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Old 12-31-10, 02:48 PM   #1
AUFred
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Default gin clear & ice cold water

10 to 15 mph winds. Made for a short fishing trip today. I dropped my chewing gum over the side of the boat and could still see it on the bottom in over 8 feet of water. I am sure my 12 pound test looked like a phone cable going thru the water. Needless to say I whiffed on the day.
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Old 12-31-10, 03:26 PM   #2
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Sounds like dropshot time. 7' ML rod, 4-6lb fluorocarbon, 1/8-3/16oz dropshot weight, 1 or 2 gamakatsu DS hook, and your favorite 4" straight tail worm.

Cast it out, and let it sit on a semi-slack line. Occasionally wiggle the rod tip to move the worm a bit, then let it sit for a minute. Repeat.

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Old 12-31-10, 04:35 PM   #3
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if you think thats bad, i fished 34 degree water yesterday....i didnt try very long. mainly was trying out the boat after some new installs,and doin research
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Old 12-31-10, 05:18 PM   #4
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don't worry about it. I usually use 12-14lb fluorocarbon in "gin clear" water. It works, you just need to find fish. Here is my lake - typically you can see about 20-30' down....

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Old 12-31-10, 05:23 PM   #5
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Fished yesterday in 39 degree water, tried several different techniques but coud not get them to play. Tried jerbaits, crankbaits, jigs, swimjigs, C-rig, Red eye shad, and Kevin (Pro Reel) tried DS and Shakey Head. It was nice temp wise but very windy, limited us to fishing only certain areas. Didn't catch a single fish, but still had a great time, talking tackle with Kevin.
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Old 01-01-11, 10:07 AM   #6
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I had the pleasure of going out with a friend yesterday on his Ranger to pre-fish for today's tourney. Everyone was bed fishing and the water is "Jin clear" there. First time I've ever been "sight fishing" like that.

The water was 59-70 degrees in certain spots. There must have been at least 16 tourney boats and even the local guys who are considered good really didn't have a great day. Water was shallow and a lot of people were throwing everything they had only to catch about 3-5 fish throughout the whole day, AND THE FISH WERE CLEARLY there in the water. Flukes seemed to be working for sighted beds where fish were.

Clear river water makes for a tough fishing environment.
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Old 01-01-11, 07:08 PM   #7
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It's tough but you can do things to increase your odds. Find areas where the waves are crashing the shoreline stirring up the water color. Positioning your boat farther from your target areas and making longer casts.Position your boat to drift with the current ,staying off the trolling motor as you enter near your fishing area.Once past, you can power out and around to return another drift through.Drift socks help slow your boat if it's really getting pushed through your fishing area.
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Old 01-02-11, 11:13 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pig n jig View Post
It's tough but you can do things to increase your odds. Find areas where the waves are crashing the shoreline stirring up the water color. Positioning your boat farther from your target areas and making longer casts.Position your boat to drift with the current ,staying off the trolling motor as you enter near your fishing area.Once past, you can power out and around to return another drift through.Drift socks help slow your boat if it's really getting pushed through your fishing area.
Good points PnJ. I don't often face conditions like this on my local lakes, but I have had a few and it's just plain tough. A couple things that did work for me was using a small original sinking Rapala size 5 on light line. I simply cast it out around submerged weedbeds, counted it down till I knew it was close to the tops of the weeds and reeled it back VERY slowly with slight twitches. Another lure that has worked for me was a 1/8 - 1/4oz black maribu jig with a small black salamander for a trailor. I was working that lure on deepeer weedbeds near breaks into deep drop offs.
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Old 01-03-11, 01:19 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BBD View Post
Everyone was bed fishing and the water is "Jin clear" there. First time I've ever been "sight fishing" like that.

The water was 59-70 degrees in certain spots
For us hard water guys, it hurts to read this.
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Old 01-03-11, 01:51 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MIbasser View Post
don't worry about it. I usually use 12-14lb fluorocarbon in "gin clear" water. It works, you just need to find fish. Here is my lake - typically you can see about 20-30' down....


No fair MI!!!..I wanna fish with a jetpack
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Old 01-03-11, 02:38 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AUFred View Post
10 to 15 mph winds. Made for a short fishing trip today. I dropped my chewing gum over the side of the boat and could still see it on the bottom in over 8 feet of water. I am sure my 12 pound test looked like a phone cable going thru the water. Needless to say I whiffed on the day.
This sounds a lot like Table Rock. It's by far the clearest lake I have ever seen, you can read a news paper on the bottom in 15 feet of water and a lot of the times deeper than that.

Flourocarbon line is a big help if line visability concerns you. Jerkbaits, jigs, Wiggle Warts, shaky heads, and drop shots in high percentage spots like bluff ends, points, transition banks, and channel swings should get you some bites. Some days it just plain sucks and that is all there is to it. Winter fishing can be a grind, one day they are on fire and the next day you can't get a bite. Don't get discouraged though because it will come full circle eventually and you will open a can on them one day.
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Old 01-03-11, 09:14 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CiK View Post
For us hard water guys, it hurts to read this.
Ha! DanielBasspro and I were fishing yesterday in Orlando and the weather was a perfect 76 degrees with a 6-10mph SSW wind. We thinking about all you hard water guys yesterday -





Quote:
Originally Posted by carolina-rig-01 View Post
Some days it just plain sucks and that is all there is to it. Winter fishing can be a grind, one day they are on fire and the next day you can't get a bite. Don't get discouraged though because it will come full circle eventually and you will open a can on them one day.
I agree here!
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Old 01-11-11, 12:30 PM   #13
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I fish norris lake in east tn alot & it is the same way, clear & cold right now. Ive been catching a few smallies lately dragging a football jig slloooowww using a D.T. skirted grub on 8lb sunline super mono. The key to it is to put your rod tip down & turn the reel handle, dont lift unless you get hung or bit. when you contact rock or wood, pop it over & let it sit.Thats when most of your bites occur. I let mine sit for up to a minute on one spot, shake it a bit before continuing on. A zoom brush hog or berkley power hawg also works well for this. I use a football/shaky jighead with a screwlock in it.
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Old 01-11-11, 04:46 PM   #14
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Hair jigs, Float & Fly and jigging spoons are some good cold water tactics. Here in the north we use these when the water hits 40's and below.
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