Trout Magnet Fishing 101 - Pond/Panfish Edition

[mfbab]

I fished with Trout Magnets for the first time last w/end.
I thought I'd share what I did and see if some of the TM veterans here would care to comment/critique on my method to help me shorten the learning curve, both for myself and other new TM users.

I was fishing a small private pond in south Louisiana, water temp was probably in the upper 60's and dirty water, maybe 2' visibility tops.

General:
- These are VERY snaggy, I lost several in the first 15 minutes!! This was just the 1/64 jighead, no BB shot either.
- I bent the hook in a little and mostly solved this problem, no problems hooking up either with this mod.
- I mashed the barb also, after bending the hook in, the fish were hard to unhook without mashing the barb.

The Bite:
They grab it hard! The one thing that I liked the best was the bite, I wondered before trying what type of bite it would be, if it would be hard to feel, etc...but pretty much every one of them nailed it hard and ran

Fish count:
- 31 bream
- 8 crappie
- 1 bass
- These were all tiny fish, I’m not sure why, but I didn’t catch a single ‘Keeper” sized fish today.
- I fished TM's for maybe 3 hours total

Line / Setup:
- 2 lb. Stren Gold Mono – Hi-Viz
- 4 Lb. Flouro Leader
- I started with the Flouro leader, but I was tied straight to the mono for 95% of the time I was fishing this. I got snagged a lot early and just stopped tying the leader.
- Is this why I wasn’t catching any decent sized fish? I was using HiViz line, but the water was dirty too, maybe 1-2’ visibility at the most.
- 2 lb. Stren Mono casts OK with just the Jig for me, although I did get about 25% more distance when I added the BB for a while, I just quit getting bites with the BB so I took it back off.

Retrieve:
Rod: I was trying to point the rod straight at it and quiver the tip only (not the handle) on the retrieve, I felt like it was jerking the bait too much if I let the rod tip get off to either side or closer to perpendicular to the line. Is this correct?
- I was retrieving and quivering the tip at the same time, pretty much on a straight retrieve all the time, except when I counted it down or let it sink to the bottom at the beginning of the cast. Is this right or should there be some pauses built into the retrieve?
- I was using a 6’ Medium action spinning rod (cheap Shakespeare) and a Pflueger President Ultralight Spinning reel. Casting wasn’t a problem on this rig with the 2 lb. Mono, although I’m sure there is room for improvement with a better rod, etc…

Color:
- Didn’t seem to matter too much, I caught a few more on the darker colors if anything.
- I was using the Panfish assortment (Bison, Morning Dawn, Black/red, Black/Chartreuse, etc..), I never tried the brighter trout colors today.

Retrieve Speed:
- Mostly Varied Between 1 Mississippi – 2 Mississippi count per turn.
- Again, I was fishing without the BB shot, so just the jighead and grub would go around 2’ deep on a 1 MS count per turn, and the 2 MS count would get it down around 4’ probably.
- I would sometimes let it sink to the bottom bewfore starting, sometimes not. I tried to constantly vary the retrieves, but never locked onto one dominant pattern.
- A lot of my bites (at least half) came as a retrieved it closest to the bank / grass edge, the rest were probably b/w 5-15’ off of the bank over shallow flats (bedding areas).
- I was snagging a lot early on the slower retrieve, before I adjusted the hook. It was pretty weedless even on the slow retrieve after bending the hook in though.
- I think I caught about an equal number of fish on both retrieve speeds, I was fishing mostly shallow bedding areas near the bank.
- I tried fan casting off the bank in deeper water adjacent to the bedding areas, looking for better fish, but I didn’t get any bites out there.
- Do most of you fish it with a split shot or without? I asked AlphaHawk via PM and he told me he always uses the BB. I thought I did better without it, but I’ve only got a couple of hours in this, he has thousands J
- Has anyone tried a tandem rig w 2 jigs for weight, instead of a split shot?

Pros:
- Fancasting: I like it better than bait fishing because you can cover more water.
- I obviously like not having to buy and maintain bait as well.

Cons:
- Little fish – This is clearly something I was doing wrong based on others success with these, but I couldn’t get a decent sized bite.


- I'd love to hear some advice on what I was doing right and what I was doing wrong. Any suggestions are welcome!!
What are your setups?
Retrieves?
Hope this thread helps myself and some others to get started right with TM fishing!!

Also, I'd love to see a video of someone doing the quivering retrieve correctly if that exists? I've looked on the TM website but didn't see anything like that.

Thanks,
Rob

[FlipaYak]

Excellent description of what you tried. Here are my notes:

The best way to imagine the twitch is this. If I hand you a spinning rod without a reel, what's the first thing you'll do? Most people will grip the rod, hold it at about a 45 degree angle (tip pointed at 2:00) and shake it to test the tip. That's what I do when I twitch, and I usually do it very vigorously.

While twitching, I'm reeling so slowly that I sometimes stop reeling without realizing I have stopped.

I also have good luck with just a straight, no twitch, do nothing retrieve in a very slow manner.

