September 2014 I ve often written about stories that involve families. There s something about sharing the great outdoors that develops a bond that cannot be surpassed, ever. If you don t already know, family is what Mack s Lure is founded on; a legacy that never dies and memories that will never fade. There are often times when some experiences are only shared within a family, but when we hear of a great fishing story that pertain to family, I always feel obliged to share it with the masses. Fred and Ryan Roberts fall into this category. Fred called Mack s Lure to stock up on Smile Blades with a gift certificate (but he wasn t the only one) that he received by winning 1 st place out of 92 teams that were entered into Tiber Reservoir Walleye tournament. There are many great fishermen on the Montana Walleye circuit. Fred and Ryan fall into that category, but they aren t professional guides. They just like to fish together. Travelling all over the state of Montana, Fred and Ryan entered the tournament, which was held on 26-27 July, 2014. Fred attributes his win to Smile Blades, which give an extra flash and attraction in the water for virtually any lure in the water. Made of a light weight mylar plastic material, this blade can spin Making Memories By Lance Merz at less than 1/4mph, which adds to its overall versatility. Weather conditions were impeccable; the water was murky in spots and clear in others. Ryan Roberts holding just one of his Walleye, which put he and his dad, Fred into first place of the Tiber Reservoir Walleye Tournament in Montana. The temperature was around 85 degrees. Fred and Ryan were slow trolling with bottom bouncers and a home made lure with a 1.5 Red/Black Tiger Smile Blade. Their combined two day weight of Walleye was 34.72 pounds. Congratulations to them both!! Walleye fishing is a great way to spend time with your family. So take out a family member along with some Mack s Lure Double Whammy Walleye, Slow Death Rig, and Wally Pops to put more fish in your freezer and continue to build those fishing memories. If you have a fishing story such as Fred and Ryan s, please feel free to email me: Lance@MacksLure.com and share those experiences. We would love to possibly pass them along!! Smile Blades When you think you re trolling slow, slow down some more and you will catch fish. Smile Blades provide life-like action even at 1/4 mph. They are easily tuned. Use a wide blade angle for a slow rolling wobble or narrow blade angle for a vigorous shake and spin. When the temperature drops and the fish get sluggish, Smile Blades are the tournament proven lure. Whether rigged Carolina-style as a finesse bait, or on a bottom bouncer as part of a live bait presentation, they ll catch fish under the toughest conditions! Page one
Tips & Techniques With The Sonic BaitFish (SBF) By Captain Pete Rosko Captain Pete Rosko Since there are so many fish species that are caught on the Sonic Baitfish (SBF) in September, this issue will cover just three of my favorite species. Coho (silver) salmon Jig, cast or troll. Jig or cast (depending on water depth), a 1/4, 1/3, 1/2 or 3/4 SBF. To maximize flutter on the fall, fish the lightest SBF to effectively reach your target but still reach the depth you want without too much line angle. Vertical jig from any of the three attachments (nose, back or tail). The fish will tell you which attachment they prefer. Cast by attaching your snap/line to the nose or tail. Troll Attach the SBF to the nose (or tail), never to the top of the back. Trolling a 1/3, or 1/2, oz SBF can be extremely effective for coho salmon during daylight hours with basic equipment. During low-light hours, especially at sun-up, I will cast (spinning tackle works best) a 1/3 oz SBF ahead of my troll path. This permits the SBF to fall until my boat passes beyond it and the line becomes taut. This causes the SBF to stop fluttering on the fall and start swimming towards the surface. This technique enables the SBF to cover about 40-50 feet of water below the surface. This is a simple technique that you can use, and surprise your fellow anglers on your boat, that are going through the extra effort of using downriggers. When sun drives the fish lower, I attach a 000 Deep Six diver, 4-5 feet ahead of the same SBF, to take it down as far as 80 feet (001 & 002 divers take the SBF even deeper). You can also add a Double D Dodger as well for added attraction while trolling. Once I locate the fish, I stop trolling and either cast or vertical jig the SBF according to the marks on my fish finder. Remember to turn your fish ID off as it will misinterpret bait fish for predator fish. Notice the similarity of the SBF compared to actual Herring from the belly of this Salmon!! When used effectively, the SBF can be the best lure in your tackle box! Kokanee As with all my techniques, I try to keep things simple. Vertical jigging for kokanee will soundly out-fish trolling, or any other technique, when done correctly. The ideal sub-surface water