Lake Geneva Report 6/6/09 w/pics

[Lee Borgersen]

Saturday 6/6/09 report

 
Today I had newcomer mike Ferguson and his pal Mike. Mr. Ferguson won today's trip during an auction for the Cancer Treatment Centers. It didn't take long before Mike and Mike were hooking up with some surface bustin, rod bending, drag squealing smallmouth. The guys had been on Lake Geneva before, but not for fishin.

We we were fishing casting crawlers and a hoppin and a shaken them till the fish couldn't resist any longer. Today was the first day in a while that we didn't catch any giants, but all the fish we caught we nice solid bass. The guys couldn't believe the amount of action we encountered today and both pledged to return to Geneva in the near future.

*Fish are strange creatures. They're even more unpredictable than women - and that's going some.

See ya on the water,

Lee

[Fawkinnae]

We we were fishing casting crawlers and a hoppin and a shaken them till the fish couldn't resist any longer.


Hi Lee
Not sure exactly what you meant by casting crawlers. Are you casting real or artificial crawlers and how are they rigged? Spinners? Gob? Wacky? I'm always trying to learn more from the master.

Thanks.

[Lee Borgersen]

Sorry I didn't get back to you, but been very busy this June.

    How to fish crawlers
   Crawlers should be hooked once right through the tip near the head end. They can also be hooked through the tip of the tail end, allowing for a very natural crawling motion. I have literally watched my line inch out away from me when fishing crawlers in this manner. The only drawback to this method is that they tend to break off on the cast much easier, and sometimes they will even break off on there own !
  Crawlers are best fished very slow with a short twitching motion (3 to 12 inches per twitch), or short slow drags, with pauses of several seconds in between. When I say slow, I mean SLOW ! To give you a better idea, a cast of about 30 feet should take at least 3 minutes to retrieve. Or, if you are fishing an area which you know to hold fish, it is often best to let the worm make any and all movements on its own.
  Worms should always be kept fresh and lively. Considering that most night crawlers are shipped down to us from Canada, they need to be kept cool at all times during storage. The crisper in your fridge will be great, but you might need to hide them from the wife :-) For transportation and while fishing, an ice box works fine.
  Water temperature plays a big part of how long a crawler will last on your hook. If the crawler starts to become limp and lifeless it should be replaced with a fresh one. You can put them back in a separate box, and by the next trip they will usually be good to go fishing for another round.


Most times I use 7.5 ft med/light rod....6 lb test....# 8 hook....1/4 oz barrel sinker....# 10 barrel swivel and at times inject air in crawler. 12 to 18 inch leader from the swivel to hook.

Real crawlers hooked one time in the nose. You can also put a bead between the sinker and the swivel.

[Fawkinnae]

Great information Lee. Thanks.

[Fawkinnae]

Lee one more question when you get a chance.

So how long do you let the bass take it when you rig your worm like you have described - or how do you know when is the best time to set the hook?

And question part two - I'm guessing you fish for walleyes the same way. Same question how long do you let them take it, when is the best time to set the hook?

Thanks Lee. Glad to hear you're busy.