North American Fishing Club Member Tips

Trigger x flappin bugs

007frodo — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 14:30:04 GMT

I just tested trigger x flappin bugs through stuff stuff and here's what I found.

I was only able to fish for about half an hour but I almost caught a bass in the 8lb range but I missed it because i didn't have a big enough hook and it jumped and shook the hook out. You should go with a 5/0 wide gap hook because the thickness of the body.

Fall Fishing at Dusk

007frodo — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 15:23:27 GMT

I have found that fishing a jitterbug close to shore of weed cover works well at dusk when bass start surface feeding,

How to get the most out of this club

the rod tosser — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 03:10:28 GMT

Use it to make connections and friends
sure the free stuff and contest are nice additions but seriously the more friends you know the better of you will be.
lets take Musky fishing for an example . you make a friend and share info . perhaps on the same bodies of water .
well chances are that person has friends that fishes those same bodies of water that has shared info with your friend .
Now your friend may just share his friends info with you with out you even knowing it.

That is called networking that is what this club lets you do Puts you in a network to make your fishing time more productive and enjoyable.

Trying something New

jdudek — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 11:52:35 GMT

The day's conditions: Windy, gusting up to 20mph, 45 degrees, water temp at 45 degrees, Overcast.

I had to get out of the house fish. I brought a few crankbaits to get a workout. An idea hit me and I grabbed a 2" squarebill that sank. I superglued a couple of feathery, short strands to the side making the squarebill look like a small bird. I cast the lure. let it fall to the bottom, counted to 5, then turned the handle twice, let the lure drop again. As I came closer to shore, a 10" largemouth hit it. A second cast produced a 9" carp.

www.outdoor-fishing.com

bass or bass? — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:10:01 GMT

Hello all N.A.F.C. members! I'd like to invite everyone to visit and sign up for membership at www.outdoor-fishing.com. We have a great forum ongoing there with some very well informed members and tackle & lure makers. Also expert advice on your collectable fishing items. Outdoor-Fishing is a family friendly site, nothing offensive permitted. And Outdoor-Fishing is sponsored by N.A.F.C.! So come on over and say hello and sign up. I'm sure you'll like it at www.outdoor-fishing.com. And please be sure to mention that Bass or Bass? sent you! Thanks, and happy fishing!

Fall Turnover

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 05:54:29 GMT

Originally posted by: davesett2000 on 11/24/2006 12:29:51 PM

For 2 straight years I have meant to do a topic on Fall Turnover...but somehow boshed it

So here we go NOW

Fall Turnover happens when the upper layer of a lake cools to a point that it becomes colder than the lower depths. Cold water is heavier, and therefore sinks, bringing the NOW warmer water up from the depths. Many times you can tell that this process is happening by the smell of the area around the lake. yuk

Many things can affect this process, and so too can affect fishing in a lake where this process is happening.

I'm sure there are several folks here on the BB that are knowledgeable on this subject, and there are several good articles on the 'Net about this phenomenon too, and I will post some more info here over the next few days...so that at least....NEXT fall...you may have better success

River Fishing - Slightly Different World

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 05:52:44 GMT

Originally posted by: davesett2000 on 8/2/2005 7:27:38 AM

Hi all

A couple of years ago I had asked the Admins to consider a River Fishing Forum as there a good number of people who enjoy fishing rivers and still others looking to learn.

I never heard back from them.

And there aren't really many good books about the subject. 2 that I have are "River Fishing - A Happy World" by Dan Gapen Sr. and "Fishing Rivers and Streams" by Dick Sternberg. Either of these can be found reasonably priced (used), and I whole-heartedly recommend BOTH of them.

Another good book I have with MANY diagrams etc... is titled "The Orvis Guide to Reading Trout Streams" by Tom Rosenbauer.

So EYE'M starting this Topic in an effort for us to discuss and share what we know with others.

As a general rule, fish are smaller sized in rivers than in lakes, at least partially due to the fact that they must fight the current, and in doing so use much more energy than the lake fish. But it's also been said that pound for pound that river fish are stronger than their lake brothers for that same very reason.

A distinct advantage that river fisherman have over the lake guyz is that fish in the river don't have as much time to check out whether something is edible or not...as the "bait" will soon be carried past them by the current, and chasing after it expells a LOT of extra energy. This equates to the fish being more likely to actually bite the bait than to let it go by.

