Back to the basics

[Marke Cicero]

Hey Gang,

Any sports fan who has followed a team that's been in a slump has heard an athlete say "We just have to get back to the basics and remember what got us here."



Well, in a desperate search for my fishing MOJO I am going back to the basics. Tomorrow morning I'm fishing St. Clair with the marine biologist who is charge of the equarium at BPS. Instead of "Toad Smallies" we are going for perch and bluegill. He's bringing me to one of his favorite spots this time of year for large bluegill.



So, it's time for me to get back to the basics and try to get out of the no fish catchin' slump that I've been in.



To all my North Eastern Home Boys,

When you pick yourselves up off the floor from laughing, wish me some luck...LOL



Marke

 

[Greg. Avery]

Marke from what you told me at BPS the other day why not take Ken along so he can catch some fish LOL

 

[Staci Matheis]

Marke -



Take your next day off and come down here to central Illinois..... The white bass are running and, if you've never tied into them, you're missing one heck of a lot of fun! If I can catch 'em, even without MOJO, you can do it!



me!

 

[Andrew Zuber]

It's not just you're MoJo Marke...

It's all this unsettled weather...

I went for pike yesterday...should be biting like crazy...only boated one little "hammer handle"...



Keep the faith bud,

It's still better than working!!!

az

 

[Craig Roberts]

Have fun Marke, thats the key to breakin' the "slump". And I can tell you, fishing with Scott is always fun. He always makes sure the guy in back has plenty of chances to get into fish. Enjoy!



Craig

 

[Rob LaMoy]

I tried to warn you about that mud puddle ST Clair, but NOOOOOOO, you had to go out there and PROVE that it was better than Champlain huh? Well Mr smarty pants, whatcha got to say now???? LOL go catch some blue gill and perch and we'll lock onto some 4 lb smallies since there isn't much else to do! LOL Don't worry Marke, when you get good and ready, if you publically denounce ST Clair and admit that Champlain rules......THEN you can come back next spring and we'll put you on some REAL toads and fix your little NOJO MOJO problem!

 

[Greg Meyer]

Scott,



Fished our Club Classic Sat. and a State Illini Club Team Challenge on Sunday, both on Shelbyville... Didn't win either one...fished wrong both days...oh well. But, on Saturday... I caught a LM on a Baby Bass Crank-R that made your "Twain Bass" look huge... measured mine at 4 1/4" he was almost two times as long as the bait! Marke... I'm with you...I had a really bad year after our third tournament... I'm going back to "school" and hiring a couple of Guides (both are friends) to help me rethink my style and patterns... I'm really bummed out about that aspect...that I can't seem to get it right no matter what...

 

[Gene B]

Drum, Drum, Drum, Drum.



Gene

 

[Adam Murray]

Marke...don't feel bad, I went through the same thing when I first moved up there. I considered myself a fairly accomplished angler before transfering to Rochester Hills. Spent almost every day of the first six weeks I lived there on the water. The only fish I could catch were small LM while flipping docks at Metro (the only thing a good southern boy knows!)



Burning chartreuse spinnerbaits and fishing tubes on light line was completely foreign to me (along with spinning reels). The day it all came together, though, is a day I'll never forget. I was feverishly flipping tubes into the grass by 9 mile road with no results when my phone rang. I left my tube sitting in the grass, answered the phone and just drifted while talking to my boss. All of a sudden my rod was almost ripped from my hand and I saw this big brown bullet flying out of the grass. I quickly hung up the phone (sorry..no.more...signal...call..back..later!)

and landed my first smallmouth.



I repeated this scenario and landed several more nice fish that day. Next time out, I used a smaller tube on light line with a spinning reel (admittedly, a little disgusted with myself)...caught over thirty fish that day! Needless to say, I was no longer ashamed to use a spinning reel!



Confident that fish were in the area, I was able to attempt some new techniques and still put fish in the boat.



I was pretty close to selling my boat and giving up on fishing. I stuck with it, though, and dumb luck dealt me a pretty good deck of cards. A pattern for me has almost always been the result of a single, tell-tale sign. Be persistent and you'll find yours.



