Shore fishing thread.

[Bushleague]

Every year there are a bunch of questions about fishing from shore, so I thought it would be cool to do a running thread showcasing some of our catches from shore, and posting a bit of information for those who are looking for tips. So I think a brief post with a picture of your catch, where you caught it or the type of waterbody it came from, and a description of the equipment and techniques you used, as well as a tip or two. With enough posts it would be a great source of information and inspiration, and we could direct people with questions to it.

So I'll go first, a couple bad pictures of what were fairly decent pike:
DSCF1465 by , on Flickr

DSCF1464 by , on Flickr

Location or type of water body: Caught from a lake (one could be more specific if they wished, but I feel this would be a helpful minimum).

Gear and how I caught these fish: Medium heavy spinning gear, using an anchovy under a bobber.

And I'll end with a tip: Twitch your bobber or work it like a topwater plug every few minuets, to attract attention and trigger strikes.

[pinelakeperch]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

Every year there are a bunch of questions about fishing from shore, so I thought it would be cool to do a running thread showcasing some of our catches from shore, and posting a bit of information for those who are looking for tips. So I think a brief post with a picture of your catch, where you caught it or the type of waterbody it came from, and a description of the equipment and techniques you used, as well as a tip or two. With enough posts it would be a great source of information and inspiration, and we could direct people with questions to it.

So I'll go first, a bad picture of a nice pike:

Caught from a lake (one could be more specific if they wished, but I feel this would be a helpful minimum), on medium heavy spinning gear, using an anchovy under a bobber.

And end with a tip: Work your bobber like a topwater plug occasionally, to attract attention and twitch the bait.

"So I think a brief post with a picture of your catch, where you caught it..."

"Caught from a lake..."



Love it.

Kidding aside, I think this should be a decent thread. I don't imagine we will see a lot of spots revealed, but pictures are fun and it's always nice to gain more knowledge on tactics.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by pinelakeperch

"So I think a brief post with a picture of your catch, where you caught it..."

"Caught from a lake..."



Love it.

Kidding aside, I think this should be a decent thread. I don't imagine we will see a lot of spots revealed, but pictures are fun and it's always nice to gain more knowledge on tactics.

I'm not shy about where I caught those fish, they were caught from Lesser Slave, I was more or less just trying to demonstrate what would be a helpful minimum. I wouldn't use that setup in a river for instance...

[Outbound]

This is a great idea for a thread.

The only bait I've ever used is Power Bait. I see a myriad of ways to rig up minnows. How do you prefer to rig anchovies and other baits to your hook?

[wildwoods]

I’ll play.
I will reveal an absolute dynamite way to catch stock trout in lakes. This is an old, simple method but should help some folks catch fish.

1. Tie on a snap swivel at the end of your line
2. Cut a separate line at approx 2’ long. Tie a small loop in one end and a #10 or (preferably) a #12 bait hook (small hook).
3. Attach a 2 oz weight (egg shaped, pyramid shaped doesn’t matter) to the snap swivel on the original line.
4. Next attach the 2’ leader line with the loop to the swivel also.
5. Take a peanut size bit of power bait and coat the small hook.

Cast the rig out. The 2 oz weight will allow you to fish way out there. The trick is to cast where you want to fish, let the weight sink to the bottom with the bail open on your reel. Once it hits bottom, set your rod in a ground rod holder or sandwiched between two rocks, or bury the butt of your rod in the mud with the tip straight up in the air. Reel in until your tip bends but does not dislodge your 2 oz weight off the lake bottom. There’s a fine line there. The tension on the tip will be your indicator. If you want to up your game, attach a spring style bell to the tip of the rod. That will be your best strike indicator.

This works on all manner of stocked trout. I learned it in Wyoming and we absolutely clean house with this method from shore.

I use a 6’6” walleye style rod with fast tip. Any semi fast tip will do the job though so don’t agonize about those details.

The photo is a nice little Brookie from NB2. Enjoy!

