Shallow Water Froggin

Had the chance to spend last Saturday with a good friend from Georgia shallow water frog fishing. We had a good day with about 20 blow ups but no big fish. Most everything was 2.25 up to 2.75. I am really writing about about well the Ranger Z519 performed in the shallow water. I was amazed that a boat this size would operate in as little as 10 inches of water. With a piece of wood under the trolling motor, I was able to float anywhere there was enough water for the trolling motor to get a bite in the water. I hope to put some video together this weekend showing the depth and how well the boat moves in the skinny stuff. I fished out of a 461 for years and never thought a boat any bigger would get where I could get the 461 but the 519 does just as well, if not better. With the wider beam, the weight seems distributed better, thus a shallower draft. We had around 475 pounds worth of fishermen in the boat as well. My expectations were definitely exceeded!

Swimming a Jig

Ranger Z 519 Battery Addition

For the 20 years prior to getting my new 519 in November I ran 4 batteries for my 24 volt trolling motor to make sure I never went down on power during a day of fishing. I like to fish docks and it comes in real handy to be able to run the trolling motor on high between every dock. I feel that definitely allows me to fish more docks in a day, thus more opportunities for a bite. It also allows me to cover more water looking for bedding fish in a day or be able to fish in current all day with no issues.

I went with a 24 volt Ultrex on the new boat but have only been using 2 batteries. I noticed last week the first day I looked for bedding fish that there was a small loss of speed on high by mid-afternoon. Friday I purchased the needed jumpers (4 lawn mower battery cables), 2 new battery trays, and 2 new batteries and installed them Friday evening. I charged all 4 batteries overnight and fished James on Saturday. I fished a jig on docks exclusively all day and ran the trolling motor on 10 between every dock. At the end of the day I could not tell any difference in speed from the morning. 4 batteries also helps out when charging at a crowded motel and you might not be getting the power you need. I honestly feel I can fish two days without charging if necessary using 4. I know there are other battery options out there (Lithium comes to mind), but in my opinion they are cost prohibitive for the average weekend angler like me.

Below is a short video showing the setup.

Boat Security

Spinnerbait Box Tip

Just a quick tip on one way to organize your spinnerbaits...


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Ease of Loading with Trick Step

Just a quick video showing how much easier the Trick Step makes loading the boat. They have them available for most models and if yours isn't in stock they can make one to fit your boat. #AnglersChoice is now a dealer for them so stop in next time you're close by and check them out.

Chatterbait Fishing

Fished Norman today. Had a brief flurry early with a jerkbait and then went to the back of a small creek where a small channel runs along some rip rap. Caught these two on a Katch-Her Lures chatterbait. For whatever reason each year when the water gets to 50 in this place there will always be some fish here. Deepest water is 4 feet right against the rip rap. I was hoping for a whole school - last year there was a large school of fish here in February.

A Rig Box

Getting tackle ready this afternoon for next weekend and did this short video on Alabama Rig storage. If you ever wonder how to store them this is one way to do it and you probably have the things needed at home.

Fishing in Cold Weather

Over the years I have been asked many times how I stay warm when fishing in cold weather. Hopefully this video will give you an idea of what I do. Maybe you will get an idea or two from this video...check it out.

Small Addition to Storage Area

A short video showing an idea for a small addition to the front deck middle storage area.

Lake Hartwell Report

Fished Hartwell again today. Had a great day as far as bites and numbers go but the size was not there. I did lose a big fish that hit a jig on a deep rock but never saw it. Got it about half way up from 25 feet deep and it just pulled loose.
Most of the fish today came on a square bill - main lake and creeks, dirty water and clear. No real pattern other than rock had to be present. However, they are not on every spot by any means.
Hope everyone caught them today if you were able to go...probably hitting Norman next week.

Cull-Buddy Video

A quick look at the Cull-Buddy I installed under the livewell lid earlier this afternoon. The clips are ARDENT SMARTCLIPS and they attach to the standard metal clips.

Trick Step Video

Just a quick video of the Trick Step addition to my Ranger Z519. Without a doubt the best addition to a boat I have ever made. 15 minute install and worth every penny.

