JustinHoffman

Awesome!!! I am even more excited for my day out with Marc next week, now! Great friends and fishing - just what life is all about.. Good Fishing, Justin

Hey Guys, Thanks for the congrats - much appreciated!! Sentier is a great magazine to write for, even though I can't read a single word when the issues come out.. And the English version of that very article will be in TJ's next issue of the newsletter... As for reports, only made it out on the ice once this season But will be uncovering the boat this weekend, and getting her good and wet - for the next 7 months!! Here's wishing you all a good season... Justin

Hey TJ, Thanks for having me along for the ride. Have had 99 articles published in your E-Zine over the years - yep, missed that one deadline! Here's to another 100 issues... Good Fishing, Justin

Hello All, Few more bits of advice I thought I'd add. In terms of line, 20 or 25lb test mono has always been my choice. I do very short line flipping/pitching, in extremely shallow water. Due to this, I want a line that has a bit of give when reefing back on hooksets. Just my preference. If you fish clear water and opt for braid, go with a flouro leader. After a bit of research this past year, I will be making the switch to full flouro for 2009. Clearer than mono, a bit less give, and much stronger. Great attributes for flipping applications. Don't be afraid to go shallow. At least 60% of my fish are caught from water less than 2 feet deep. A large portion from less than a foot. Many boats don't target water this shallow, but believe me, the fish are definitely there. If it is deep enough to cover there backs, they will utilize it as cover. Here are a couple of shots that showcase the skinny water I target. Each image was taken after catching a fish from the spot: Splash-less entries are key - especially when working shallow water. Make your presentation as natural as possible, and that means nary a ripple when your bait enters the water. Continued practice is the only way to achieve this. Equipment is also key. You need a flipping rod - this will allow you to utilize this technique to the best of your ability. My light-weight Kistler rods were a God-send out on the water this season. A reel with a flipping switch is also an excellent choice in my eyes... Happy Pitchin'! Justin

Hey Mike, Just came across this thread. As you can probably tell from the majority of my reports, flipping jigs are my number one bait when chasing largies. If truth be known, I throw these 75% of my time when out on the water.. I've fished a lot of jigs over the years (some good and some bad), but for the last three years, I've stayed with the Booyah Boo Jig. Stick with the 3/8 and 1/2oz for the majority of your fishing. I generally go with a 3/4oz when fishing "deep" water - 10 feet + and if the wind is really blowing. When fishing slop edges, laydowns, or docks in less than five feet of water, go with a 3/8oz, as the slower decent through the water will often trigger more strikes. Top four colours would be: Black/Blue Black Brown Spice Black/Red Green Pumpkin In terms of trailers, I'm a big proponent of the YUM Chunks. Go with the 3.5" size, and match up the colour of plastic to your jig. Been using these for as long as I can remember. Remember to trim back the weed guard, and also thin it out - this will result in better hook penetration and more fish in the boat.. This image shows the colours I routinely use, and the matching trailers: Toss jigs to any emergent or sub-surface structure you can find - pads, slop edges, docks, laydowns, undercut banks, cane, weedlines, rock shoals....the possibilities are endless. Getting your confidence in fishing jigs is a huge deal. Many give up too quick. Best way to learn (and how I did many years ago) was to take a flipping stick and a handful of jigs out in the boat - nothing else. This forces you to use them, and practice definitely makes perfect.. Good luck! Justin

Forrest - many of the reel manufacturer's were offering rebates at that time - Shimano was another one. I believe that was to offer some incentives and to drum up business. This latest price drop is in order to get rid of stock - "old" models need to be cleared out to make way for the new... Justin

Reason for the reduction in price is to make way for the new lineup of Quantum reels.. Good Fishing, Justin

Hey Smitty, I am also a Leaf fan living in the Nation's Capital. Due to the lack of televised "blue and white" games in this area, each year I order the Centre Ice package, although my cable provider is Rogers. Now, I do have Sportsnet, so watching the game tonight on that channel shouldn't be a problem. However, I would imagine it would also be on Centre Ice, as it is my understanding that all games are shown. For instance - I watched the last game again Washington on Centre Ice, even though it was only originally broadcast on Leafs TV... I believe you should get every Leaf game.... Go Leafs Go, Justin

Great reels for sure. Shipping is only "free" if you live in the States - and don't forget to convert that to price to Cnd. $'s..... Do love my Quantum's - made the switch last year. Good Fishing, Justin