While twitching or on a do-nothing retrieve, I will also try incorporating pauses, where I stop my retrieve and let the TM glide on a slack line. I have fished very clear water before and watched fish follow the TM; they would not strike until the retrieve was paused.

I will usually try with and without a split-shot. Sometimes, it seems to matter; sometimes it doesn't. Depth, wind, or the fish usually make the split-shot decision for me.

The fish size was probably just a fluke. I have caught fish of all size. Saturday, while fishing below Pickwick Dam, I experienced the opposite. A guy was fishing along the lock wall with worms and cursing out load every cast because all the small bluegill that you can see were stealing his bait. He moved out, and I moved in. I caught a few big bluegill in the same spot on the TM. I could see all the small fish but for whatever reason they wouldn't touch the TM.

On Saturday and Sunday, I caught seven different species of fish on the TM: bluegill, drum, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, white crappie, yellow bass, and skipjack herring.

I like the variety and almost constant action.

[MNfisher]

Sounds like you are doing most things right. As far as fish size, the big ones weren't hungry, or somewhere else. I catch many big fish on the TM.

Like the previous answer, I let the conditions and fish decide about the split shot.


Mike

[Travis C.]

A lot of fish species school to size. If you catching a bunch of 12" bass it's rare to get or expect a 6lber to come in there.

The twitch is an acquired feel. Some have the patience for it others don't. Not really a right or wrong but just a fact. The more you fish it the better your confidence in it and feel will get.

The fish will come....in time.

The only person who ever just opened a pack of bison magnets and started catching 15" crappie was Alphahawk.

[Alphahawk]

As the others have said.....the bigger fish probably were not there. I went to Williamsport this a.m. before the rain and lightning ran me off. Fished a spot I fished on Saturday and Sunday catching good size Gills....today the spot was covered up with nothing but crappie on every cast. So I moved and was catching chunky 5 and 6 inch Gills....so moved again and found 7-8 Gills. Travis and Mike can articulate the nuances of twitching better than me....they both are very good at using the TM. All I know is it works.....for me it works so well I have invested a lot of money in UL gear out of Japan made exclusively for fishing micro plastics...which is what the TM is......and I got to tell you using those rods take fishing to another level. Waiting on mail man now for some super soft mono out of Japan that is 2# test with a diameter of only .100mm. Should be able to cast a TM a mile with that stuff...LOL. Sounds to me like you are doing very well with the TM. Some never can get twitching down...be it with a TM or other jig. I have a nephew that is lost if he can't fish it under a float.....he can't twitch at all. A good write up and continue to let us know how you do. I am sure it will make a good read for someone starting out using Trout Magnets. There is no good video out there of someone twitching...one needs to be made. Sore Lip'Em All!

Regards

[mfbab]

Thanks for all of the replies.
You know, I did try a straight retrieve too, I would vary things pretty much across the board as far as speed and action, but I never got a bite that day on a straight retrieve or on the jig just falling, and I didn't get any bites with the BB shot on it.
I think I caught one bream on just the initial fall, otherwise it was the twitching retrieve (as I did it), at various speeds.

Do you guys tend to look for clearer water than I was in for these, or is water clarity no big deal?

Also, does anyone else bend the hooks in like I did? I really started to get frustrated with the snags at first, I was in fairly shallow water with a lot of wood cover underwater, but it was snagging almost every other cast (esp on slow retrieves) until I bent the hook.

At any rate, I'm liking it so far. I can't wait to get this rig out on some ponds where I know the Bream locations better, and with a little more water clarity.

Thx,
Rob

[mfbab]

Originally Posted by FlipaYak

The best way to imagine the twitch is this. If I hand you a spinning rod without a reel, what's the first thing you'll do? Most people will grip the rod, hold it at about a 45 degree angle (tip pointed at 2:00) and shake it to test the tip. That's what I do when I twitch, and I usually do it very vigorously.

While twitching, I'm reeling so slowly that I sometimes stop reeling without realizing I have stopped.

That is definitely more action than I was imparting. I was trying to be as subtle as possible, without stopping the tip from quivering.

It sounds like there is a wide variety of ways to work these, I'm going to keep on trying different things for sure.

Thanks for the description flip, what you're saying makes perfect sense to me

[Travis C.]

As for water clarity only really trout in my opinion does it really really effect. I can seem to find biting other fish on the magnets unless the water is bad muddy.

Try a lighter shot instead of BB. I have up to BB shot but down to micro as well.

I do not bend the hook out. Actually on most bluegill trips I use a barbless version of the TM jigs. I like it better than the other for ease and so much quicker releasing a fish. I do have barbed ones and a couple other heavier styles with a tad longer shank.

The more you fish them the more you will like them. I would fish them against live bait any day.

[Alphahawk]

Originally Posted by mfbab

Thanks for all of the replies.
You know, I did try a straight retrieve too, I would vary things pretty much across the board as far as speed and action, but I never got a bite that day on a straight retrieve or on the jig just falling, and I didn't get any bites with the BB shot on it.
I think I caught one bream on just the initial fall, otherwise it was the twitching retrieve (as I did it), at various speeds.