temperature for kokanee is 54 degrees. When you combine this with a quality fish finder, and a slow drift, expect a great day of catching kokanee. Don t fish blindly! Locate the kokanee on your fish finder the larger the school, the better the action. Vertical jig a SBF from any of its three attachments and, as previously mentioned, let the kokanee tell you what they prefer. Track the zig zag pattern of your SBF on your fish finder screen and stop the lure at, or just above, the fish mark. I never over-jig; especially for kokanee. Limit your rod lifts to between 6-12 inches. At times, dead-sticking will outproduce active jigging. Look for our new finish, coming soon hot orange!! I I consider this to be a superior finish for kokanee and many other species of fish. My kokanee tackle consists of ten pound braided main line attached to 2-3 feet of ten pound fluorocarbon leader via a double uni-knot. For quick lure changes, and livelier lure action, a duo-lock snap is always connected to the terminal end of my leader. My favorite spinning rods are 5 1/2 to 6 ft light action rods. They are light in weight, sensitive and have good backbone with an ultra fast action tip section. When vertical jigging, rod & lure control lessen as you increase the length of your rod. Walleye, bass & panfish I love casting to these species in calm, shallow water, including streams, rivers, ponds and lakes. This is especially effective early morning, late evening and on cloudy days. A 1/10, or 1/6, oz SBF, with line/snap attached to the nose or tail, can be unforgettably effective. Basically, a cast and straight slow retrieve is all you need. If the fishing is slow, I will often give the SBF two hard jerks after it hits water. This is to mimic the sound of feeding predator fish. Then I revert back to a slow, continuous retrieve. The only time I retrieve fast is when fish are boiling on the surface. The SBF will gurgle as it moves swiftly over the surface very effective (listen for that gurgling sound with the SBF). My tackle for this style of fishing is the same as used for kokanee. Thank you for subscribing to the Mack Attack and I will share more of my tips with you in the October issue. Pete Page two
Finessing River Walleyes with a Smile By Dr. Guy Jensen Fishing the river for walleyes is one of my favorite locations for these elusive culinary delights. The river has many advantages over fishing lakes. Most important is the fact that rivers are less affected by weather fronts than lakes. Secondly and very important to the fisherman, very large walleyes live most of the season in current breaks. If your goal is to fill the freezer with15 inch fillets on a particular day, the river is not your destination. I never keep a walleye over 17 inches for the frying pan. The nineteen inchers and over are the spawning stock, and releasing them will only improve the fishery over the years. The rivers and lakes which make up the system I fish, is one of the healthiest fisheries in the Midwest, definitely the best Wisconsin has to offer. Every fisherman or fisherwoman who enjoys fishing moving water is quite familiar with all the classic presentations such as pulling flies on a three way, live bait presentations on the classic Wolf River Rig, named after the body of water where it got its start, and vertical jigging at a speed which is consistent with the speed of the current at the river bottom, regardless of conditions on the surface. These techniques are very productive, the very reason for their long time existence when fishing rivers for walleyes. The problem is what to do when you are ready to launch your boat at the landing on your favorite river and you realize that Mother Nature has dealt you a hand you were not expecting. The wind is blowing in the opposite direction of the current flow so hard that it is impossible to maintain a vertical presentation even with your bow mount electric trolling motor pointing downstream. Add to that scenario that you launched your boat, motored to your favorite honey hole, and marked some huge fish relating to your jig eating rock pile where 21 to 25 inch walleyes are known to inhabit. This article will focus on a presentation using the patented Mack s Lure Smile Blade to put the odds strictly in your favor for boating some large walleyes; regardless of the conditions on the water surface. Dr. Guy Jensen poses with a nice Walleye and discusses in this article his techniques to consistently catch them. Anyone who fishes for Bass is quite familiar with a very subtle presentation known as drop shoting. The technique which I am going to describe is drop shoting in reverse. The whole premise of drop shoting is to present the bait, live or plastic, in a very subtle but enticing manner. This is accomplished by imparting a very slow movement of the line while the bait does not change its horizontal position significantly. It is a much slower presentation than jigging, and you are basically dangling the bait right in front of their