I'm going to start off with a little self-drawn map of a rather basic river-bend fishing hole. MOST rivers have bends in them, and you can find SOME type of hole there EVERY time

I realize that it's a pretty funky drawing, but I hope you can get the general idea of the layout of THIS particular fishing hole. Also realize that while no 2 riverbend holes are the same, they each do share a few common characteristics.

1. The deepest part of the hole will be somewhere between the outside edge of the bend and the center of the bend.

2. The fastest current through the hole will be at the outside edge of the bend.

3. There will be some "slack-water" area at the inside edge of the bend.

4. And as a rule, the steeper the bank on the outside of the bend, the deeper the hole is.

5. The LARGER the river, the LESS pronounced the hole is defined as larger rivers usually have slower current than medium / small ones.

There can also be ANY combination of the 4 basic bottom types...rock, gravel, sand or muck.

Also too there can be various combinations of cover, such as weeds, trees in the water OR overhanging, undercut banks, crevices between larger rocks...even a boat dock depending on the size of the river.

I will be adding to this in the days to come, and also welcome quality info from others.

Cleaning Lead Sinkers

davesett2000 — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 08:41:18 GMT

I'm sure many of you over the year have seen sinkers that have a bit of corrosion on them.

I tried Coca Cola several years ago (aka battery cleaner)...didn't work.

Today...I tried a product called CLR.

http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y2...xample.jpg" target="_blank">http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y2...xample.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">

You can tell when the batch is finished because the foam will disappear.

http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y2...t=Soak.jpg" target="_blank">http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y2...f/Soak.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">

End product...like new again.

Once you have cleaned the amount you need to...rinse & soak them in hot water for about 15 minutes to remove any CLR residue.

I'm sure this would work on jigheads too...and I would bet the CLR won't harm the plastic fiber weedguards.

http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y2...nished.jpg" target="_blank">http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y2...nished.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">

Fishing and Edges

davesett2000 — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 09:30:39 GMT

For me.....edges are basically a change of some type in a body of water. I consider the top of the water an edge, as it intersects with air.

At the same time....there are many other types of edges....to include.....

1. A quick noticeable change in depth, such as the edge of an old creek channel in a reservoir....or a steep drop-off.

2. A change in bottom content, say from sand to muck...or gravel....or rock.

3. A change in vegetation, say from lilypads to grass....or even 2 different types of grasses. Or for that matter, the out AND inner edges of vegetation where there is just open water.

4. The shoreline...a change from water to land.

5. A change from cover to no cover....such as the area around a log in the water. The log / branches provide cover, but if there isn't anything else in the immediate area, you have an edge there.

There's no question that just about any kind of an edge CAN attract fish at some point. Fish feeding on bugs on top of the water are a great example...or if baitfish are feeding on those bugs, they will attract predator fish.

And generally, the more complex the edge is...the better the fishing. I think of those as "Spot on the Spot" areas.

Anyway....here's a little lake map I used before in a Topic called "Fishing a Strange Lake". It shows several different edges.

Spin-casting & Bait-casting Similarities

davesett2000 — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 10:06:34 GMT

I have to admit...this topic will find SOME of you scratching your heads

After testing & selling a few spin-cast reels over the last few months...and reading the "baitcasting made easy" topic...I discovered that there are some similarities between the 2.

And IMHO...using a spin-cast reel FIRST for a while...will help you learn how to use a bait-casting reel.

Here's my explanation

There are 2 ways to cast with a spin-cast reel. The first is to "time" the pressing of the button to release the line with the forward motion of the cast. This is THE hardest way to use this type of reel.

The second way is to use your thumb to push in the button ALL the way down. This puts the spool into "free-spool" mode...but yet at the same time..."holds" the line & lure in place. During the cast, you simply lift your thumb up from the button at the correct moment...and the lure goes flying.

This "second way" is almost identical to what you do with a thumbar bait-cast reel.

You press the thumbar down...and at the same time...put your thumb on the line / spool. IF you don't...line runs out and the lure drops

When you make a cast with a spin-cast reel...trying to make the lure land in a specific spot...if you LIGHTLY touch the button...you can accomplish it.

