I have a lake close to me. Somewhat. Anyways, it produces nice pipe, bass, perch etc etc.
I usually worm dunked it in the past with minnow or worms. Or both! But since FF it, I can’t catch a thing. I go out in the canoe and it’s somewhat deep. The water is always muddy, usually stil depending on wind. And deepish.
I’ve been out in the canoe 5-6 times, I’m going again tomorrow and would like to hook a fish:) A lot of gas wasted sofar for nothin!!! I need to hook something here. I don’t want to go back to worm dunkin this lake
Any help is appreciated. Technique, patterns etc
I’ve fished it with surface flies, fished wooly buggers 1-6’ down.
Should I put on a longer tippet and split shot and sink the fly further down?
Shane,
If your fishing muddy water and you don’t know where the fish are holding, I would troll a Clouser or some other streamer, with regular mono and a spinning rod.
Doug
If you were still dunking worms, where would you fish on the lake? The fish will still be in the same location, you just need to get them to take a fly and the fish love doing that.
Doug suggested the quick fix method, until you get a sink tip (depending upon how deep you need to go maybe a Type III or a Type IV sink tip fly line). For fly fishing, if you need to go deep that is the best way, a fast sink type sink tip with a floating running line.
Another method is what you suggested, an extra long leader even as much as 20 feet. No need for a tapered leader, you are not going to be going for a delicate presentation cast, just enough of a cast to get it our 30 to 40 feet, then let it sink. You need to make sure your knot on the line to leader connection is small enough to go through the guides at the tip of your fly rod. Then yep, you can put on a fly like a small nymph (BeadHead Hares Ear or BH Pheasant Tail or BH Prince Nymph, etc) or you can use a San Juan Worm or a Woolly Bugger. Place some split shot a few feet above the fly and cast it out. Use enough split shot to get it down fast enough so you don?t have to wait 5 minutes. Let the fly sink to the bottom, or various depths in between, until you find what depth the fish are located, then do a slow small strip retrieve and very slowly bring the fly back to you. Mentally picture what the fly is doing and where it is. When you get a hit, make a note of how much line you have brought back in and that is where you want the fly to do on your next cast. Always keep a little tension on the line, the takes will most likely be very light and you can feel them if you keep tension on the line. If you feel something do a strip set to set the hook. If you miss the hit then at least your fly is still in the immediate area of the hit and the fish or other fish may then hit it again.
Larry, You tell him all that…and then tell him to have fun…Does not sound at all fun to me…lol…But it oughta work! To catch a fish or two that is…
Another thing to try would be dahlberg divers and other hair bugs for those Pike you mentioned…It’ll keep things closer to the surface, As well as, keep some of the fun!..and, should increase your chances of catching…Simple streamers made with cheap strung hackle, Such as deceivers and half & half’s, Patterns of that nature fished in the afore mentioned 1 to 6’ depth range really oughta entice some strikes from something.In muddy water I’d also try these in Black,Chart,Flo.Yellow,White,Flo.Pinkand Flo.Orange…Best of Luck to ya!
I wanted to add that when trolling a streamer, jerk your rod to twitch the streamer. If you troll with your fly rod, point your tip into the water and jerk the fly line with your index finger, or speed up and slow down your canoe and do not stroll in a straight line, for very long, do “S” turns, because fish will follow a fly, but strike it when it turns.
Doug
Shane…going back to my IN’FISHERMAN days, I’d have to know more about the lake…you say it’s deep…but then muddy?
Is it a young or old lake?
For lake fishing…having a selection of lines for various depths is pretty important…and as mentioned the sinkers should be fast sinking.
How’s the carp fishing coming?
BTW…you’re not seriously thinking about going back to conventional gear…are you! :lol:
Anyone can catch a carp on a kernel of canned corn or a walleye (perch) on an inflated night-crawler…
I have a pattern that works well for me in similar conditions. It is called the Carter’s SEM Sculpin. I usually tie it on a size 10 hook in all black. I fish it by letting it sink for about 5-10 seconds and then hold the rod tip near the water and retreive the fly by making 6 inch strips (fairly quickly) with a 1-2 second pause between strips. You can find this pattern at http://www.warmwaterflytyer.com/patterns6.asp?page=12
Shane,
IF there is an “edge” where the water clarity changes, fish that. I would use a lightly weighted bunny strip. Bass will ambush prey from their muddy hiding spot. Something else that can work well in muddy water is “comotion”! Take a big bass bug (I like sneaky petes) & literally RIP 'em with a simultaneous strip & jerk of the rod. That has been deadly for me in hot, off colored/muddy water.
Good luck.
Mike
CHIRONOMIDS: Preferably, Bead head.
Take a string out with a big weight on the end, but mark the string in feet, this is to get the depth (unless you have sonar).
Now, take straight mono or Fluorocarbon…probably at least 6 lb.
Make a leader the length of the depth ( I do this up to 30’)
Attach this straight to your floating line.
Now attach a Chironomid right on the end, then make a small 12’ tag about 3 to 4’ up from the bottom and attach another Chironomid.
Maybe put one “BB” size split shot about 6" up from the bottom one so it drops fast. Oh yeah if it is over 10’ a slip indicator is a must.
Set the indicator so the bottom fly is suspended about a foot off the bottom.
Nice thing is, you are covering two different depths at a time. Adjust the bottom one accordingly, but I am betting with this heat, they are on the bottom.
Chironomids, maybe a black/white and a red one, but there are a bunch of colors to choose from.
Joni, I’m not sure if I’ve asked this before but how about a sink tip /Versi-tip of 15ft and a fluoro of up to 15ft??? …advantages/ disadvantages one vs the other?