[pinelakeperch]

Originally Posted by wildwoods

I’ll play.
I will reveal an absolute dynamite way to catch stock trout in lakes. This is an old, simple method but should help some folks catch fish.

1. Tie on a snap swivel at the end of your line
2. Cut a separate line at approx 2’ long. Tie a small loop in one end and a #10 or (preferably) a #12 bait hook (small hook).
3. Attach a 2 oz weight (egg shaped, pyramid shaped doesn’t matter) to the snap swivel on the original line.
4. Next attach the 2’ leader line with the loop to the swivel also.
5. Take a peanut size bit of power bait and coat the small hook.

Cast the rig out. The 2 oz weight will allow you to fish way out there. The trick is to cast where you want to fish, let the weight sink to the bottom with the bail open on your reel. Once it hits bottom, set your rod in a ground rod holder or sandwiched between two rocks, or bury the butt of your rod in the mud with the tip straight up in the air. Reel in until your tip bends but does not dislodge your 2 oz weight off the lake bottom. There’s a fine line there. The tension on the tip will be your indicator. If you want to up your game, attach a spring style bell to the tip of the rod. That will be your best strike indicator.

This works on all manner of stocked trout. I learned it in Wyoming and we absolutely clean house with this method from shore.

I use a 6’6” walleye style rod with fast tip. Any semi fast tip will do the job though so don’t agonize about those details.

The photo is a nice little Brookie from NB2. Enjoy!

No picture attached. I never get sick of seeing brookies.

[wildwoods]

Top one was good for the lake we fished. Bottom one small/average


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[Bushleague]

So far Wildwoods is in the lead for Brookies, and myself for pike... any challengers

[Bushleague]

P5190076 by , on Flickr

Pretty sure this guy came from the same lake as Wildwood's, caught a handful of them a few weeks back on medium spinning gear, casting small spoons and spinners. Not sure whether mine trumps his or not.

Tip of the day, keep moving, cover lots of water.

[pinelakeperch]

Pike is from a lake in the south that I imagine most are familiar with. Caught using a smelt on a slip sinker rig.





Walleyes were caught in a river in the south on minnows/slip sinker rigs.

[Talking moose]

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[wildwoods]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

You win lol. Good job. Share some methods!

[WayneChristie]

few different rivers. pretty much all the same my bait on the bottom my ass in a chair. No fish were harmed in the making of this video. walter 14 channel 15 dino 55 "

[Talking moose]

A nice Goldeye



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[Outbound]

Caught this little guy today at Sturgeon Lake near Valleyview. Dropped a bright orange rattling plug beside the dock and he hit on the first cast. I caught his twin earlier in the day doing the same thing.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by Outbound

Caught this little guy today at Sturgeon Lake near Valleyview. Dropped a bright orange rattling plug beside the dock and he hit on the first cast. I caught his twin earlier in the day doing the same thing.

That’s nice lookin water!

[kilgoretrout]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

A nice Goldeye



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Hence the name ....... very nice ..... on the fly?

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by kilgoretrout

Hence the name ....... very nice ..... on the fly?

Worms down deep.

[Outbound]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

That’s nice lookin water!

It sure is. I wish the whole lake was like that. LOL. That's the shoreline right near the boat launch. The rest of the lake is pretty mucky and swampy, at least at this time of year.

[sns2]

Great thread boys. Keep the pics and write-ups comin!

[StiksnStrings]

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

few different rivers. pretty much all the same my bait on the bottom my ass in a chair. No fish were harmed in the making of this video. walter 14 channel 15 dino 55 "

Hey Wayne, nice catfish. Is this here in Ab? I did a lot of fishing for them as a kid in southern Ont and wouldn't mind giving it a go again.

[pinelakeperch]

Originally Posted by StiksnStrings

Hey Wayne, nice catfish. Is this here in Ab? I did a lot of fishing for them as a kid in southern Ont and wouldn't mind giving it a go again.

You’ll be searching for a lifetime if you’re looking for channel cats in this province Pics must be out of Manitoba.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by pinelakeperch

You’ll be searching for a lifetime if you’re looking for channel cats in this province Pics must be out of Manitoba.

