Tell tale signs

[BassProAddict]

When you're out on the water, you see a variety of situations and sights that are sometimes either out-of-the-ordinary or gives you a memory of past experiences. These tell-tale signs are probably viewed as personal and case to case but then again, there may be a pattern somehow. Examples would be wildlife, other fishes, tree colors/conditions, type of vegetation and others.

Myself, I notice that i get bit more on sparse weed that break the surface. I also notice that when birds are around, the fish kinda tend to shut down.I also notice that bites come a lot from where "dead water" meets the current.

There are other signs I've yet to figure out. If you have bass fingerlings (3 inches or below) swimming very near the shore, does that mean momma bass is near or have these fingerlings ditched the nest and are far from cannibalistic daddy? If you catch several dinks in a row, is a big one not far behind?

These are some of the things I tend to think about that aren't typical considerations, I think. What are yours? Can you offer an answer to some of mine?

[RK]

Hiya -

It's no coincidence that the best angler I know - for any species - is also the most observant angler I know... We all rely on electronic "eyes" but sometimes the ones in your head tell you a lot more if you're paying attention.

On the water (and off) there are all kinds of things I look for.

- I'm a very early riser during the summer, and most days by the time I get to the access I have a pretty good idea what kind of day it's going to be based on what I see on the drive. If I'm white-knuckled because I spent the whole drive dodging deer and other beasties all over the place, I'm happy. If I don't see a single critter on the way to the lake, I'm not happy - and already digging out my "tough day" box. Fish and terrestrial critters all respond to the same weather, lunar and seasonal conditions. It's not foolproof, but it's right way more often than it's wrong.

- When the pelicans soar way way up and spiral above the lake, hang on...

- Horse leeches swimming a foot down = bad. Horse leeches making little v-wakes as they swim on the surface = good.

- First thing I do in the morning when I'm at the cabin is go out to the end of my dock and look for sunfish and minnows. If I don't see any, I almost automatically start fishing deep rather than shallow. On lakes I'm trailering to, I cruise the shallows for a minute or two and fish watch to see if there's life in the shallows.

- I pay a lot of attention to edges. Wind current edges, weed edges, bottom transitions. The more edges you can combine the better.

- Loons spend most of their day trying to tell you where the baitfish are.

Probably more I'm not thinking of, but those are some things I pay attention to.

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[norma]

Very important one. If you see your monofillament dancing on the water, get off the water NOW! Static electricity is buiding and lightning is next.

[Ray Esboldt]

This is the honest to gosh truth, I associate smells and air content with my approach to fishing. Example, if it smells and feels humid and the wind is blowing, I know what I am doing already. I'll throw a jigworm up on top of structure (preferably with weed cover present) and never fish it back to the boat. It's just rifle, let it sink to the bottom, and crank it back. I will also mix a crankbait in. I am looking for fish cruising high in the water column. And, I really like to see the pods of silver dollar size blugills on top. If it's dry and cool, I throw a texas rig or jig and fish it slow, very slow. The list goes on, but I never really think about it unless someone asks.

[BassProAddict]

Yup this is exactly what I mean Ray. Some of us have our "human fishfinder" senses on. Sometimes it's even visual...visual in the sense that you see the total picture and not the details and you just know you're gonna catch fish and in numbers.

For me that picture is just about pre dusk, wind blowing slightly on sunken points with a little grass juttin' out. That's money right there.

[Deitz Dittrich]

This is fun... and interesting at the same time.. Here is what I find most interesting... I think it really depends on how much time you get to fish..

if I wake up and its a nice morning in the summer.. game on.. I will find fish, it may not be a great day, but I will have a good time.

But if i pull up on a deep spot in the middle of July and catch a fish on my first few casts.. OHHH BOY.. its going to be way on!!!!!let the games begin!

[Wayne Ek]

(1) Early spring when I'm looking for new growth submergent veg. I never pass up anyplace I see a flock of coots feeding, it's almost always a sure bet that you will have new growth on the bottom.

(2) Late July into Aug. when I'm fishing deep weedlines I know I'm going to get bit when I stop the boat and a cloud of small sunfish ghost up out of the depths to rest in the boats shadow... then it's game on time.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Quote:

(2) Late July into Aug. when I'm fishing deep weedlines I know I'm going to get bit when I stop the boat and a cloud of small sunfish ghost up out of the depths to rest in the boats shadow... then it's game on time.

agree... love to see a bunch of sunnies on the surface in 20 feet of water.. It means they do not feel safe down below.. i want my lure down "below".

