Achieving your Full Patterning Potential

I can vividly remember the first turkey I killed, and the equipment I used to take it.  In the mid 1990’s, the idea of using special loads for turkeys was just catching on.  Most shells were just heavy upland bird load disguised as turkey ammo.  For my first bird, it probably wouldn’t have mattered, as low-brass #8’s through a full choke at 20 yards likely could’ve killed that bird.  Which of course, sums up the opposing argument: “How dead do you need your turkey to be?”  Point taken, as birds that strut into the 25 – 35 yard sweet spot probably won’t make it out alive provided your aim is true.  That said, anyone who hunts turkeys long enough can come up with more than their fair share of stories as to how very killable birds at reasonable ranges end up living to gobble about it at a later date.

Like most turkey hunters, I care a good deal about how my gun performs on any given day with the proper load and choke combination.  It just so turns out, I’m a bit obsessive about it.  So much so, that when new shells hit the market, provided they have the potential to best my previous top-performer, I’m buying a box or two to run through my gun.  From there, I measure the amount of pellets that perforate a 10” circle at 40 yards.  That’s right, I take a marker and simply touch the holes in the paper until I have a firm pellet count.  To turkey hunters, web bloggers, and internet turkey forum junkies everywhere, this is the ruler by which you measure a load’s performance.  Through experience, I know that with factory loads, I can achieve nearly 200 hits in that zone, and I’m constantly looking to best that performance. 

Why you may ask?  Because I consider the wild turkey to be one of the fairest critters in the land, surely deserving of the cleanest and quickest death possible.  That, and a fellow named Murphy likes to hang out around the turkey woods from time to time.  Anything that can go wrong, typically does when the moment of truth is near, and that’s before your nerves even kick in.  Unseen brush, low light, poor aiming, and improperly ranged birds, among many other variables, lead to poor shots.  However, you’ll not find me tuning up my gun in the hopes that I can get a bird to topple at the 70 yard line.  Heck, I’m not even curious as to what my pattern does past 50 yards, but I am interested in putting as many pellets in a tight window at reasonable turkey ranges as possible for the many oddball shooting situations you can get yourself into.

So maybe I’ve talked you into maximum pellets per square inch, but you’re not about to drop $25 for 5 shots?  Think again, as it’s been my experience that for the most part, pricier loads like the Mag Blends I use are worth their weight in turkeys.  When Hevi-shot and other tungsten, nickel, and iron alloys came out advertising their “heavier-than-lead” performance, I was lost on the downrange energy part (though improved) because I was so enamored with the patterns.  Many ammunition companies load heavier-than-lead alternatives now, and although the price is high, so is the performance.  Pellet counts don’t lie, and they’ve improved so much in the past few years, that I’ve got a 20 gauge youth gun for my son that patterns far better than many 10 and 12 gauge guns shooting 3.5”es of lead.  Also, with denser shot types, the finer shot sizes (#6 and #7) provide enough downrange energy to kill your bird, allowing more payload and punch than your average #4 or #5 shot of old.    

So if you’re still unconvinced, consider this.  I’m about to pattern some quite pricey handloads out of Missouri through a custom Rhino choke tube designed for my gun and that shell type.  What’s more is that I can’t wait to do it.  These loads have the potential to put 300 or more pellets in that magic 10” circle at 40 yards, and from everything I’ve seen while hunting turkeys, max-pellets downrange is the premium no matter when or where you hunt.  Do you need a target stills champion gun to kill turkeys?  Absolutely not, but you might consider all of the money you spend on gas, tags, calls, camo, etc. and think of your ammo like good fishing line is to an angler; the most critical link between you and your turkey this spring.   

What You Can Learn From a Guru

My initiation into turkey hunting was like that of so many other first time hunters, a disappointment.  Though I was not legally able to drive a car to get to all the areas I’d seen turkeys while out and about, we had birds up the hill on our farm that we’d see occasionally during the previous few deer seasons.  In those days, turkeys were a wonderment.  Having not grown up seeing birds and recognizing them as a usual member of the local wildlife, it was fun just to sit and watch them work through the woods and pick out in the fields.  It should come as no surprise then that I had absolutely no idea how to hunt for them.

