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Just the tip

7K views 78 replies 31 participants last post by  YakFishin 
#1 · (Edited)
I've thought about starting a thread like this for a long time for the SW Ohio area. There are universal "tips" that can be applied to fishing in general and there are others that may be more applicable to our corner of the state. I've thought about all the knowledge many of us have picked up over the years and how we might all be able to benefit by sharing some it. Every angler has different methods to catch fish. It's always good to get a variety of opinions. If someone gives a "tip" you disagree with, no need to argue- just state what has worked for you. Here are a couple basics to get the ball rolling. Keep in mind, I fish the LMR and GMR on 90%+ of my trips. I fish lakes and the big river the other 10%.

1. If you're newer to river fishing or aren't happy with your rod and reel, there's a setup I always recommend. Get a Pfluger spinning reel. The President model ($60) is a great reel but the Trion ($40) is very good as well if you're looking to save a few bucks. For the rod, I suggest a Bass Pro Graphite ($40). I like a 7'0 Medium Heavy spinning rod. A lot of guys like 6'6 Mediums. I like more backbone in my rod to set the hook and control big fish. My hookup ratio has gone up since I switched to MH. Get that setup and throw on some 8 lb. Trilene XT (Xtra Tough) and you'll be all set. I suggest staying away from Trilene XL (smooth casting), I had a lot of mysterious breakoffs before I switched to XT. I've caught some big flatheads and hybrids with the XT and never had any issues. Thanks to SMBHooker for suggesting that line to me years ago.

2. Use quality jigheads with big hooks. I had many problems with the cheap Wal Mart jigs that are 10 for $2 or so early in my river fishing career. They aren't as sharp or as durable as I like jigs to be. You can use them and you'll catch fish, but you'll also lose fish unnecessarily. Usually, the fish you lose will be the big ones. Don't be scared off by bigger hooks. I've caught 6" bass on big 5/0 hooks. Bigger hooks naturally have a bigger gap between the eye of the hook and the point of the hook. That gap gives you a bigger margin of error to hook a fish.

3. Use a waterproof phone case that goes around your neck. If you put your phone in your pocket or bag and slip, you're phone will most likely be done for. I've used many different brands, and this is one I HIGHLY recommend. I've swam with my phone around my neck and the phone stays bone dry. They're not expensive either.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Travelon...62587&wl11=online&wl12=22857294&wl13=&veh=sem

Show me your tips!
 
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#2 ·
Use heavier jigheads in fast water. I can't tell you how many times I've seen guys throwing 1/8 oz jigs in raging fast water. In my experience, that's completely pointless cause the lure is sweeping directly over the fish and not getting deep enough for them to bite. You should be able to feel the bottom, but if you're getting snagged a lot, go lighter.
 
#4 ·
Love the case Garret, I use one similar by Marineland, but I like the lanyard better than the "rope" that mine have.

I'm looking for a good 7' MH rod for the President I just bought. My first, haven't caught anything with it yet but loving it. I have it on a GX2, but I hate ugly stix. Not enough feel IMO. Love my 7' M Abu vengeance, but the ceramic eye ring breaks too easy. I'll check out your suggestions.

My tips, fish evey chance you get! Even if it's 20 minutes between meetings in a creek you pass, stop and fish ya never know.

Second, learn to read the currents. If they're active they will be in or around current, and employing Garrett's suggestions will help you find them. And where there is a current, there is a seam. FISH THIS SEAM(in my Ike voice).

And when fishing with lures, learn to "feel" your bait. Throw a heavy jig on(expect to lose some) and grind it on the bottom of the river. Try to find any different type of bottom, whether sand, mud, small rocks, large rocks, boulders, just drag them sucker's real slow. It will give you a better idea of the type of structure your fishing even in dirtier water. And it will help you to better tell the difference between a rock "tick" and a fish "tick".
 