BTW...even though I live in the greatest state in the Union, hardly a week goes by that I don't think about living in Michigan. Even if you don't catch any fish, you landed a great job with some great folks!

 

[TrepMan]

Marke - The way my boys have yanked in decent bass down here while fishing for bluegills and sunfish, not a bad strategy!!



Hey, I tell ya I keep an ultralight spinning combo with 4lb test in the boat at all times. When the boys are catching bream or they want a break, i'll fish too and those 1/2lb blue gills really PULL on those ultra-light combos!!!

 

[Tim Storey]

Marke, where exatly did you say this guy was taking you fishing? Longitude and Lattitude would be nice. Maybe it would be my, new, favorite spot too!!!!

 

[Bob G.]

Marke,



Good luck with the monster bluegills!! If you want to get back to basics, you need to get back to CHAMPLAIN!! Oh yea, post some perch and bluegill pics if you have your panfish MOJO working!



Bob G.

 

[Staci Matheis]

On second thought, Marke.....



Did it ever occur to you that for the past few years you might have been on a hot streak..... That you may now have finally settled into your true level of mediocrity?



:^)

me!

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Don't forget that basket of crickets and your cane pole.



TOXIC

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Scott.....Marke's fished with me. There IS NO mediocrity for him anymore! He has been raised to a new level since fishing on Champlain! THERE how's that for EGO Trep and Neeley! HA! You want ego, I'll GIVE you ego!

 

[Ken Neeley]

Marke found some MOJO!!! We feasted on a huge dinner of bluegill fillets, and have enough in the freezer for 3 or 4 more meals!!!

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Never had them. Do they taste like perch? I hear the meat is sweet.

 

[Bob G.]

Marke,



I liked Toxic's idea with the cane pole!! Did you guys yell "FISH ON" and "GET THE NET" everytime you hooked up???!!!! Maybe you guys can have a real mini-rally and target perch and bluegills. Make sure Trep and Scott are there since they are the masters of small fish!! Sorry guys, I can't help myself sometimes.



Bob G.

 

[TrepMan]

OK Scott new target for the WWF Tag Team of Scott and Trep - That would be BOB G!!! Bob - Get ready for a SMACK DOWN!!!

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

I gotta fess up, I caught a crappie saturday on a 1 inch jig that was soooo small, he couldn't get the jig in his mouth all the way. Clients thought it was a hoot!! This fish was no longer than your little finger.



TOXIC

 

[Andrew Zuber]

Rob...

Shame on You!!!

You've never tasted bluegills???

YOU ARE MISSING OUT!

Some will argue with me, but they are number 1 on my list for freshwater fish followed by perch and then walleye...

Give them a try...you WON'T be disappointed!



az

 

[Bob G.]

Trep and Scott,



I'll be waiting for yous guys!! And bring your "minnows" so you can catch some real fish on Champlain! You might want to get yourselves one of those fishing belts so your skinny arses don't get pulled in by one of our little smallies!!!



Bob G.

 

[Texas Transplant]

Ken,



Any of them thar' fillets that you don't want, just send down this way to SC! Next spring, I've got on my to-do list, to get me a mess of crappie.

 

[TrepMan]

Let's see Bob the biggest Smallie i've pulled in was a tad over 5lbs, NOT a problem!!!

 

[Rob LaMoy]

WHAT?, When did you ever catch a 5+ lb smallie???? Trep, you been eating those mushrooms you found in the woods again? That was a drum, not a smallie! A 5 lb smallie is a TOAD! Only thing better is a 6 LB smallie!

 

[TrepMan]

Rob - North West Ontario flyin from Nestor Falls on the English River system last september. Caught 6 in the 5lb class and 1 over 6lbs!!! Don't have the pictures up on the web, will have to dig them up! All caught on a Rapala Shad Rap!

 

[Bob G.]

