Go small or go home

[TubeDude]

I was just doing some tackle-tinkering...putting together my gear for a potential trip to Willard next week.  When I picked up my "Mini Crank" lure box I smacked myself in the head as it occurred to me that one potential problem at Willard right now is that the fish are patterning on small stuff...baby shad.

We see it happen every year at Willard.  The newly hatched shad fill the waters and the wiper and walleye bite drops way off.  And every predator we manage to put in the live well is ralphing up these bitty bites.  That's gotta tell us something.  Just like finicky trout on a clear mountain stream or lake, the fish pattern on the most abundant food resource...to the exclusion of almost everything else.  So it helps to "match the hatch"...at least in general size, shape and color.

I haven't had a chance to use any of my small stuff yet this year, but in years past I have done well with the mini cranks...and small spinners and spoons in shad colors.  I know quite a few boaters that have been more successful after they downsized too.

Here is a pic of my mini crank box...including a couple of the small spinners and spoons I keep in it.  I fish them from my float tube mainly by cast and retrieve...usually counting down the sinking models to the bottom before a fast retrieve up through the water column.  With the floating models I often use them as a trailer...on a 3-4 foot leader behind a 1/4 oz. jig on a 12" dropper.  The jig is usually a white twister or shad body.  It provides the weight for longer casts, sinks the little lures faster and adds attraction to the trailing lure behind it.  This rig is great for trolling too.  Or you can add some weight to the line with a snap weight or whatever else you prefer.

The hooks on these small lures are small and wimpy.  So you gotta downsize your tackle a bit...and be sure you have a properly set drag.  Big wipers will hit these small lures and if you are not set up right the hooks will either bend straight or tear out.  Otherwise, enjoy the battle and take your time.

As I mentioned, I mostly fish these things with cast and retrieve.  There are times when bunches of shad are right up against the rocks...with the predators picking off the stragglers on the outside.  I have had some memorable days fishing light tackle and pitching these small goodies right up to the rocks and retrieving out away from the balled up bait.  Wipers and walleyes are the usual targets, but the smallies and kitties like to play small too.  But those big cats sure make a mess of the wimpy hooks.

[Jig-fisher]

Now you've done it, I was going to give Willard a rest, but now you've peaked my interest.  I have had success in the past with small stuff this time of year from shore, throwing a very small buckshot spoon out to where I could see some activity.  Wipers slammed it.  On second thought, maybe I'll wait for you report...

[TubeDude]

Now you've done it, I was going to give Willard a rest, but now you've peaked my interest.  I have had success in the past with small stuff this time of year from shore, throwing a very small buckshot spoon out to where I could see some activity.  Wipers slammed it.  On second thought, maybe I'll wait for you report...

Right.  And I suppose you'll want to know where they planted the fish too.

I've already spilled the beans on a timely tactic.  You expect me to give all the gory details too?

Right now I'm looking at either Tuesday or Thursday...or both.  And yes, I will post a report.

[Jig-fisher]

I enjoy your "gory details" of the reporting kind. Even the ones that involve a hook to the heel.

I'll pass on planting reports, I'm not interested, other than a few years later when they might have some size and pull a little.

Good luck to you.  I hope your tactics work. I think I'll go chase some other kinds for now. 

Willard is such a close option, I can be on the water in about 30 minutes from leaving the house so it is always in the back of my mind.

[wiperhunter2]

Good Idea Pat, will likely give it a try next week, when we get out there again.

[SkunkedAgain]

Hope the tackle shops send you the commission check for all that new tackle sales you just created. Great tip Pat it sure makes sense. Have you tried the umbrella rigs this time of year. I expect they may be good with this pattern. Good luck, wish I could join you but the hay should be ready to bale Tuesday so I have to answer that call. Look forward to your report. Later Jeff

[TubeDude]

Hope the tackle shops send you the commission check for all that new tackle sales you just created. Great tip Pat it sure makes sense. Have you tried the umbrella rigs this time of year.  I expect they may be good with this pattern. Good luck, wish I could join you but the hay should be ready to bale Tuesday so I have to answer that call. Look forward to your report. Later Jeff

After hearing about the Alabama or Umbrella rigs I started making some.  I and a couple of other guys have caught a few fish on them, but they just don't seem to have the appeal in Utah as on some waters in the midwest and south.  Have caught some walleyes in Utah Lake on them but only one small wiper from Willard.  Oh yeah, and a couple of cats.  But they are not a good standard.  They eat anything.  I have always done better with a single or tandem rig setup...with two lures...one following the other.

