Fishing Fanatics

Fishing Lake Falcon in Texas was a challenge

I've been back from my fishing trip to Lake Falcon for a few weeks now but I've been procrastinating on writing my blog. My eldest daughter who is my blog conscience and got me into doing this blog in the first place just sent me a stern reminder so I guess it's time.

 

As I explained to my daughter the primary reason for my delaying things is that I'm still pouting about not getting my double digit bucketmouth.

 

The primary reason we went at the beginning of March is that the water temperature has warmed to the requisite 62 to 65 degrees and the big girls are moving in shallow to spawn. You can drastically cut down the area you need to fish to target big fish and catching them in 2 to 5 feet of water is a blast !

 

Unfortunately when we arrived the water temperature was 57 degrees and the fish were scattered. To add to our woes the wind was consistently at 20 to 35 mph. We used a guide for the first 2 days and he constantly reminded us that they were usually fishing in shorts and T-shirts at this time of year instead of the hoodies, jackets and jeans that we donned, not to mention the gloves the guide wore. The midday sun warmed the air temp up to the low 70's but the water did not get over 58 degrees all week.

 

Now that I have layed on the required excuses let's get on to the fishing we did do. The only structure that was consistently holding fish were the trees that bracketed the creek channels that existed before the reservoir was there. Remember, Lake Falcon is a man made reservoir resulting from the damming of the Rio Grande River. On one side is Mexico and on the other the U.S. The tops of the trees were anywhere from a few inches to several feet above water.

 

The method of fishing was to throw large, soft plastic baits (6" to 7" Senkos, Lizards and Brush Hogs) texas rigged on 5/0 and 6/0 hooks and 3/8 oz to 1/2 oz tungsten weights. A heavy action flippin rod and either 25 lb flourocarbon or 65 lb braid was a must to get the fish quickly out of the trees. You tighten the drag on your baitcaster all the way down and you set hard and reel fast when a fish hits. If you can't  tell the difference between a fish and a limb you will be setting in tree limbs all day long and making the local tackle store owners very happy. I was frequenting them regularly. You did not move your offering. The cold water made the fish very lethargic so they would not chase.

 

Most days we struggled to get 10 fish each, including the guide and while we did score a couple of 7 pounders our average for the trip was probably closer to 5 lbs. As you might expect my big fish story is about the one I lost. I set on him hard and got him up through most of the tree limbs but the biggest limb was just under the surface and I ripped the hook out of him as he hit it. Thinking he was still hooked he jumped a few feet from the boat and I could have sworn I saw a small middle finger get extended. Who knew fish had them ! He might not have been my 10 pounder but it was close.

 

Unfortunately my buddy got a bug that kept him close to the plumbing for the last 2 days so combined with the howling wind we figured we would cut things a day and a half short. 

 

You might find it interesting to know that our guide told us he spends 5 to 6 days per week fishing, year round on Lake Falcon and last year, which he considered a good one he caught a total of 10, double digit fish, the biggest being 12.4 lbs. Not as easy as you might think, huh ?

 

WOULD I GO BACK ?

 

Lake Falcon is a fishing factory. It is surrounded by flat, brown grass, pastures. No picturesque Northern Ontatio landscapes here. Our motel had a least 35 Bass Boats in the parking lot as did every other Motel in Zapata. In fact, the parking lots in every service station, restaurant and convenience store in town were all full of Bass Boats. I certainly don't have a problem fishing hard and intense but there is something about being the only boat in sight on a beautiful, Ontario lake that appeals to me beyond all else. Maybe it's my advancing age but if I'm going to spend a week fishing I want the entire outdoor experience. I still love a day or two of tournament fishing but once a year I want to get next to nature in her full glory.

OFF TO TEXAS FOR SOME HOGS

Every year, a good friend living in Atlanta and I go for a week of fishing. One year in the States and the next in Canada. Last year we went to a fly-in Bass Lake near Blind River, so this year we were looking for a location where we had a chance at one of our life long ambitions...a double digit largemouth.