The SAME thing happens when you thumb the line / spool of a bait-casting reel.

IMHO...using a spin-cast reel for a few days / weeks before trying a baitcaster will help your learning "curve".

Thoughts?

baitcasting made easy

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:43:32 GMT

last year i bought a baitcast reel and hated it. the backlash was bad and tried different lbs and brands. didnt work so i gave it away. a month ago i got a cheap plastic reel for 15 bucks. loved it. been out in the back 40 casting and getting the hang of it. last week i went and got another reel so my friends and family can practice. acouple of days ago i went out and spent 60 dollars on a reel and so far it is working good out in the field. next month im gonna take it out and use it on the water. baitcasting reels are fun once you get to know them

Check Field test tab

the rod tosser — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 05:30:59 GMT

I know that they changed the questions a while back probably when they did the activate tab.
So all im saying is make sure your still registered as a field tester. I found out i had to redo it all .

Knot tying

bcain1 — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 16:07:36 GMT

Does anyone have an easy way of learning to tie knots. I have just got back into fishing and would like to learn how to tie some knots. I tried the arbor knot while spooling my reel and was so frustrated. I think I finally tied it correctly but find it very difficult.

New Way of spooling Braid....

BryMS2003 — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 16:26:57 GMT

I came up with a new way of spooling Braided "super" lines. My favorite line now a days is the Power Pro brand of lines. I have Them on every rod in my home from my childrens rods to the rod I got my dad for his b-day. The problem is how slick the line is and how much backing to put on and the knot to attach the lines hangin up when line is low. First off I don't use backing any more. I use a small strip of 3M permanent Double sided Tape. The tape is as thin as their scotch tape and comes in the same kind of dispenser as the scotch tape. Just enough cover the center of the spool. this eliminates the need for the backing. No more of the dreded spinning on the spool or worrying if that connecting knot you tied will hold. Also with no backing the more braided line you can fit on to the spool. I've been using this method for about 2 yrs now. I wanted to see how well it worked before I recomended it others.I just dusted the rods off and used them for the first time this year and still no "slipage". I'm happy with it and its 1 less worry when testing the limits of your knot tying skills. I know my skills stink attaching 2 lines together. Good luck and I hope this works for you also.

Club Questioned Posed Lip are no Lip

charper1 — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 04:25:06 GMT

The Club posed this question on Facebook: Which do you prefer, Lipless or Lipped Crankbaits. This was my reply, how about you?

They are two different kinds of baits that has uses in different situations. Lipless are great search baits, and in the spring and fall it is tough to beat a Red/blue back Rat-L-Trap. Its also a good bait to work the edges of a weedline. Lipped cranks are good when fishing areas where the fish will hit something on the bottom, rocks, stumps etc. When the lure hits something it will bounce off with an erratic action which triggers the strike. I have multiple crankbait rods rigged up at all times-one with a lipped bait, one with a lipless bait.
Also, lipless crankbaits are fantastic wind baits. They mimic baitfish and you can chunk them into a strong wind with very little difficulty since they are flat and offer little wind resistance.

Spot on the Spot - Revisited

davesett2000 — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:44:41 GMT

For those of you that are fairly knowledgeable about fishing, there is a term called “spot on the spot”.

Before we get too far into this I’d like to point out that just because you FIND a “spot on the spot”, it does NOT mean there is even a fish there. It’s just a great looking spot that MAY hold fish at some point….may NEVER hold fish….OR it has fish on it constantly. Only fishing them will tell you the answer, and there’s NO guarantee.

For that matter….there may be fish there….but they aren’t hungry when you fish it.

I’ve seen various descriptions of what the term means, so I am including the results of a search on Yahoo about it for those of you that would like to get on the ‘Net and read more

Search results for "Spot on the Spot"

That being said, I have my own “description” of what this means.

For me, a “spot on the spot” entails a combination of structure, cover AND bottom content…and it can be ANY combination of these, including items from the same category (like lilypads and a single stump, which are both in the “cover” category, or an area of gravel in the middle of a sandy bottom area).

You can even go so far as to say that current, wind and tides and weather in general can help create an “occasional” “Spot on a Spot”. A school of walleyes along a windblown island dropoff is a good example of that. Chances are the bait fish are there because the wind has blown food into the area….and the walleyes followed. If the wind hadn’t blown in just the right direction, the fish would be somewhere else.

