Whether open or hard water fishing, try upsizing your bait to catch the big ones. Depending on the time of year you happen to be fishing, what is considered large as bait can differ greatly.
For instance, I’ve used nine-inch pond shiners in the summer and caught three-pound large mouths on them. I’ve also used jigs through the ice that were smaller than a pea, and caught the same sized fish. Knowing what big bait for the conditions you are fishing is a key concept in catching large fish. By focusing in on the lake forage species and understanding which food source is being utilized, you can choose the most effective bait.
The recent cold spell has thoroughly locked up Chenango Lake if conditions continue as they are, and the Perch Derby is just around the corner! The event is set to take place on Feb. 9t. Registration fees all ages, advanced is $4 and $5 on ice. Registration begins at 6 a.m. and ends at 1 p.m. The derby starts at 7 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m. Drawings and raffle will be held at 2 p.m., immediately after derby ends. Prizes are $1,000 for tagged perch, donated by NBT; $500 for second tagged perch, donated by Preferred Mutual. Every 15 minutes, prizes will be given for the largest perch. Mayhood’s Sporting Goods will be awarding $150 for the largest perch of the day. The same prize amount will also be awarded for the largest pickerel and is in memory of Dr. Polgar, and was donated by the family. If no tagged perch are caught, six drawings from registered fishermen will be held: $500, $250, $100, $75, $50 and $25. If the Perch Derby is cancelled, drawings will be made from pre-registered contestants only. The awards for cancellation will be broken down the same as above.
The addition of a tagged fish category may add some confusion to your normal big-fish tournament strategy. Here is what I recommend for tagged and multi-species tournaments: I like to put large minnows on my tip-ups for big fish, and use my hand rods to focus on the smaller species. The accompanying picture in today’s edition was of my tournament-winning channel catfish caught on a tip-up. It was 29 inches long and weighed nine pounds and six ounces I caught this fish and won the tournament by using the strategy that I am passing on. Buy the largest minnows you can get as big fish can and do eat much larger baits than you can buy. I like to place them on my tip-ups because you are able to multi-task this way. By using the tip-ups for your larger fish, you are able to jig the smaller and pickier species.
As with the larger species, I like to upsize my jigs to catch larger pan fish. We all have our favorite jigs that seem to produce numbers, but tournament and trophy fishing upsizing is the strategy used to produce larger fish. Knowing what size forage the fish are keying in on is important to picking the right size bait. The only way to know this is to pre-fish and check their stomach contents while cleaning. If you are using the largest lures you can buy, and findyou are still catching small ones, your only choice is make your own. I duplicate, but upsize versions of lures on the market so you can avoid some little guys that way. I find a fish caught on one of your hand-made lures is extra rewarding.
I have been asked several times how I cook my fish, so here are a few tips for the most underutilized species in our waters, the pickerel.
