For as often as I fish, I have never really ice fished. For years I have been wanting to change this and even bought an auger and some ice fishing gear, the problem is, for the past few years Kansas has received little to no ice. So this year I decided to change that and when I went up to Iowa for Christmas this year I was prepared, unfortunately I had no clue what I was doing and just ended up sitting in the middle of Rock Creek State Park on a cold bucket... so when I got a call from my buddy Cody to join him on the ice back up in Iowa I jumped at the opportunity. This time things went a little better, no huge fish but fish nonetheless and that is all I was hoping for. 

Compared to my bucket, this was the Ritz Carleton. 

First fish on ice!

As you can see, these guys were monsters. That hole is 8" across. All fish were caught on micro-jigs tipped with wax worms. 

Best part about ice fishing, you don't have to worry about your beer getting warm. 

Mostly we caught green sunfish, with a few bluegill mixed in. 

Chris preparing himself for a kiss. 

Brandy's turn. 

Ever since I was a child I have loved crankbaits. Even today I cannot walk into a sporting goods store without walking down the aisles of crankbaits and allowing myself to entertain the idea that perhaps I could possibly use just one more in my boxes at home. But for years I will admit that I didn't properly understand the nuances between different crankbaits, what gear to use, or how to use them as effectively as possible. Years of fishing, the advice from others, and hundreds of days on the water employing these baits has taught me a lot about these incredibly effective lures.

In this article I hope to share with you my experience and advice. Each angler will develop their own style and technique, and other anglers will bring differing nuances to each approach. However, this is meant as a primer for the novice angler and will hopefully get you on your way to developing more productive days on the water. 

Color and Rattles

A brief note on which color pattern, size, and whether to use rattles or not. As a general rule, I tend towards larger brighter crankbaits in murkier waters, and smaller more natural lures in clearer water. As for rattles, I tend to use crankbaits with them except in two scenarios: in areas with heavy angling pressure and early/late in the season I tend to find silent baits more productive. 

A classic amongst bass anglers. Deep diving crankbaits are designed with a large round lip protruding from the lure. Often they are designed with an aggressive wobbling action. The key to using them effectively is to choose one which will knock against the bottom or at least tick the top of the cover if fishing in an area with a weed or timber bottom. In my tackle box I label all mine with the depth they dive so I never have any question as to which to choose when I am looking at the depth finder. Generally the bait will not reach maximum depth until it is about 1/3 of the way back to the boat.  So plan accordingly in your casts. When retrieving a deep diving crankbait I often use a steady retrieve and rely on the lure bouncing on the bottom to impart motion, at time though I will employ a stop and go action to the bait. Secondly, a common mistake many anglers use when retrieving a bait is they reel it in too quickly. I like to use a slow retrieve on a reel with a low gear ratio. For a rod I prefer a combination graphite/fiberglass composite rod in a medium heavy action, that is 7'10" long. This type of rod really will allow you to attain maximum distance with your cast. For line on big baits I prefer fluorocarbon or braid 20lb strength or greater. Fluorocarbon and braid will help get your bait deep as both have a higher density than water. Some of my favorite deep diving crankbaits are the Strike King Pro Series and those produced by Norman. In my waters the Strike King 6XD in a bluegill pattern is killer on Largemouth and I have my biggest Crappies on the Norman Deep Tiny N in silver/blue. 

Square bill crankbaits may look like deep divers in all but the shape of the lip, but their application is completely different. The lip of a square bill is obviously square instead of rounded and also much shorter than deep diving crankbaits. The bill design allows the bait to deflect off of thick cover. I pattern square bills a lot during early summer and early fall, when fish are often very active and and in shallow water. Often these baits will only dive 1-3' deep. Throw the bait in timber and use a fast retrieve, with a baitcast reel with a very high gear ratio. This aggressive approach will often incite a strike from nearby fish. Hangups will occur but are rare, the square design works quite well at deflecting the bait off structure. Again for this bait I use fluorocarbon or braid, not for its density properties but for their abrasion resistance. Typically I will use a slightly shorter rod, in the range of 6' 1/2" to allow me to retain greater control when casting around obstructions. Two of my favorites are the Lucky Craft LC 3.5 RT and Bass Pro's The Egg. 

While trolling baits can be cast, generally they are much more effective trolled behind a boat. Particularly popular with Great Lakes Salmon and Walleye anglers. The key to their effectiveness is trolling them at the correct depth. For this I recommend using a line counter on your reel while trolling and consulting the manufacture in order to inquire the trolling depth of a particular lure at a specified distance from the boat. Another great resource for this information is "Precision Trolling" by Mark Romanack. The speed of the boat will also affect the depth and action of the lure. Some great trolling baits are the Salmo Hornet, Reef Runner, and the perennial Luhr Jensen Kwikfish. 

