Download The Joliet Junior College Anglers Club Presents…. Catch

The Joliet Junior College Anglers Club Presents….
Catch More Fish: Bankfishing Strategies and Secrets
• Welcome from the JJCAC
• Bank fishing philosophy
Understand local waters in terms
of the species and number of
fish present
• Finding and attracting
fish
Finding fish holding features
and using chum to increase
your catch rate
• Bank angling methods
“Catching more pan fish” &
“A better way to catch cats”
A monster European Catfish, caught
while bank fishing
Check out more fishing info at:
Bankfisher
.com
Welcome from the JJCAC
What is the JJCAC?
A non-profit student run organization
open to the wider community
JJC sponsored activities
• Seminars – formal and on the bank
• Informal social fish-ins’ at local
venues – families welcome!
• Regular bank fishing events with the
Midwest anglers club
• Service projects, such as the ‘Family
Fish Frenzy’ with the JPD
• Angling research – under water
videography studies
60 lb of carp in 3 hrs!
Everyone catches some fish!
Bank Fishing Philosophy
(are you a barracuda or an angler fish?)
Most fish species have evolved,
over millions of years, to become
either:
• Pursuit predators – such as the
barracuda or
• Ambush predators – such as the
angler fish
The piscatorial arts have also
evolved along analogous lines:
Boat / sport fishing – the pursuit
of specific quarry
Bank angling – ambush style
approach for ‘what’s there’
An antique lithograph illustrating
two very different, but equally
successful, predatory strategies
Comparison of Pursuit and
Ambush Angling styles
•Typically fish from a boat
•Typically fish from the shore
•Goal is to locate and then
angle for target species
•Goal is to attract fish to the
anglers’ fishing area (‘swim’)
•Method relies on mobility and
fish locating technologies
(fish finders etc.)
•Method relies on creating an
attractive bed of feed in the
swim
•Typically species non-specific
•Typically species specific
Understanding Ecosystems – what’s in your
Local Pond, Lake or River?
Key idea: The majority of ecosystems contain a similar mix
of prey, predatory and ‘super vegetarian’ species
Species Type
African Plain
Prey
Gazelle,
Wildebeest
Local Pond
Bluegill,
(most numerous)
Shiner
Predators
Lion, Cheetah Northern Pike,
(less common)
Bass, Walleye
‘Super Veggies’ Elephant,
Carp, Grass
(somewhat numerous) Rhino, Giraffe Carp, Buffalo
Understanding Ecosystems – what’s in your
Local Pond, Lake or River?
Bluegill (prey)– the most numerous
species in most local retention FP
and PD and lakes and ponds. Survive
predation via prolific breeding
Largemouth Bass (predator) – top
of the food chain, by makes up only
~5% of the biomass in most
(unmanaged) local waters
Carp (‘super veggie’) – species that
comprises up to ~90 % of the total
fish biomass in local waters.
Survive predation by growing large
Understanding Ecosystems – what’s in your
Local Pond, Lake or River?
Take home message: Bank anglers, who are less mobile
than boat anglers, can greatly increase their catch rates if
they target ‘what’s there’. These species are typically:
Bluegill - most numerous
fish specie in a typical
water, 24 pound bag in 4
hours (left)
Carp - greatest biomass or
(largest weight of fish) in a
typical water, 94 pound bag in
4 hours (right)
Finding and Attracting Fish
Overview: Bank anglers can increase their catches by:
1. Locating and fishing close to any fish holding feature in
the area they are fishing. On most venues this is typically a
marginal shelf or step. Such features can be located by
carefully ‘pluming’ the depth (DEMO)
Plummets (above)**
Pluming results (left). The rig
is typically set so the bait
comes to rest either on or just
off bottom.
Finding and Attracting Fish
2. By introducing chum (groundbait) into the area being
fished. Groundbait is a feed intended to attract, and then
induce a competitive feeding response, among the fish.
Simple groundbait recipe and mixing instructions (DEMO)
General recipe
Mixing Instructions
4 cups yellow corn meal
2 cups white bread crumb
Vanilla (or other flavored)
water
Handful of bait samples
1. Add the dry ingredients to a shallow,
round bowl ( e.g. Tupperware)
2. Thoroughly mix the dry ingredients
3. Slowly add the liquid while
vigorously mixing.
4. Add just enough liquid so the mix
just holds together when squeezed
5. Push the mix through a coarse sieve
Note: Add more white
crumb for flowing or deep
water
Check out more groundbait recipes at: Bankfisher.com
Bank Fishing Methods and Tactics
Catching more Panfish
Short Range
Loose feed spikes
by hand to initiate
feeding
Jig the bait to
provoke a bite
Short (‘Crappie’)
pole rig to hand
Bank Fishing Methods and Tactics
Catching more Panfish
Medium Range
Introduce loose
feed via catapult at
longer range
Thill style
‘waggler’ float rig
Keep the feed
going in to keep
them interested!
Bank Fishing Methods and Tactics
A better way to catch cats (and carp!)
The finished rig –
just cast and hold
on to the rod!
The Method feeder rig
(DEMO)
“The proof of the
pudding” – a 3V
carp tourney win
using method
feeders
Bank Fishing Methods and Tactics
TOP TIPS:
1. ALWAYS fish your bait or rig over a groundbaited (chummed)
area. This will almost certainly guarantee more fish.
2. Match your hook to the size of bait you are using. Use small
baits (single or double corn, half leaf worm, single wax
worm) in preference to larger ones. “An elephant will eat a
single peanut, but a mouse can’t eat a T-bone steak”.
3. Use a sensitive a float (bobber) as possible – it should have a
narrow tip and body. This will give positive ‘guzzunder’ bites.
Avoid the old red ‘n white bobber at all costs!
4. Use a light a line as you can – the bait will behave more
naturally when falling through the water and attract more
takes.
Questions?
Special thanks and recognition to:
And finally, come up with
a caption for……
Members of the JJCAC
CBA members featured in photographs
‘Oz’ – for underwater clips a PC
understands!
YOU ALL for coming
Please support the JJCAC though the
purchase of plummets, bank sticks, Tshirts, caps, catapults and method
feeders!
Club memberships are also available at
the club table.
I know I left my keys somewhere