EARLY SPRING FISHING WITH SLIP BOBBERS

The versatility of slip-bobber fishing is made for early year action. It allows the angler to adapt to conditions and whatever species they seek.

Sitting on the shore and staring at a bobber dancing on the surface of the water may be food for the Zen consciousness, but it does nothing to put fish in the cooler. Staring at a bobber may be all that some people get to do early in the year.

Changing temperatures and winds make early spring fishing a challenge. Movements of fronts through the area cause changes in the feeding activities of fish as well as water temperatures. Because fish move to find their comfort zone, they are often in different locations at different times of the day. They will also move up and down the water column in response to water temperatures.

So where does one begin to seek out early spring fish?

A good location is in the backs of coves and other secluded bays. It is here that water begins to warm faster than in the deeper waters of the main body of the lake or river. A plain kitchen thermometer can be used to take water temperature readings in various areas. Tied to a line, it can be lowered and raised in the water to find temperatures at different depths.

Look for warming trends and begin to fish those areas first.

Warmer water is usually the water closest to shore in the spring. The sun shining on rocks or mud bottoms will warm them. In turn they hold the heat longer. The warmed structure helps tow arm the water surrounding it. It is important to approach such areas quietly. Fish in shallow water, especially clear water, spook easily.

In the spring, fish are generally interested in locating spawning sites. They will often be found near areas where such activity will later occur.

For walleye, areas of hard bottom structure are good places to begin. Also look to areas where creeks feed into a larger body of water. The water will be warmer there by a degree or two and that can mean fish will be present.

Rip rap is a good location as are most rocky areas in general. If the wind is blowing toward the rip rap, the warmer water will be blown there as well. This in turn attracts bait fish and the predator fish follow.

In rivers, look for eddies just off the current. The fish locate those areas and wait next to the faster current in hopes of a hapless bait fish passing by in the faster water.

Once an area is selected it is time to seek the depth at which to fish. All fish seek their comfort level when it comes to water temperature. On warmer early season days that will be near the surface or in more shallow waters.

The slip bobber allows the angler to place the lure or bait at precisely the same depth as the fish. Anglers can easily change fishing depths by moving the line stop up and down. In a boat with electronics, this is more easily accomplished as one can know precisely where the fish are suspended. For the ground pounder it involves a little more work. One has to experiment by changing the depth until a fish is caught. Then fish that depth.

The slip bobber gets the bait to the right depth. Slip bobber systems allow the angler to move back from the fish and cast to them in the targeted area.

The slip bobber rig consists of a line freely passing through the bobber with a hook and bait below and a slip know stop above. The line slides through the bobber and stops at the slip knot. The slip knot can pass through the rod guides during casting and retrieval.

The slip knot is set at the depth the angler wishes the bait to suspend. If the bait is not heavy enough, then a split shot can be added to the line beneath the bobber for additional weight.

A small hook suspended below the slip bobber can suspend a minnow or other live bait in the fish’s view. Simply cast the rig to the desired water area, allow it to sit for a bit and then retrieve it slowly. Slowly is the operational word. The fish are usually sluggish from the cold water temperatures.

It is a good idea to work the entire area, be it rip rap or culvert drainage. On rocky or sandy shorelines, try working the bait along the bottom. Allow it to just bump the bottom and then jig it along with a lifting motion. In warmer water or when fish are more active, try to suspend the bait about 9 inches off the bottom with the same rod motion.

For those using artificial lures, any small to medium size minnow imitation is probably a good selection. Twitch them on the surface or just beneath it. Some people get good results with rattling crankbaits in this situation. Floating crankbaits work well if you stop the retrieve periodically. They represent an easy meal to fish as they suspend in the water.

The two keys to remember are: Fish slowly, and look for water that is warmer than that around it. Early spring fishing is often a hit or miss prospect. But, with a slip bobber your chances are increased.

                        Don Gasaway - The Ground Pounder
                        http://www.dongasaway.wordpress.com/