 

We considered Mexico but a four day trip looked like a $3000 plus proposition...ouch !  Some more online research led us to Lake Falcon in Texas which lies on the Texas-Mexico border. In fact we had to get both a Texas and Mexican fishing license, both online of course. Our plan is for me to fly to Atlanta where my buddy would pick me up with his boat in tow and make the two day drive to Zapata, Texas and Lake Falcon.

 

The next order of business was to get back online and search for a guide. Falcon is a big lake and we need a day or two of coaching before setting out on our own. I emailed several guides before selecting one. My criteria was simple, "while we would like to catch lots of Bass our number one priority was BIG Bass". We selected a guide and he suggested we come down the first week of March for spawn or just into post spawn.

 

We asked him for suggestions for accomodation and he hooked us up with a motel right on the water for $65 per night.

 

Next I found a website for a tackle store in Zapata (subsequently I found a second one)  that had an excellent fishing report and started to monitor it daily to find out where they were getting them, shallow, deep etc and what they were using. This helped me stock my tackle bag. I also asked our guide for suggestions. It got me very excited when he told me to leave my spinning gear at home and don't spool up with anything less than 25 lb fourocarbon or 65 lb braid. The excitement built as I looked at the pictures of the HOGS on the fishing report.

 

I decided to take 6 rod/reel outfits individually selected for the type of fishing we were going to do. I mostly fish smallmouth so I'm glad I did some foreplanning to get the big baits that would be needed down there, I suppose I could have waited and bought them down there but I don't like leaving things to chance. In fact there were some baits that I couldn't find up here but my buddy in Atlanta had no problem at all.

 

I checked Air Canada's baggage regulations to see if I would have to pay a premium for my 7.5 foot rod case and thankfully found that there is a waiver for some types of sporting equipment and fishing rod cases was one of them. They do suggest that you call and register it with them a few days before your flight. 

 

Since I'm using aeroplan miles for my flight to Atlanta the total cost of this trip should be less than $1000 so I'm pretty happy about that.

 

I'll be writing another Blog when I return on March 7 to let you know how we did. Hopefully I'll be doing some bragging.

 

 

I just put the boat away and I'm depressed . . . .

  

It was a great, warm weather, fishing season and the excellent November weather let us fish right up until the end of Bass season so all is good except I just put the boat away and I'm depressed.

 

Sure I'll probably get out for a little hard water action but it just isn't the same as chasing down smallies in my beloved Triton.

 

Time to put a checklist together of the off season chores that need to get done before it's time to get out on the water again.

 

• Take an inventory of  tackle and make a note of items that need replacing. A good thing to do prior to the spring tackle SALES, not to mention adding them to your Christmas wish list.

 

• Clean out your tackle boxes and throw out the stuff you know you're never going to use, including that ugly crankbait you got for Christmas 2 years ago and the mega-sized red and white spoon that you could substitute for a frying pan in a pinch. 

 

• Back off the drag on you reels and take them off the rods. Go on the internet for instructions on how to lubricate and don't over lubricate. Don't put new line on until you're ready to use them in the spring.

 

• Take a Q-tip and run it around the ceramic on your rod guides. If a chip or crack pulls off some cotton get it repaired now.

 

• Store your rods in a rod rack. They are relatively inexpensive and well worth the investment.

 

• Sharpen hooks and replace them as necessary.

 

Just a few random comments about the past season from my personal experience as well as the comments and opinions I hear from my customers.

• The Lake Huron trollers are still disenchanted with numbers and size but most did agree that it was marginallty better than 2008.

 

• The Lake Ontario trollers felt that the Salmon numbers and size were down but the Rainbow fishing was excellent.

 

• The Lake Erie trollers thought the walleye were late in arriving at their usual spots and when they did arrive they were generally found suspended in deep water. The perch and Rainbow fishing was awesome.

 

• The Bass anglers were relatively happy. Tournament weights were holding strong and the magical 30 lb bag (5 fish) was attained on the tournament trail.

• The Steelheaders felt this year is
  definetly better than 08.

 

THE VERY BEST OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON TO YOU ALL AND PLEASE MAKE IT A SAFE ONE !

WHAT EXACTLY ARE THOSE "LITTLE THINGS"

 

We've all heard the old adage "pay attention to the little things" in conjunction with fishing as well as most of the other important pursuits in life.