Lake Hartwell Tournament

Fished the tournament at Hartwell today. We caught plenty of fish but never could get the right size. Caught fish on jig, crank bait, and soft plastic. Most were in 4-10 feet of water. Water conditions are really unusual right now. Usually Hartwell would be 7-10 feet low right now and the temps from the mid-40's to low 50s, depending on where you are. When the water is low it really bunches the fish up and they are easier to locate. Added to that is the water is as high as 56 in areas I have seen it in the mid-30s in January. I think the fish are confused (well at least I am) and they have plenty of water to roam around in right now.
Will start practicing at Norman next week for the first BFL tournament. I will share some info as that process gets underway. Hope everyone had a great Saturday and I am looking forward to church in the morning and then lunch at the Green Tomato in Greenville.

Lowrance HDS Preview

Here are a couple of videos from my Lowrance HDS 3. I can only upload 100mg videos so these have been trimmed to allow posting. Looking at utilizing YouTube to link longer videos so everything I am recording can be accessed. Special thanks to Andy, Gene, and Austin at Anglers Choice for getting my electronics set up as well as helping me with the endless questions I have had regarding the units.

Quick video of what rip rap looks like on the Lowrance HDS using side scan.

Here is another short video showing sidescan and downscan in deep water looking at an old bridge.

Rigged for a Tournament

I mentioned last night I would be posting a pic of how I am rigged for the tournament tomorrow. Traveling light and plan to throw a jig most of the day trying to get a big bite. I feel like my partner will catch plenty of fish and I am concentrating on a kicker. Will sprinkle in a crankbait and spinnerbait occasionally. You might notice there is tape on the handles of 4 of the rods. I use white tape to indicate medium action, green for medium heavy, and yellow for heavy. The cork handle rods have no tape but they are the only cork handled rods I have and they are for jigs only. It makes it much simpler when looking at 25 rods with most being identical to locate the action you are looking for for a particular purpose. The rods with tape are all Daiwa, the jig rods are Loomis rods.

Tournament Practice at Hartwell

Spent the day at Hartwell today. I spent the first 3 hours fishing deep rock and cranking a square bill on rocky points. I caught a limit on the square bill with the biggest about 3 pounds. I think we can catch quite a few on a crank bait Saturday but I don't know if we would have the quality we would need. I did get two jig bites (bent hook so not sure of size) on deeper rock and my gut tells me that is the way to get the bigger bites.

After 3 hours I spent the rest of the day in the backs of creeks flipping a jig and throwing a spinnerbait. Water temp. was 56 (amazing for January!) but I never got a bite. I never saw any bait or any fish moving. There is a one mile stretch of our best water that I never touched. Hopefully we will do well there and have the things I found today to fall back on if we need a fish.

I could not be happier with how my boat did in the shallower water. I say shallower because the flats I fished were deeper than I have seen them in some time. However, I was very happy with how the boat performed and I never had any issues with access. This is a topic I will revisit several times as we get into spring and summer.

Spending tomorrow getting things ready and I will report on our tournament this weekend. I will post a pic tomorrow of what I am taking - I plan to travel light.

Hartwell Tournament Practice

Well I finally have a plan for where I am going tomorrow. I have decided to go to Hartwell and see if I can find any fish shallow in the backs of creeks. The lake has been up all year with all the rain and with the warmer temps of late there is chance there will be some shallow fish in the backs in dingy water on wood or rock. Andy Greene of Anglers Choice has a CATT tournament there Saturday and needs a fill-in partner. If he is able to work things out to go, I plan to fish with him so tomorrow will be a practice day. Going to concentrate almost totally on flipping a jig (with a bent hook so I don't catch one we might need Saturday) in shallow cover. I will be using the jig I started making in the late 80s and have had so much success with over the years. I believe the bulky profile of the square rubber makes a big difference in colder water. A big meal moved slowly should appeal to a lethargic bass in colder water. I will report back tomorrow night on how the day went.

I am also looking forward to seeing how my boat does in skinny water. I have fished these backs for years and know where my 461 would go based on water level. Tomorrow is a big test for my boat from my perspective. It is really important for my style of fishing that I am able to get the boat into  the areas I plan to fish tomorrow. I am also very curious to see how the Ultrex does in the shallow water. One trick I have used for years with a Motorguide was to pull up the motor about half way and  place a small piece of wood on the bracket and then let the motor back down on top of the wood. This keeps me from going too fast (and making too much noise) because the motor will come up off the wood. I am looking forward to seeing how the Ultrex works with this trick.