This year has been strange weather wise as well all know, usually we can still ice fish up here into April, but this year, all of our lakes are wide open. Luckily I live close to 7 "pike ponds" and I made the decision to try float fishing for them with my center pin.
I made the short drive to one of my favorite little lakes, which is loaded with hammer handles and a few decent sized gators, I rigged up a heavier gram float with two larger split shots, an 18 inch 40 lbs floro carbon leader, and a 2/0 gammy hook, put on a large shiner and hucked it out. I lit a smoke and looked up for my float, gone!
When I set the hook, it reminded me so much of a small chinook on the end of the line, some head shakes, a long screaming run, and some acrobatics. Unreal on a 13 foot light action rod and a centerpin reel.
I ended up with 4 fish landed, the biggest being around 34" maybe 7-8 lbs, but typically I get a lot of 2-3 pound fish.
If you're bored and die for float fishing like me, find some gators, throw a minnow out there and have a ball! I'm going to be doing it until the season closes in six days.