What exactly are those "little things". You know, those things that can make the difference between an average angler a good angler. Through experience and listening to some of those great anglers I've picked up a few that really do make a difference when it comes to putting fish in the boat.

Take the time to check your gear the day before you fish. A day before is important because if you need to do some adjustments you still have time.

•  have you got a sufficient selection of the terminal tackle and lures you expect to use ?
•  lots of line on your reels, hooks sharp?
•  check the last ten feet of line on your reels for frays or nicks
•  throw a selection of the soft plastics you intend to use in a Ziplock bag with a little of your favorite scent
• tie your rods together with velcro straps and don't untie them until you're ready to fish. It saves dealing with a big tangle and lost fishing time
•  Once you start to fish keep in mind a comment I recently read by a notable pro angler and guide of 40 years. "The most common mistake I see my clients make is working their presentations too fast".

• When using an electric motor especially in shallow water avoid speed bursts and running it on a high speed. It definitely spooks fish.  Also, don't forget what your Dad told you, "be quiet". Heavy feet and dropping articles in the bottom of the boat is a definite no no.

• I fished in the Canadian Open last year as an amateur. My professional on day two was one of the best smallmouth bass anglers in the country. I learned a lot but the two things that stuck with me were the emphasis he put on having a line in the water at all times and how he studied other anglers in the area that were on fish to ascertain exactly what they were doing. There is absolutely nothing unethical about going "to school" on other anglers. It's just makes good sense.

• Have a plan of attack before you hit the water and then tweak it as the conditions and bite dictate.

Example for a bass fishing outing.  It's fall and the water temperature is dropping. There should be some good fish in shallow (less than 10 feet).

We'll start on large weed flats with spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits to cover water for active fish. If we find a concentration of fish (because bass do tend to bunch up in the fall) we'll pick it apart with tubes, senkos and shakey worms.

These are just a few and I'm sure there are hundreds more that have helped you over the years. Send them to me and I'll post them in my next blog.
 
Fall is absolutely my favorite time to fish and it's when you can score some really big bruisers so get out on the water and get after them !
 

CHOOSING THE RIGHT LINE IS KEY !

For the occasional angler with 1 or 2 spinning outfits that cover whatever species is available a good monofilament like Berkley Trilene in 8 pound test is the ticket. The more species or structure specific an angler becomes requires that his/her choice of line become more specialized.

Let's review a few types of line and hone in on what type of fishing they are well suited to. As with all things fishing some of this boils down to personal preference so don't hesitate to share your preferences.

MONOFILAMENT is a good all around line that sells for 3 to 4 cents per yard in bulk in most weights. It is very stretchy and it is buoyant. The higher pound test the more water resistance and therefore slower sink. This makes mono a good choice for topwater fishing. I also like mono for fishing shallow crankbaits (less than 8 feet) because treble hooks tend to pull out of the fish easily and the stretch in mono provides some forgiveness. On the down side the stretchy aspect detracts from the sensitivity of the line so if you're looking to detect those subtle bites another line choice would be in order. Also, it is critical to swap out mono every year at a minimum.
 
SUPER LINES such as Power Pro, Fireline etc often referred to generically as "braids". There are two basic types, one is dyneema ex. Fireline and the other is spectra ex. Power Pro.  Fireline sells for approx 17 to 19 cents per yard and Power Pro for 13 to 15 cents per yard. You can easily get 3 years of usage from these lines under normal conditions. The biggest attribute of braids is that they are virtually no stretch and therefore are ultra sensitive to pick up the "light bite". They are also very thin. For example 20 pound test braid is the equivalent thickness of 6 pound test mono.  Braids float but they aren't my personal preference for topwater fishing because again I like the forgiveness of mono so I don't pull the hooks out of the fish. I do however use 50 to 60 pound Fireline for fishing largemouth in heavy cover because it is tremendous at cutting through the weeds. In clear water it is essential that you fish braids with a 4 to 6 foot fluorocarbon leader for two reasons. One is that braid is highly visible and fluorocarbon is virtually invisible under water. Secondly fluorocarbon is extremely abrasion resistant and braid is not. A big factor when dragging your lure over rocks and/or zebra mussels. You can use ordinary fluorocarbon line for your leaders or buy fluorocarbon leader material which is even more abrasion resisitant. Attach your leader to the braid with a small barrel swivel or a line to line knot such as a double uni.  The barrel swivel will help you keep twist out of your line but the downside is that you could be dragging it through the guides on your expensive rod if you don't stop reeling soon enough. In most applications 8 to 14 pound test fluorocarbon leaders do the trick. Another attribute of braid is that it has no memory which avoids the coils of line spooling off your reel as with mono at times. Ever since braid came on the scene I've heard stories about it wearing out rod guides. I've been using it for several years and have seen no evidence of it. Maybe the quality of guides has been improving as the use of braid increases.
 
