It is time for what I call the running of the bulls here in Michigan. What I mean by that is that the biggest gills in the lake all start to school up and suspend . Typically this happens as the lake temps start to cool in September. The bite however will last in most lakes all the way through winter, or until fishing pressure either cleans out the schools or spooks them enough to split up. As I already stated I look for the bulls to suspend over deep water and I simply drop my electric motor, turn on my graph ( a Vexilar also works great) and start to search. Once I find a school or two I will either drop a marker bouy or simply add another waypoint to my GPS. I prefer to use my GPS as then I have waypoints to go back to once the lake freezes. Now that I have my schools located I back away about 20 feet or so anchor up and cast to the school. When casting to the school I use 4 lb test fluorocarbon line with a #8 baitholder hook or a ice jig like a Clam Outdoors Drop or Dingle Drop and a small splitshot anchored above the hook about 18 inches. For bait I have found crickets work best, but red worms or waxworms will put plenty of bull gills in your livewell. Typically your bait will not make it to bottom before being picked up by a hungry gill looking to bulk up before winter. If in case your bait does make it through the school without getting bit, just reel it in and cast out again, but this time a little left or right of your last cast in case the school has moved a bit. These fish will be the biggest of the season and the big spawners, so only take what you can eat and take pictures of the others and gently release them. That way you can work those big bulls over until the mid winter doldrums hit and the fish are not as active. In the pic is the Northland Whistler Bee that is no longer in production and hasnt been for years.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 01:38:39 +0000
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