If fish are suspended, there is a good chance I am throwing a lipless crankbait. Particularly during early spring, I throw a lot of lipless crankbaits when targeting Bass, Walleye, Crappie, and White Bass/Wipers. The action is tight and almost all have rattles. Allow them to sink to a desired depth and bring them in with a stop, jerk and go action, the more erratic the better. Lipless crankbaits, as the name implies, have no lip so the depth is determined entirely by the angler, allowing for great flexibility. If I know fish are suspended where I am fishing, I will often count down various depths until I am able to effectively pattern the depth the fish are schooling at. Another great time to fish lipless crankbaits is when fishing water right above a submerged weed bed. Allow the bait to tick the top of the grass, then rip it out, no need to worry about a lip getting clogged with weeds to impede the action. The classic lipless crankbait is of course The Rattletrap but I have also found the Rapala Clack-n-Rap to be effective. In my waters and up north blue/silver seems to be a great color for suspended reservoir fish, whereas bright reds tend to be particularly popular in the southern United States.  

Winter/Early Spring is the time for jerkbaits. Jerkbaits are charcterized by their long slender profiles and often shallow lips. When paused in the water they will suspend. On the retrieve violently jerk the bait, reel in the slack without moving the bait, pause, and repeat. As a general rule of thumb the colder the water is the longer I allow the pauses. For tackle, I prefer monofilament and a spinning reel on a 7' medium graphite rod. Two of my favorites are the Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow and the Lucky Craft Pointer. 

This post if long overdue. I have had some health issues as of late which have delayed any postings. Anyhow, about a month ago I met up with Jeff, a local angler and fellow blogger and journeyed to the Ozarks for some much needed trout fishing on the Niangua River. It was an incredibly pleasant day for January and we found the river completely to ourselves. Trout were caught by both of us and I caught a few other small fish as well. More importantly than anything for me I learned a lot from Jeff, had a great day on the water and look forward to future trips with him. You can check out Jeff's blog here: High Plains Fly Fisher and his own account of the trip here. 

The Niangua is a tributary of the Osage river and has been stocked with both Rainbow and Brown Trout. It is classified as a White Ribbon Trout Stream by the Missouri Department of Conservation, meaning it is a stocked stream but less intensively than a trout park, no tackle restrictions are present. 

Both Jeff and I brought boats to float the river, but I miscalculated and forgot my waders at the house and so was somewhat debilitated by my inability to stop and carefully fish individual holes--lesson learned. 

My first fish, nothing too sexy. A new species for me nonetheless: Common Shiner, Luxilus cornutus.

Don't be too dismayed as I still was able to catch some trout. Though I still have a lot to learn from Jeff when it comes to these Missouri waters. 

Second new species of the trip: Bleeding Shiner, Luxilus zonatus.

This Rainbow did not wish to cooperate with the camera. I will note that Jeff did pick up a Brown on this trip, for the time being they have eluded me on this fishery. Next time Niangua, next time...

Northeast Florida Grand Slam! I may not have wrangled up any monsters, but I caught the three fish I needed for my first grand slam anywhere, and all within 4 hours. The species: Redfish, Speckled Trout, and Southern Flounder. To top it off, I had never caught any of the three species previously. 

I went out with guide Rich Santos in his flats boat to the intercoastal waterway in Jacksonville, Florida. It was my first time fishing a salt water marsh and I have nothing but the best to say about Captain Santos. I will put a link up off to the side under the section guides I recommend. He was incredibly friendly, put me on fish, and has a wealth of knowledge regarding this fishery. Check him out next time you are in the area. 

Overall, I caught more than a dozen Speckled Trout, one Redfish, and one Flounder. I didn't catch the monster Redfish I was hoping for but there is always next time. As for tackle, we used a combination of  fly gear and conventional. Winds were up and it would have made fly fishing difficult at times and given my short amount of time on the water I opted for both approaches depending on the conditions. Caught fish on a Clouser Minnow and a jig rigged with a swimbait. Here are the pictures: 

2 1/2 lb Redfish. Caught off an Oysterbed.

Casting a Clouser to a hole with Speckled Trout.

First Speckled Trout on a Fly. 

The Savage 93R17 BTVS chambered in .17 HMR (Hornady Magnum Rimfire), is one sweet little firearm. I have had this rifle for three years, put hundreds of rounds through it and thought it was about time to do a review. I bought it after selling my Remington 700 .223. I don't wish to speak negatively about the Remington 700, it is a proven and reliable firearm, but for my purposes it just didn't cut it and being a college student I don't have the funds to put the additional money into a gun that would need substantial work. My primary purpose in a rifle is target shooting 100 - 200 yards, and on the Remington I would have had to glass bed the action and have the trigger worked on. I just didn't want to put that kind of time and effort into the gun. In seeking a stock rifle and caliber to meet my needs I found almost exactly what I wanted in the Savage. My requirements in a stock rifle were: bull floating barrel, light and easily adjustable trigger, proven accurate caliber, and bedded bolt action. The only requirement this gun does not meet is the action is not bedded. However, since it fires a rimfire cartridge I find this acceptable for the moment. When I am on my game I can typically shoot 1 MOA from a bipod and 1/2" MOA from sandbags. I am sure if I were shooting from a vice this would improve further, however I find the most enjoyment and challenge in shooting from a bipod. 

