07-02-2014, 04:49 PM
[#0000FF]It was good to see Conner again. He had had a lot of life alterations since I last saw him...including all that facial fur. Didn't recognize him until he astutely introduced himself. Wouldn't even try to offer insightful advice on dealing with girls. I think I flunked that class long ago.
The disappearance of the shoreline vegetation is all part of the Shoreline Restoration Program. Kill the phraggies and all that. Sure has messed up a lot of fishy habitat. Not all anglers are pleased with it.
I was calling my clothes hanger setup the "hangershot rig"...since I used a piece of clothes hanger wire for a dropshot weight. But since I am using it almost exclusively for fishing weightless tube jigs I altered that to "hanger tube" rig. See pics below.
I have been playing around with different options over the past year or so. I recently tried it out on Willard and It worked very well. Have used it a couple of times on Utah Lake now also with good results. Used it many times at Starvation last year and will soon be doing it again.
The key is being able to present a bait or lure up off the bottom...for fish that prefer it there instead of dragging through the mud and weeds. Rigging a tube weightless...without a jig head...was solved by making a bead on the upper part of the hook to hold the tube in place after inserting it up through the tube body. Hot melt glue works well but does tend to break down after a full day of catching. Bad problem to have. Just add another bead on the hook.
On my jigs at Willard I used the chenille bodies. They can be anointed with Gulp juice before inserting in the tube. Then I added a small piece of craft felt on the hook for more scent. I have been using that stuff since I lived in Arizona. The crappies and cats at Willard voted for it.
If you use two poles you can rig either one or two rods with hanger drop rigs. I used one at Willard while casting a tandem jig rig on the other. Ditto for Utah Lake. You can also rig only one tube...like I did in shallower Utah Lake...or a double drop shot setup like I did at Willard...in deeper water.
The key to making it work right is to keep the weight on the bottom and maintain tension on the line to keep the tube up. That also helps you see or feel what is going on with your offering. Some fish, like crappies, might only suck in the tube and not make much of a signal on the rod. You gotta watch it if you are not holding the rod. But active fish will usually whack it hard enough to set the hooks themselves...especially with those sharp Matzuo hooks I use.
Much of the time I fish the rig on a short line...not too far behind my tube. And I move around slowly while casting with the other rod. If I am kicking faster...or have the motor on slow speed...I will lengthen the line to maintain contact with the bottom...adding weight if needed.
I gotta say that I have not missed many strikes on those rigs. The rods usually either bounce hard or simply pull down against my quick-draw rod holders. All of the cats yesterday were well hooked on the strike.
Glad you have work to keep you busy but you gotta let me know when you break free. Been a while since we got together. We can go fishing or I can show you up close and personal some of the new trinkets in my arsenal.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]
The disappearance of the shoreline vegetation is all part of the Shoreline Restoration Program. Kill the phraggies and all that. Sure has messed up a lot of fishy habitat. Not all anglers are pleased with it.
I was calling my clothes hanger setup the "hangershot rig"...since I used a piece of clothes hanger wire for a dropshot weight. But since I am using it almost exclusively for fishing weightless tube jigs I altered that to "hanger tube" rig. See pics below.
I have been playing around with different options over the past year or so. I recently tried it out on Willard and It worked very well. Have used it a couple of times on Utah Lake now also with good results. Used it many times at Starvation last year and will soon be doing it again.
The key is being able to present a bait or lure up off the bottom...for fish that prefer it there instead of dragging through the mud and weeds. Rigging a tube weightless...without a jig head...was solved by making a bead on the upper part of the hook to hold the tube in place after inserting it up through the tube body. Hot melt glue works well but does tend to break down after a full day of catching. Bad problem to have. Just add another bead on the hook.
On my jigs at Willard I used the chenille bodies. They can be anointed with Gulp juice before inserting in the tube. Then I added a small piece of craft felt on the hook for more scent. I have been using that stuff since I lived in Arizona. The crappies and cats at Willard voted for it.
If you use two poles you can rig either one or two rods with hanger drop rigs. I used one at Willard while casting a tandem jig rig on the other. Ditto for Utah Lake. You can also rig only one tube...like I did in shallower Utah Lake...or a double drop shot setup like I did at Willard...in deeper water.
The key to making it work right is to keep the weight on the bottom and maintain tension on the line to keep the tube up. That also helps you see or feel what is going on with your offering. Some fish, like crappies, might only suck in the tube and not make much of a signal on the rod. You gotta watch it if you are not holding the rod. But active fish will usually whack it hard enough to set the hooks themselves...especially with those sharp Matzuo hooks I use.
Much of the time I fish the rig on a short line...not too far behind my tube. And I move around slowly while casting with the other rod. If I am kicking faster...or have the motor on slow speed...I will lengthen the line to maintain contact with the bottom...adding weight if needed.
I gotta say that I have not missed many strikes on those rigs. The rods usually either bounce hard or simply pull down against my quick-draw rod holders. All of the cats yesterday were well hooked on the strike.
Glad you have work to keep you busy but you gotta let me know when you break free. Been a while since we got together. We can go fishing or I can show you up close and personal some of the new trinkets in my arsenal.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]