Pro Tips Archive
- Casting (3)
- Fly Tying (5)
- Freshwater Fishing (15)
- General Tips (7)
- Saltwater Fishing (6)
- General Author (20)
- Dr. Way Yin (1)
- Rene' Harrop (9)
- Rich Culver (1)
- Mark Lance (1)
- Capt. Joe LeClair (1)
- Cale Van Velkinburgh (1)
- Chris Beech (1)
- Rick Kustich (1)
- 2008 (28)
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- October (23)
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Pro Tips
Saltwater Fishing
November 19, 2008
I just returned home from three days fishing and camping in the Everglades National Park. This was my first trip of the season here in South Florida since returning from Cape Cod. I had the pleasure of fishing with Jason Lynn who is the manager of Boca Grande Outfitters on Gasparilla Island. Jason is an experienced angler and avid fly fisherman and I have fished with him many times. He knows how much I love fishing in the Everglades and so we have been planning this trip for some time.
We started out on Sunday morning in Everglades City and headed south. Our plan was to stay on two different camp sites while fishing the two different areas and maybe a third on the way back home on the third day. We fished the first day with some success in an area where I have fished in years past. It was cool and breezy from the North and the air temps were in the low 70's all day. In the late afternoon we arrived back at our campsite and enjoyed a cool breezy evening with no bugs. As it got dark we had a visitor at our campsite. I heard Jason say hey look at the little bird that just landed on that branch. I was standing next to the bush where this little Eastern Spotted Owl landed while I was checking the battery level in the digital camera for the next day. With the light North wind and temps dropping in the upper 40's we decided we did not even need to set up a tent on the Chickee that evening. It was unbelievable to sleep under the stars and watch the moonrise around 9:00 pm. The cool cold fronts of the winter months in the Everglades completely clear the night sky of any clouds and humidity. This means the stars appear to be within reach when standing on the edge of the Chickee looking out on the water at night.
We fished a new area on the second day and we were into consistent topwater action for snook all day. It was very cool fishing. The snook were sunning themselves over a shallow muddy bottom as the temps came back up. It was again in the mid 70's on day two and not a cloud in the sky.
We had planned on returning to the campsite to pick up our gear and move on to another campsite and fishing area that afternoon. We got so wrapped up in the fishing that we did not return to the campsite until dark. When we returned to the campsite we found two other guys who were camping and fishing in the park. We apologized to them for leaving our gear on the campsite so late and told them we would grab our gear and head off to the next site. They told us they were just two and if we wanted to stay there was plenty of room. So we stayed and hung out with these guys and had a blast until the moon came up again and we could stay awake no more.
At the end of the day of fishing on the second day we had hooked and lost a monster. We were determined to get a big snook on this trip so we decided to head back to the same area to start the days fishing on day three. As we were headed back in the morning we stumbled onto baby tarpon rolling everywhere. We could not pass this up so we stopped and fished them for hours. It was so cool to see the beautiful mini silver kings rolling all around the boat and Jason landed his first ever Everglades baby tarpon on a fly rod.
Then in the late afternoon we headed back to the area where we had lost a huge fish in the afternoon the day before. I quietly poled the boat through some very shallow water while Jason was on the bow looking for Walter. After about 20 minutes he hooked up with what we both knew, but neither one of us was expecting, a massive Redfish. It was a beauty and he hooked it along the edge of some very small mangrove clusters with shallow sandy water all around the boat. It was a great way to end the trip and a fish of a lifetime! We got back into Everglades City around 6:30 pm and were bushed...
We started out on Sunday morning in Everglades City and headed south. Our plan was to stay on two different camp sites while fishing the two different areas and maybe a third on the way back home on the third day. We fished the first day with some success in an area where I have fished in years past. It was cool and breezy from the North and the air temps were in the low 70's all day. In the late afternoon we arrived back at our campsite and enjoyed a cool breezy evening with no bugs. As it got dark we had a visitor at our campsite. I heard Jason say hey look at the little bird that just landed on that branch. I was standing next to the bush where this little Eastern Spotted Owl landed while I was checking the battery level in the digital camera for the next day. With the light North wind and temps dropping in the upper 40's we decided we did not even need to set up a tent on the Chickee that evening. It was unbelievable to sleep under the stars and watch the moonrise around 9:00 pm. The cool cold fronts of the winter months in the Everglades completely clear the night sky of any clouds and humidity. This means the stars appear to be within reach when standing on the edge of the Chickee looking out on the water at night.
