Does presentation matter?

[DDSBYDAY]

   Yes, it does!  Does color matter?    Yes it does!  Can the preference of the fish change from day to day?   Yes!  Can the preference change in the same day?    Yes!  The best way to find out is go somewhere where there are a lot of fish.  I just got back from Ear Falls Ontario.  I was fishing with my son and had a great time experimenting.  We would switch up our jigs and rigs and found that one subtle difference would make a difference. The difference would mean a bite every 20 seconds or every three drifts over a reef.  It was during a very late mayfly hatch.  I will over the next couple of weeks check in here to discuss some of our findings.  Over all I was amazed at how much a subtle difference in the way the crawler was hooked or what the wind did to change to presentation. We used jigs, crawler harnesses, big swim baits and swim baits with gaudy spinners ahead of them.  We used crank baits large and small. 

          Tip for today-  If you think they are there but you can't get them to bite-change something!! 

[kenhuntin]

Preach brother preach because you speak the truth

[Fawkinnae]

Can I get an AMEN.

[glenn57]

and here I thought he was reposting generals pictures of the girls in fawks new t-shirt line!!!!!

but seriously..............I like trying new presentations and looking for off the beaten path to find fish!!!!!

[DDSBYDAY]

   I shot a couple of videos to show the difference in presentations we were trying.  This old computer plays them fine but they come out black when I try to share them.  I will keep working on it.   

   Here are some findings when I knew a reef we were fishing on held fish.  It turns out any jig you dropped down with a vertically hooked crawler would work as long as it was white.  The crawler could not be balled up on the end.  It had to be threaded up the hook and pinched off.  We basically used about a third of a crawler.  The difference in any color vs. white ran about 6 to 1.  A balled up crawler vs. a threaded crawler was roughly the same.  A combo of a pink and white jig got it to about 3 to 1 provided the crawler was threaded,  Average time between bites with a white long shanked jig with a threaded crawler was about 20 to 25 seconds.  And then-- the winds came.   The jigs did not cut it.  Three passes over a reef and not a bite.  Popped on the bottom bouncer with a small hammered nickle spinner blade and right back to the 20 to 25 second lapse time from dropping the lure to the bite.  Bottom bouncers with a 2 hook harness is a pain.  Elapsed time from landing the fish to re baiting and being ready to drop again was one pass across the reef.

         For me jigging is way more fun and a much faster way to get your line back in the water.  Why the jigs were ineffective once the wind picked up is a mystery.  Most likely the vertical presentation with the mild breeze was what they liked.  Once the jig was being dragged at an angle it did not trip their triggers anymore.   I did try increasing the weight of the jig but after my son had 4 fish to my none and his line was only in the water cumulatively 1 minute I had to change. 

           Preaching to the choir but if you are pretty sure they are there switch it up.  Up next will walleyes take a plastic swim bait?   Here is a hint---  NOT GENTLY!!   

[DDSBYDAY]

  Swim baits.  What are they?  How are they made?  Do they work on finicky walleye? 

[DDSBYDAY]

  Not only do they work they can turn a slow bite into a hot bite.  When they hit these they are fooled.  6 inch baits down to the gills.  If you have not tried this yet you are missing out.