FLUOROCARBON line is a compromise between braid and monofilament in many respects. The price in bulk is 7 to 9 cents per yard. It normally lasts longer than mono but not as long as braid so two seasons of usage would be reasonable. It stretches less than mono but more than braid. fluorocarbon line sinks so it is not a good choice for topwater fishing. I do like it for running deep water crankbaits. It is also my favorite for drop shotting or any application where you are fishing close to the boat and need a stealthy approach. Remember, fluorocarbon is virtually invisible under water.

 

GENERAL

 

Just a few points that come to mind based on oft asked customers questions about line.

•  It's generally not a good idea to run less than 10 pound test line, mono thickness on a baitcaster. They aren't really designed to run light line.

 

•  It's a lot of fun catching big fish on light line but if you are practicing catch and release remember that an elongated fight can fatigue a big fish to the point where it severely      threatens its chance of survival.

 

•  The biggest enemy of any line especially mono is sunlight. Keep your reels out of the sun when not in use as much as possible.

 

•  If you're not sure whether you should swap out your line and it's mono or fluorocarbon simply tie an overhand knot in it and give it a good tug. If it breaks, replace it. The first sign of aging on braid is extensive fraying.

 

•  The best knor for tying lures to braid in my opinion is the Palomar knot. In fact I use the palomar on any type of line when the eye of the lure is big enough to handle a double thickness of line.

 
 

As always, if you have questions don't hesitate to come into the store and ask. We really enjoy helping our Customers catch more and bigger fish.

Just starting out? Not sure what gear you need? Read my post on Getting started

BASIC LINE AND TACKLE SELECTION

Now that we have a good solid rod and reel it's time to spool up our reel with line and take stock of what's in our tackle box to ensure we have most of the bases covered that we might encounter now that we've decided to move up to the "next level".

There are all kinds of choices available when it comes to selecting line depending on the species you fish, type of structure, water clarity, lure type etc.

Remember, the angler we're targeting now is the one that has decided to move beyond the beginner or novice stage and has picked a spinning rod and reel outfit that will fit a number of different applications such as jigging, casting or trolling for walleyes, bass and trout, live bait fishing for multiple species including panfish and perch.

Even being able to handle mid-sized catfish and pike. To effectively handle a variety of applications such as this I would recommend a high quality, 8 pound test monofilament line.

If you have a spare spool with your reel you might want to load it up with 6 pound test mono for smaller fish and/or very clear water situations.

In a future blog we will address selecting equipment for the angler who has decided to concentrate on one species or a certain type of angling.

That's when we'll get into using specialty lines such as braided and flourocarbon. Now that we're "spooled up" let's take an inventory of what's in our tackle box and fill in the areas that will allow us to put a reasonable selection in front of that varied selection of species.

• Live Bait Rig... 2 or 3 sizes of live bait hooks, split shot and floats (both fixed and slip floats). All of this should cost less than $20. Don't hesitate to ask your tackle shop how to rig this if you're not certain.

• Selection of Jigheads and Curlytail Grubs... 1/8 and 1/4 ounce round heads will handle most applications. Jig them with or without live bait or swim them slowly close to bottom. I also like a darter head with a 3" natural colored grub for bass. Again, less than $20 .

• Crankbaits....start with 4 or 5 crankbaits. Get a couple that run 5-7 feet a couple more that run 8-12 feet and one that runs deeper. Get a bright color, such as firetiger for stained or dirty water and a natural color such as shad for clear water. A Rapala shad rap is a good choice although I would get one of my shallower selections in a style designed for jerking. 5 good quality crankbaits will cost $40 -$50.

