My smallest fish ever!

[zippyfx]

Microfishing has been slow this year but fun none the less. I was LMAO when I saw that netman was posting his biggest while I was posting my smallest. What a contrast!

Went out this morning for an hour and I spotted an inky black slithering school of fish. I dragged my micro hooks tipped with a fleck of work through it and brought this guy up. All I had was my flip phone so the pictures suck but this is my juvenile bullhead on a Canadian dime



This one on my finger:



I "landed" a couple more of these guys. I got some log perch and small bluegill



The log perch were biting and I landed a couple. No pictures of the ones today... Here are some of the micros/juveniles from this year.

Log perch:


Gobie:


Common Shiner:


Creek Chub


Fallfish:


Nothing overly interesting just yet but fun catching the small guys.

I need to find better spots with more variety but after a couple cases of poison ivy and rashes I am not found of bush whacking. If anyone k knows of any ponds with gold fish or other interesting small fish I would appreciate it.

[fatluke]

This is kind of cool. We all know "size matters" when we're fishing, but this would be an entirely new challenge in itself.

Can you show the gear and hooks and such that you are using to catch these micros?

Cool report.

[zippyfx]

This is kind of cool. We all know "size matters" when we're fishing, but this would be an entirely new challenge in itself.

Can you show the gear and hooks and such that you are using to catch these micros?

Cool report.

Thanks FL!

I posted about the gear last year here:
http://www.fish-hawk.net/viewtopic.php? ... 86#p388808

Some small hooks and a small rod and your off to the races!

Another older report:
http://www.fish-hawk.net/viewtopic.php? ... 7&p=389459

[Moosebunk]

Luke took the words out of my mouth.

To consistently catch these "micro" fish by "micro fishing" is a rather unique endeavor. And I do agree, a different kind of challenge.

[Lvace]

I look forward to these reports!!! Awesome just awesome! Thank you so much for sharing!

[Out4trout]

Forgot about your micro-fish reports from last year, great stuff!!
The only small fish I have targeted is Lake Herring, for bait. I use Sabiki rigs - got the idea from the Greg Amiel segment on catching Alewifes.

[RJ]

Really cool stuff. Gonna be tough to top that little fella!

RJ

[CBB]

You sure do catch some small ones. Pretty cool thing to do and congrats

[colossalboom]

Hmm...whoda thunk!? Very unique and interesting. Thanks for sharing.

[smitty55]

Forgot about your micro-fish reports from last year, great stuff!!
The only small fish I have targeted is Lake Herring, for bait. I use Sabiki rigs - got the idea from the Greg Amiel segment on catching Alewifes.

Hadn't heard of those rigs before Len. Kinda neat. Fussy to use apparently from what I'm reading, specially with more hooks. Catch on everything lol. I take it you buy 6 hook rigs and cut off two? Find baitfish schools with sonar. I guess you could even drift a school with the right breeze. The baits all seem to be similar style, is that what you find works best?
I've used a similar 2 hook dropper rig with the Bear Paw line-leader connectors before for Pike. They work very well, never had one let go. And totally adjustable. But that's heavier line, sure not like what I would call bait rated at 4lb max. The smallest size is rated down to 1# though. At one time I did have all 3 sizes lol, not sure now, but I might still.

I've spent over a dozen wonderful weeks in Kipawa dragging a gang troll and minnow for Greys. When I first started you could buy and use live minnows on the lake, just make sure to keep your receipt or you were in trouble. Dead bait of any kind from anywhere was still cool. As bait regs changed in Quebec however I began to carry 4lb mono and some #12 mustads. Although our salted emeralds were still the mainstay bait for us, I was able to start catching these almost black chubs off some of the docks. Needless to say, these freshly killed minnows ended up being a godsend as our average size definitely went up, and quantity too on some days. All due to wee hooks and a bit of worm.

Zippy, what size outfits are you using? I would expect that the smaller you go with line and hook the better your results. Have you found this to be the case?

Cheers

[zippyfx]

Zippy, what size outfits are you using? I would expect that the smaller you go with line and hook the better your results. Have you found this to be the case?

Cheers

Yes. When dealing with aggressive fish like creek chubs and such you can get a way with even a #6 or #4 hook. But with more mild mannered and skittish fish you defionately need a small hook.I buy pre-snelled hook as threading a small diameter line is too much of a pain. Tying a uni to uni connections with such light line (8x tippet) is a pain in a breeze.

Generally speaking you can catch a 3 inch fish on reliably on #22 fly if they are aggressive. When your target is smaller you definitely need the Tanago hooks. Here is a picture of the hook I use without the snell:


These hooks are very fine wire.... I broke one one that got snagged on my shorts last week. From the website:

"Midge hooks were designed for small flies, but they were also designed for large fish..... The hooks used to catch these small fish have a very different shape than fly hooks. Although the overall length of the tanago hook is longer than the smallest fly hooks, the point of the hook (which is the only part the fish takes into its mouth) is much shorter."

They are also difficult to bait; trying to get the hook to stay straight while you hook on a very small piece of worm is frustrating (the hook keeps twisting, need to try doing it with small pliers). they often hook onto your skin or under your nails. Never thought I would ever have to make an explicit effort to get a hook though the skin of a worm.

Polarised glasses helps spotting fish through small waves and at a distance (think 6ft). A coloured split shot also helps you keep track of your line location. timing the hook set can be fun as you watch the tiny worm piece go in and out of a tiny mouth.

Here are a couple more that I caught last week. A golden shiner and blacknose shiner.





Aso a very small perch:




i used a Sabiki in the past while salt water fishing. My biggest issues that it effectively becomes a use and discard piece of kit as storing it becomes a real pain. Good thing they are relatively cheap and you can order a whole bunch in different patterns and hook sizes.

[ShawnD]

That's pretty amazing!

[joco]

Been looking at micro fishing for years.

Its trully fun and interesthing and it those educate us,

Its not always about the size,,

The cost of going micro fishing is low. And can be done all over,,lakes river,,pond,,,culvert. Etc.

I see many taking pict in a small clear container,,look like a mini glace aquarium etc,

I got everything to get into this,,,,got micro hooks for years and jigs,,,and russian marmuska jigs.

And it can be a fun way to teach fishing to kids.


Keep up the report, love it. Tks.


Joco