Fishing Forum

[cool][#0000ff]Weather report for Starvation was iffy today, but LloydE and I decided to hit Rabbit Gulch for the first time this year...weather or not. We got plenty of weather...of all kinds. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Water temp 64 at launch (7:30 AM) and 67 when we got flushed off the lake about 1:30. Air temp 60 at launch, with mostly cloudy skies. Had light breezes from all directions through the day, with occasional pesky zephyrs. Nothing major. Sun peeked in and out of the clouds, between little rain cells going through. No major soakers but nice little spritzers. But, it kept the fish off balance. No smallmouth bass and only one small walleye...a "wall-ette".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Thankfully, the perch have started to move into Bunny Gulch and they were plentiful and playful. We didn't find any large schools but caught onesies and twosies from 14 feet deep to over 30 feet deep. Could have easily kept a limit of 20, but threw back anything under about 9 - 10 inches. Didn't catch any perch under about 8 inches but none over 11.5 inches. I brought in about 18 and Lloyd kept a dozen plus or minus. All nice and fat. Good fillets.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We also got some humongous chubs. We each caught about 4 of those poor old Starvation dinosaurs...about 13" to 15" each. It seemed strange to treat them gently, pat them on the behind and send them back unharmed to contribute to the lake's ecology. Wouldn't happen in most other lakes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Amazingly, the power squadron started early, for a midweek day. Had a ski boat with a very poor and inexperienced skier plowing the water we wanted to fish starting about 7 AM. The skier kept falling off and the crew were all yelling loudly in some foreign language. We could hear them quite well. They didn't have to shout.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]One other fishing boat. A couple of older gents who said this was their first trip on the lake this year. They were feeding a lot of worms to the perch and chubs with their bottom bouncer rigs too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Just after noon, the sky got darker and there were lots of clouds with virga (rain that falls but evaporates before it hits the ground). To the south and west there were some that looked like they held some serious moisture. When they began to grumble at us, we took them serious and started toward shore. But, I reached shore first, just as a loud KEERACK sounded right overhead. A big blast of wind came up and started to take Lloyd toward the dam. But, fortunately he tucked in behind some trees and made it to shore...not too far from the vehicle. As you can see in the picture, we exited the lake in driving rain. We were wetter on top than on the bottom by the time we got our gear loaded for the trip home.[/#0000ff]
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[]Thanks for thw nice report TubeDude! Good job on the nice fish[]. So were those your homemade jigs, or what?
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ooooH ya and they are gooood stuff
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[center]PIKEMAN GO FISH
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They say "you are what you eat". If that be true I have a sneaking feeling that lure building room of yours is starting to smell a bit fishy my friend..

Nice report Pat..
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[quote Walleye_Guy][]Thanks for thw nice report TubeDude! Good job on the nice fish[]. So were those your homemade jigs, or what?[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]Yep. I have several varieties of lures I make especially for perch-jerkin' that work well both in open water and under the ice. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The best producers yesterday were the "pale perch" and "fire tiger" colors...in Ultra Minnow and "PBJ" (Painted Body Jigs).[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I never leave home without them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I was also trying some of my new "Fligs"...floating jigs. I make them by adding a short piece of popper foam to the front of the hook and then making a painted body jig out of it. Sorry, no pictures yet. But, they float a whole crawler or minnow.[/#0000ff]
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[quote Coldfooter]They say "you are what you eat". If that be true I have a sneaking feeling that lure building room of yours is starting to smell a bit fishy my friend..

Nice report Pat..[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]Thanks ol buddy. Glad you liked it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]But, about the "fishy" aroma. I am guessing that your domicile is no different. I heard tell you eat a bunch of fishies too. And, how about those burritos?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Just remember...THE SMELL OF FISH IS BETTER THAN THE SMELL OF SKUNK[/#0000ff]
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Another great fishing trip--a very memorable one! If you didn't like the weather you just needed to wait five minutes or so and it would change. I wanted to fish a little longer---but the weather got ugly (lightning and wind) very quickly. Unfortunately the pictures don't tell the whole story this time.

