While a braided mainline is the perfect pick when fishing near heavy cover, you should use a monofilament line when fishing with live baits on the slip bobber. Fluorocarbon is a great choice when fishing in clear water with high visibility.
A good net will help you land every walleye you hook smoothly and safely, and there’s never the risk of losing a fish right in front of your feet, no matter the size. It’s really one of the most important pieces of fishing gear I can think of!
When fishing for clear water smallmouths, always keep things natural! Use baits that look and move like the bass’ local forage, and stick to deeper, darker water and shallower areas with heavy cover.
While most yellow perch will have an average size of 7 to 12 inches and 3 to 12 ounces, this panfish species can reach a maximum size of about 18 to 20 inches and 4 pounds. A trophy perch is a fish of at least 14 inches and 1.5lb in most waters.
Muddy water bluegill can be found in or near heavy cover and vegetation in shallow and deeper water. They can be caught on both live and artificial baits and react well to colors like white, chartreuse, and black.
Most steelhead in the US spawn sometime between January and April in water temperatures of about 40 to 50ºF. They prefer shallow water of up to 4 feet and build their nests on gravel or cobble beds.