nose. Sooner or later the fish is going to strike because they cannot resist this tasty morsel for which they do not have to expend any energy to feast. The Smile Blade enables you to present your bait in the river with lots of side to side action without moving your boat position. No respectable walleye can pass up such an easy treat. The Smile Blade spins even at speeds less than 1/4 MPH, which is usually faster than the normal current speed during the warmer weather months. The tackle set up is very important for the success of this technique. I personally use a 7 foot 7 inch medium action bait casting rod. It is ideal for any river presentation where you are using either a bottom bouncer or three way swivel with a pencil lead weight on a dropper. Most important is a bait casting reel with a flippin switch. The ability to constantly maintain bottom contact is crucial, which is the beauty of the flippin switch. My line of choice is 12 pound Power Pro which attaches to a 3 way swivel. In rivers where the bottom contour is constantly changing and is very snaggy, I prefer a three way swivel with a dropper of 6 to 10 inches as opposed to a bottom bouncer. The dropper is 10lb. mono which attaches to a 1 to 1.5oz. lead pencil weight. When you are encountering a lot of snags, I will use a little heavier weight which enables you to keep your line at a 45 degree angle to lessen your chances of a snag. I recommend a tough mono like Trilene XL or P- line for the dropper because of the constant contact with rocks which are usually covered with Zebra mussels, which will nick or actually cut your line. The sinker rarely gets snagged; it s mostly the hook on the harness. The pencil sinker is one of the best tips I have learned when fishing 3-ways. Have you ever gone from one spot to another, only to find that during the ride your sinker is so wrapped around your line or rod that you have to cut everything, including your harness, to undo the mess? Carry some rubber bands in your tackle box, secure the pencil Continued on Page 4 Page three
Continued from Page 3 weight around the nearest guide, and you will never have that happen again! Terminal tackle is the secret to your success. Mack s Lure has all the components for making your custom harness. My choice of for this technique is a single hook harness combined with one small Cha Cha float, and a 2mm bead in front of and in back of the float. I like to start with the 1.1 size Smile Blade. I drop down to the 0.8 if I am marking fish, but no bites, and I am fishing early season water temps. In the summer months I will upsize to the 1.5 Smile Blade. I also use a USA Chain Swivel (also provided by Mack s Lure) on the end of the harness to connect to the 3-way. A split ring on a snap swivel attached to the 3-way makes it easy to change your rig. You probably are asking why not just use the Wally Pop or a Double Whammy Walleye? If you look at the picture of the various products on the website (www. MacksLure.com), the obvious difference between a retail and custom harness is the size of the lure. The presentation is a finesse technique. Bold is not gold in this scenario, subtle is the key. You want to attract the fish with a little flash, combined with a subtle action on your leech, minnow, or piece of crawler that entices them to eat. This is quite different from a faster presentation which elicits a reactionary strike. You also want a rig that floats to decrease the number of hang ups. The length of the harness can vary from 3.5 to 5ft in length. The shorter your leader, the shorter your dropper needs to be. I prefer to use 8 lbs. test in order to obtain the best action at slower speeds. The color combinations of the floats, beads, and blades are limited to your imagination. You have to take into consideration water clarity as well as the depth you are fishing. I tie up several combinations. The floating noodles that kids use in the pool make excellent, cheap, and light weight keepers for your harnesses. Mack s Lure offers a vast array of ready made lures as well as components to modify the existing line for those who like to customize their own lures. Presentation may vary slightly, depending on wind, current, and mostly the feeding mode of the fish. I use this presentation pointing my bow downstream and using my electric with Ipilot to overcome the wind blowing up stream, or getting back to my starting point motoring up stream. If I have spotted fish on my locator while slipping downstream without a bite while jigging vertically, I will take the same path upstream. My speed is just enough to be slightly moving against the current. If I am over big fish, I will hover over them using spot lock on the bow mount without any motion of my rod. The current is moving the blade, not the forward motion of the boat. If still no bite, I will then move the rod tip forward about six inches and them let it drop back. Bites can be aggressive, or so subtle that you think you are snagged. Sweep your rod forward to