New Live Bait Rules for Canada

[prov1800]

Originally Posted by Bill Krejca

In my humble opinion, one(not the only)key to successfully fishing artificials is having an abundance of fish where your hook is. Although this statement could be construed as "a duh moment", let me finish. As stated above, limited visibility can cause a fish to hit, it knowing(?) the bait will soon disappear, so gotta get it while it is apparent. Along with this, having a bunch of fish within the vicinity of the bait can cause what I relate to "a boarding house reach" effect, that is, gotta grab that drumstick before another the table reaches for it. So it is completion in the deep. Less fish around, a bit more time to decide whether is it food.

On a related subject, live vs plastic, et al, I used to get a hit and a miss using plastic, but kept the bait where maybe they would hit it again, only later to find, after no further hits, that the bait was partially pulled off. This happens when using a tube, or even minnow type representations. Even when using a jig head with a barb or a wire device(of various configurations). For this reason, I always super glue the bait on. It works very well, and allows me to have the bait remain in what, hopefully, is still the strike zone. I also almost always use scent, to cover what I feel is the "old geezer" smell from my hands. [IMG class=inlineimg]https://www.walleyecentral.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif[/IMG] After catching a fish, i sometimes just rub the bait with the slime on my hand from unhooking the fish.

Bill

Seems fish like Banana Boat sunscreen Bill.Lol.

[NM_Trout]

Originally Posted by PRO-V16

We would tip jigs with a half or third of a crawler and go through 2 flats. Anytime we got on a hot bite we switched to plastic and really put the hurt on them.

Us too. We might get 15 dozen minnows, and by day 5 we have most of them floating in the 5 gallon bucket at the dock. However, we still use the dead ones as they seem to be just as good. On new lakes we go prospecting with bait, and then switch to jigs. Mostly because the plastic doesn't need replacing every fish, so we can get it back in the water quicker. On lakes that we know, we rarely use live bait any more. The fish are so thick and easy to catch that the hassle of keeping and using live bait isn't worth the small edge of using it.

The other benefit to plastics are that you can fish them aggressively without concern for pulling the bait off the hook.

[prov1800]

Originally Posted by NM_Trout

Us too. We might get 15 dozen minnows, and by day 5 we have most of them floating in the 5 gallon bucket at the dock. However, we still use the dead ones as they seem to be just as good. On new lakes we go prospecting with bait, and then switch to jigs. Mostly because the plastic doesn't need replacing every fish, so we can get it back in the water quicker. On lakes that we know, we rarely use live bait any more. The fish are so thick and easy to catch that the hassle of keeping and using live bait isn't worth the small edge of using it.

The other benefit to plastics are that you can fish them aggressively without concern for pulling the bait off the hook.

Totally agree with the tactics.If at fly out I agree fishing is easy.Have caught fish on a cigarette butt.lol.Most of my flyout are with Clarks as most of you know.There are unlimited minnows available at their docks in a cage.They seem to live a long time but fresh bait comes in every second day.Not sure how you hook minnows but I go through mouth and out gill and then hook through top of back.Will loose some but not many.Throughout summer with deeper bite and using a vertical lindy rig with straight hook and minnow there's no chance doing better than that approach at catching fish.Either hooked through top lip only or tail hooked.Theres no artificial bait on the planet that will outfish that.Each to his own and how you fish.If your happy great.My guests would look at my funny I think if i handed them a phony bait.lol.

[PRO-V16]

We are not Canadian so no trapping.

[Pooch]

I absolutely love live bait fishing. But... years ago I discovered that I can catch a lot of fish and usually larger fish by working fake baits properly. Fake baits seldom can put the numbers in the boat that live bait can, but each has their place. I feel that limiting yourself to one or the other is a missed learning experience.

There is a learning curve with fake baits. Instead of the live bait doing the work the fisherman has to make the fake bait become alive. Fake bait is almost always a reflex bite.

I learned a lot by watching my wife's cat when I play with her. She stalks and patiently watches then a sudden move triggers her instincts to attack. She is hard wired to pounce when the "prey" is escaping. She has no choice in the matter. Fish are no different.

Structure? Watch a group of livestock in an open field. No trees or features (structure). Park a tractor in the field and soon the livestock will be parked around the tractor. If you find yourself in a naked landscape and there is a tree in the distance you will work your way to the tree. We too, are hardwired to seek shelter or structure.

So what I'm thinking is that if you park over a group of walleye and drop a fake minnow into their midst and don't make it look convincingly alive, you probably are going to be ignored. Drop a live minnow or leech into that same group and you most likely will catch fish. Troll or drift through that same group and work plastic, you will probably catch fish because of the above cat parable and fake bait on the move is hard for a fish to ignore. Because of the above paragraph.

Fake vs live are two very different approaches to the same end.

Challenge accepted. If we fish together and I use fake bait and you use live bait and we park over a pod of fish for hours you will out fish me. If we troll the same areas I've got a case of beer that says you can't out fish me.