Great report and awesome pics, Dobee! I really cherish the time I spend out in the boat with my Dad, too... While reading through the report, I suddenly say to myself "hey, that's the Brian I know!" Yep, we go back some 6 or 7 years - brought together by girls that are both our ex's now. lol Brian - we'll share a boat next year for sure - my promise. Thanks for sharing - looks like an amazing day! Good Fishing, Justin

Hey Mike, Thanks, bud... The camera I use is Pentax *istDS digital SLR. It was one of the first digitals that Pentax came out with about three years ago...Will be possibly upgrading it to one of their newer models this off season. Nothing but praise for this camera - shoots well for sure. Good Fishing, Justin

Rich - just make sure you use a thick enough piece of plywood. No issues when standing on the wood over the seats, but when two of us would stand over the negative space, the deck began to bow slightly. Slap on some carpet and she's all good to go... Good Fishing, Justin

Thanks for the comments, guys... Nemo - The casting deck on Andy's boat is a temporary one. Cut to fit on top of the two bench seats - no screws required. With the weather looking decent for Tuesday, I'm going to make one last trip of the season before putting the boat to bed. It is a lake I've done well with during the summer, but have never fished it this late in the fall. We'll see what happens... Good Fishing, Justin

Hey Roy, Nope, one camera (mine).... Not sure what the reason would be for such different coloured fish - both were caught within 20 yards of each other, from a very similar depth. One for the fish biologists I 'spose.... Good Fishing, Justin

Hello All, With sunny skies, +19 degree temperatures, and calm winds forecast for today, it was decided to hit Andy's cottage in Quebec for one last kick at the bass can. Since my boat was some 45 minutes away in Merrickville, Andy's aluminum would be our ship for the day. After facing thick fog on the drive out of Ottawa, we launched onto the small lake at 9:45am. Here is the view as we blasted across the water....(ok, we had a 4hp, so chugged is more the appropriate terms): Headed straight to our flat (5 to 12 feet) that has produced well on past trips. Worked a variety of lures (spinnerbaits, cranks, bucktails, tubes, flipping jigs, and ever topwaters) but action was pretty hard to come by. We did manage a few, but worked hard for them. Here is Andy with the first: Perhaps we were too stubborn to switch locations, or ever move out deeper, but we spent a good three hours working water we "thought" should hold fish, but only produced a hand full. As we broke for lunch at noon, we discussed our next plan of attack. We also made mention of how we sure could use a pair of shorts out in the boat! Yep, it was pretty darn hot out on that still lake - can you imagine that for November 6! - and the next two or so hours saw us fishing shirtless. I even have a bit of a tan to show for it... Our new plan was to fish the same general area, but to move much deeper. We began working water between 22 and 30 feet deep, and the action was immediate. First up was me: Then Andy with the big smallie of the day - 3lbs 14ozs: We proceeded to lay a beating on the smallies for much of the afternoon. They seemed to be loosely schooled in this deeper water, hugging the sand structure on bottom. Best baits was a tube jig and a Fin-tech Football Jig paired up with a 4.5" BPS Craw. At one point Andy hooked into a decent fish. It was bulldogging like a good largie, but also exhibited some head shakes. As he brought it up from the depths (22 feet) we both shouted "Walleye!" in unison. Our first this season from this lake! Notice the grey/silver colourations - pretty interesting: A couple quick shots and it was gently released to swim again. We were pretty pumped after this fish, and both of us wondered if another could be in the works. Twenty minutes later we found out.... Fishing 18 feet of water, a fish smacked my craw close to bottom on the fall. I immediately knew it was a decent fish, but figured it was probably a good largie. As we both peered over the side, the tell-tale white markings on it's tail came into view, as did it's big body mass. After a few tense moments at boat side - we had no net on board - Andy belly grabbed it and brought it on board. What a gorgeous walleye this fish was - beauty colours and a good length and girth. She came in at 5lbs 2oz on the digi scale! It is the largest Andy has seen come from the lake: That fish made the day for me, and she was safely released to fight again. The smallies and the odd largie continued to bite for the next while, and as the sun slowly dipped behind the tree line, we made our way back to the cottage to pack up. All totaled, we put 32 bass and 2 walleye in the boat for six hours work. Not bad numbers. This may of been my last open water fish of the year, as my boat may be getting winterized this weekend. If so, it has been a great season. Plenty of fish and even better memories.... As we drove away from the cottage I took this one last shot - a pretty end to an awesome day in my eyes.... Good Fishing, Justin

