This post today will deal with how I mastered the art of fishing deep clear waters well over a 100 ft. deep. Smith Lake in Alabama is the deepest lake in the state and is only twenty minutes from my house. I learned early on that I couldn’t fish this lake with the traditional casting rigs and heavy line, because of the crystal clear water and depths of 300 feet plus. So I knew I had to go light tackle. I started reading about ultra light fishing on line and begin to experiment with different techniques and tackle which lead me to what I call micro-light fishing. I kind of invented my own technique some to suit the water and the fish I was pursing. The Micro-Light rig I am referring to is a 7 ½ ft. long rod with matching reel for added balance. The reel is spooled with 4 lb. test line. Why the long rods??? I found after some experimenting I could get longer casts therefore covering more water and not to mention more play with the longer rod as opposed to a short 5 or 6 ft. rod. I feel like I am actually fishing the fly rod just in a different setting and technique. The play on this rod is awesome because you have to use all of your expertise in landing some of the Kentucky spots, bull bluegill and large mouth bass I have landed. The following are the lures that I have found to be extremely productive on these waters and any other waters I fish. One of best is the Bitsy crank bait by Strike King in the following colors below.
This lure has only been on the market for 3 or 4 years. I rig all of these lures with a 1/8 split shot about 16” up from the lure, and fish it with a slow pull. You can fish it through brush and seldom get hung. Another favorite is the 1/32 oz. rooster tail with the horizontal blade, which has been around for years.
These lures are deadly when the bite is slow. I rig this lure with the same shot method as the crank baits. Reeling it slow with one of the hooks tipped with a small crappie nibblet which makes it even more desirable, because the nibblet emits a slime stream that entices a hard strike. I have caught some of my largest bull gills with this lure. I use all the colors shown above all year round. The last lure is one that has been around for some time but is more commonly used in the large mode, it is the Rapala.
The floating version is extremely good in the early spring and late fall. I like to fish the sinking lure in the summer time with a 1/8 oz. shot for added depth. I have caught bass, bream and even catfish at times on this lure. Smith Lake is loaded with high rock walls at depths of 100 ft. in places so I found that weight added to the line helps get the lure in the strike zone much quicker. A lot of fish that call a rock wall home may hang out on a ledge or a small pocket in the wall or even suspend on the vertical face. I very seldom get hits below 30 ft. Since I started fishing these tiny lures with the long rods I have double my fish catch ratio. I never go home skunked anymore. Check back for my next post telling how I fish the fly rod on this deep lake.
This lure has only been on the market for 3 or 4 years. I rig all of these lures with a 1/8 split shot about 16” up from the lure, and fish it with a slow pull. You can fish it through brush and seldom get hung. Another favorite is the 1/32 oz. rooster tail with the horizontal blade, which has been around for years. 
These lures are deadly when the bite is slow. I rig this lure with the same shot method as the crank baits. Reeling it slow with one of the hooks tipped with a small crappie nibblet which makes it even more desirable, because the nibblet emits a slime stream that entices a hard strike. I have caught some of my largest bull gills with this lure. I use all the colors shown above all year round. The last lure is one that has been around for some time but is more commonly used in the large mode, it is the Rapala.
The floating version is extremely good in the early spring and late fall. I like to fish the sinking lure in the summer time with a 1/8 oz. shot for added depth. I have caught bass, bream and even catfish at times on this lure. Smith Lake is loaded with high rock walls at depths of 100 ft. in places so I found that weight added to the line helps get the lure in the strike zone much quicker. A lot of fish that call a rock wall home may hang out on a ledge or a small pocket in the wall or even suspend on the vertical face. I very seldom get hits below 30 ft. Since I started fishing these tiny lures with the long rods I have double my fish catch ratio. I never go home skunked anymore. Check back for my next post telling how I fish the fly rod on this deep lake.
those floaters are my fav for largemouth but I have learned just how important it is to use "trilene xl smooth cast" line and the original rapala knot,, if you dont already its probably worth trying it out
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing what this little floater will catch. I have caught everything from bass to crappie using this little lure. I use Trilene, but not the xl, I will give it a try. Thanks for the info.