Walking around as we did to hunt squirrels, likely too fast and aggressive, led to sign spotted but no birds.  Holding tight and sitting on stand for them led to numbers of birds heard, but none seen.  Calling became even more frustrating, with birds initially answering from afar then shutting up as my less-than-hen-like repertoire was too frequent and probably too loud.  For the better part of 3 seasons, nothing I tried worked, and even when it seemed like I was near turkeys, I never came close to clicking off the safety.  Then one day, three years later when hunting with my cousin Todd and his friend Mark, we struck turkey-hunting gold.

From the precipice of a sun-lit hillside, we took a seat as both spectators and actors in the greatest show on earth.  As cardinals boomed and the countryside awoke, a bevy of toms gobbled for over an hour before flying down to the bottom corner of a pasture so green it almost glowed.  They fed with hens not 200 yards downhill, occasionally visible but always audible.  Eventually, one tom broke loose from the group, strutting zig-zags in the dewy pasture grass, all the way up the hill to our position.  The cheap slate call I used was a poor instrument, and when played by myself sounded even worse, but for some reason this turkey couldn’t get enough.  I didn’t know what I was doing, but I knew enough to understand that he was liking it, whatever “it” was.  The last 50 yards of that bird’s approach, I felt more nervous excitement and anticipation than I think I’d ever be able to handle again.  We left the field that day, heads held high, a bird slung low over the shoulder, with still no idea what in the hell we were doing. 

The days before that one were full of good lessons, but I didn’t know enough at that point to understand what they were teaching me.  More importantly, I had no tutor to show me any different.  That’s when I met a turkey hunter that had guided in Illinois and throughout the Black Hills of South Dakota for nearly two decades, and he was gracious enough to take me out on a hunt.  One turned into several, and in a few short years, I’d amassed what felt like a lifetime’s worth of knowledge.  The next 10 years marked the formal beginning of my turkey hunting education, and something that has turned into one of the truest passions I’ve ever had. 

The term guru is a label easily handed out or self-assigned, but I’ve been lucky enough to hunt with some that actually are.  All of them have left indelible imprints on my turkey hunting identity, and their knowledge is something I do my best to channel in articles and online.  That said, for me, it all started as one-on-one interaction with someone who had seen more than a few birds hit the dirt.  From there, the tips, tricks, ideas, and theories were items I tested year in and year out in the turkey woods.  I spent more time than most out hunting and learning what those turkeys could teach me, and every year I have to relearn many of the same lessons of years past.

I’m indebted to those who have shared so much knowledge, so freely, such that I’m proud to pass along many of the true secrets I’ve learned to seminar crowds like the ones at this year’s Outdoor News Minnesota Deer and Turkey Classic.  It’s the best chance I know of to tap so much knowledge all in one place.  From well-known seminar speakers and vendors, to unassuming gurus walking the floor that you meet by happenstance, I was impressed last year with the sheer amount of outdoors experience that was so readily accessible.  Go.  Ask questions, and learn.  It’s really that simple, and far more rewarding than I can attempt to describe.

Walleye Line Selection

Line Selection for Walleyes

Fishing line for me is like shoes for my wife.  I need different kinds for every occasion.  Braid for throwing hard-baits, leadcore on the trolling rods; to the point where heading out to buy some line gets confusing.  Ever get to the retailer and stare at that kaleidoscope of pretty shapes, colors, and brands, wondering which ones you’re going to try this year?  Eenie, meenie, minee….NO!  Stop.  We can do much better than randomly stringing up whatever has the most convincing packaging.  This stuff’s important.  Don’t skimp on the most direct link between you and the fish, and don’t leave your selection to chance.  Here’s how I get ready for the season.

Inspect – Hard lines like braid and leadcore can be fished for much longer than people realize, even after the dyes that color the fibers fade.  I’ve got some Sufix 832 on rods that I’ve had for about 3 years, and though it’s slightly faded, it performs just like it did when I put it on the reel.  Deterioration, separation of the fibers, and fraying are what makes me toss it.  Mono and various polymers have a much shorter spool-life, so as a general practice, I replace annually at least.  I know many tourney fishermen and guides that re-spool as often as weekly.  The key with these line types is to look and feel for grittiness, hard kinks, and excessive memory.   Leadcore holds up well, but is simply subject to a bigger beating with it always being near bottom.  Look for small loops of protruding lead coming out of the braided sleeve, and replace when you start seeing more than just a few of them.