Lake maps CAN be limited in the information given in the sense that the lake just doesn’t have features that stand out to you as being a “spot on the spot”. Take this example map I drew up….there’s hundred’s of lakes around the country that won’t show much more than this. This is not much help for us fisher-folks.

At the same time though....time on a lake like this COULD reveal other things about the lake such as this.....

NOW ....since you took the time to "be observent"....you have seen a good MANY "spot on the spot" areas.

A good many lakes have much MORE structure than this...so I will address that in upcoming posts.

Feel free to make comments on this subject.....as I intend it to be a discussion.

And as I said...I will have more info coming in the next few days.

Life Member David BB Linkmeister US Army '78-'85 West Central Wisconsin

Links To Free Bass Fishing Videos

THEBASSCOLLEGE — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 13:26:26 GMT

Over 65 bass fishing videos for free

http://bassfishingstories.webs.com/apps/videos/

1998 Big Bass World Champ/De http://bassfishingstories.webs.com

Trolling Basics

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 05:57:01 GMT

Originally posted by: john h on 10/4/2007 10:07:44 PM

think you bout covered it lol

A Fisherman's Secret # 3

charper1 — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 23:56:39 GMT

A Fisherman's Secret #3 When fishing topwater lures, there is nothing like a fish exploding onto your lure. Fishing poppers are a unique topwater fishing bait that get their action from a cupped face carved or molded into the front of the lure body. Cast your popper out to the target area and let it settle. Using a twitch-and-pause retrieve, the lure “pops” along the surface, imitating the action of prey, such as insects, frogs or even a small injured baitfish. You should resist the urge to set the hook immediately when the fish strikes – let it take the popper under the water first – then set your hook firmly.

Spoon Techniques

turnip — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 15:46:05 GMT

3 Spoon Techniques for More Pike by Spence Petros

Getting out-fished by someone in your boat is a humbling experience, but when that someone is a 13-year old, a jaw can get awful tight. At least I wasn't alone, as his father was also experiencing the same luck as I was having...watching the youngster catch 3-4 pike to our one. I couldn't figure it out. We were fishing wide, flat, shallow bays that had scattered pike, and after a while, identical spoons were on all three rods. There was no first cast into an area that was best, or some edge the youngster was fishing we didn't know about. Yet something was going on under the surface that we hadn't figured out.

The Drop-Back

I began to do less fishing and more looking out of the corner of my eye, scrutinizing the boys every move. Like many young men his age, his attention span was not like adults, even though he was catching fish. He'd stop reeling to talk, to take a bite of sandwich or drink of soda, to readjust his clothes, or to watch an eagle soar past. Soon it became evident that when his retrieve was halted then restarted, most strikes would occur.

Now things began to make sense, but before deciding to clue his dad in on what was going on, I decided to give the "pause concept" a try. For the next 30-minutes I was
consistently into pike, and after building up a safe lead over his dad (25-cents a pike can add up in good Canadian waters), the secret came out.

What we didn't realize was that a lot of pike were following our lures, and then turning off as they neared the boat. Through the years we found this to be a common occurrence with post-spawn pike that hadn't really started to feed yet. But this was the late 70's, and the day when we first realized this was occurring.

When ever the young man stopped reeling the spoon would flutter down, but more importantly, the tapered spoons would backup toward the pike. Most pike were lazily following in a straight retrieved spoon, and would spook to the side as the lure neared the boat. But when the retrieve was halted, (and as we further discovered) the rod tip dropped back towards the spoon, the lure would flutter backwards from 18-inches to 4-feet, right back into a following pikes face. And if there is a best way to trigger a following pike (or musky) cruising behind a lure into striking, the in their face approach is tops.

The distance a lure will flutter backwards is determined by the style of the spoon, depth of the water, and how the falling, flat spoon planes as it sinks. Try this next to the boat. Have 5-6 feet of line between the lure and rod tip. Move the spoon through the water parallel to the boat's side, then stop and drop the rod tip back towards the lure. This gives the lure some line so it can back up the maximum distance. Clear shallow water will give you the best view of how the drop-back works. The best drop-back spoons I've used are the size 6 Lindy Gator Spoon, Eppinger TrollDevle, and the 1-ounce standard Dardevle.