Trep,



I never caught an official 5 pound smallie, but I don't have to leave the country to catch 3 and 4 pounders!! My kids even catch 2+ pounders. Maybe they'll show you how to do it whenever you come up. No guide fees and you can learn how to tie your own knots and rig the grubs!! When you post your pics, make sure the fish tank isn't in the pic or we won't believe you!!



Bob G.

 

[Staci Matheis]

M-m-m-m-m-m!!!!! Bluegill filets! Fried using Golden Dipt batter! Eat 'em like potato chips! Sweet!!!!

 

[Andrew Zuber]

I prefer Drakes batter made with beer and few 'secret' spices...but I'd never turn down fried 'gills!!!



az

 

[Rob LaMoy]

I have to admit, I've caught just about every species of freshwater fish there is, but haven't eaten all that many kinds. I like perch, love walleye, can't stand pike and find it sin to eat bass, though they are tasty when grilled! But I keep feeling like I'm eating a pet! LOL But I have never had bluegill or sunfish, or crappie and everyone tells me they're awesome. We just don't have the crappie we used too in Champlain. You have hunt long and hard to find them and when you do, they're usually small anyway. Now sunfish......tons of those but so much work to clean!

 

[TrepMan]

Bob - We don't get smallie's down south, those fish DO NOT like our warm water and warm WINTER weather!!!! LOL



That trip we did not catch a Small mouth UNDER 4lbs!!! That's why I LOVE fishing up there, only 1 cabin on the lake (we do a different lake each trip, only 1 has small mouth, rest have pike, walleye and lake trout)!

 

[Bob G.]

Trep,



I wish Champlain was an isolated lake with no fishing pressure but it isn't! Especially with people like Rob hammering it every week!! Just kidding Rob! I have seen some TV shows catching smallies in Canada and they were catch and release. I thought Dale Hollow was down south and they have smallies. Maybe smallies don't like Georgia!!



Bob G.

 

[Texas Transplant]

Rob,



If I get out and get me some crappie this fall/winter/spring, I'll freeze some up and send you some to try. Champlain is probably too 'cool' for crappie to do well on. I'm almost surprised that you indicate there are some there.



Tex

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Rob,



Here is a sample of some Southern "Pan Size" crappie. This was one of my clients last weekend, LOL... Her Dad sent this to me and said that they filleted them out (had about 15 this size) dredged them in egg-flour-egg-spiced crackercrumb and then pan fried in saffron oil. He told me it was the best fish he had ever eaten. Btw....I have 3, one gallon freezer bags full in my freezer at all times!!



TOXIC

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Guys, we have them, but just not as abundantly as they used to be. You can go to smaller local ponds and catch tons of nice slabs like Toxic's or sometimes bigger, but there difficult to find on Champlain. They're joining the ranks with walleyes, very scarce. We always catch a few while bass fishing. I caught one in Ti during the 'start this year that hit a 1/2 oz jig, it had to go 3/4 of a lb! Give me a mess of those anyday. The problem is my "greed" for tackle and gas money gets the best of me when I do find crappie. They're the top priced fish at the commercial fish shops around here, so when I catch them, I sell them. A bucket of crappie will land you $150 easily and that's live weight. Add in a bucket of perch and sunnies and you go home $200-$250 the richer for tackle or electronics! I just don't like the hassle of cleaning fish after being on the water all day, unless it's fast and easy with a big reward like a walleye steak! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM I've got an awesome shore lunch recipe for them if anyone wants it!

 

[Marke Cicero]

Well gang, I went bluegill and had a BLAST!! I haven't caught that many fish since Since I was about 12 years old. I also caught perch, bass and shad. There were shad running through the canals by the thousands. Some of them shad were about 3 lbs. I'm surprised I didn't see any pike or musky gobbling them up.



I can't believe I never ate bluegill before. Just like Scott said, they were like little potato chips.



I can feel the MOJO beginning to flow through my veins....LOL



Marke



TMS, just launch at Metro and hit any of the canals...you'll find them.

 

[Andrew Zuber]

Marke-

Do you think it was the shad we were marking in the channels???



az