4/16/18
With the season fast approaching and plenty of snow outside we are preparing for our first open water weekend of fishing this weekend.
Here is what we are looking at weather-wise for the weekend as of right now.
Temperature: Mid 50's this weekend
Water Temp: 33-34 and rising
Wind: Light(under 10)
Game plan: Pick up the boat on Friday. Have first beer in new boat in driveway. (its a new tradition-starts Friday) Try and sleep in Saturday morning waiting for weather and water to warm up. A very common mistake early in the season is to drink to much coffee. This amps the angler up and usually ends up in rushed casts and missed strikes. I'm not saying no to coffee but just be conscious of how much you consume the day of your trip. (or any outing) Trust me, when the first fish that smacks your fly/lure you will be plenty awake.
We plan to fish 9:30a.m. - 3:30 Saturday. Normally we'd fish 11a.m.-6 but there is a craft beer event in Rhinelander that we must attend.(for the sake of the business of course)
It's Hodag Hops and Vine Microbrew tasting event. Sounds delicious. Join us!
We'll fish the new 9' TFO Axiom 6wt along with a 9' and 9' 1/2 TFO BVK's 7wt.
Fishing with an Orvis Batenkill on two of the rods and a Ross Evolution on the other.
Line of Choices will by Orivs Bass Hydros floating 6wt, an Orvis Hydros 10ft skink tip line from Orvis and a Hydros 250gr full sink as well.
Flies: We'll keep it simple. EP Peanut Butter's, meal tickets, and some crazy cool baitfish patterns tied up by Frankenfly, along with a few other small streamers.
Lures: Rapalas, Small Suspending, DT4's, and Spinner Baits.
Early in the season we'll probably have to fish sub surface until the water temps rise. We'll keep the boat 20'-30' from shore we will find fish 5' to 15' from shore depending on the drop off.
We'll cast up to shore, two small strips, a pause, maybe another strip, and BAM! probably a snake northern. 8 out of 10 they will hit your fly/lure on the pause this time of year. Then we'll keep exploring and find the spot the fat Smallmouth Bass are staging before they get ready to spawn and we'll sit on that spot and pick them off one by one or perhaps two by two. Taking a quick photo and letting them go to spawn and bring us many more future Smallmouth.
Then Sunday I'll bring out the spinning and spin cast gear and we'll do the same thing with Rapala's and Spinner Baits. Changing colors to find what works best for the May 5th opener!
Enough for now,
Teacher Todd