• Topwater Lures ... 2 is enough. Get one popper style and one rubber frog. $12 for the pair should do it.

• In-line Spinners.... such as Mepps, Blue Fox etc. Get 2 or 3, 1/4 and 1/8 ounce, plain and dressed with feather. Less than $20. * Terminal Tackle... small to medium sized swivels for use with the in-line spinners and crankbaits (don't use them with jigs, topwater or live bait rig). Leaders, only if you're fishing for "toothy critters". Less than $10.

I know I've probably left out a few of your favorites but I'm trying to arrive at the "must haves" from my perspective.

Come on into the store and let's talk about it !

Have you already got "the itch" ?

Just starting out? Not sure what gear you need? Read my post on Getting started

Getting Started

One of the situations that presents itself frequently at the store is the new or novice angler with questions about how to get started. A typical scenario is the new angler who has a low end rod/reel combo usually bought for less than $50 who now wants to get a little more serious and purchase a rod and reel at the "next" level.

First of all let's review what moving up to the "next" level buys you. In a rod you will generally be moving from a low graphite or high fiberglass content to a rod with a higher level of graphite. The higher graphite level will most often get you a lighter and more sensitive rod.

The more sensitive the rod the easier it is to detect a bite. You should keep in mind however that the higher the graphite content is the more fragile the rod will be so if the new angler is a youngster who tends to be a little tough on his/her equipment you might be better to stick with a rod with more fiberglass content.

Next let's consider whether to go with a one or two piece rod and what length might be appropriate. One piece rods are almost always more sensitive than two piece rods so if you don't have an issue with storage or transporting  the longer rod go with the one piece. 

For most applications I would suggest a 6.5 or 7.0 foot rod. In most situations a shorter rod will afford more casting accuracy while a longer rod will provide longer casting distances and more leverage to aid landing your fish.

You can buy a good, quality graphite rod with a solid warranty from 5yrs to lifetime for $70 to $100.

Now let's move on to a reel. The vast majority of new anglers use spinning reels so that's what we'll concentrate on. The two most important attributes I look for are a light reel with a smooth drag
 system. The drag system controls how smoothly line is pulled from the reel when you're fighting a fish. A poor quality drag system will cause the line to come off in a "jerky" fashion which often results in break offs and lost fish. Some anglers equate a smooth drag system with a high bearing count.

A high bearing count can mean a smooth drag but the positioning and quality of bearings is a huge consideration. There are those that contend that an inexpensive reel with a very high bearing count i.e 7 to 10 is a poor choice because the bearings will be poor quality and will cause reliability problems. There is no pat answer to the "bearing count" issue.

One feature that most spinning reels made in the last 5 years have and is a must in my opinion is instant anti-reverse. This simply means the spool does not move backwards regardless of where you are in the rotation cycle.

This provides instant hooksets. The other signifigant consideration is spool capacity, in other words how much line does the reel hold of the pound test line you normally use ? If you use 8 lb. test line and primarily cast for fish you'll be fine with 80 yards of line but if you also want to troll you might want to get a reel with spool capacity of at least 120 yards.

Many anglers are very concerned about whether the reel comes with a spare spool. A spare spool is way down the priority list for me because I very rarely use them but I definitely can understand that in some situations they would be very useful.

Where does that leave us on the question of reels ?  My personal opinion when moving to the "next level" is that you should be looking for a reel in the $75 to $120 range with instant anti-reverse and at least 7 bearings.

Match up the rod and reel before you buy it and make sure it's comfortable and feels balanced in your hand.

Lastly, a question I get a lot is whether it's more important to get a good quality rod or reel.

From the standpoint of the performance they provide I have a hard time picking one over the other but my answer is the reel because it has more moving parts and potentially represents a larger potential for reliability problems especially since the warranty on rods is generally much longer than on reels.

I hope this information is useful to you. Make sure you drop into the store and we'll spend as much time with you as necessary to make you comfortable with your choice.

All the best to you and your family over the holidays and into the New Year !