The Drop-Back technique is a great way to trigger following pike.

Summary: Whenever casting spoons for pike, especially if conditions are tough, try dropping the lure back several times on each retrieve. This is a good technique to practice whenever casting a spoon.

Jig-Trolling Spoons

The weed bed was immense, probably 12-15 acres. And it consisted of leafy, cabbage weeds, with much of the growth in the 9-12 foot depths, a condition that usually causes the pike to cruise in and out through the open water between the clumps looking for food. This sprawling mass of vegetation could take some time to fish, since there was no wall-like edge that would tend to concentrate numbers of pike, and so much of the weed bed looked like perfect pike habitat.

When normally confronted by a big weed bed with lots of potentially good-looking water, trolling usually allows me to quickly check it. I would commonly run buck tails, big spinner baits, or shallow-running jerk baits over the top, and deeper-diving jerk baits and crank baits along the edge. Fifteen minutes of trying some of those techniques quickly showed they were a waste of time. Here was the problem. Weed growth was very inconsistent, sometimes it came to the surface, other times it was 3-4 feet below. Lures that ran at a specific, near-surface depth level would constantly foul up in the erratic growth.

My next option would be to run a spinner bait or buzz-bait across the surface. But what tossed this plan for a loop was that hundreds of dark, shadowy weed pockets existed throughout the vegetation. And due to the bright sky conditions, light winds and fairly clear water, you could sense the pike were holding in those weedy lairs. But there had to be a way of rooting them out, and I didn't intend on wasting hours of time casting to all those potential fish-holding areas. I had to figure out a fast way of working those weeds.

If the weed bed was smaller, I would have probably jig fished it with plastic-bodied lizards, reapers, big double twister tails, Sassy Shads, or other types of soft-bodied "creatures." At least these presentations would penetrate down into the weeds, and the single hook on the jig would allow me to snap and rip through any clinging vegetation.

Finally I had an idea, why not try a Johnson Silver Minnow, but instead of casting with it troll with varying speeds in a lazy S pattern. This prevented the lure from following the boat's path. When turning toward the lure it would sink into the weeds, but as the boat swung the other way the lure would be on the outside of the turn, going faster and swimming out of the weeds. The method worked like a charm, as the spoon was actually being jigged down into the weeds, then pulled out, while the boat was constantly moving over new waters in the search for pike.

Since this experience occurred 6 or 7 years ago, I've had excellent success with this technique, rooting many pike out of weedy cover that would not come up for a high-running, more horizontal presentation. But there are certain things that must be done for maximum success.

The plated hook on a Silver Minnow is dull and must be sharpened along the sides and tip with a fine grain file. South Bend makes a great one. Adjust the weed guard so it lines up with the hooks tip and extends out a little past it. If the hook point and weed guard aren't in a straight line, you'll grab a lot more weeds. Don't adjust the wire weed guard too far out from the point or it will be too hard to set. Adjust the setting according to the density of the vegetation.

Trolling silver minnows gives you a great way to cover massive weed beds and to get down into the vegetation.

My first attempts at setting the hook, while making turns with stretchy, mono wrapped around weed clumps, were disastrous. Most hook-ups on larger fish occurred after quickly gunning the motor to pick up line as the hook was being set. As the technique evolved, here's what I found to work best. Use no-stretch super line such as Berkley Whiplash or Fire Line. Don't use a shorter rod or one that doesn't have backbone. A musky "buck tail rod" that's at least 6 feet 9 inches, or a sturdy flippin' stick are recommended for maximum hook-setting power. Longer rods give you a long, sweeping hook-set that picks up slack line, they also keep the lure a little farther from the boat, plus they aid in controlling and playing pike.

Dress the Silver Minnow with pork or plastic. A dressing's length and bulk will alter how fast or slow the spoon will wiggle or sink. Be careful not to use a soft plastic dressing that slides up on the hooks shank every time a sharp forward rip is executed to clear weeds. Gluing some plastics to several spoons with a "Krazy" glue can solve this problem. The standard silver-colored "Silver Minnow" is a must, but gold, perch and fire tiger can also be hot, especially when the water has some color, or darker skies exist.

