December Freshwater Lure of the Month: Bandit 200 Series Crankbait

December Freshwater Lure of the Month: Bandit 200 Series Crankbait

Whether you're a pro or just a weekend fisherman, Bandit Lures prides themselves on being able to help take your fishing to the next level.  That's because a Bandit is everything you'll need in a quality crankbait - state of the art molding, premium grade plastics, multi-coat gloss paint.  And, with a complete selection of 51 stock colors, 12 body styles, and twelve different depth ranges, there's a lure to match any fishing condition.  Plus, a Bandit always runs true right out of the box.

 Bandit Crankbaits are some of the most popular crankbaits with experienced anglers for a reason - and it's not just because they are one of the most affordable crankbaits on the market. Featuring a compact shad-shape, with a wide wobble and loud internal rattles, the Bandit Crankbaits have all of the fish attracting features available in a crankbait. Combined with infinite color schemes to match to your local forage, there is a Bandit Crankbait for your situation. Super durable as well, you can bounce it off of every rock, stump or branch you see and it will still look good and swim like it's supposed to. Match up a Bandit Crankbait Series with the depth you want, a color scheme for where you're fishing - and go catch some fish.

About the Bandit Series 200 Crankbait:
Bandit Series 200 Crankbait - The 200 series crankbaits are 2" long and run 4' to 8' deep. This is the best seller of all the Bandit crankbaits. It is an excellent search bait in the spring and fall. It runs as true as any lure made.  

• Premium grade plastics
• Multi-coat gloss paint colors
• State of the art molding
• Dives 4' - 8'

December Walleye Lure of the Month: Rebel Jointed Minnow

December Walleye Lure of the Month: Rebel Jointed Minnow 

It is hard to believe that it was 50 
years ago that Fort Smith, 
Arkansas, resident George 
Perrin saw the potential of 
plastic fishing lures and 
created the first Floating 
Minnow. 

Perrin had grown frustrated 
with the wooden minnow 
lures on the market. They 
were inconsistent, dove to 
different depths and ran to 
the left or right, and with 
use they took on water, 
which killed the action. He 
reasoned that he could 
make a better one out of 
plastic. 

He was right; unlike the 
wooden lures of the day, 
every one of his Minnows ran 
true right out the package, 
dove to the right depth and was 
tough enough to handle giant 
fish. 

Perrin established Rebel, 
named after the mascot 
of the high school his 
daughter attended. 

That original lure, the 
Rebel F10 Minnow, is 
still catching fish half a 
century later.

When the Rebel Minnow was born in the early 1960's, a standard of excellence was created. The same commitment to quality and craftsmanship that was established then is alive today.  Rebel minnows are available in a variety of fish catching sizes ranging from panfish fooling ultra-lights to heavy weights designed to handle brutes like muskie, pike, and many saltwater species. Most sizes are also available in a lazy summer jointed model that scores of anglers have relied on to bring most hard to catch trophies to the landing net. Great for walleye, pike, striped bass, trout, muskie and bass fishing.The 3.5" Rebel Minnow (F10) was the first hard plastic Rebel lure produced. Its success came almost overnight. Demand quickly grew for other sizes and styles of the now legendary Rebel Minnow. For traditional, dependable, true-running action, nothing compares to the one that started it all — the Rebel Minnow. The Rebel Jointed Minnow Fishing Lure has all of the same great qualities as the original Rebel Minnow, but with a ‘broke’ back.

• Delivers straight-running stability at any speed
• Tight, lifelike action and high-speed trolling
• Cranks from 5' to 7' under the surface
• Trolls at 13-1/2'
• Ideal for targeting striped bass, salmon, & trout

December Freshwater Fly of the Month: Elkwing Caddis Olive

December Freshwater Fly of the Month: Elkwing Caddis Olive

The Elk Wing Caddis is one of the most versatile caddis created. Almost every river has blanket hatches of this must have bug. 

The elk wing caddis dry fly is one of the most popular and proven dry flies in the world. The dry fly pattern imitates the natural caddis, one of the most prolific insects across North America that trout feed on. The elk hair caddis can fish like conventional dry flies, as well as be "skated" across the top of the water to attract feeding trout. 

Invented on the West Coast by Al Troth, the elk hair caddis has over the years proved to be an un-paralleled fish catcher. In the tradition of all great flies its "why didn't I think of that" quality has reinforced its reputation and resulted in a continual presence on practically every trout bearing water in the world.  The best way to think of this fly is as a skater. This is because it is the perfect fly for imitating both the newly emerged caddis flies' maiden voyage (or, the take off), and also the skittering female dropping her payload of eggs under the evening sky.