[BassProAddict]

Anybody here use bass fry as a tell-tale sign? Is momma nearby? Is daddy on the hunt for "baby bass"?

[TonkaBass]

Males are the ones that protect the fry. Females leave right after they lay their eggs...

[goblueM]

zelmsdawg and i have a rule for fishing the MPLS chain... if there is lots of eye candy walking around, fishing usually isn't that good

but days when the view isn't that great, we do well

[Cecil]

I find the bite is better super shallow if thats the case...

[MN Shutterbug]

I've heard that if the cows are laying down, the fishing will be slow, but if the cows are feeding, the fish will be too. However, when I've thought of watching for that sign while driving to my hole, I've often times seen one bunch of cows sleeping and the next feeding and so on. Does this mean the fishing will be good if you find the right kind of fish?

[BassProAddict]

Yes I know the males guard the fry but I've also read that when the fry reach about two inches, daddy starts going wacko and starts feeding on his once-guarded fry. What a totally odd behavior eh?

[lookincalifornia]

one thing i like to use in early season is the emergent vegitation color. if it is mostly brown with a few green ones comming up, i like a spinnerbait. if there are 50% green to brown or better, you can buzz. if am on a milfoil lake, i like to follow the tops of the weeds. if they are 4-6 feet below, a shallow crank or jerkbait, if they are just under the surface, a walking bait. if there are just a few breaking, i'll throw a buzzbait.

[Superduty]

Wayne...I thought I was the only one looking for coots!

RK...I pay attention to the loons also. I have had good days fishing near the loons for walleye and crappie too.

Don't forget to listen. I like to hear the sunfish "popping" the surface if I am slop fishing.

[BassProAddict]

When you guys see or hear fish breaching, do y'all go a-grabbin the surface lure rig?

[Deitz Dittrich]

nope... much of the time here if you see or hear a fish jump.. I would say the majority of the time its a carp.. LOL

[Cecil]

If I see one, I will not unless I have caught them in practice or earlier in day. If I see multiple fish surfacing, I will start chuckin. After you see a few, you will be able to tell what is "surfacing" and what is "feeding".

[goblueM]

i always assume they are carp too, unless we're talking I see evidence of baitfish skittering on the surface

way less luck casting for those random surfacings, i just don't think it is worth it

[BassProAddict]

But would you throw in it's direction anyway surface or crank or otherwise?

[river rat316]

Depends, I find on the river, smallies, especially big lazy ones, will hang near carp or suckers because they kick up a lot of stuff off the bottom, including crayfish trying to hide in gravel or whatever, so if there are carp or suckers surfacing in an area I know aint a muck/ silty bottom I will usually give it a try. My PB actually came on the shallow side of a feeding sucker school that was boiling all over the surface, she was just wating for an easy meal to be kicked up to her.

I have a funny story about the loons, I had a juvenile hanging around me the whole day one time, I ended up sticking a nice fish on a crank bait, I got it up to the boat and seen it was hooked good (both sets of trebles buried in its mouth) so decided to play it a little bit since I don't like grabbing a very active p.o'd fish with trebles all over. All the sudden the loon shot out from under the boat and took a swipe at the fish (the fish was almost bigger than the loon) I nearly fell in the water I was startled so bad, the loon wasn't done though, it came back and took another swipe and ended up hitting my line and it snapped. The loon then surfaced right next to me and my boat, I then chewed it out and told it to leave "my" fish alone. The loon looked at me flapped its wings in my direction (the loon equivalent of flipping me the bird) squacked at me and then dove under.... I felt like I just got told off by the bird

[BassProAddict]

I've heard urban tales of swimbaits duping predatory birds and getting hooked on te talons. Doesn't seem impossible to me though.

[RK]

Hiya -

I'm at three seagulls and one loon, and counting.

One gull swooped on a muskie jerkbait as soon as it hit the water and got hooked in the foot (didn't fight all that well on a muskie rod and 80# braid), one grabbed a walk the dog topwater, and one picked a #5 shad rap out of the air.

The gulls weren't too bad to deal with actually. The loon on the other hand... It grabbed a bucktail (had many, many loons follow, but this was the first one that ever hit a lure), and getting it unhooked and on its way was a nightmare. Loons are a lot bigger than a guy thinks, and their beak is nasty. Guy I was fishing with helped me wrestle it, and the fact that there were two complete sets of eyes on the boat by the time the loon was unhooked is a miracle. That thing was going right for the head... Never want to do it again. Ever...

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[NTW]

Thanks for the chuckle RK