We fished a new area on the second day and we were into consistent topwater action for snook all day. It was very cool fishing. The snook were sunning themselves over a shallow muddy bottom as the temps came back up. It was again in the mid 70's on day two and not a cloud in the sky.
We had planned on returning to the campsite to pick up our gear and move on to another campsite and fishing area that afternoon. We got so wrapped up in the fishing that we did not return to the campsite until dark. When we returned to the campsite we found two other guys who were camping and fishing in the park. We apologized to them for leaving our gear on the campsite so late and told them we would grab our gear and head off to the next site. They told us they were just two and if we wanted to stay there was plenty of room. So we stayed and hung out with these guys and had a blast until the moon came up again and we could stay awake no more.
At the end of the day of fishing on the second day we had hooked and lost a monster. We were determined to get a big snook on this trip so we decided to head back to the same area to start the days fishing on day three. As we were headed back in the morning we stumbled onto baby tarpon rolling everywhere. We could not pass this up so we stopped and fished them for hours. It was so cool to see the beautiful mini silver kings rolling all around the boat and Jason landed his first ever Everglades baby tarpon on a fly rod.
Then in the late afternoon we headed back to the area where we had lost a huge fish in the afternoon the day before. I quietly poled the boat through some very shallow water while Jason was on the bow looking for Walter. After about 20 minutes he hooked up with what we both knew, but neither one of us was expecting, a massive Redfish. It was a beauty and he hooked it along the edge of some very small mangrove clusters with shallow sandy water all around the boat. It was a great way to end the trip and a fish of a lifetime! We got back into Everglades City around 6:30 pm and were bushed...
October 20, 2008
This fall we had several weeks of great fishing for School Bluefin Tuna. These fish were averaging around 100 lbs. We had the opportunity to hook and land several on the Scott Bluewater 15 weight.
This is the fourth season for me on these rods and they are still going strong. I had an angler hook up with a 63' Bluefin Tuna that was around 150 lbs. this past week. I know this angler well and have caught many large fish with him in the past. As soon as he hooked up I told him I wanted to see him release this fish in less than 1/2 hour. It was not an easy task but he put the wood to that fish and we released the fish from the fly at the boat side in 26 minutes.
Anyone who has ever tangled with a fish over 100 lbs. on the fly rod knows that this is not easy to do. Even more people out there who have never hooked up with anything over 20 lbs. have no idea how hard you can and will need to pull back on a fish of this size to get it into the boat. While we were fighting this fish I was coaching the angler on how to best put pressure on the line and turn the fish towards the surface. At one point I noticed that the fish was just a little ahead of the angler and I asked him if I could take the rod and show him how we could do it a bit differently. He agreed and I took over the rod on the bow of the boat for a quick spell.
In doing so I was hoping to show the angler how the rod on a very low angler pointed almost directly at the fish (directly under the boat) could work the Tuna up in the water column without ever loosing pressure on him. The angler jumped back on the rod and did exactly as I had hoped. He was able to keep the movement of the fishing coming up towards the surface of the water instead of lifting the rod above the level of the horizon and then releasing pressure while winding the line back onto the reel. When this is done properly the fly rod tip never leaves the water.
In the world of stand up tackle this is termed 'short pumping' the rod. With stand up gear the angler wears a harness and places the rod in belt while the rod tip never comes down. Because we do not use a harness with the fly rods we have adapted the position of the rod so that the leverage on the line is the same as it is when 'Short Pumping' with standup gear. In the world of fly fishing we have found ways to do this with the larger fish hooked on fly tackle that allows for us to bring the fish boat side in a seriously short period of time.
My job as teacher and coach is very rewarding when we are able to land a fish of this size on the fly rod and sometimes there is years of work with an angler to achieve this type of goal. These are the things that make us tick!
In many cases the world according to the rules of the IGFA and other organizations that have set guidelines for us to follow when attempting a world record on the fly rod can only get in the way of the real world. In the case of my fishing here in the Northeast for Bluefin Tuna I have flat out no respect for the IGFA when they refuse to allow for 30lb. class tippet for our Tuna.
