Lochloosa 3.11.17

I spent the week turning my duck boat into a Speck boat by adding a fish finder/gps, mounting my trolling motor, and building my own spider rig style rod holders and hit Lake Lochloosa first thing Saturday morning. The beauty of that lake blows me away every time, we watched Bald Eagles and Wood ducks fly by the entire morning. Fishing wise, we had a decent morning, but still haven't got into one of those epic speck bites that I've heard about. I was hoping that the full moon weekend would have them fired up in the pads. We caught 4 specks to 12", a bass, and a catfish. I've never eaten bass and never cleaned a catfish, but boy I'm glad I did! They both were delicious, the catfish tasted like a really good chicken tender. I only got to try trolling outside of the pads for about 30 minutes to test my home made creation before we had to get on the road to make it back for a family dinner but they worked really well. A few minor adjustments and they'll be ready to go once the specks move deep again. All of our fish were caught in the pads on minnows on size 4 hooks and a split shot. I can't wait to get back down there.

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Great post.... Great pictures.... Looks like your ready for some decent trolling action too....

Great report, thanks for sharing.

You're all set. Great pics and a good trip. Look forward to the next one. And welcome from Orange City.

Way to go, looks like a good day and the boat looks ready. Thanks for the report.

Love the rod holders, I have a similar homemade set on my flats boat.
Nice catch too!


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Excellent report - pictures to back it up
Food fishing on your first trip - usuing equip you made

The lady seems to be really having good time with her man................This is wonderful
Good partnership...

Fishing is a fun FAMILY sport

Thanks again for sharing

Thanks guys! So while trolling I watched another boat trolling with bobbers on most of his lines. We were in about 5 ft of water. Can anyone explain the rigs they were using? I bought a couple crappie rigs with the wire twisty deals from the Lochloosa harbor and wasn't sure if I was using it correctly while trolling. The other boat caught 3 fish in about 5 minutes with his set up. Any advice for trolling would be awesome, that was my first attempt at it.

Huntingslabs uses bobbers on his tightline setups ...............
I've heard he's quite an expert at it ........

Thank for the report Lochloosa is a good crappie lake you talk about home made rod holders I made some 25 years ago

Huntin Slabs is the man to talk to about trolling with Bobbers - i haven't used them in 20 plus years - would have to go to
remedial training to use a bobber again - either trolling or spider riggin

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Originally Posted by Phantom309

Huntingslabs uses bobbers on his tightline setups ...............
I've heard he's quite an expert at it ........

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by fishin813

Huntin Slabs is the man to talk to about trolling with Bobbers - i haven't used them in 20 plus years - would have to go to
remedial training to use a bobber again - either trolling or spider riggin

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Phantom is back into the freesh corn squeezins:crazy: and Harold needs new meds apparently:banghead. I do not use bobbers when longlining. My guess is the 5' water and trolling slower than he could without dragging bottom. Or he was dragging minnows along under the bobbers. I put 12 baits in the water and set trolling motor at 1.3 and pull till I find fish. No bobbers and no minners.

Leave these guys alone for a few days to take a cruise to the islands and they start getting all carried away.

Bobbers are probably the easiest way to fish and cover some territory.... It's a great way to cover shallows. Just get you some good size bobbers and any hook will work.... You might try jigs and because your using bobbers the size doesn't really matter..... Maybe use different color plastics or just hook a Minner through the head..... Attach a 1/8 oz weight about 6" above your hook....Set your depth.... In 5 fow try one at 2'....3'..... And even 4'. Pull about .5 to .8..... Your bait will run about 6 to 8" less than the depth you set. Stagger them out at different distances. I don't cast...I just release the bail and let them out. It's also a good way to fish grass beds without hanging up.... Give it a try and good luck!

Thanks for update Mike - i needed the information - couldn't remember how -
1/8 oz i would think would be kinda of heavy - although your the Doctorl.... will give it a try in future

Mike P. - your right they did change my meds - got to research memory more now than before - headed to
due some fusion on spine in April - will be in body cast for 8 week after -BUMMER.............Thought was done with this
Crap after 2016......