#7 ·
Don't make your first cast a long cast, fish your way into your spot. Nothing irritated my father more than my tendency to sneak up to a spot and make a long cast and then drag a Hooked wiggling fish over dozens of other( now spooked) fish that could've been caught.
This probably applies more to schooling fish like crappie and whitebass or bedding bluegills but can apply to any type of fishing especially in still or clear water.
Good luck and Good Fishing !
 
#8 ·
pretty obvious tip here but I see folks all the time touting some great cheap hooks, line, terminal tackle or reels they found from some place in China on the web. LOng story short, do NOT scrimp on the very thing between you and the fish of a lifetime on the end of your line, In 40 years of fishing,I have learned a few things to be very true.... the chinese stuff is junk and the cheaper it is, the shorter it will last, splurge on some quality gear, even middle of the road stuff will be fine but stay away from the cheaper stuff. It took me 20 years to learn the value of a quality hook, and another 10 to learn that Ill only ever buy top quality hooks but guess what, every hook is perfect out of the bag, every Hook eye is perfectly sealed, made from quality metals, as sharp as ever, hold there sharpness for a long time and lastly, they hook up more often, then they hold them all the way in... Just my .02.
 
#9 ·
Before even casting my lure out, I make sure: my line is good, my knot is good and my drag is set. To check my drag, I always pull a little line out with the bail closed. I make sure that there is enough resistance for a solid hookset but not too much where the line could possibly break. I set the hook hard when I feel a fish (unless using a circle hook or other setup that doesn't require that). With smallmouth especially, I jerk my rod to the side to where to tip is just above the water and reel like a madman. As long as you have confidence in your line and knot, the appropriate drag setting will keep your line from breaking. Keeping the rod tip down will keep smallmouth from jumping and coming unbuttoned. Sometimes, they'll kind of kick water across the surface, but usually won't get up at all if you keep tension and get them in ASAP. The longer the battle the better the chance of them getting off. I drag them into very shallow (a couple inches) water to lip them and remove the hook. That way if the hook pops out I can still land them.
 
#10 ·
I'm far from an expert but here are some things I like to do:
Listen as much as you look. I just feel like using most of my senses things seem to come together better.

Slower is better. I just think it increases your margin for error if you don't rush. Could be I'm just not comfortable with faster retrieves yet, but it seems to work a bit for me.

Find a style you like to base out of. I will now almost always have a soft plastic jerk bait that is weightless tied on a rig. It's my go to. It's like a safety net for me if I'm trying something new with little success. It covers water and is easy to stay slow with is why I like it.
 
#11 ·
Nice idea, and solid advice.

Couple things that have helped me:

Identify a promising stretch on Google Earth, or whatever you use, get in the water/in the woods, and start walking to it. Covering ground is how you find "honey holes" and learn what makes that great spot so special.

Also...I picked this up from Flannel Carp, but I'm sure others do it as well...wade upstream with the kayak in tow behind you. I just use a short piece of rope looped around my body like a sash. Allows you to cruise through unproductive water, haul more gear than you could without it, and you can get back to your car faster if you need to make up time at the end of the day.
 
#14 ·
I still consider myself very much a newb but in the couple years I've fished seriously I've learned a couple things most of you already know I'm sure..

1. Bank fishing, keep your gear to a minimum and as accesible as possible. I used to tote around a shoulder strap tackle bag with gear tailored for all species. It would get heavy and I found I was only using maybe 10-20% of the gear I brought, the rest was just dead weight. All in the last year I've acquired 3 fishing packs from a full backpack, smaller sling pack, and waist wading pack. All these packs are tailored to different fishing excursions from short lunch stints to entire day expeditions. The real purpose though is to only bring what you think you're ACTUALLY going to use. I also have my pliers, line snips, and trout net all readily available on my belt. It frees up my hands and allows me to keep casting while I move and cover more ground much faster.

2. I'm still working on this, but I used to go out fishing with some sort of very vague and general plan but now I like to have a full plan before I hit the water or even picking which gear to bring. This includes a lot of google maps, weather.com, usgs website, etc. I get out on the water and try my best to stick to the plan. I usually do end up straying away from the plan as I get on the water but having a solid idea of what I'm going to be doing and targeting helps me to catch the fish I'm looking for.

