A few Smallies and a Coyote

[Alphahawk]

Went to Pickwick and caught several Smallies in the 9 inch range. Caught these using a tungsten Wooly Bug jigging it deep in the rocks. A lot of fun on 2# test. Then coming home a big coyote ran out in front of my car. I clipped him on passenger side. He kept going. Since I have had my air dam replaced once I know the cost...about 1400 bucks.....I have 500 dollar deductible. Don't know if the old Versa is worth it with 217,000 miles. May take a look at Nissan Frontier....always more money....LOL.



Regards

[Halli]

Nice little fellers there, You can get a used dam from LKQ/Keystone.

[bfish]

My sister-in-law has Versa, has had a heck of time keeping hubcabs on it.

Curious on the tungsten, are you buying them from ice fishing sites or bare jigs (I assume you can powder paint just like lead).

[Alphahawk]

My sister-in-law has Versa, has had a heck of time keeping hubcabs on it.

Curious on the tungsten, are you buying them from ice fishing sites or bare jigs (I assume you can powder paint just like lead).

My Versa has wheels so don't know about the hub caps. I use both tungsten hair jigs and the bare jig heads also. The naked jig head I use with a Trout Magnet body. But those tungsten hair jigs are some amazing stuff. I am not an expert on tungsten but am getting there. Last year I bought a lot from this company in Oregon that just up and vanished. They had the jigs made for casting and were not necessarily for ice fishing.....they had normal shank hooks. When I couldn't get from them I ordered some from eBay that were 5mm but had a very short shank hook and were really made for ice fishing. Now that I am almost out....down to 4 tungsten ones left.....I have found a very reputable company and have 20 mixed on the way. The stuff is expensive but if you ever fish with it with light gear in deep water you will be amazed. Here is the site https://www.sportsmensdirect.com/store/index.php?cPath=23_73_68_64
These folks have some great stuff. I have some 6mm Boogie Balls coming and some 6mm Heavy Hair Balls coming. Sportsman Direct is out of Michigan and from what I have gathered is a very good outfit. I only use the stuff late fall through winter....just too expensive. If you want some smaller stuff there is Iceman Barry. http://spookyspiders.bravehost.com He makes regular shanked tungsten jigs but his biggest is only 4mm...which is about 1/50 of an ounce....but his Road Kill jigs are really popular. Hope this has helped you out some.


Regards

[bfish]

thanks

[cat-tales]

The guys at Sportsman's Direct are very good. They are right on Lk. St. Clair, and one of them is usually fishing everyday for something. The panfishing on LSC is some of the best.

[Alphahawk]

The guys at Sportsman's Direct are very good. They are right on Lk. St. Clair, and one of them is usually fishing everyday for something. The panfishing on LSC is some of the best.

Bottom line they have great customer service. I order lots of stuff online. You always give a telephone number to call if there is a problem with your order.....have had a few problems with orders over the years with some big name companies, but no one ever called....until yesterday. Sportsman Direct called to tell me they only had 4 items of one color in stock...I had ordered 5 of that color.....and asked would I like to complete the order with another color to complete the order or get a refund for that one jig...or cancel order.....I picked another color but I was really impressed with that. As I said this tungsten stuff is expensive but it can bring a lot of fish to the net in certain conditions.


Regards

[Reel Tune]

Looks like a good time, sorry about the car, but glad you're ok. The Frontiers are nice for a small truck, I just couldn't go that small, I pack too much crap.

[MNfisher]

The guys at Sportsman's Direct are very good. They are right on Lk. St. Clair, and one of them is usually fishing everyday for something. The panfishing on LSC is some of the best.

LSC must be one heck of a lake! I hear its the best Muskie lake, best smallie lake, now panfish too??

[Alphahawk]

Looks like a good time, sorry about the car, but glad you're ok. The Frontiers are nice for a small truck, I just couldn't go that small, I pack too much crap.

Yeah it is not a full size truck....but hey it is one heck of a step up from a Versa....LOL. I assume you have ridden in one...is it reasonably quite....comfortable?


Regards

[TNBronzeback]

i can attest to the phenominal fishing that is LSC. among the other great lakes up there.
Hook up with a 4lb smallie on a 24" rod/4lb test in 18ft of water thru the ice and your in for a rush! LOL.

[Adough]

What are the benefits to tungsten, other than the density? and what size are you using with the TM's?