Tips to fish:

When fishing a caddis hatch the Elk Hair Caddis should be fished using standard dry fly tactics. If you suspect fish are taking spent adults aim for a drag free drift, but if you suspect the fish are after newly hatched adults (look out for slashing rises) employ some judicious twitching of your artificial. Standard presentations will work when using the Elk Hair Caddis as a searching pattern.

References:

http://www.sexyloops.com/flytying/elkhaircaddis.shtml

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December Saltwater Lure of the Month: Creek Chub Striper Strike

December Saltwater Lure of the Month: Creek Chub Striper Strike

Right out of the box, Creek Chub’s Striper Strike had quite a lot to live up to.  After all, Creek Chub has manufactured several of the most celebrated lures over the last eighty-plus years that it has been in business.  Most notably, the Wiggle Fish.  Created in the early 1900s, this modest plug was once the world-record largemouth bass holder.  The Striper Strike had to fight other influential Creek Chub lures such as the Pikie Minnow, the Injured Minnow and the Darter for its share of the spotlight.  The Pikie Minnow, perhaps Creek Chub’s most popular lure, was released in both a solid-bodied and jointed model.  We were told that among the jointed model’s more notable achievements is a 69-pound muskie caught in the St. Lawrence River.  Many muskie fisherman, naturally, continue to reach for the Pikie Minnow first and last.  We’ve heard that the Striper Strike elicits the same reaction from saltwater anglers.

Most lures manufactured today are made from plastic.  That’s true of this month’s selection, although Creek Chub originally carved their lures from wood.  Originally, for example, the Pikie Minnow was carved by hand from white cedar.  As white cedar became a bit more rare and expensive, other woods were used.  Creek Chub eventually moved its entire line to plastic production.  It would be hard to argue that today’s Creek Chub lures are less effective than their wooden predecessors.  As far as plastic baits go, Creek Chub’s tremendously high standards ensures that their product is among the finest available.  In the hand, wooden baits have quality and heft no modern plastic lure can match, but Creek Chub has created an incredibly durable, surprisingly satisfying lure in the Striper Strike.

Featured lure: Creek Chub Striper Strike

Manufacturer: Creek Chub, an EBSCO Industries company

Type: Sinking, surface popper/chugger

Technique: 

“As soon as it hits the water, start a fast erratic retrieve that makes the lure skip and skitter on the surface to resemble a fleeing shad.  Remember, a smaller lure sometimes draws more strikes.”

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December Freshwater Fly of the Month: Blue Wing Olive

December 2012 Freshwater Fly of the Month: Blue Wing Olive

Any good angler knows that it is important to know the tendencies and seasons of the flies in the area they fish in.  But the blue wing olive mayflies are a unique fly, because you will find them at almost every month of the year, wherever you are.  The blue wing olive mayfly looks like a tiny, greenish gray sailboat on the water to the human eye, but to the trout - that sailboat looking fly with wings that are light gray to black looks like lunch! The olives typically hatch and then swim to the surface.  After swimming to the surface, they split their nymphal shells and emerge as winged insects.  The blue wing olives are prime trout food from fall through spring. This gives anglers a distinct advantage over other anglers, as the flies are a sure shot at rising fish at almost any time of the day (particularly effective during the warmest part of the day).

The key to success is to wade as closely as possible to the rising fish, and then target individual fish (as opposed to shooting into a group of the risers).  By watching the individual fish, you can see what stage of the hatch the fish is keying on and where in the current he is feeding.  Be patient! With careful observation, you can pick out the largest fish in the pool and then specifically target it.  Try to position yourself slightly upstream and across so that you can make a fly first downstream presentation to the trout.  

The Blue Wing Olive Spinner Secret (from Hunting and Fishing Suite 101)

Within 24 hours, the spinners mate and fly to the river's surface to lay eggs and die. On many days, the spinners land on the water's surface at the same time the immature nymphs hatch into duns. Anglers see the upright wings of the duns - and tie on a dry fly with an upright wing.  Most anglers miss the secret part of the blue wing olive hatch. The adult blue wing olives that survive the trout fly off to streamside brush and molt into the sexually mature insect, which is called a spinner. Spinners have bright, clear wings and big eyes.  Few anglers see the spinners - with clear, almost invisible wings - sprawled flat on the surface at the same time.  But the trout - especially the bigger, warier fish - see them just fine, and they lock onto the safer, easier prey.Tie on a spinner - such as a Hackle Spinner - and watch tough trout get much easier!

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