Mike - Was a "quick" three hour trip, so didn't spend much time with photos. Was more of a fun fish, without the worries of work and magazine photos to shoot... As for the use of spinning gear, it all comes down to what I'm throwing and the areas I'm throwing to. When targeting deep rock and wood, flipping jigs (and the appropriate stick) is generally my choice - especially in late fall. Shallow weed flats seem to work best with more of a finesse-style bait - bucktail jig, smaller plastics on football jigs, etc. Hence, the spinning gear. These last two trips have been more this style. I did toss a flipping jig, spinnerbait, and crank around on this day, but the fish weren't having anything of it. That gave me the insight to toss more of a finesse-style bait. Also, most of these places have smallies and walleye around, so I'm not necessarily targeting only largemouth - again, the reason for the jigs. All comes down to the lake. Will be changing up tactics this coming Tuesday, as I am fishing a deep water lake for big largies - baitcast equipment in conjunction with jigs, Senkos, swim baits, and cranks will be part and parcel of that trip. Look for that report come Wednesday...if the fish co-operate. Good Fishing, Justin

Hello All, With the weather looking pretty decent yesterday, Tim and I decided to tow the boat into Quebec to fish my buddies small cottage lake. A quick stop for poutine and dogs on the way up, and the boat was in the water at about 3:10pm. Headed over to the productive area Andy and I had found the week before. Not as stacked this time around, but still found some fish that were willing to play. Tim's small bucktail jig (black/green) seemed to be the best producer, although my BPS craw and SPRO bucktail also accounted for a few fish. Most were again relating to a sparse flat with isolated weed clumps, and were concentrated in water between 5 and 12 feet deep. Quick snaps of the jig while "swimming" it close to bottom seemed to work best. This was the best fish of the day. This girl smacked the craw and football jig at boatside: Fished up until sundown, and put 15 largies and one jumbo perch in the boat for three hours work. No smallies to be found this time. Still amazed at how well these largies fight - definitely a blast on spinning gear! Kept a few fish for the table, and made a bit of an interesting discovery. Like I mentioned last time, most of the largies from this lake don't have the fat guts like they should this time of year. Checked out the stomach contents of the fish I kept - all were empty except for a large, black water beetle in one. Tim's jig mimicked this perfectly, and perhaps that is why it seemed to work so well on this outing. Don't know enough about the lake to figure out what the main forage base is - but perhaps this flat is harboring a large concentration of these beetles?? Another fun fall afternoon on the water... Good Fishing, Justin

335396 - That is a bottle of Berkley "Gulp" Fish scent. I use it on all of my plastics and jigs - in my opinion it helps in bait retention time, and also in masking the "bad" smells we emit. When the fish get sluggish (such as late fall), it can also help in getting those few extra strikes... Good Fishing, Justin

BassFighter - Mississippi Lake here in Ontario (just west of Ottawa in Carleton Place...) Water was calm in the morning and late afternoon - only got a minor chop on it during the mid-day period. Wind and wave action doesn't seem to have much of an effect on bass during the fall in my experience, although it definitely does when talking walleye... Not sure of the water temp....as you can see from the photos, my ancient unit doesn't take temps., nor much else for that matter. Purely for the depths... Will be picking up a GPS graph this off season for sure. Good Fishing, Justin

