ice jigs under a bobber in spring/summer

Questions about Freshwater Fishing

ice jigs under a bobber in spring/summer

Postby kerleybass » Tue May 07, 2013 12:59 pm

Hi all! I've been using this tactic so far this year with tremendous success. I have to put a little split shot on the line and use a cork so I can cast to the opposite bank of a canal where all the beds seem to be. I have caught and released hundreds of little 'gills, redbreast and pumpkinseed. I've also managed about thirty or forty shellcracker and 'gills that were between 10 and 12 inches, some full of roe. Still, I have a feeling that if I could lose the split shot and the cork I could do better. Any suggestions? (remember that I need the weight to cast far enough to hit the beds).


Also, I'm a very new fly fisherman. Someone PLEASE tell me why my rubber spider sometimes comes down on the water in the middle of a tangle of tippet? It doesn't happen every time, but when it does, it is very frustrating. I have only managed some very small bream and one little bass on the fly rod, and I have no doubt that my presentation is at fault. (struggling to find a good teacher around here).


Thanks!
Sean
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Re: ice jigs under a bobber in spring/summer

Postby miket55 » Wed May 08, 2013 7:55 am

Find an accomplished fly fisherman, or visit a fly shop. Have them look at your setup, and most importantly your casting technique. Then use the fly rod to get your ice jigs to those fish. After that practice, practice, practice!

Good luck!
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Re: ice jigs under a bobber in spring/summer

Postby kerleybass » Wed May 08, 2013 8:50 am

Mike- Thanks for the quick response! Just to clarify, I can actually tie an ice jig with a little one inch tube to the tippet and cast like that? If I do this, do I just let it sink and treat it like a nymph, or do I retrieve enough so that I don't lose sight of the jig? Sounds like a devastating combination, ice jig/fly rod...


Thanks again


Sean
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Re: ice jigs under a bobber in spring/summer

Postby miket55 » Thu May 09, 2013 8:21 am

The fish can answer that better than anyone can..
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Re: ice jigs under a bobber in spring/summer

Postby puckfisher » Mon May 13, 2013 7:08 pm

Kerleybass: You're obviously doing something right, the numbers prove it. You will not catch as many fish in this situation with a fly. Go ultralight with a thill bobber(the best bobbers made) and maybe it will cast better.Your small ice fly presentation hanging over the beds of these panfish is a killer technique and it keeps the offering in front of the fish at the right depth for a long time. A fly can't do that. To address your casting problem, the most common fault of maybe all flyfishermen is the tailing loop. There are probably dozens of theories on what causes them but basically it occurs when the end of your flyline with your leader and fly drops below the plane of your line going the opposite direction causing tangles. Practice with a hookless fly and watch your timing on your entire cast. Slow down and you'll get it.
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