Just a word or two about Tube Dude's lures--they are fantastic! I won't go fishing without his "tried and true" creations. Futhermore, he is always coming up with some new lure that the fish love. More importantly, however, is his knowledge of all varieties of fish and their behavior at different times of the year and weather. Furthermore, I am still learning from him about "presentation" options that make fishing more effective and fun. Frankly, I just don't know of a more knowledgeable, creative fisherman. (You can pay me later Pat!)

The fishing was good at Starvation. I was hoping to catch some walleye....but there is always another day.
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[cool][#0000ff]Thanks Lloyd. It was a fun trip...as usual...with just a few more variations on the "customary" wacko weather. At least I only had to pick you off the water about 25 yards from the vehicle...instead of having to drive to a distant point to rescue you where you washed ashore...like last year.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Good work on the unpaid testimonial. You wrote it just like I told you to. Might get you another "experimental" model or two on our next trip. At least a discount on the FREE guide fee.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The walleyes will be there next time. Wanna rematch next week?[/#0000ff]
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[#008000]I can vouch for your "Fligs". At least those small ones that you made and gave to me to try out. They might not float a whole crawler, but they will float a waxy, mealy, half a wiggler or part of a crawler - and they will catch fish.[/#008000]
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Skunk?! Skunk?!!
Well ya'd have to discuss that situation with 3M.

As far as burritos, well, I hear they keep the skeeters at bay, as well as the personal water craft..
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Thanks TubeDude, you never fail to answer my many questions[]. May i ask what that red one in your pictures is too?
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[quote Fishhound][#008000]I can vouch for your "Fligs". At least those small ones that you made and gave to me to try out. They might not float a whole crawler, but they will float a waxy, mealy, half a wiggler or part of a crawler - and they will catch fish.[/#008000][/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]These are a whole new line...made from 3/8" popper foam. They will float a battleship and can be rigged with beads and blades behind a bottom bouncer. I used two kinds of hooks...one a regular jig hook and the other a ring eye "aberdeen" hook...both extra sharp Matzuos (see pics).[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I played with them yesterday and never picked up a bit of weed from the bottom, whereas everything else that came near bottom collected "salad". Fish liked them too. [/#0000ff]
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[quote Walleye_Guy]Thanks TubeDude, you never fail to answer my many questions[]. May i ask what that red one in your pictures is too?[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]That has become one of my favorite jig combinations for just about all waters and all species. The little tube jigs are the Southern Pro Lit'l Hustler in red and chartreuse. The heads are some special red glitter with a chartreuse eye that I use for many different plastics. As you can see in the attached picture I make those little heads both with and without a spinner blade (Roadrunner) and both work very well.[/#0000ff]
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I'm wondering how in the world you make all those.
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[quote Ron_Blckhrst]I'm wondering how in the world you make all those.[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]One at a time.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Sorry. Couldn't help myself.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have been tying flies for over 5 decades and making jigs for almost as long. During that time I have accumulated a lot of jig molds and the knowledge of how to work with lots of paints, glitters and other materials to generate any kind of lure that I want. I doubt that I am saving much money on making my own lures, but I am assured of getting exactly what I want...without having to buy only what the stores want to sell me.[/#0000ff]
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you definitly do an awesome job. Maybe in the future i'll see if i can buy some from you for some ice fishing?
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[cool][#0000ff]You are welcome to tour the "tackletorium" anytime. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I make a large line of stuff for ice fishing...from tiny little jiglets to blade baits. And I build "super glow" into most of them. That stuff glows for hours. Like most of my jigs, I use the Matzuo hooks that are super sharp...in both gold and red hook models.[/#0000ff]
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Well sounds like i'll heve to do that sometime
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[#500000]Tube Dude should charge for tours of his lure building empire......If you are getting into it like him get out your wallet......He has the hall of fame of lure building......................WW.[/#500000]
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You make it sound like he has a museum!! haha
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