Do you guys tend to look for clearer water than I was in for these, or is water clarity no big deal?

Also, does anyone else bend the hooks in like I did? I really started to get frustrated with the snags at first, I was in fairly shallow water with a lot of wood cover underwater, but it was snagging almost every other cast (esp on slow retrieves) until I bent the hook.

At any rate, I'm liking it so far. I can't wait to get this rig out on some ponds where I know the Bream locations better, and with a little more water clarity.

Thx,
Rob

Rob I wouldn't bend the hooks...you could wind up losing fish that way. When my son first stared fishing the TM he would tie one on and lose it on first cast. He got really frustrated with that but soon got the hang of it. It is just part of fishing UL jigs....I lose a bunch of them. The water clarity is as we find it....can't do much about that on a particular body of water. I fish clear and stained water also....some times with visibility down to inches. You can get bites on a straight receive...especially with crappie....but for some reason the fish really like the twitch.

Regards

[mfbab]

Originally Posted by Alphahawk

I have invested a lot of money in UL gear out of Japan made exclusively for fishing micro plastics...which is what the TM is......and I got to tell you using those rods take fishing to another level. Waiting on mail man now for some super soft mono out of Japan that is 2# test with a diameter of only .100mm. Should be able to cast a TM a mile with that stuff...LOL.

There is no good video out there of someone twitching...one needs to be made.

Alpha,
I made a couple of casts with my rig, no BB shot on it. I paced it off at 15 yds/45' on each cast.
I know it would be about 15' further with a BB attached, or 20 yards/60'.
This was in no wind.

What sort of distance are you getting with the japanese rods?

Also, I wonder who we could get to demo a good retrieve on video?? Wish we knew someone like that
j/k, thx for the info!!

Rob

[Travis C.]

There are three basic principals for good TM success regardless of retrieve:

1) The line setup per TM suggestions.

2) Fishing the magnet on or near the bottom.

3) Fish in the area.

You can twitch, shake, flick what ever it takes to imitate a struggling baitfish or swimming/emerging insect.

If you have ever noticed a small minnow, they do not have a "S" motion when swimming like larger baitfish do. Instead they dart or twitch about their body length at intervals in the water. Physically impossible to take off like a bluefin tuna. As for the emerging insects, most other than swimming caddis or some stoneflies are at the mercy of the flow just twitching along. They preceding ones will "swim" but its very similar to a small minnow. The minnows/swimming nymphs use the bottom as shelter/protection from predators while the hopelessly floating nymph will wiggle towards the surface.

Maybe that will give you a mental image of what your trying to do.

[mfbab]

Nice post Travis, that's what I'm thinking of with this too.
Of course, in the dirty water I was in you can't tell much about what your action looks like inthe water, but I was trying to do something like what you described above

It will be fun to play with retrieves going forward, I haven't even tried it under a float yet.
One thing you can't argue with, the thing gets a lot of bites

Thx,
Rob

[Alphahawk]

I've never really checked how far I cast but sounds like you are getting good distance. I use several other jig heads with a TM body and have great success with them.... but will mostly use the TM jig head. I use a 1/16 for targeting shell cracker and bluegill in the rocks. I will sometimes use a 1/24 and 1/48 for crappie and Gills. If Gills are really deep.....say 30 feet.....will use a 3/32 head and sometimes a 6 mm tungsten jig head. When trout fishing I use the TM jig head. But this spring I have had great success in deep water with heavy current using the 3/32 jig head for trout. Up until this year had never tried fishing for trout in heavy current with the TM. It is a very versatile lure.

Regards


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Travis C.]

Originally Posted by mfbab

It will be fun to play with retrieves going forward, I haven't even tried it under a float yet.

Thx,
Rob

That is a really fun way to fish the TM anytime there is a breeze making a chop on the water. It brings back that feeling you had as a kid watching the bobber go down no matter how old you are.

For most species its pretty straight forward. But for trout it is extremely technical. Sounds silly being "technical" fishing a float but I guarantee it is. You will miss a very high percentage of fish by not recognizing a bite. Trout can and do pull it under but more times than not the float may stop drifting or even quiver a brief second instead. I say all that to say this...if you take them trout fishing don't get discouraged if you don't have the same results with a float as you do on bluegill/crappie.

[XxthejuicexX]

Originally Posted by Travis C.

That is a really fun way to fish the TM anytime there is a breeze making a chop on the water. It brings back that feeling you had as a kid watching the bobber go down no matter how old you are.

For most species its pretty straight forward. But for trout it is extremely technical. Sounds silly being "technical" fishing a float but I guarantee it is. You will miss a very high percentage of fish by not recognizing a bite. Trout can and do pull it under but more times than not the float may stop drifting or even quiver a brief second instead. I say all that to say this...if you take them trout fishing don't get discouraged if you don't have the same results with a float as you do on bluegill/crappie.

I noticed this when I went trout fishing with it. I had it under a float and would have to pay attention to any slight changes in how it was floating around. When I crappie fish with the magnet under a float I feel like a 6 year old watching the float go under, I love it.