In many cases the world according to the rules of the IGFA and other organizations that have set guidelines for us to follow when attempting a world record on the fly rod can only get in the way of the real world. In the case of my fishing here in the Northeast for Bluefin Tuna I have flat out no respect for the IGFA when they refuse to allow for 30lb. class tippet for our Tuna.
The beauty of this is that before we even leave the dock we usually know what our game plan is for the day and if we are not planning on an attempt any world records we don't have to worry about the rules of the any organization other than our own. This means I can take the time and the leaders I need to fish for and catch the Chicken of The Sea.
I am winding up my season here on Cape Cod and heading to Florida again in November. I am going to be running a new flats boat in Florida. I have sold both my Action Craft 1890SE and Maverick HPX-T and purchased a new Action Craft 1710TPS. The TPS stands for Technical Poling Skiff. Because I have been fishing so much in the winter and spring in the EvergladesNational Park, I have decided to purchase a Carbon Kevlar boat that will fish as shallow as the winter low tides in the Everglades require.
I am winding up my season here on Cape Cod and heading to Florida again in November. I am going to be running a new flats boat in Florida. I have sold both my Action Craft 1890SE and Maverick HPX-T and purchased a new Action Craft 1710TPS. The TPS stands for Technical Poling Skiff. Because I have been fishing so much in the winter and spring in the EvergladesNational Park, I have decided to purchase a Carbon Kevlar boat that will fish as shallow as the winter low tides in the Everglades require.
This boat will draft 6' and can accommodate up to three people. I have outfitted the boat with a Yamaha 4 Stroke 60 horse power motor. In this day and age when the world economy and fuel cost is in fluctuation each week I feel it is important for each of us to do our part. In my case it means it will take 20-30 minutes longer to get to the fishing grounds when we run 25-35 miles into the Everglades for Snook, Reds, and Tarpon, but the amount of fuel we will consume on a small boat like this with a small four stroke motor will be less than half of what I was using in years past.
Captain Joe LeClair
North Eastern Anglers
(774)263-2675
October 6, 2008
Want more hook ups in salt water????
Try using a non slip loop knot. It is easy to tie, extremely strong, and allows the fly to have a lot more action. Flies tied with synthetic or natural materials (especially craft hair and rabbit fur) really perform well using this knot.
The knot is simple: Start with an overhand knot then take the tag end through the eye of the fly and pull it up to the overhand knot. Pass the tag end through the center of the overhand knot, three times around the running line and back through the center of the overhand knot. Wet the knot before pulling it tight. With a little practice, they can be tied extremely small. There will be little difference in the action of a fly using a large knot versus a small knot. The down side of a big knot is that a fly with eyes may get caught in the knot while casting. The eyes on a fly cannot get caught if the knot is small. If this knot is tied properly, the tag end should be at 90 degrees from the running line.
October 2, 2008
I’m not afraid to learn from my anglers. One thing I noticed was how well good trout anglers controlled their lines in heavy current. Subsequently I now use reach casts and mends for line control in heavy current. I can dead drift the fly better, and I have no downstream belly in the line. That gives me a better connection with the fly, and a better sink rate with sinking lines. Just remember trout guys we set our hooks with a strip strike-DON'T LIFT THE ROD TILL THE FISH IS HOOKED.
have fun, Capt. Jeff Becker
have fun, Capt. Jeff Becker
October 2, 2008
Life as the Anti-Matcher of Hatch has served me well, and there¡¦s no better time for that philosophy to shine than springtime. Common knowledge, combined with life experience, should tell you that good or bad, the attention always goes to those that opt to be different. I¡¦m a simple man with simple concepts, and doing the opposite, thinking backwards comes naturally to me. Achieving the AMH life style is very simple and requires only one thing, the ability to tap into that unused portion of your mind to see beyond what is right in front of you to your advantage. To our mind this comes naturally if you allow it.
Notice that it doesn¡¦t matter in waht oredr I wirte the ltteers in a wrod, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wtihout any porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe i.e., seeing beyond. Applying that natural talent makes not matching the hatch simple and successful.
The cold water in New Jersey during early spring makes baitfish nearly non-existent. The exception are grass shrimp hatches on the moons-A great hatch and plenty of them, but not on the menu for Bass. Choosing to throw matching shrimp patterns may produce a fish or two, but looking beyond and throwing an imitation of a baitfish that¡¦s not due in for a few months can put you in the game.