Summary: When faced with lots of weeds, trolling can help to quickly find the pike. But be careful not to go too fast in a straight line. A soft zigzag pattern allows the lures to constantly sink down and be pulled out of the weed clumps. It's this "jigging action" that roots out the big ones!

Flutter Spoons

When game fish are aggressive, fishing fast and horizontal is often the best way to cover water and catch the maximum amount of fish. But as the action starts to decrease, slower speeds and lures that fall, flutter or pause usually become more productive. A slower falling lure may also be more effective on suspended fish, or those holding tight to cover, as it gives them a little more time to zero in on the presentation.

Wafer-thin "flutter spoons" like those used for trolling salmon and trout are slow falling with a lot of flash that trigger non-aggressive pike.

Anyone with basic pike fishing experience knows that spoons are tops for these toothy predators, and we've already discussed two deadly tactics. But the ultimate "tease" technique, the tactic that temps even the most tight-jawed pike into hitting a spoon, is the one that gives us the slowest, falling, most tantalizing action. This involves casting with super-light weight flutter spoons; those wafer thin spoons that are usually trolled in deeper water for trout or salmon while using weights or planer devices to get them down.

Before going out and trying to cast these spoons on bait casting gear spooled with heavy line, three words of advice-don't try it! They are best fished with long-handle spinning rods that are at least 6 1/2 to 7 feet long, and a reel full of soft 10-14 lb. test mono such as Trilene XL, or better still 14-20 lb. test Fire Line. Two handed "snap casts" are recommended, where a right-handed caster pulls the butt section of the rod sharply towards his body with the left hand, while the right hand fires out the cast. This tactic increases rod speed to give extra casting distance. Look at a South Bend System 9 IM6 graphite spinning rod I designed (P-246) to get an idea of the type rod to use. A ball-bearing, wide-spool spinning reel with a tapered spool works best.

Flutter spoons have a lot of flash and movement with a minimal amount of forward or drop speed. You can slow the frantic fluttering action down a bit by adding a plastic or pork trailer, but I rarely do.

These spoons won't let you cover a lot of territory, but they are deadly under certain situations. One of them is when sight fishing for pike. Although this may sound easy it's not. In stained waters only slight shadows or dark spots on the bottom may be noted. In clear water the fish can more easily be seen, but a cast made too close will usually send them bolting away. Always cast at least 10-15 feet past the pike, and not directly over it. If the fish is moving, cast well in front. Even if you lead the pike too far, let the spoon sit on the bottom until the fish is within 5-8 feet. The lift up and allow the spoon to flutter downward. Sometimes the pike may just watch the lure sink, and nose up to within inches of the lure. Short little jiggles or soft "pops" will usually provoke a strike.

A flutter spoon can also be rigged on a follow-up rod. When a pike follows in a faster-moving, more horizontal presentation then turns off, a flutter spoon can be blind cast in the direction the fish headed. Let it sink 5-6 seconds pull it upward, then repeat. This slow-falling, crippled action is often different enough to trigger a response. Flutter spoons also work well when allowed to sink into larger holes in a weed bed or into the shaded areas between higher clumps. Let the light lure slowly flutter down into the pocket a few feet, or down between the clumps, then left the rod to pull it back out. These thin spoons sink much slower than a conventional spoon, and have a wilder, flashing action. This attracts pike and gives them plenty of time to react to the slow falling lure.

When fishing flutter spoons around weeds, use one with a large single hook, and put the hook on so the point faces the inside or cupped side of the spoon. This rigging will give you the minimum amount of weed snags and make releasing pike easy. With a little practice this single hook spoon can be cast over thick vegetation and skittered across the top, periodically stopping the retrieve so the lure flutters down into holes or along edges. The trick to avoid hanging weeds is to halt the lures flight just before it hits the water by engaging the reel and lifting the rod tip. Wire leaders should be used with all the spoon techniques discussed. Always use a quality ball-bearing snap-swivel to the lure. A size 4 Berkley Cross-Loc snap swivel is ideal. When casting a spoon, either with the drop-back technique or with a flutter spoon, a 12-inch leader is perfect. When trolling with the Silver Minnow, where a lot of pulling and ripping of weeds is going on, a 3-foot leader is better as it will slice through the vegetation and won't weaken. Put these 3 techniques in your pike-fishing bag of tricks and watch your catches soar!