather retrieve that goldie fly. I just recieved some of that body braid from bears den, and have been reading your posts about this fly. I'm gonna tie some flies and also some small jigs with it. do you ever fish it without a gold bead in shallow water? thanks in advance. I bought gold, silver , pearl, copper, green, and purple. the purple is coming from another place.

I use floating line or sink tip fly line when I want to go deeper.... 6-8 lbs tippet most of the time.... to make it sink more slowly I use 10-12 lbs tippet... I call it a dummy fly because any dummy can catch fish on it... cast, wait 5 secs, strip it 2-3 inches several times and pause, repeat... usually they will hit on the pause while it is sinking slowly...Each lake/pond you have to flind the pattern of how they like it. Once you find one crappie I will work that area several casts to see if there is a pod of fish... As you know Crappie are very structure oriented, any deadfall is prime loaction and I will work those areas. Always work the bank parallel or at an 45 degree angle, not 90 degrees, Remember Crappie always feed up, fish it slowly, they can't stand to have a bait fish swim over there head without taking a whack at it.. I haven't fished it with out a beadhead, but I don't know why it won't work...it's the bodie braid material that drives them crazy. It undulates in water like like a fleeing fish

Just a tip if your gonna add sink tip to your floating line. It sell (usually in 30' lengths) I cut 2', 5', 10' an 12' sinking tip and change as I feel its needed. i use a fishfinder, cruise the lake, find a spot where the fish seem a consistant depth an use that at a gauge. The strip seems right on. remember the longer the sinking line the less the tippet will rise on the retrieve even though you have to factor in the speed of the drop being faster. I love sinking tip line because I hate splitshots on a fly rod. Also, if you use sinking line, tye heavy mono line for your perfection loops onto the floating line to keep the cast from whipping and better control overall.
To perfect crappie fishing, sometimes it takes a dozen minnows, a spinning rod that hangs up alot,a sinker and hook on a pontoon boat straight over the side and have the best day of your life catching big slab. Lifes just like that though.

Originally Posted by Dogsled

I love sinking tip line because I hate splitshots on a fly rod.

I don't mind split shot. They're not hard to cast, particularly if you use the smaller ones. They're certainly cheaper than sink tips and full sinkers.

Are U saying a split shot presents a fly on a tapered leader the same as a
3-5' sink tip directly off the float line with a 16-24" tippet? Mind U this is just a question with no right or wrong involved, no malice or anything except how the 2 are remotely similar......

I wasn't saying shot is the same as a sink tip, just that shot is a very cheap and effective way to get the fly down. Also, I'm talking about SMALL shot.

I always used them, I swear I couldn't keep them on. after 3 or 4 casts they'd be gone. I even squeezed them with pliers. I put alot of lead in the water :-)