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fishin813

1/8 oz i would think would be kinda of heavy .....

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probably have to experiment some...I don't pull that often but when I do.....I do it to control the depth and that's what I use.

Sorry to hear about the health issues Harold...Lord knows you've been through enough already...hoping you have a quick recovery.

Micah

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fishin813

Thanks for update Mike - i needed the information - couldn't remember how -
1/8 oz i would think would be kinda of heavy - although your the Doctorl.... will give it a try in future

Mike P. - your right they did change my meds - got to research memory more now than before - headed to
due some fusion on spine in April - will be in body cast for 8 week after -BUMMER.............Thought was done with this
Crap after 2016......

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Hope all goes well with your surgery, body cast for 8 weeks will not be easy I would imagine. Hang tough ole bud.

When trolling, if you stop everything goes to bottom. Grass, weeds and/or hangups. If you use inline slim corks you can set depth to not hit bottom if you stop pulling. Pescador used this method in phosphate pits because of so many humps in the bottom.

What are inline slim corks exactly? I couldn't find anything on those online. When I threw a couple of small bobbers I had on to try trolling with them they just sank. What are your thoughts on spider rigging with one of these eagle claw crappie rigs? I do mostly salt water fishing and have never come across a rig like this, what is the best way to use them if not for trolling?

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Too much hardware for my likings. I prefer to tie my own. Double surgeons loop to first hook or jig with 18" tag, run tag two times through egg sinker and tie on another hook or jig.

Some thick pads....cool pics, never fished that lake, thanks for sharing.

Cheap mans double rig - i maybe used them 30 yrs ago............prefer to tie my own double rig.
Until you feel you have mastered the single sets - stay away from doubles- even the pro's at times stay
away from them. They will tangle quick - you'll spend more time sorting them out - they hang up in net -unless you
are working with rubber or rubber coated netting


Use advice Spectnator gave - works the best for getting into corking

Bobbers are probably the easiest way to fish and cover some territory.... It's a great way to cover shallows. Just get you some good size bobbers and any hook will work.... You might try jigs and because your using bobbers the size doesn't really matter..... Maybe use different color plastics or just hook a Minner through the head..... Attach a 1/8 oz weight about 6" above your hook....Set your depth.... In 5 fow try one at 2'....3'..... And even 4'. Pull about .5 to .8..... Your bait will run about 6 to 8" less than the depth you set. Stagger them out at different distances. I don't cast...I just release the bail and let them out. It's also a good way to fish grass beds without hanging up.... Give it a try and good luck!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by huntinslabs

Too much hardware for my likings. I prefer to tie my own. Double surgeons loop to first hook or jig with 18" tag, run tag two times through egg sinker and tie on another hook or jig.

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My thoughts exactly, thanks for the advice!

nd others use this type with the split side for easy on easy off. BPS has them with the split side. The least amount of terminal tackle the better I like it.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Betts-M2B...Float/41772020

I'm a rookie at pulling bobbers but with that being said, I use a slip bobbers setup with a somewhat large all red bobbers. I place my 1/4 oz sinker about 8 inches from the hook or 1/16 jig. I run my corks 40 to 50 feet behind the boat to keep the bait away from me. Use longer rods on the outside helps. I troll anywhere from .3 to .8 mph and let the fish tell me which speed they like. Like mentioned earlier, this is a good way to fish when fishing shallow water or the fish are suspended shallow. My advice is to get rid of the wires and use mono on your rigs. If you don't know how to tie a double minnow rig, Mr. Crappie has troll techs at BPS and Capps and Coleman has some at B'n'M Fishing.
When I get my wife in the boat I'm gonna take a picture too! LOL. Nice set up...just keep after em! I hope this helps. Thanks for the pics and the post!

Great job on the boat. insted off INLINE i think you may be referrin to slipbobbers. be glad to mmet you.