06-20-2005, 11:39 AM
[cool][#0000ff]Rigging? Seems like everyone has their own special way that works best for them. We often try the bobber technique, but find that we hook a higher percentage of our biters by fishing with no weight and no bobber. When a fish picks up the bait, we let it run for a few feet before setting the hook.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We fish almost exclusively from float tubes. We toss the bait out about fifty feet behind the tube and then let it settle. If fishing with a spinning reel, we keep the bail open and our forefinger holding the line. Sometimes the fish hit hard, going away, and line immediately starts flying off the reel. Other times we feel a slight tap, as the fish tests the bait. Then we stop and just let the fish play with it until he gets serious.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Yesterday we had to really finesse some of our fish. They would pick up and drop the bait two or three times before we could get the hook into them. We were not using circle hooks, but most of our fish were hooked in the corner of the mouth. We both had a couple that did a "gulp and go", and we had to snip off the hooks and retie.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We both have two pole permits, and we often drag a piece of bait arond on one rod while casting plastics or spinners with another. I have rigged up PVC rod holders that hold the bait rod out away from the tube and we leave the bail open on the reels, tucking the line under a loop of a rubber band wrapped around the rod tube. When a fish picks up the bait, it pulls the line free and we reel in and put up the second rod before picking up the one with the fish running. That usually gives the fish enough time to have the bait well inside its mouth and to get a good hookset.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We used to fish Willard a lot for cats, when there were more of the larger ones in there. We still used no weight and left the bail open. If we propped the rod up in the rocks, we would loop a wrap of line around an empty drink can. Then, when a fish took off the can would fall over and alert us to take care of business.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I seldom use hooks larger than size 2 unless fishing really large chunks of bait. I favor either octopus style or the ring eye bait hooks from Eagle Claw. Plain old baitholder hooks work just fine.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We fish almost exclusively from float tubes. We toss the bait out about fifty feet behind the tube and then let it settle. If fishing with a spinning reel, we keep the bail open and our forefinger holding the line. Sometimes the fish hit hard, going away, and line immediately starts flying off the reel. Other times we feel a slight tap, as the fish tests the bait. Then we stop and just let the fish play with it until he gets serious.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Yesterday we had to really finesse some of our fish. They would pick up and drop the bait two or three times before we could get the hook into them. We were not using circle hooks, but most of our fish were hooked in the corner of the mouth. We both had a couple that did a "gulp and go", and we had to snip off the hooks and retie.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We both have two pole permits, and we often drag a piece of bait arond on one rod while casting plastics or spinners with another. I have rigged up PVC rod holders that hold the bait rod out away from the tube and we leave the bail open on the reels, tucking the line under a loop of a rubber band wrapped around the rod tube. When a fish picks up the bait, it pulls the line free and we reel in and put up the second rod before picking up the one with the fish running. That usually gives the fish enough time to have the bait well inside its mouth and to get a good hookset.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We used to fish Willard a lot for cats, when there were more of the larger ones in there. We still used no weight and left the bail open. If we propped the rod up in the rocks, we would loop a wrap of line around an empty drink can. Then, when a fish took off the can would fall over and alert us to take care of business.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I seldom use hooks larger than size 2 unless fishing really large chunks of bait. I favor either octopus style or the ring eye bait hooks from Eagle Claw. Plain old baitholder hooks work just fine.[/#0000ff]
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