When you are fishing, sometimes less can mean more
As we march on towards the dog days of summer, it is inevitable that anglers will come across tough fishing. Hot days, high sun with little or no cloud cover, and ultra clear water can all work together to create frustrating outings with hardly any bites. What can an angler do to work through these tough conditions? My experience has taught me that tough fishing is the perfect time to live the adage, “less is more.”
Most of the time anglers look for lures that have amazing action which let every fish in the water to know where it is. Sometimes though they will reject those offerings and leave us hauling water in a lake that seems to be devoid of life. When things are at there toughest I back down and use a subtle approach.
This means using small lures on light line and learning how to be patient. Smaller lures imitate live prey more realistically than do larger artificial offerings. The key is realizing that “smaller” does not just mean length. It can also refer to diameter and width. A slender 8-inch finesse worm can be a deadly tool on a hot July day. Just like a tight swimming lipless crankbait with its narrower width can be the ticket over a wider wobbling crankbait when conditions are tough.
Personally, I like to downsize to a 1/4 ounce jig, a 4-inch worm and small 3-inch soft jerkbaits. The key to fishing any of these offerings is to let the lure impart the action on its own and not put too much action into the lure. Most of the time, a quality lure will have the ability to look realistic with the natural movements of the water and the slight vibrations that transfer down the rod from our hands. The next time that you are in clear shallow water you can test your favorite lure and get a good look at how much it moves and wiggles without any added action from you. I’m sure that you will also realize how much more realistic small movements look than large, over-exaggerated ones.
Lighter line is also an important component of successful fishing when the times get tough. Smaller diameter line allows for a lure to move more naturally and is not as easily seen by the fish. Some will argue that smaller line equals more lost fish due to fray and line breaks. I will trade a larger number of bites for that potential hazard any day. If you tie quality knots, check for line fray often, and fight a fish properly with the drag set where it should be, you will break off very few fish. Always use the lightest line you can get away with, in other words if you have a problem breaking off with 8-pound test, go to 10-pound test and give it a try.
The last factor is patience. Finesse fishing requires that the angler utilize all his or her senses. The bites are hard to come by some days so information regarding each bite is critical. Did that last bite come from vegetation, was it a rocky bottom, or did it come just after the lure dropped into deeper water? That one little clue could unlock a momentous day if you can duplicate it throughout the body of water that you are fishing.
One common denominator with finesse fishing is that color choices are best if they imitate live prey. Natural colors that blend into the habitat you are fishing are always a good choice. Green pumpkin and watermelon are good colors in vegetation and browns and dark greens are good for rocky areas.
If the conditions have dictated that you use smaller more finesse type baits, there is a good chance that the bites you get will be subtle and almost undetectable. It is critical to watch your line for any bounce, jump, or movement. If you see anything out of the ordinary, set the hook. It also helps to have a high quality rod that magnifies even the slightest bites.
With the right approach, tackle, lures, and mindset, hot weather fishing can be enjoyable. You might even get so good with these finesse tactics that you could have a hard time going back to traditional power type baits in the fall when the fish become more active.
Good luck and good fishing.
