You could get away with 15lb-20lb braid to pull those fish through the slop. It's after the fish hits initially that you usually need to haul them out of the thick stuff.
If you are open water fishing topwaters, 6lb-8lb mono is fine..
Those would be smolts that you are catching. Might wanna fish for something else if that's all you're getting into. Those are the future Lake O reproducing fish
How warm was the water? If it was around 70, you are doing more harm then good to those little guys.
Why not go bass fishing! lol
Nice job Bill!
I was a few miles south of you on the Ottawa River in Temiskaming on Sat.. nothing but tiny saugers and one small pickerel the entire day. I guess I know where all the big fish are. What did you get them on? cranks? harnesses? Ours came on nice sized chubs and a few on the leech.
Greatest topwater lure ever, Zara Spook
I catch everything on them, pike, bass even muskie.. simple to use, very weedless for what it is, drives fish insane.
I know it's really hard, but you need to wait until you feel the weight of the fish before setting the hook. I do a lot of top water bass fishing (probably to much) and this was the biggest thing I've learned..
Also if they are just nipping and not inhaling it, then throw something like a Senko rigged wacky style right back into the hole. Bass have a hard time resisting a Senko
Hey Mike, my initial post was a compliment
It's nice to see the everyday average guy out fishing. I love the wild exotic shows that WFN has, but I do enjoy the grassroots stuff just as much.
I do however think you need a few episodes filmed in Canada
There are worse shows on WFN. What about the dude that went to Bermuda or something, I think they showed about 3 mins of fishing where a guy nails a tarpon and it swims through a wackload of mangroves and he tries forever to get it out. I don't care about the plane ride, or the fact that you had to paddle 3 miles through a river to catch grunts all day...
Worst.....show.....ever.
Those smolts shake like mad and put up a good fight on light gear for sure. I'm done trout fishing for the season because the water temps are getting up to dangerous levels. Time to chase bass, pike and whatever else decides to eat a topwater.
Hit the Ottawa for 'eyes, ended up with about 9 or so. Hit a couple of real nice smallies, biggest just under 4lbs. Not bad for a blue bird hot day.
Looking forward to the rain this week.