I was alone on Lac Seul a few years ago and could not buy a fish on minnows or leeches jigging or drifting with a jig and live bait. Serious case of lockjaw. In desperation I put a three inch paddle tail on the same jig and trolled snap jigging through the exact same area and started to catch fish. An important lesson was learned that morning that totally changed the way I fish.

Don't discount either live or fake baits.

Just my experience and opinion. You know what they say about opinions.....

Tight line you bunch of rummies.

Pooch

[Eckohlt]

Originally Posted by Pooch

I absolutely love live bait fishing. But... years ago I discovered that I can catch a lot of fish and usually larger fish by working fake baits properly. Fake baits seldom can put the numbers in the boat that live bait can, but each has their place. I feel that limiting yourself to one or the other is a missed learning experience.

There is a learning curve with fake baits. Instead of the live bait doing the work the fisherman has to make the fake bait become alive. Fake bait is almost always a reflex bite.

I learned a lot by watching my wife's cat when I play with her. She stalks and patiently watches then a sudden move triggers her instincts to attack. She is hard wired to pounce when the "prey" is escaping. She has no choice in the matter. Fish are no different.

Structure? Watch a group of livestock in an open field. No trees or features (structure). Park a tractor in the field and soon the livestock will be parked around the tractor. If you find yourself in a naked landscape and there is a tree in the distance you will work your way to the tree. We too, are hardwired to seek shelter or structure.

So what I'm thinking is that if you park over a group of walleye and drop a fake minnow into their midst and don't make it look convincingly alive, you probably are going to be ignored. Drop a live minnow or leech into that same group and you most likely will catch fish. Troll or drift through that same group and work plastic, you will probably catch fish because of the above cat parable and fake bait on the move is hard for a fish to ignore. Because of the above paragraph.

Fake vs live are two very different approaches to the same end.

Challenge accepted. If we fish together and I use fake bait and you use live bait and we park over a pod of fish for hours you will out fish me. If we troll the same areas I've got a case of beer that says you can't out fish me.

I was alone on Lac Seul a few years ago and could not buy a fish on minnows or leeches jigging or drifting with a jig and live bait. Serious case of lockjaw. In desperation I put a three inch paddle tail on the same jig and trolled snap jigging through the exact same area and started to catch fish. An important lesson was learned that morning that totally changed the way I fish.

Don't discount either live or fake baits.

Just my experience and opinion. You know what they say about opinions.....

Tight line you bunch of rummies.

Pooch

Back troll a crawler through that pod of fish,byebye case of beer hands down.

[prov1800]

Originally Posted by Eckohlt

Back troll a crawler through that pod of fish,byebye case of beer hands down.

Òr drifting/trolliñg a lindy rig with a juicy 4-5 " minnow.

[Eckohlt]

Originally Posted by prov1800

Òr drifting/trolliñg a lindy rig with a juicy 4-5 " minnow.

Either one will get’er done,first two or three weeks of the season plastic can be great but once the water warms up they really want a stinky live bait.Last oct I tried plastic it was work trying to get fish,put on a crawler and it was like someone turned a light switch on,went through a half flat of crawlers using half of a crawler so that made a half flat into 40 dozen,I was solo.

[prov1800]

Originally Posted by Eckohlt

Either one will get’er done,first two or three weeks of the season plastic can be great but once the water warms up they really want a stinky live bait.Last oct I tried plastic it was work trying to get fish,put on a crawler and it was like someone turned a light switch on,went through a half flat of crawlers using half of a crawler so that made a half flat into 40 dozen,I was solo.

That's right Rod.Thats the fun part of fishing figuring out what works when and where.Open water so much easier to fish as you can can go all over and try stuff.If you fish a body of water often as i get to do makes it even more interesting and helps to know exact spots and how these spots change with water temps.Winter is a bit different where you have to drill holes and hope something will there.If not it takes a bit of doing to move to another spot.Although I do use live bait a lot I do use artificial a lot to.Mostly iam into vibratos,Lindy darter and jigging raps they work both summer and winter.I travell light summer and winter not really a tackle guy.Heres what I bring along for ice fishing and basically same little box in summer.Really don't need much more except my muskie and bass stuff in summer

[Eckohlt]

Originally Posted by prov1800

That's right Rod.Thats the fun part of fishing figuring out what works when and where.Open water so much easier to fish as you can can go all over and try stuff.If you fish a body of water often as i get to do makes it even more interesting and helps to know exact spots and how these spots change with water temps.Winter is a bit different where you have to drill holes and hope something will there.If not it takes a bit of doing to move to another spot.Although I do use live bait a lot I do use artificial a lot to.Mostly iam into vibratos,Lindy darter and jigging raps they work both summer and winter.I travell light summer and winter not really a tackle guy.Heres what I bring along for ice fishing and basically same little box in summer.Really don't need much more except my muskie and bass stuff in summer

I’m getting hungry looking at your tackle trays