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UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS
PAST PRESENTATIONS
Fishing as a co-angler-Richard Finley
As Co-angler of the year and finishing second in the overall standings, Richard knows how to fish out of the back of the boat. Some of his key points included:
• Discuss the upcoming tournament with your boater. Have an idea of how and where he will fish. Know where and when to meet; trade cell numbers.
• Don’t bring excessive gear; a small tote bag with an assortment of lures and baits that you have confidence in will do. Too many rods clutter the boat-5 are more than sufficient. His example is if fishing Lake Kissimmee have a Toad Rod, Skinny dipper Rod, crankbait rod, pitching and flipping sticks.
• He recommends bringing your own life vest, cull tags, towel, cell phone and rain suit if inclement weather is possible.
• To be successful vary the baits and casting angles to give the fish a different look as compared to your boater. Don’t rely on what your boater is fishing unless he starts getting more consistent bites.
• Learn how to properly handle a net.
• Try to learn as much as you can from your boater and just have fun.
• Never Give Up – Last cast may be a 10 pound bass.
Flipping and Pitching-Scott Visker
Scott’s seminar was geared more toward presentation rather than basic knowledge of the technique. Much emphasis was put on the need to become very good at creating a soft landing in the water. When pitching keep the bait just inches of the water’s surface so as not to create a large splash. Most bad pitches happen when the bait is dropped into the water with a more vertical drop. Try not to disturb any of the vegetation that is being targeted with either your lure or boat. The idea is to be as quiet as possible so as not to make any fish in the area aware of your presence. Scotts most confident bait of choice is a fluke style bait on as light of a sinker as the vegetation will allow. His top color is emerald blue, but make clear that other colors work just as well
Carolina Rig Fishing-David Glenn
David presented an in-depth review of his approach to Carolina Rig fishing. David has two approaches:
1. David suggested the use of a 1 oz weight (un-pegged) as a means of better identifying bottom conditions. He uses a 2’-21/2’ leader and two beads between the weight and the swivel. For beads, he uses ons acquired form a crafts store. He claims the wider holes prevent wearing of the knot at the swivel.
He uses a 71/2’ Falcon Carolina Rig rod and 12# test line. With the heavier weight, he uses a side arm retrieve motion rather than horizontal to vertical. He claims that this keeps the rig on the bottom creating a “puff” that attracts fish. When encountering hydrilla, he rips the bait, similar to the way we fish crank-baits. His bait of preference is a “skip shad” because of its darting action. He uses a lighter 4-0 hook to enable the bait to float better.
2. His second approach downsizes the rig setup. He uses a smaller swivel, a small weight (1/16 oz.) and a short leader. The weight in this instance is pegged. He moves this setup more quickly.
At the conclusion of his presentation, David advised that anglers should not pass up the Carolina Rig when there are “schoolies” in the area. He claims that the bigger fish lie under the smaller ones and the Carolina Rigs presents the bait in an area associated with dying bait fish hit above them.
Many thanks to David for an informative presentation.
Skinny Dipper Fishing Techniques-Colby Cotterrill
Colby emphasized the importance of having the right tackle and maintaining it properly. Colby’s preferred equipment includes:
Rod-7’-7 1/2” Heavy rod with a fast action tip. The length and the action increase the casting distance
Reel-Colby uses a 200 Curado with a 7:1 ratio for high speed retrieves. The wide spool facilitates casting and allows for more line on the reel. He insists that the reel must be kept in good condition with well lubricated bearings and smooth gears to facilitate casting and effortless retrieval.
Line-for Skinny Dippers, Colby uses 50# braid on most reels. Occasionally, he will increase to 65# test when heavy cover is a factor.
Weights-Colby varies the weight depending on the circumstances. He uses 1/8 to ½ ounce weights depending on the desired depth and cover. This is why the skinny dipper is so versatile, because it can be fished from top to bottom, depending on the weight applied. He pegs his weights with rubber bobber stoppers and on occasion uses two stoppers to ensure that the weight stays in place.
Hooks-he prefers using 6/0 EWG hooks above other configurations. He claims that the screw-in type hooks designed for Skinny Dippers tear up the baits too quickly. The 6/0 hook has the perfect balance for the bait which means minimal rolling which decreases line twist. If a bait has a problem with rolling it is because it is disfigured and needs to be realigned. Simply grab the bait at either side of its mid section and stretch it in 90 degree bends until the bait begins to turn white due to the salt crystals breaking apart. This will give the bait its needed movement to resist rolling
Bait colors-he says not to buy every color in the catalog but instead settle on two colors and just go fishing. All that is necessary is a bright color and a neutral color pattern which should cover all conditions encountered. Brighter colors work best in dirtier water or thick vegetation while neutral colors excel in clear water applications. An example of a bright color would be Houdini and a neutral color would be watermelon/green pumpkin. Other variations of bright and neutral colors exist, so it is best to just experiment and find the confidence color that best serves you.
Techniques-Colby reiterated that the 200 size reel enables him to effect long casts which are important, because the skinny dipper is a search bait. Depending on the environment, he will try various retrieves-sometimes slow, sometimes fast and sometimes with a stop to have the bait fall into a hole in the vegetation. He is not committed to swimming the bait on the top. At times, he will intentionally keep it below the surface to mimic fast moving bait fish.
When he receives a strike, he counts to three and then sets the hook.