It seldom fails. At nearly every seminar
someone asks how I know what system (method of fishing)
to use. The answer is quite simple - Conditions, conditions,conditions.
Sometimes it calls for trolling crankbaits, pulling
spinner rigs, vertical jigging or casting plugs. And,
there are the times when stealth is the name of the
game. As a tournament fisherman, we have to perform
no matter what weather or water conditions are thrown
at us.
Over the years I have come to depend on a method I
call slipsnelling. This simple but effective technique
permits presentation of live bait or crankbaits with
the subtlety of a free swimming bait.
This method is productive when you're faced with finicky
fish and works on all species from catfish to northern
pike. It is also effective in shallow water where fish
flee from the sound or sight of your boat. Even anglers
who prefer to wade wiII find slipsnelling a productive
technique.
Though the system was originally designed for river
fishing due to the rivers more-pronounced current, it
can be adapted to most any body of water. Rivers, streams,lakes
and even ponds are affected by currents. In most water's,
this current comes from a flow of water, but can also
be caused by wind.
You can even adapt slip-snelling to those times when
you're fishing on a dead calm lake.
Say you are fishing a river during draw down. Your sonar
is marking fish in the washouts and you have tried trolling
crankbaits or spinner rigs through the holes with no
luck.You may have even tried vertical jigging and casting
tothem. But nothing bites.
Slip-snelling allows you to set up froty or fifty feet
upstream from the washout. You can then let the current
take the bait into the hole.
The system is fairy simple. For equipment, I prefer
to use a medium-action rod and reel spooled with one
of the new supelines. Six- to eight-pound test FireLine
seems towork ideally for this situation.
Thread on a quick-change clevis, a bead, a Dacron bobber
stop and a bare bait hook or a snap for use with a crankbait.
Finally add the weight and bait. When property rigged,
you basically end up with a sliding weight,
Now comes the essential part. Hold the clevis, bead,
weight and bobber stop in one hand and feed out enough
line so the bait reaches the intended target. I often
use the eyes on the rod as a measuring tool.
On most spinning rods, the distance from the reel to
the first eye of the rod measures approximately 2 feet.
For instance, you might set up some 40 or 50 feet upstream
of a washout. Feed out enough line (22 pulls from the
reel to the first eye on the rod) to send out approximately
45 feet of line.
Once the bait is in the targeted area, you can secure
the bobber stop and carefully lower the weight and clevis
to the bottom.
Use just enough weight so the rig settles at no less
than a 45-degree. Anything less and you'II lose sensitivity.
Ideally, the line should hang directly down (90 degrees)
from the boat.
You then let the minnow work its magic. At any time
you can lengthen or shorten the snell to work the entire
area.
To give the minnow the freedom needed, hook him from
under the jaw out the bottom lip, this allows the bait
to swim with a natural motion and stay lively. Slip-snelling
also works with shallow running crankbaits or leeches.
Though you can just anchor your craft and pay out anchor
line as needed, I prefer to use a combination of bow
mounted electricmotor,rear 15 hp, kicker and a AutoPilot
to keep the crafts bow pointed upstream despite the
wind and cross currents.
If you are fishing an area with little to no current,
you have two choices. You can let the bait free-roam
(set the snell length and let that lively minnow go
where he wants) or set your snell, drop your bait and
use your electric trolling motor to position the boat.
By threading everything on the line and using the Dacron
Bobber stop, you can reel right up the fish. This is
a definite advantage when using Dacron bobber stops.
Reeling line through a neoprene or rubber bobber stop
will often create a groove in the stop causing it to
loosen.
Using the slip-snell lets you adjust the length of
leader needed to hit your target and allows the bait
complete movement. This often finds those finicky fish
a bit more receptive.
Next time your faced with tough fishing day, the natural
presentation of a slip-snell may
be the thing that puts meat in the frying pan.
