What size weights to use off the bank???

[JJB]

Just wondering what size weights and styles work best for you guys. Last year I was useing 1 1/2 oz bell sinkers that I hammered flat. They worked great but I wanted to try some others to see how they worked.

The last few nights out I have been using 3 oz pancakes and had more fish drop the bait in the last 2 nights than I think I did last year . I have been fishing a cut bank that gets some good flow. Its about 12-15 fow at the deep end of the cut. Next time down I am going lighter and see how it goes. I fish other areas with wood and the heavier ones seem to do better holding the bait in one place but they seem to drop the bait more there also.

I havnt had any hammer the bait the last few night either so maybe its just the mood they are in but I might go back to what was working but b4 I do that I wanted to see what works best for you guys in deep/shallow/wood/rock/ect....

Thanks, Good luck out there guys/gals

[Fisher Dave]

The fish are biting in a very finicky way lately.. Both on pool 2 and 3.. more like walleyes.. it is not just to you. What you are saying is common now ... why? I dont know.

For weight.. always use as little weight as possible that will hold your bait pretty well, and not get swept by the current. I use anything from 2 to 5 oz on the average.. rarely will a live bait justify anything lighter. If its a snag area.. have enough weight to keep them pegged pretty good or your bait will make a run for cover if they see it.

Make sure you are rigging with a slip sinker rig and it is operating properly.. not twisting up, etc. You can modify your rig slightly and put the weight on a dropper type line and tie a swivel to that weighted dropper and slide that over your main line and have a swivel on your main line to keep it from sliding to your hook.. kind of like a 3 way rig, but 2 barrels are used.. and the weight line is set up slip via line running through eye on swivel.

This generally cause little to no resistence on the line when a fish takes it...

If all esle fails turn the clicker aff and leave your reel engaged.. dead stick. Use a rod with some tip action to detect the light strikes and try to have rod in hand to deal with it from there. Worst case scenerio if you get on that does slam it.. most of the time they do get hooked froma dead stick.. but not quite as much as when you have the ability to pay out line.. but when the fish are only holding it for a short period of time... it least its a chance you wont have if they keep dropping it.

Are you sure these arent Gar? .. any teeth marks been showing up?

[JJB]

Thanks Dave,

I have used a dropper line out of my boat but always worry about it wraping around when I have to make a long cast. But I suppose with the weight of the bait helps keep things straight. I will give it a try this weekend.

I have not had the pleasure of gars nippin my baits "yet"

We usually get into a few out on the croix but nothing on the sippi yet. Last night I tryed out a new spot up by work and finally got into some good solid runs. Turned out to be some nice channels(6-10lbs). I wasnt able to get very big suckers and theY were hammering them. I brought 7 suckers 5-7 inches they were all gone in a little over an hour). I was out of there before it got dark with no flatties to show for it

[Fisher Dave]

We have been getting some of our flats on the smaller suckers lately.. too often that is all they have at the bait shop... our best luck has been on suckers around 10", and going up close to decoy size... Then again we are on a spot all the fish seem to be big?

That rig I described doesnt tangle too much when casting with most line types.. the dropper weight line does not need to be long.. One person I know that uses it uses a heavy rubber band to connect the weight to the swivel(no line) on the dropper in heavy snags*.