07-17-2010, 12:35 PM
[quote rincon_madness]TD,
Nice and cool report. In the pic w/ Lloyd there are lots of reeds in the background. Do you ever cast into those?
Also, is the orange jig head another one of your secret weapon creations??? [/quote]
[cool][#0000ff]Since the high water returned...after the prolonged drought of the early 2000's...reed beds have flourished around the lake. They are a key to the current good health of all fish populations. They provide spawning areas for some species and a nursery and shelter for the young of just about all species. That makes them a natural magnet for predators. They follow the groceries.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There are catfish, white bass, walleyes, crappies, bluegill and largemouths all over the lake. And, they can all be caught in and around the reeds. The keys are water depth, density of the reed growth and whether or not there are gaps and channels inside the reed beds. Some reed beds hold a lot more fish than others because they are easier for predators to swim through while hunting for prey...or to provide shade and shelter while they are resting.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Do I cast INTO the reeds? Not often. If I were looking for largies I would definitely be fishing weedless plastics or topwater right in the middle of the greenery. And I would look for pockets or channels inside the edges. Ditto for bluegills and crappies. Also white bass when they are chasing young carplets or their own fry. You can sometimes see them boiling back inside the reeds.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]When I use the reeds as a fishing target I am usually throwing jigs right next to the outside edges, looking for predators cruising the edges while looking for a meal...or hiding just inside the edge in ambush mode. It is amazing how many times my jigs are smacked before they can settle to the bottom if I cast to the right spot. But, while fishing from my float tube I can (and do) move along the edges while casting and retrieving parallel to the outside edge of the reeds. Silent but deadly.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Again, one of the keys is depth. When the lake is at high water level the reed edges are generally at least three or four feet deep. That is plenty for almost any species. But, when the summer water levels begin to drop the water may get too shallow to provide enough shade or comfort to fish that prefer more depth. At least during daytime. Many Utah Lake predators feed actively at night and often move into much shallower water under cover of darkness and after the power squadron leaves the lake. It is not uncommon to catch huge cats in water less than 2 feet deep at night. Ditto for big walleyes. And white bass may swarm into water so shallow that their backs are almost out of water as they forage on small fry and invertebrates after dark. Good time for fly flingers.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The only thing bad about fishing the reed edges is that you tend to donate more tackle. Reed beds usually have an area extending out away from the visible green growing reeds that is composed of old dead reeds from past growth. It ain't always neat and clean right next to the current year's growth. That stuff eats jigs. Also, if you hook a large fish on light line...and the fish heads for the cover of the reeds...you might be saying bye bye to a favorite lure. Guys who fish cats next to the reeds usually use heavy braided lines to help recover both the fish and their terminal tackle when one of those big uglies heads for the hay.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Reeds? You betcha.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]OOPSIE. Forgot to answer the second part of the question. I have been making and using hot orange glitter jig heads for many years. They are ideal for use with many colors of plastics...either to match a color in the plastic (fire tiger) or to provide a good contrasting color (black, white, chartreuse, etc.). Orange is one of the "universal" colors that is appealing to most species.[/#0000ff]
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Nice and cool report. In the pic w/ Lloyd there are lots of reeds in the background. Do you ever cast into those?
Also, is the orange jig head another one of your secret weapon creations??? [/quote]
[cool][#0000ff]Since the high water returned...after the prolonged drought of the early 2000's...reed beds have flourished around the lake. They are a key to the current good health of all fish populations. They provide spawning areas for some species and a nursery and shelter for the young of just about all species. That makes them a natural magnet for predators. They follow the groceries.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There are catfish, white bass, walleyes, crappies, bluegill and largemouths all over the lake. And, they can all be caught in and around the reeds. The keys are water depth, density of the reed growth and whether or not there are gaps and channels inside the reed beds. Some reed beds hold a lot more fish than others because they are easier for predators to swim through while hunting for prey...or to provide shade and shelter while they are resting.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Do I cast INTO the reeds? Not often. If I were looking for largies I would definitely be fishing weedless plastics or topwater right in the middle of the greenery. And I would look for pockets or channels inside the edges. Ditto for bluegills and crappies. Also white bass when they are chasing young carplets or their own fry. You can sometimes see them boiling back inside the reeds.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]When I use the reeds as a fishing target I am usually throwing jigs right next to the outside edges, looking for predators cruising the edges while looking for a meal...or hiding just inside the edge in ambush mode. It is amazing how many times my jigs are smacked before they can settle to the bottom if I cast to the right spot. But, while fishing from my float tube I can (and do) move along the edges while casting and retrieving parallel to the outside edge of the reeds. Silent but deadly.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Again, one of the keys is depth. When the lake is at high water level the reed edges are generally at least three or four feet deep. That is plenty for almost any species. But, when the summer water levels begin to drop the water may get too shallow to provide enough shade or comfort to fish that prefer more depth. At least during daytime. Many Utah Lake predators feed actively at night and often move into much shallower water under cover of darkness and after the power squadron leaves the lake. It is not uncommon to catch huge cats in water less than 2 feet deep at night. Ditto for big walleyes. And white bass may swarm into water so shallow that their backs are almost out of water as they forage on small fry and invertebrates after dark. Good time for fly flingers.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The only thing bad about fishing the reed edges is that you tend to donate more tackle. Reed beds usually have an area extending out away from the visible green growing reeds that is composed of old dead reeds from past growth. It ain't always neat and clean right next to the current year's growth. That stuff eats jigs. Also, if you hook a large fish on light line...and the fish heads for the cover of the reeds...you might be saying bye bye to a favorite lure. Guys who fish cats next to the reeds usually use heavy braided lines to help recover both the fish and their terminal tackle when one of those big uglies heads for the hay.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Reeds? You betcha.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]OOPSIE. Forgot to answer the second part of the question. I have been making and using hot orange glitter jig heads for many years. They are ideal for use with many colors of plastics...either to match a color in the plastic (fire tiger) or to provide a good contrasting color (black, white, chartreuse, etc.). Orange is one of the "universal" colors that is appealing to most species.[/#0000ff]
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