Yup. Only one species of catfish in Alberta and it ain’t channels.

[StiksnStrings]

Originally Posted by pinelakeperch

You’ll be searching for a lifetime if you’re looking for channel cats in this province Pics must be out of Manitoba.

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Yup. Only one species of catfish in Alberta and it ain’t channels.

Thought so but had to ask. Thanks guys.

[Bushleague]

Just to keep the thread alive. Been catching good numbers of nice walleye, and small to medium pike, off of the shore of Lesser Slave. Using medium spinning gear, casting spoons and spinners over shallow rock bars. The big pike should be showing up in these locations soon. Still catching a few big pike in shallow bays on Anchovies, but heavy rain, big chop, and badly stained water are making it tough.

Sorry, breaking my own rules here, but I haven't been taking any pictures. I'll try and get a few pictures of some skinny water eyes' in the next couple days for you.

Move around, cover lots of water, if you make 5 casts without getting a bite... keep moving.

[WayneChristie]

Originally Posted by StiksnStrings

Thought so but had to ask. Thanks guys.

not nearly as far away as you might think, 3 different cat species even. hopefully be chasing a few in the next while

[WayneChristie]

a few from today. wandering garter wandered out of the river beside me and some of my competitors

[CardiacCowboy]

Caught this morning in a Storm retention pond. Smallest of 10 landed, someone stoped to talk so he took the picture for me. All on Rapala countdown #6 yellow perch. Varied retrieve with pause twitches at end to entice hits from followers. Hint- shalow water on cold morning held lots of fish.

[Bushleague]

One of many chunky Walleye I've been catching from Lesser Slave, as well as a few nice pike in the 32-38" range, casting spoons and spinners along rocky shorelines. This one inhaled a silver Mepps spinner. For the most part I haven't even been bothering putting my boat in, since we seem to be doing at least as well from shore as most of the boaters I've talked to.

DSCF1520 by , on Flickr

I keep saying cover lots of water, but I'll elaborate on it a bit more, share my formula for lake shore fishing success. When I first walk up to the water I make about a dozen casts in a fan pattern, don't neglect to cast parallel to the shore, because these parallel casts are in very shallow water keep these casts shorter to avoid snagging the bottom. Infact, with the water this high I've done quite well wading out and tossing casts back into the flooded willows. Its amazing how many fish you can catch in less than 18" of water.

Once I've covered the immediate area I start moving down the shoreline, usually with the wind if I can, stopping to throw a few casts quartering in the direction I'm moving. Once again, don't neglect to throw casts parallel to the shore, keep them short. You need to fish ahead before you wade or you will be spooking fish. The last cast I make from anywhere I stop is straight out, and I wade down the shore while I retrieve it, then stop for a few more parallel and quartering casts from my new location... then another long bomb/ move and so on. Any time I catch a fish or get a bite I hold tight and make a few more casts.

Typically, I throw a light lure that can be worked slowly through the shallows, like a #3 Aglia or a light jig, for my initial sweep down the shore. On the return trip I usually switch to a something heavy like a Len Thompson spoon and long bomb it way out. I cover the immediate shallows on my first sweep, I cover some new/deeper water on the return trip, and the most productive transitional water gets covered twice.

Basically my favorite shore fishing scenario is looking down miles of rocky, wade-able shoreline. I know that along the shoreline I can see, there are at least few really nice fish within casting range from shore. If I can cover enough shoreline I will put my hook in front of them... any fish this shallow is here to feed so getting them to bite is usually the easy part... But you do need to go find these fish, they will not likely come to you.

[Bushleague]

A few more pics from "Weekend at Bushleague's". Been catching lots of pike in this type of driftwood jumble/ flooded willows lately.

DSCF1492 by , on Flickr

My 10 year old daughter taught a young visiting nephew how to cast and he caught his first fish from open water in short order.

DSCF1494 by , on Flickr

DSCF1488 by , on Flickr

Free range parenting at its finest

DSCF1496 by , on Flickr

DSCF1506 by , on Flickr