set the hook and watch your 6lb. snag give you a battle! Over time, we all learn why the sport we love is called fishing not catching. The finesse presentation is just another tool in your armamentarium to maybe change a very forgettable day into one that you will always remember. There is no limit, other than your imagination, to apply the Smile Blade in presentations which will enhance your fish catching ability. Sheer frustration of my inability to present live bait in the river because of lousy wind conditions effecting boat control, led me to try and then fine tune this technique. You will catch very large Walleyes with this presentation. Please remember to handle these large fish carefully for a successful release after taking a good photo, especially if you are considering a graphite mount. Good fishing Mack s Lure Wally Pop Crawler Series Pop some big walleye using the Mack s Lure Wally Pop. Page four
Stan s Space Your Kids Are Gonna Love It Part 1 of 2 By Hall-of-Fame Angler Stan Fagerstrom I got a call the other day that meant a great deal to me. The call came from a man who had watched me talk about and demonstrate the closed face spinning reel at an outdoor show nearly 10 years ago. That man s life, as you might expect, had experienced a number of major changes since that show. One of those changes was that now he had a son who hadn t even been born when he first saw me. The little guy had been asking when he d be able to go along when his daddy went fishing. The father had remembered me saying a closed face spinning reel was a great tool for a youngster just learning to fish. He d also watched me demonstrate what I had called the one way for a youngster to learn how to get accuracy with one of these reels. Here s the best reel on the market for getting your little boy or girl into fishing. I want to help my son every way I can, this father told me. I d just love to get him in the boat with me. I m primarily a bass and panfish angler and just about everything I do involves casting. Do you still feel the same way about the closed face spinning reel now as you did then? I told that father I sure as heck did. I assured him I m convinced there is simply no better way to get a young boy or girl into fishing than teaching them how to use a closed face reel. But as I ve stressed at outdoor show exhibitions over a sizeable chunk of the world for the past half century, it s essential to show the kids how to do this properly. I spent the better part of an hour helping that dad remember what he d watched me say about and do with a closed face reel at that outdoor show. The man was sincere and really listened. He got the answers he was looking for. That s why I say his call meant a great deal to me. This father, you see, took my advice and taught his son the technique I d recommended with a closed face. I can say that because I got a second call from the same man a few months after the first one. Stan, he said. You were right on about that closed face. Little Mike (his son) has learned how to handle one. I ve been taking him crappie fishing this fall. We ve been casting tiny jigs. He misses his targets now and then but by golly he gets close enough to get by darn near all the time. You ll never know how much this means to me. Well, my friends, I did have an idea of how he felt. Over the years, I ve had numerous similar calls saying pretty much the same darn thing. I always feel blessed when I can be of help, especially if it involves kids. How can I be so sure I know learning how to use the closed face is the single best way to foster interest in fishing among youngsters? It s because the questions that dad asked me that day on his original call have come my way again and again in the countless hours I ve spent giving casting demonstrations around the country. Think this little gal isn t enjoying making a cast or two with the closed face spinning reel? I gave her an opportunity to do so at an outdoor show in Portland, Oregon many years ago. I wish I had a couple of bucks for the times I ve heard something like this: I want to teach my little boy and girl how to fish. What kind of a reel would you recommend for them to start with? Like I told that father my recommendation is the same today as it was a half a century ago. There is no better reel for a child to get a feel for casting than the closed faced spinning reel and a lightweight rod to go with it. I m talking now about smaller kids, not those who are old enough to use more sophisticated equipment. Kids are pretty much the same all over the world. This little girl whose parents brought her to an outdoor show in Tokyo was just as interested in learning about a closed face reel as was the little gal from Oregon. Look close and you ll see a whole line up of Japanese kids waiting their turns to give the closed face a try. Continued on Page 6 Page five