A brief note on the caliber. The .17 HMR is a rimfire cartridge developed by Hornady and introduced in 2002: with assistance from Marlin and Remington. Originally thought up by wildcatters, the cartridge is a take off the .22 Magnum. In developing the HMR designers sought a caliber which would extend the range, be impacted less by the wind, and have a flatter trajectory than the .22 Magnum. Maximum effective range for most accomplished shooters will be 250 yards with appropriate glass. Out of rimfire cartridges the .17 HMR is by far the most accurate from a rifle. 

I have really been impressed with Savage Arms over the years, having fired several--they seem dedicated to accuracy, with distinct lines dedicated to Target Shooters. I know that on some forums individuals have badmouthed Savage, however most of this can be attributed to the old Savage Arms. A few years ago they came under ownership and they have really put an emphasis on quality. Two of their biggest innovations have been the option of an Accutrigger (a hairpin light trigger that is easily adjustable), and the Accustock (a bedded action) straight from the factory. 

The specs on the gun itself. Stock it comes with an 21" floating bull barrel, 5 round magazine, accutrigger, 2 lb trigger pull, wood stock, right hand trigger rest, and weights 7.5 lbs. It is an incredibly accurate gun, negligible recoil, and fun to shoot. I have tried 15, 17, and 20 grain bullets in hollow point, FMJ, and polymer tip from the following manufactures: Winchester, CCI, and Hornady. I was very disappointed with CCI's ammo, less so by Winchester, and impressed with Hornady. All feed well but for accuracy I found none come close to the Hornady V-Max 17 grain in a polymer tip. It is all I use anymore. 

I only have a few criticisms of the gun: First it is not glass bedded. For those unfamiliar with what glass bedding adds to the firearm, I will offer a brief explanation. Most actions are bolted to the stock, this puts pressure points on the action which can shift over time and affect accuracy. Glass bedding connects the action to the stock with fiberglass. This eliminates pressure points and greatly reduces the likelihood that the action will shift. As this is a rimfire and therefore is loaded much lighter then centerfire cartridges I am ok with this for the moment: have not noticed a change in accuracy over time, but still may bed it in the future. Secondly, the magazine has a reputation of ejecting all 5 rounds in a jack in the box manner when loading it into the action. This is very frustrating. However, it was also an incredibly easy fix. If your gun does this simply lightly squeeze together the top of the magazine with some needlenose pliers. After I did this I had no more problems. Finally, a critique not of the rifle itself but of cleaning any .17 HMR. It sucks and is a pain in the ass. Because of the small diameter jamming a cleaning rod into the barrel is difficult and without care you can easily bed or break your rod. So far I have gone through three. I am currently exploring various brands and hope to find one less apt to bend or break. A boresnake obviously does not carry this same risk, but I find a cleaning rod does a better job cleaning the rifle. However, again this is not a critique of the rifle as it itself is easy to maintain but with the small diameter of any .17 caliber barrel. One final note on cleaning. After cleaning I have found that it takes 3-5 rounds to break the gun back into its typical accuracy. 

If you are looking for a gun that is very accurate out of the box, reliable, negligible recoil, I would look no further. This gun looks good, shoots more accurately than I can, has relatively cheap ammo, and is a blast on any range. I am very happy with this rifle and am certain to hold onto it as a part of my permanent collection. 

Recently a friend of mine, Travis, just started fishing. I took him to Cabela's and helped him pick out a spinning outfit. He ended up getting a Medium-Light 7' Triumph Series St. Croix rod and a Shimano Sienna reel: all for around $100. Took him out to Clinton Lake a few weeks ago and he landed two very nice fish: hopefully signs of great angling in the future. 

Travis's first fish ever: 1 1/4 lb White Bass on Rattletrap. 

Travis's second fish: a really nice Smallmouth Bass, by far the biggest I have ever seen taken out of Clinton Lake. Good Job Travis!

This is a few weeks late but I went fishing at Lake Shawnee in Topeka hoping to catch some Rainbow Trout on Thanksgiving. It was my third attempt there in two years and I remain skunked on trout there. I must have a curse with that place. I did have a hookup, with what would have been the largest rainbow of my life, he of course broke off within seconds. I primarily used Wooly Buggers but switched to some nymph patterns temporarily but only caught shad. Oh well perhaps next time. I did catch a few Bluegill, Wiper, a Crappie and a Largemouth so I still had a good time and you couldn't beat the weather. Here are the pictures: nothing too sexy. 

I have meant to post this for some time but keep pushing it to the back burner. Anyhow, approximately a year ago I got a Muskie tattoo on my left shoulder. Muskie are one of, if not my favorite fish species. The rarity, demand for pristine water, and cultural reverence surrounding this fish is compelling. Not to mention their personality which seemingly alternates between curiosity as they follow your lure to unrestrained aggression.  I have spent hours fishing for these elusive predators and have only hooked up on a few occasions--each a memory I will carry with me for my lifetime. 

The tattoo was designed by my friend and artist Erin Bratzler and inked by Carrie at Big Daddy Cadillac Tattoo in Lawrence, KS. 

The original design and artwork. 

While I don't have a picture of the tattoo directly as implemented on myself. This picture shows its placement decently well.