[cat-tales]

Yep, LSC is quite a place......I've fished it for over 50 years, and it just keeps producing year after year. Especially with all the changes over the years, (zebra mussels, gobies, etc.) , it seems like thru each "environmental curveball" , LSC comes on stronger. Without question, the best Musky fishing on the planet, great walleye numbers, and smallies are everywhere ! The perch, bluegill, and crappie fishing is sort of "overshadowed" by the rest of it, but come Fall & Winter, they take center stage.
Throw in the occasional Sturgeon or 20# Channel Cat, just to keep things interesting.
Like any area, it has it's downside too, namely -20 below zero for days on end in January, 5-6 feet of snow, or a 25-30 knot NE wind can turn the lake into a "herd of white elephants" in a matter of minutes. LOL

[Alphahawk]

What are the benefits to tungsten, other than the density? and what size are you using with the TM's?

I am using 4mm...5mm and soon will be using 6mm. The 4mm will weigh about 1/50. Tungsten will allow you to impart much more action to your jig than lead will. Meaning if I am twitching it will respond much quicker....and yet I can still fish it slow. I can have more weight and yet keep my small profile more so if I had to step up to 1/16 or 1/8 ounce in lead. If you are down deep it really transmits that tick up the line far better than lead. Last year I would put on a 1/8 ounce lead head and cast to same spot but my bite and catch ratio went way down. Put the tungsten back on and it went back up. I don't use it in summer as I don't need to get that deep and so I save it for fall and winter fishing. The stuff makes a hair jig and even soft plastics more lively. Because of the density the feel is 100 times more sensitive than lead. You can really feel the thump when a fish hits it. If you go back and look at some of my posts from last Sept-Oct you will see where I was catching Gills out of 20 to 30 feet of water just like you had found a bed in spring time. The Smallies were killing it also. I had read an article out of In-Fisherman magazine that got me started using it. I was anxious to try it on into December and the winter months but my knee blew out late November and did not fish again until late March this year. Some...a few....say it is hype. All those ice fisherman are not dummies....and they love the stuff. I love fishing with it also and hopefully will have some good reports in the coming months about it catching a lot of fish in the winter.


Regards

[tkwalker]

Yeah it is not a full size truck....but hey it is one heck of a step up from a Versa....LOL. I assume you have ridden in one...is it reasonably quite....comfortable?


Regards

Randy, PM me ... Remember I was a manager at Nissan for 21 years ... <'TK><:)

[Reel Tune]

Yeah it is not a full size truck....but hey it is one heck of a step up from a Versa....LOL. I assume you have ridden in one...is it reasonably quite....comfortable?


Regards


Rode in one for twelve days for more than 6,000 miles. There were three of us, 5 kayaks, and lots of fishing gear. The truck done real well. I just prefer my full sized truck, but from a Versa into a Frontier, and would be a much more comfortable ride.

[Alphahawk]

Thanks for the info.


Regards

[nomad60]

My Versa has wheels so don't know about the hub caps. I use both tungsten hair jigs and the bare jig heads also. The naked jig head I use with a Trout Magnet body. But those tungsten hair jigs are some amazing stuff. I am not an expert on tungsten but am getting there. Last year I bought a lot from this company in Oregon that just up and vanished. They had the jigs made for casting and were not necessarily for ice fishing.....they had normal shank hooks. When I couldn't get from them I ordered some from eBay that were 5mm but had a very short shank hook and were really made for ice fishing. Now that I am almost out....down to 4 tungsten ones left.....I have found a very reputable company and have 20 mixed on the way. The stuff is expensive but if you ever fish with it with light gear in deep water you will be amazed. Here is the site https://www.sportsmensdirect.com/store/index.php?cPath=23_73_68_64
These folks have some great stuff. I have some 6mm Boogie Balls coming and some 6mm Heavy Hair Balls coming. Sportsman Direct is out of Michigan and from what I have gathered is a very good outfit. I only use the stuff late fall through winter....just too expensive. If you want some smaller stuff there is Iceman Barry. http://spookyspiders.bravehost.com He makes regular shanked tungsten jigs but his biggest is only 4mm...which is about 1/50 of an ounce....but his Road Kill jigs are really popular. Hope this has helped you out some.


Regards

Those things are on the pricy side...at the rate I was getting hung up and losing TM's yesterday, I'd end up broke in no time using those.

[Alphahawk]

Those things are on the pricy side...at the rate I was getting hung up and losing TM's yesterday, I'd end up broke in no time using those.

You got that right Nomad. I do lose some....will lose them all in the next 3 months or so.....but I only fish with them in deep water, during late fall through winter. I wish I could use the smaller sizes all through the year but even those are a buck each. Just cant afford to do that. But man I sure love fishing with tungsten.