Continued from Page 5 But just saying that a closedface is best doesn t tell the whole story.not all closed-face reels are the same and there are a couple I especially favor for kids. One is a Zebco Pro Staff 2010.The other is a Daiwa Goldcast Model GC80. I m not sure the Zebco reel I ve named is still being marketed but it shouldn t be too hard to find one because they w ere around for years. The Daiwa Goldcast will cost you more bucks but you ll get what you pay for. The reel is well made and will give you years of service if it s taken care of properly. I mention these reels primarily because they re small enough for a child to handle. Both reels are made in different sizes. The ones I ve listed are the smallest and that s what you ll want for your kids. The reel s small size is important. There are big closed-faced reels out there that I have a hard time trying to grip comfortably myself. For a child with small hands it s next to impossible. The closed face isn t just for kids. As you can see, it s the reel my late friend Herb Williams was using when he nailed this nice walleye on the big Columbia River. I was there to watch him do it. They won t have that problem with the reels I ve named. I teach a technique, and it s the one you should teach your own youngsters, where the line is actually controlled with the forefinger of the left hand. I ll give you the exact details on how to do this in my next column. Cookin Your Catch Firecracker Grilled Alaska Salmon Original recipe makes 8 servings. Ingredients: 8 (4 ounce) fillets salmon 1/2 cup peanut oil 4 tablespoons soy sauce 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 4 tablespoons green onions, chopped 3 teaspoons brown sugar 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon salt Directions: 1. Place salmon filets in a medium, nonporous glass dish. In a separate medium bowl, combine the peanut oil, soy sauce, vinegar, green onions, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, sesame oil and salt. Whisk together well, and pour over the fish. Cover and marinate the fish in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours. 2. Prepare an outdoor grill with coals about 5 inches from the grate, and lightly oil the grate. 3. Grill the fillets 5 inches from coals for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at the thickest part, or until fish just flakes with a fork. Turn over halfway through cooking. Let s Eat!!! Mack s Lure Sonic BaitFish Silver Glow White Glow Chartreuse Glow Pink Silver Blue Fire Tiger Get Yours Today! Available Online www.mackslure.com Page six
Hot Deal!!! Enter promo code GG0914 for a 25% discount on in stock Glo Getter jigs for the month of September 2014. Question of the Month Have a question? We d love to answer it! Contact us at MacksLure@ MacksLure.com if you have a question you would like to see featured! Q: Does a Wedding Ring Spinner need to be trolled or can you cast it from the bank or shore? A: The Wedding Ring Spinner actually originally was, and still is, often used as a casting lure as well as a trolling lure. It was introduced to the angler 45 years ago by Mack s Lure founder Vern McPherson. The lure was initially tested in various Northern Idaho lakes, rivers, and smaller creeks for trout with great success. However there are a few rigging points you need to know to make your Wedding Ring perform its best in various casting applications. Small creeks or streams, and finesse fishing in shallow water: Cut down the 48 leader on the Wedding Ring Spinner to approximately 16-18. Tie the end of the leader onto a swivel using an improved clinch knot. Pinch small split shot onto the leader, the size depending on how deep you want to fish. One piece about 6 up from the Photo of the Month spinner itself, another just under the swivel and a third in between those two. Large rivers or lakes, and fishing either deeper water or further out from the bank: Cut down the 48 leader on the Wedding Ring Spinner to approximately 18-22. Tie the end of the leader onto a snap swivel using an improved clinch knot. Attach the snap end to the mainline coming off of your fishing rod. You can also use a swivel with a duo loc snap, or a 3 way swivel with a duo loc snap. For this application you will need weights instead of split shot. That will allow you to both cast it further and let the lure drop down in the water column more while retrieving. Snap your weight of choice onto the duo lock snap you added. Video of the Month This beautiful catch was taken by Robert Ménard to Chibougamau Baie-James to Québec, 2014 with the help of Mack s Lure Smile Blades. See more pictures by clicking here: Mack s Photo Gallery Angler West TV: Columbia River Mack s Lure Sockeye Fish for sockeye at Wells Dam with Bob Schmidt & Bob Loomis of Mack s Lure and guide, Jerrod Gibbons. Catch limits of sockeye using Mack s Cha Cha Sockey Squidders and learn how to catch your fish. Part of an episode of Angler West TV. Click Here Other videos can be viewed as well, Click Here. If you have video s to share, we d love to see them!! Send your video links to: MacksLure@MacksLure.com. Page seven