I hope some of this makes sense, I'm typing it all up pretty quickly. Keep all of the tips coming. I'm soakin it all up like a sponge.
 
#15 ·
Always take at least a few minutes away from the Fishing to look around and appreciate the other things going on in your surroundings. It's easy to get caught up trying to catch fish and miss things you'll remember long after the memory of a trophy fish fades away.
Watching a sunrise,a mink fish, a hawk or eagle circling in the clouds overhead or even the colors of fall or just listening to the darkness can easily be missed if you're concerned too much with catching and there's way more to Fishing than just catching--- if your lucky.
Good luck and Good Fishing !
 
#17 ·
This is a great thread! Any tips for smallmouth river fishing from a kayak? Where to target in the rivers? I usually target water with current and the tailwater behind it and any cut banks but haven't had much luck with structure like log jams and such any tips or other areas to try?
 
#20 ·
Take one rod out....one lure only as well. A topwater popper. Leave everything else at home, everything. Plan 3 trips like this at the end of spring/beginning of summer, preferably back to back or in the same week. Commit to it like your dating the girl ya intend to marry. Cover several good miles of water each trip in the yak. Throw the popper at EVERYTHING with 2-3 tries in each spot.

If you're a smallmouth fisherman I promise this will change your life.
 
#19 ·
always bring a lunch... a PB and J sammich and a can of soda(root beer specifucally)..
Coffee !!!! :D
Low clear water can sometimes make the fishing pretty tough, I normally deal with it by fishing at night or low light periods and using the most natural looking or even a clear softbait. If that fails I'll normally try something fished extremely fast. A deep diving crank bait fished as fast as possible bouncing off the river bottom has saved the day many times for me.
If the area you're Fishing is rocky remove the front treble and it will snag a lot less, you can't fish it too fast,( once we see some warmer weather) most strikes will come as the lure strikes a rock or even wood and changes directions rapidly.
Good luck and Good Fishing !
 
#31 ·
Revised tip: Above, I posted about making sure your drag is loose enough to avoid breaking your line on a big fish. On the flip side, make sure it's tight enough to get a really good hook set.

Source: Today I lost what would have surely been in the biggest fish of my life. I'm sure it was a flathead. It hit a swimbait about 5 feet off the bank. It was 40-50 yards downstream in about 30 seconds and then it just came unbuttoned. I've caught big hybrids and a couple flatheads in the 20-25 pound range. This was a whole other animal. Ive never tangled with a fish that I couldn't even slow down, let alone actually turn back towards me. I've replayed it in my head all day. The only possible issue was that my drag was a hair loose. In reality, it probably would've come off anyway. As hard as it is for me to accept, fish just come off sometimes. I just would've loved to have seen it. I hadn't lost a big fish for a long time. I was due.
 
#38 ·
Revised tip: Above, I posted about making sure your drag is loose enough to avoid breaking your line on a big fish. On the flip side, make sure it's tight enough to get a really good hook set.

Source: Today I lost what would have surely been in the biggest fish of my life. I'm sure it was a flathead. It hit a swimbait about 5 feet off the bank. It was 40-50 yards downstream in about 30 seconds and then it just came unbuttoned. I've caught big hybrids and a couple flatheads in the 20-25 pound range. This was a whole other animal. Ive never tangled with a fish that I couldn't even slow down, let alone actually turn back towards me. I've replayed it in my head all day. The only possible issue was that my drag was a hair loose. In reality, it probably would've come off anyway. As hard as it is for me to accept, fish just come off sometimes. I just would've loved to have seen it. I hadn't lost a big fish for a long time. I was due.
HOUSE has a video of me running 50 yards down stream after a giant hybrid that I couldn't even turn. My pole was doubled over the whole way and then the big swimbait hook just popped out. I feel your pain man!
 
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