Regards

[blink]

i just passed 200k in my 2001 frontier.
It has been a great vehicle.
I plan to buy a newer one in the recent future.

[Fishbus]

Blink,

When exactly does/did the "recent future" occur? Ha ha!

Alpha,

I have a 2007 crew cab/long bed and I love it. Aside from one battery cable corrosion issue, it has been problem free for 130K miles so far.

20mpg highway, quiet and comfortable for it's size.

The Frontier is really a mid-size truck. It's bigger than a Ranger or Sonoma.

Billy

[blink]

whenever the wheels fall off i reckon!!

Blink,

When exactly does/did the "recent future" occur? Ha ha!

Alpha,

I have a 2007 crew cab/long bed and I love it. Aside from one battery cable corrosion issue, it has been problem free for 130K miles so far.

20mpg highway, quiet and comfortable for it's size.

The Frontier is really a mid-size truck. It's bigger than a Ranger or Sonoma.

Billy

[BillyJack]

Maybe one of those fellows will be the new world record some day.

[BillyJack]

Yep, LSC is quite a place......I've fished it for over 50 years, and it just keeps producing year after year. Especially with all the changes over the years, (zebra mussels, gobies, etc.) , it seems like thru each "environmental curveball" , LSC comes on stronger. Without question, the best Musky fishing on the planet, great walleye numbers, and smallies are everywhere ! The perch, bluegill, and crappie fishing is sort of "overshadowed" by the rest of it, but come Fall & Winter, they take center stage.
Throw in the occasional Sturgeon or 20# Channel Cat, just to keep things interesting.
Like any area, it has it's downside too, namely -20 below zero for days on end in January, 5-6 feet of snow, or a 25-30 knot NE wind can turn the lake into a "herd of white elephants" in a matter of minutes. LOL

LSC stands for what lake?

[Alphahawk]

Blink,

When exactly does/did the "recent future" occur? Ha ha!

Alpha,

I have a 2007 crew cab/long bed and I love it. Aside from one battery cable corrosion issue, it has been problem free for 130K miles so far.

20mpg highway, quiet and comfortable for it's size.

The Frontier is really a mid-size truck. It's bigger than a Ranger or Sonoma.

Billy

Thanks guys. My Versa has 217,000 put on it since 2008...all fishing. I expect to get another 80,000 and even if I go ahead and get the Frontier it will still take me on those long fishing trips...gas mileage is just too good. Nissan makes a good vehicle and Toyota is the only other company that is left that make mid size trucks. I had an Ford Explorer Sport Trac that I got 317,000 miles out of and sold it and I still see it on the road from time to time....should have kept it.


Regards

[MNfisher]

LSC stands for what lake?

Lake St. Clair, it's a smaller body of water connected to the Great Lakes, and by smaller, I mean compared to the Great Lakes.

[cat-tales]

Yes, Lake St. Clair is considered a "connecting water" , connecting Lake Huron to Lake Erie, by way of St. Clair River and Detroit River. It is 22 miles across, with roughly 70 % being in Canada. The entire NE corner is the Walpole Indian Nation (Canadian Native Americans) , it reminds you of the Everglades........un-inhabited,un-developed, swamps and rivers for miles & miles, and it's off limits without a special permit. Great fish raising habitat.

[Adough]

I am using 4mm...5mm and soon will be using 6mm. The 4mm will weigh about 1/50. Tungsten will allow you to impart much more action to your jig than lead will. Meaning if I am twitching it will respond much quicker....and yet I can still fish it slow. I can have more weight and yet keep my small profile more so if I had to step up to 1/16 or 1/8 ounce in lead. If you are down deep it really transmits that tick up the line far better than lead. Last year I would put on a 1/8 ounce lead head and cast to same spot but my bite and catch ratio went way down. Put the tungsten back on and it went back up. I don't use it in summer as I don't need to get that deep and so I save it for fall and winter fishing. The stuff makes a hair jig and even soft plastics more lively. Because of the density the feel is 100 times more sensitive than lead. You can really feel the thump when a fish hits it. If you go back and look at some of my posts from last Sept-Oct you will see where I was catching Gills out of 20 to 30 feet of water just like you had found a bed in spring time. The Smallies were killing it also. I had read an article out of In-Fisherman magazine that got me started using it. I was anxious to try it on into December and the winter months but my knee blew out late November and did not fish again until late March this year. Some...a few....say it is hype. All those ice fisherman are not dummies....and they love the stuff. I love fishing with it also and hopefully will have some good reports in the coming months about it catching a lot of fish in the winter.


Regards
Thanks for the reply Alpha!