Here is a pic of some of the 3 wire U-rigs I have made.

[Anglinarcher]

Ya, the bama rigs are big things in some parts of the country, even prohibited in some bass fishing tournament formats.  I found that they work well in Louisiana, some on the Front Range of Colorado, but not so much here in the Inter Mountain West.  IMHO, it is a problem with the type of bait fish we have.

Shad are the key forage species in the places where they work best, but the shad there usually don't form the massive schools like we see in Willard or Powell.  The higher concentration of predators seem to break the schools up more and you often see a few dozen to a few hundred shad in a school.  These smaller pressured schools do seem to be well suggested by the bama rigs.  On the other hand, chub schools do often tend to form smaller schools and I have had some good results with smaller bama rigs in lakes with chubs and perch.  In waters without schools of bait fish, I have never had good results.

Pat, some of the Bass Pros use to customize their bama rigs to have a longer single trailer lure out the back.  So, your observation about a couple in-line would be dead on with what was observed by them.

I know that there are "crappie" sized bama rigs available commercially.  Just remember that in Utah and many Inter Mountain States, we are limited to 3 hooks per line.  The traditional bama rig has 5 arms or more so hooks must be limited in one way or another.  The "crappie" version I saw only had 3 arms.

I bet that you will do well with the three armed bama rig, but extend the third one like a following minnow.  Catch them well.

[muirco]

I was just doing some tackle-tinkering...putting together my gear for a potential trip to Willard next week.  When I picked up my "Mini Crank" lure box I smacked myself in the head as it occurred to me that one potential problem at Willard right now is that the fish are patterning on small stuff...baby shad.

We see it happen every year at Willard.  The newly hatched shad fill the waters and the wiper and walleye bite drops way off.  And every predator we manage to put in the live well is ralphing up these bitty bites.  That's gotta tell us something.  Just like finicky trout on a clear mountain stream or lake, the fish pattern on the most abundant food resource...to the exclusion of almost everything else.  So it helps to "match the hatch"...at least in general size, shape and color.

I haven't had a chance to use any of my small stuff yet this year, but in years past I have done well with the mini cranks...and small spinners and spoons in shad colors.  I know quite a few boaters that have been more successful after they downsized too.

Here is a pic of my mini crank box...including a couple of the small spinners and spoons I keep in it.  I fish them from my float tube mainly by cast and retrieve...usually counting down the sinking models to the bottom before a fast retrieve up through the water column.  With the floating models I often use them as a trailer...on a 3-4 foot leader behind a 1/4 oz. jig on a 12" dropper.  The jig is usually a white twister or shad body.  It provides the weight for longer casts, sinks the little lures faster and adds attraction to the trailing lure behind it.  This rig is great for trolling too.  Or you can add some weight to the line with a snap weight or whatever else you prefer.

The hooks on these small lures are small and wimpy.  So you gotta downsize your tackle a bit...and be sure you have a properly set drag.  Big wipers will hit these small lures and if you are not set up right the hooks will either bend straight or tear out.  Otherwise, enjoy the battle and take your time.

As I mentioned, I mostly fish these things with cast and retrieve.  There are times when bunches of shad are right up against the rocks...with the predators picking off the stragglers on the outside.  I have had some memorable days fishing light tackle and pitching these small goodies right up to the rocks and retrieving out away from the balled up bait.  Wipers and walleyes are the usual targets, but the smallies and kitties like to play small too.  But those big cats sure make a mess of the wimpy hooks.

Thanks! Sounds like a great method! I hope it works for everyone! I need to start heading to higher elevations...heat seems to be my achilles heel and it is hot now. Onto koks for me...?.  Love learning patterns of fish though and really liked your post!