Hello All, Headed out last Thursday and Friday for two days of fishing - here is what happened.. Day 1 With the weather looking nice (calm winds and +8 temps.), I made the decision to do a solo fish over on Mississippi Lake, and hopefully scrounge up some bass and walleye. Launched out of 9A shortly after 9am. Made my way over to some productive weedlines and began working water between 7 and 12 feet deep. Spinning gear, braid, and a SPRO bucktail jig was the game plan. Missed a decent walleye right off the start that hit the jig at boat side. Sadly, other than another I saw cruising amongst the weeds, I wouldn't run into any more this day. Started connecting with the bass shortly after, and they were definitely thumping the jig. Most came directly off the weedline, but a few were found a bit further out. A simple "rip jigging" technique was putting fish in the boat - cast out, let jig flutter down almost to bottom, two quick snaps of the rod tip, and repeat. Most fish hit would hit on the drop. Did get a smallie on a BPS "Sonar" from 15 feet of water, and also a largie on a Rapala DTSS06 (craw) crank. Did try some bottom bouncing with spinner rigs later on in the day, targeting water between 18 and 21 feet, but no walleye action was to be had. Ended up putting a mixed bag of 18 largies/smallies in the boat, with all but two coming on the bucktail jig. All fish had a tonne of fight in them, and made for a fun-filled day. Best thing about it - I only saw one other boat plying the water! Day 2 Came home this second day after working an overnight shift. Although the eyes felt like shutting, sleeping the day away with the weatherman calling for +13 degree weather just didn't seem right. Put in a call to my bud Andy, and at high noon, we pulled the boat over to Quebec to fish a small lake that Andy's cottage resides on. After using his backyard launch, we are taking our first casts by 1:15pm. Decided to target smallies and largies, as both fish seem to occupy similar water and structure on this lake. Began fishing a rock point that tapered out in 22 feet of water, that contained sparse weed growth on each edge. Didn't take long to find a couple of fish. As we do on every trip we fish together, we set a goal for ourselves. Today it would be to put 21 bass in the boat. Generally these are random numbers - sometimes we meet the goal, other times we don't. It does put a bit more excitement into the day nonetheless... Tubes on spinning gear was the predominant bait for this outing, although I did alternate between a Strike King Coffee Tube and a 4.5" BPS Flippin' Craw. Rigged both plastics on a 3/8oz. Title SHot "Football" Jig, which really helped in overall hook penetration. By about 3:30pm, we had 12 fish in the boat. A few spots coughed up decent fish, but we fished a secondary part of the lake and came up empty handed. Andy was wondering aloud if we should perhaps call it a day, but I suggested we fish one last "cove" area. This spot averaged 7 feet deep, had a soft bottom and isolated weed growth. For whatever reason, it was stacked with bass!! First cast coughed up a decent largie, then all hell broke loose. At one point I landed 5 largies in 10 casts, and double headers were also occurring. The fish were smashing my craw, and it definitely was producing better than the tube. With the fish being so aggressive and active, I tied on a spinnerbait for a bit of fun. The first three casts put three fish in the boat.. As we fished our way back to the cottage, I put the best fish of the day in the boat - a 4lb largie. In just under two hours, and in an area no larger than 100 yards long, we put 32 bass in the boat, and ended off the afternoon with 44 fish for five hours work! Although I have the opportunity to spend a tonne of time on the water, this trip rates up there as one of the most fun I've ever experienced. It's action like this that really gets the heart going...and smashing our goal sure felt sweet! Ended off the night at Jeans Burger for Quebec poutine and pogos - can't get much better than that! Until the next trip... Good Fishing, Justin

Was an awesome night to say the least... I felt honoured to be a part of it, and the memories will definitely stay with me for a long, long time. Jimmy was the first to publish an article of mine (and put me on the front cover at the same time), and that, not to mention his great friendship, mentoring, and genuine personna, really means something in this day and age. A BIG thanks to my good friend Wally Robins for putting this all together - you did a stellar job... Good Fishing, Justin

A Spro jig it is......they are awesome in the water! Thanks for the comments.. Good Fishing, Justin

Hello All, Have had the opportunity to get out a few times over the last two weeks. Gotta love the solitude you find out on the water come fall - really is the best time to be out casting a line. Trip 1. Hit a lake outside of Ottawa to scrounge up some walleye. Temperature was fairly cool, and a northernly wind began gusting pretty good come early afternoon. Concentrated on the 8 to 12 foot depths, just off the weedline. Vegetation was nice and green. Picked up a few walleye within the first hour - rip jigging bucktails and working swim baits put the fish in the boat. Struggled for the rest of the day to find the walleye, although I did get into some great action working a shoreline for largies. The fish were crushing a Rattle Trap crank being burnt through the water - made for some pretty fun fishing... Trip 2 Hit a section of the Ottawa River for a quick evening fish. Of course, as in every time I hit this water, I struggled. Did put a decent smallie in the boat, and had some topwater pike action in the shallower water.. Trip 3 Headed out to Mississippi Lake with a friend that was visiting from out of town. Caught a variety of fish (smallies, largies, pike), but couldn't put a walleye in the boat. Bucktail jigs, spoons, jerk baits, wake baits, and rattle traps all accounted for fish. The smallmouth are certainly beginning to fatten up.. All in all, some fun times on the water. Still looking for some stable cold weather to really get the pig largies on the bite....the flipping stick is ready and waiting! Good Fishing, Justin

Sorry, bud...your post makes no mention of looking for two specific "COLOURS" - thought you just meant the Red Fins themselves...as your two photos show a Red Fin and a Ripplin Red Fin. Good luck in your search. Justin P.S. I see you've now edited it to show exactly what you're looking for...

Hey Reeltrouble, The Red Fins are certainly not extinct, nor discontinued... Order to your heart's content directly from the Lurenet/Pradco site: http://www.lurenet.com/catalog.aspx?CatId=CottonCordellLures Take your pick of Red Fins, Ripplin Red Fins, and Suspending Ripplin Red Fins! Good Fishing, Justin