Two months out from May in New Jersey „_ peanut bunker „_ crease fly. The crease fly is by far the #1 fly for Stripers, a fly that 98% of anglers will throw when fishing top water on a floating line with an 8 ft. leader. This is a great combo during the summer months but for spring bass the opposite is the call.
Instead of trying to matching the hatch, throw a crease fly on a 350-grain sinking line with a 4¡¦ leader on a 9wt. The result will be that on the retrieve the crease fly is dragged down by the line on the strip and will float towards the surface on the pause (deadly).
Taking this ill logic one step further is to throw that same combination in skinny water (12 inches or less) resulting in the line dragging the bottom, kicking up sand on the strip, and the fly floating up out of the cloud of freshly stirred up sand on the pause. It drives Bass crazy (not mention Lower Florida Keys Bonefish and Tarpon).
Throwing sinking lines may not sound glamorous, but on a 9wt it¡¦s very comfortable especially on those windy days. As a word of caution when using this technique always remember the one factor that trumps all; If you don¡¦t truly believe in what you are throwing you might as well be matching the hatch.
Capt. Bryan DiLeo
Iowa Fortune Guide Service
www.iowafortune.com
Notice that it doesn¡¦t matter in waht oredr I wirte the ltteers in a wrod, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wtihout any porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe i.e., seeing beyond. Applying that natural talent makes not matching the hatch simple and successful.
The cold water in New Jersey during early spring makes baitfish nearly non-existent. The exception are grass shrimp hatches on the moons-A great hatch and plenty of them, but not on the menu for Bass. Choosing to throw matching shrimp patterns may produce a fish or two, but looking beyond and throwing an imitation of a baitfish that¡¦s not due in for a few months can put you in the game.
Two months out from May in New Jersey „_ peanut bunker „_ crease fly. The crease fly is by far the #1 fly for Stripers, a fly that 98% of anglers will throw when fishing top water on a floating line with an 8 ft. leader. This is a great combo during the summer months but for spring bass the opposite is the call.
Instead of trying to matching the hatch, throw a crease fly on a 350-grain sinking line with a 4¡¦ leader on a 9wt. The result will be that on the retrieve the crease fly is dragged down by the line on the strip and will float towards the surface on the pause (deadly).
Taking this ill logic one step further is to throw that same combination in skinny water (12 inches or less) resulting in the line dragging the bottom, kicking up sand on the strip, and the fly floating up out of the cloud of freshly stirred up sand on the pause. It drives Bass crazy (not mention Lower Florida Keys Bonefish and Tarpon).
Throwing sinking lines may not sound glamorous, but on a 9wt it¡¦s very comfortable especially on those windy days. As a word of caution when using this technique always remember the one factor that trumps all; If you don¡¦t truly believe in what you are throwing you might as well be matching the hatch.
Capt. Bryan DiLeo
Iowa Fortune Guide Service
www.iowafortune.com
October 2, 2008
IT'S ALL IN THE RETRIEVE
The striped bass is a predator, an eating machine that maims and then devours its prey. Whether fishing Clousers or whistlers for these trophy game fish I ask one thing of my clients: make sure you pause the fly. All my flies are weighted in the front so when we pause them they dive straight down.
When stripers come into a school of bait fish they often stun their prey using their tail or thick bodies. They often circle back around to devour all the crippled baitfish they can find. I always like to vary my stripping retrieves from one to five pulls with pauses from one to several seconds.
Typically the colder the water the longer I pause in between strips. I always like to start my initial retrieve with three or four good pulls on the line. Even in murky water stripers will pick up on this water movement and come to investigate.
Fish Hard, Mike Costello
The striped bass is a predator, an eating machine that maims and then devours its prey. Whether fishing Clousers or whistlers for these trophy game fish I ask one thing of my clients: make sure you pause the fly. All my flies are weighted in the front so when we pause them they dive straight down.
When stripers come into a school of bait fish they often stun their prey using their tail or thick bodies. They often circle back around to devour all the crippled baitfish they can find. I always like to vary my stripping retrieves from one to five pulls with pauses from one to several seconds.
Typically the colder the water the longer I pause in between strips. I always like to start my initial retrieve with three or four good pulls on the line. Even in murky water stripers will pick up on this water movement and come to investigate.
Fish Hard, Mike Costello
