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Catching enough for dinner isn;'t that hard to do, and I am confident that I can do that. I have full confidence in my fishing ability. Trying to control things that I can't control is just another attempt to put a few more in the livewell, or make a really bad trip into that dinner.
it's no different in scent control with deer. Some people live it and breath it. Others dont believe in it at all. It doesn't make the guy that bathes in scent free soap before each hunt LESS CONFIDENT in his ability. It is using every advantage he can.
In this case (crappie nibbles), I am the guy that "believes in scent control". I too have an understanding wife and I fish a lot too. In MY experience, they seem to work.
I will however, try your suggestion of smaller line and jigs. Thanks!:)
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Not putting you down for using scents Kman. Sorry if I presented it the wrong way.
I don't believe in scents for deer either:D:D. I smoke, drink coffee, and pass gas :o:o on stand and get a deer every year.
The reason I said drop down in line size is that I notice that many of the posters from the south use much heavier line than people up north do. Why I don't know. I've read post where people were using size 1,2, and 4 size hooks. Up north here a size 6 is the largest you would want to use, many use 8's or 10's. We have the same type of conditions that the southern lakes have just that the water is much clearer. Many times those 14-15-16 inchers have the smaller bait down in the gullet with smaller baits. I think that they are trying to take the bait (pecking) and with such bigger bait they are feeling the resistance and shying away from the bait.
If you go down to the 1/32 or 1/64th size jig bend the hook down where it meets the head of the jig just about a 10 or 15 degree bend. DON'T use any extra weight. This will give you a better bite on the hook. When fishing right over the side into structure I drop the jig down just above the cover with in a 1/2 foot and let the jig hang. I than quiver the bait (shake the pole like it's cold outside and you are shivering). This will impart the right action to the bait like it's holding just above the brush pile or on the edge of weeds. The slightest movement of the line and I jerk. Make sure you take a good supple of jigs and tails because with such lite line you will lose some jigs. Back when I use to fish crappie tourneys I would go through close to a 500-600 jigs a year. No time to try and get them off the brush just break it and tie on a new one.
I've seen videos of fish on camera through the ice. The fish would come up to the bait and inhale the bait (the peck) and blow it out without the spring bobber signaling the hit. The guys dropped down to a smaller size and hooked almost ever fish that bit they're bait. We had conmditions one year back in the 70's where the large slabs were right under the ice about 3 feet down. They would hang just out of site of the bait. We would hover over the hole (watching the bait) and as soon as it disappeared we would set the hook. Even with the line lying over your finger you couldn't feel the bite.
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Good stuff.
I use 8lb test. Our waters here are nowhere close to the clarity of the water in some of the northern waters. Here if you can see down 2ft, (and most times you can't) it's clear!
I tite line just like you explained but use a 1/16 jig head. I have a mold that will pour 1/32 oz heads too. I'll give it a try. Only reason I dont use them now is it takes so long to fall. I realize in shallow water spawning conditions thats a GOOD thing. But once we get to catching them in 11ft to 20ft of water, thats a pain. But missin em is a pain too!
Thanks.
...and we'll just have to agree to disagree on the scent thing, ESPECIALY ON THE DEER!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D lol!
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I regulary fish in the 15-26 foot range hardly ever fish the spawn. In winter it's down to 35 feet. I use a white coffe cup tied to a rope and drop it over the side to check clarity and most times once the weather patterns in the spring settle down you can see down about 6-8 feet. Even during the spring time I target the deeper, fish this way they are not bothered with the passing weather fronts, the patterns hardly ever change. I usually quit fishing for them (crappie) before the spawn and move on to walleyes. Our walleye season starts just when the crappie start to spawn. I let the weekend warriors catch the shoreline fish. With lite line the jigs will fall about a foot a second on 4# and faster with the 2#. With 2 # test a 10-12 inch fish will feel like a monster and the larger ones you have to finise them in. I regular use a small Shimano 1000 with a lite 5 foot pole.
I live in Pennsylvania and a deer doesn't get a chance to use it's nose during the rifle season up here, unless you hunt during archery season. From the first day until the last day, 2 weeks later, they are really moving. They are like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs, no where to settle down and be safe.
