08-16-2024, 03:34 PM
Glad those bitty bites are producing for you. A lot of folks think that big fish only eat big stuff. But the truth is...especially with medium to large browns...is that a high percentage of their diet is small tidbits. This includes aquatic insects like caddis and stoneflies...and shrimp and scuds, etc. So if something of the approximate right size and shape comes drifting by it will usually get an investigation munch...especially if it has eyes...and I put eyes on all my goodies.
Those little "bait bugs" you were using were originally designed to be fished for panfish with a piece of worm. But, as you found, they can work well without "sweetener" too. And I have been pleasantly surprised over the years at the size of some of the fish I have caught on them...like 4# largemouths and 10# cats. And I too have caught more than a few respectable trout on them...of several species.
My earliest models were made with bodies of chenille or craft cord. But later I discovered how to wrap and paint the bodies so that they did not get gunked up with bait or fish slime after a few fish. These work especially well in the white or chartreuse bodies.
![[Image: BUGS.jpg]](https://i.postimg.cc/dhJw2kxY/BUGS.jpg)
![[Image: MINI-BB-LABELED.jpg]](https://i.postimg.cc/75C8M3nj/MINI-BB-LABELED.jpg)
By the way, these work great when floated downstream in slow flows under an indicator (bobber). A lot of the food items a fish eats comes down above the bottom. So adjusting the length of line below the bobber to keep it just above the bottom at the speed of the current can be deadly. And always fun to see that bobber take a dive.
I noticed in your cool video that you had trouble with landing fish and handling the camera at the same time. I imagine you already have a chest mount or shoulder mount for your camera. But you might consider making one of the chest mounts like I make for fishing out of my float tube. With the PVC joints (what else) you can instantly rotate the camera with one hand to shoot any scene hands free. Here is a pic, showing the adjustable chest strap I put on...and then the 3-pronged setup that slips down inside the strap. Be happy to help you fab one if you'd like.
![[Image: GO-PRO-CHEST-MOUNT.jpg]](https://i.postimg.cc/ZBXJpw17/GO-PRO-CHEST-MOUNT.jpg)
Those little "bait bugs" you were using were originally designed to be fished for panfish with a piece of worm. But, as you found, they can work well without "sweetener" too. And I have been pleasantly surprised over the years at the size of some of the fish I have caught on them...like 4# largemouths and 10# cats. And I too have caught more than a few respectable trout on them...of several species.
My earliest models were made with bodies of chenille or craft cord. But later I discovered how to wrap and paint the bodies so that they did not get gunked up with bait or fish slime after a few fish. These work especially well in the white or chartreuse bodies.
By the way, these work great when floated downstream in slow flows under an indicator (bobber). A lot of the food items a fish eats comes down above the bottom. So adjusting the length of line below the bobber to keep it just above the bottom at the speed of the current can be deadly. And always fun to see that bobber take a dive.
I noticed in your cool video that you had trouble with landing fish and handling the camera at the same time. I imagine you already have a chest mount or shoulder mount for your camera. But you might consider making one of the chest mounts like I make for fishing out of my float tube. With the PVC joints (what else) you can instantly rotate the camera with one hand to shoot any scene hands free. Here is a pic, showing the adjustable chest strap I put on...and then the 3-pronged setup that slips down inside the strap. Be happy to help you fab one if you'd like.