Select – Think situation-specific here.  How do you like to fish?  I’ll admit, there is an element of personal preference here, but I’ll highlight the line I spool up with, and the applications it excels with. 

·         Nano braid – Early season is about pitching shallow, and has the potential for long casts.  Nano is superior in situations where you need to get small baits a good ways from the boat, like light jigs in wind.

·         Superline/Braids – I’m a big fan of the sensitivity and low-stretch of these line-types, so I fish them on the bulk of my rods.  Jig-fishing, live-bait rigging, and even bottom bouncing can be improved with these lines, so I usually buy bulk spools of 10-20lb test.  Why so heavy?  Because braids can, in smaller diameters, be too small to effectively cast hard baits and even jigs without tangling or wind-knots.  The effect is exacerbated in a stiff breeze, or with baits that tumble on the cast. 

·         Fluorocarbon – If you fish braid for walleyes, your fluoro leader material should always be handy.  In most applications, I’ll have a 3 – 6’ fluoro leader tied off of my main-line braid with an Albright Special or Uni-to-Uni knot. 10lb Sufix is what I’ve always used, and if you buy 100 yd spools it’s a real value compared to the smaller leader, pony-spools.

·         Mono – I’ve always got at least one or two mono rods in the boat, typically with hi-viz coloring, and I reserve it for fishing jigs in current or for crankbaits if I’m having hook-up issues.  Mono doesn’t cut the water like braid, and provides more lift to jigs in moving-water situations.  This translates to smooth and contiguous bait movements rather than sharp “bop, drop, and plop” jigging movements.  Because I’m typically working wing-dams, wood, or other structure in a river, I prefer something that’s extra abrasion resistant. The problem with most mono is the high-stretch, but this Advance mono I use has cut back on stretch-big time, so it’s alot closer to fishing a braid than it is a traditional mono.

·         Leadcore – The newer Advanced leadcore dives deeper, is thinner, and is more sensitive than standard leadcore, so it gets the nod from me.  At a 7 foot dive per color vs. 5 foot per color, the Advanced means less line out to get to the desired depth.  Smaller diameter means I can fit more line on smaller reels without having to go to sizes typically reserved for Great Lakes Salmon or Saltwater.

Detect – Strike detection is different for the various line types as well.  Due to the stretch of mono, I’m more of a line watcher, and I also am heavily reeling on the hookset to take that rubber-band effect out.  For braid, there are bites where I’ll actually pause, just to make sure fish have a jig fully inhaled.  For the most part however, strike detection on the hard lines is much easier than with mono.      

Do yourself a favor too; try one spool of one of the major categories outlined above, and mix it into the rotation.  If you find yourself pickup up that rod more often and enjoying everything about the line, you’ve got a winner.  Your new favorite line might not be something you’ve ever fished with, and those old “tried and tested” versions you already have great faith in were never to be until you tried buying them, and tested them out!

Time for a Mid-Winter Road Trip?

A combination of paper maps and digital mapping as seen on the Navionics-capable Marcum RT-9 make all the difference when traveling to any fishing destination. Photo Credit - Ben Larson - In Depth Media Productions

It's that time of the season when your ice-fishing interest level may be fading as fast as your bites.  Trucks, permanent houses, and lake-wide mobility has been the norm for the northern part of the ice belt, and even in the southern part of it where ice typically forms, we're long-past first-ice.  Community spots have been established, and the fish among them grow weary of the pressure with the bite showing it.  Before you send off ice-fishing for the winter or at least until late-ice, consider a mid-winter trip to boost morale and get back into the swing of things.  Here's a few quick hints on getting the most from a destination ice excursion.

Anglers for the most part are well-traveled souls.  More and more often, we travel to destination lakes, for specific species and patterns that offer us something different.  A break, an excuse, and a chance to perhaps do something we've never done or only do once in a great while.  It's been my experience that even when the fishing may be sub-par, getting together with family and friends for an ice-adventure is about far more than just the fishing.

Still, catching fish in these scenarios is our intended goal.  If you've never visited an area that catches your interest, consider booking a guide for the first day or two to get the lay of the land.  Ice guides are frequently more value-priced than an open-water equivalent, and can truly offer a distinct leg-up on hitting the ground running.  Even in the best fisheries in the world, it's not difficult to struggle at first to just find fish, let alone catch them.  This would be considered the premium and most preferred option if you're willing to spend the cash.

Another option yet is to work with a resort to fish in a permanent house.  You're forced to do a bit more leg-work in making sure you're fishing with a reputable outfit.  Recommendations from family and friends, web and Facebook reviews, along with references from area tourism or guides are great ways to find the best of the best.  Failure to exercise due diligence here can result in getting you on the ice, but nowhere near fish.  It can be difficult to get honest advice, so detailed questions that are answered with ample responses in a friendly manner are what you're looking for.  

If you're in the DIY-crowd, information is your ammunition.  Social media, web forums, and a great deal of intel gathering before the trip makes for a much more enjoyable weekend on the ice.  Consider booking lodging in an area rich with lakes, or with access to various parts of the same lake well in advance, then stay flexible with your planning such that you can reach out and hit wherever the best information takes you.  Local bait shops can be invaluable sources of information, but again, being a stickler for the details usually rewards.  

For example, asking a vague question like "How are the panfish biting?" Will typically result in something like "they're biting well on green glow teardrops tipped with waxies."  The overall goal for these shops is to show you a good time, but is also to sell bait and tackle.  That could've meant crappies in the deep holes, or even perch in small sloughs less than 10 feet of water.  Instead, try during a less busy time of the day mid-week, and start with something more like "I've heard this area is great for panfish, are guys getting perch on the bigger lakes or small sloughs?"  Be prepared for follow-up questions like, "what's a typical outing been bringing for both numbers of perch and average size?"  Also, ask if they have been second hand reports or if they have talked directly to the anglers and have seen with their own eyes how it’s been.  Then, ask if they could recommend a few lakes, depths, and general areas to start while finally asking about pressure and whether or not you'll need to stay away from the groups or if the bite has been strong despite angler numbers.  

Lastly, once you're confirmed on going, take a deep dive into the stats and maps.  Many states, like the Dakotas, publish detailed reports on exact lakes, specific species dynamics, year class information and rankings.  This can shorten the search drastically, yet I give pause for even writing it as I've personally seen the exploitation which can result.  Treat those fisheries with the same respect you'd have for your own, and exercise selective harvest to ensure success of future trips.  Even where that data isn't available, you'd be surprised what you can learn with a quick phone call to area fisheries managers or just cruising the web.

With today's detailed contour mapping, destination fishing is easier and more rewarding than ever.  Consider investing in map chips and GPS technology for the trip if you'll likely be back, or look to free options on state fish and game pages and the Navionics free web mapping.  Utilize all of your intel to eventually formulate a plan and area you'd like to fish.  Focus on either several small spots you can investigate and move on from, or a large piece of structure that you can search many types of spots on like inside turns, points, reef tops, or deep mud.  Don't be married to any one particular area in this scenario, and don’t be satisfied to hunker down unless you’re marking fish or the weather demands it.

Take a chance with the weeks we have remaining to fish somewhere new, even if it’s just down the road.  You’ll be surprised by how much better it can make you as an angler, and how much fun you’ll have tackling a new challenge.

How To Catch Anything - A Multi-Species Approach

Photo Credit - Ben Larson - In-Depth Media Productions

Have you ever gone fishing and caught something completely un-intended?  A few years back we were headed to a small lake in northern MN to film a purported basin bite for spoon-eating crappies.  Excited to tie into the 14”+ brutes we’d seen pictures of, we drilled out the small basin area and found nothing.  Zero.  Not a single fish marked.  As we pushed shallower, we saw on the flasher what looked like a weedbed absolutely loaded with them, or so we thought.  For the first half hour, our spoons and any other hard bait were repeatedly denied, with the exception of several unusually large bass.  Getting ready to leave our newfound largemouth hotspot on a well-known crappie lake, I decided to drop a small teardrop and euro-larvae combination, and the rest is history.  It turned out to be one of the better late-ice bull bluegill bites I’ve been on, and ended up being a great show.

One of the keys to catching more fish is simply to fish in a way that includes more potential species, but that can be tough to do.  We hit the ice with pre-determined conceptions about walleye-lake this, good-crappie-population that, and forget that each spot is a new adventure and potentially a “new” fish.  It makes sense, as we’ve specialized a great deal in the last decade.  We use ultra-sensitive noodle rods for finicky gills, consider line choice based on what size and species we’d like to target, and even fish particular areas that are considered “classic” for walleyes, crappies, and any other range of fish species.  Whether you’re parked in a wheel-house over a crappie-hole or you’re punching holes in the shallows looking for weed-bed bluegills, here are some great ways to be an equal-opportunity angler once you start marking fish on the graph.    

Top-Two Lure Types

Not any one bait can target everything well, but you’ll do yourself a great favor in fishing lure types and sizes that work well in a variety of situations, for a number of different species.  An 1/8 oz. spoon in about any variety, provided the hooks are not too large, will catch nearly everything that swims in most freshwater lakes during the winter.  Another top pick is the #3 Jigging Rap, as it’s something I have tied on at least one rod full-time.  No matter where I fish and for what, each of these lure types are nearly always in play.  Choose attractor type colors and patterns for general appeal in pinks, reds, and greens, and you’ll simply catch more fish wherever you go.  

Down-Typing

Downsizing has become almost cliché in fishing advice columns, but so often anglers won’t go far enough to ensure they get bit.  Switching from ¼ oz. spoons to 1/8 oz. varieties may work when trying to cover both Perch and Walleye bites, but what if the walleye you think you’re marking is really a crappie?  In that case, switching to a tiny glow jig and plastic combination may be much more appropriate.      

Know Thy Fish

I tend to start with larger aggressive lures, but closely study the reactions and aggressiveness of the first few fish that come onto the flasher.  Walleyes and perch that are actively feeding will often rise, retreat, and revisit the bait quickly, several times before eventually eating.  Crappies tend to school in the winter, and even when they come in as singles will often simply appear at the same height as your offering.  Good bluegills will rise and back away very methodically.  I could go on and on, but the point is that each species has its own calling card. 

Seeing is Believing

Nothing prepares you for the above tactic like watching fish with an underwater camera, and species-specific identification will help you to select the best baits and methods to catch them.  Especially in river-systems, fish are very often assumed to be a species they are not.  More diversity offers simply more opportunities to get it wrong.  Even in lakes, or within the same species, there’s a big difference between large marks that can either be wads of bait perch, or a single tiger of the 11-12” variety we’re all interested in catching more of. 

Bait Selection

When targeting species of all types, it pays to have a variety of bait.  Often, a detail as small as minnow size can inhibit a crappie from inhaling the overly large fatheads you’re presenting.  Similarly, walleyes in the 20” plus category often prefer a more substantial snack in the form a light-pike sized sucker minnow or larger shiner.  However, fish only those baits, and you’re actively selecting against smaller walleyes and other species that may not be willing to eat something that large. 

Diversify Your Spread

Large groups in permanent shelters though immobile, have a distinct advantage to running more lines in that they can offer a wider array of baits.  When fishing for action and numbers, here is my typical lineup. 

·         Active jigging rod with a search bait – Rattlebaits or any other noisy offering that puts vibration or lots of flash in the water column

·         Active jigging rod with a #3 Jigging Rap

·         Active jigging rod with an 1/8 oz. flutter or flash spoon tipped with minnow head

·         Active panfish jigging rod with a tungsten and plastic

·         Active panfish jigging rod with micro tungsten and bait

·         Stationary setup #1 – Free-swimming fathead on a small glow jig

·         Stationary setup #2 – Free-swimming crappie minnow on a small fine wire hook

·         Stationary setup #3 – Free swimming light pike sucker or

Be prepared to adapt on ice, switch to the productive tactic of the moment, and use multi-species techniques to bring more fun and success to your mid-winter fishing.