Micro Fishing Help..

[MuskieBait]

A2F suggestion is okay for panfish, but some of the micros you wish to target is too small for that kind of rigging. You're talking about fish under 2" size after all. 6lb mono is way too thick and stiff for these tiny fish. Most float, even panfish size ones, are too small for micros. I've tried...doesn't work well for tiny fish. I've also tried fly fishing strike indicator...still a bit too big. See below.

I've caught minnows (creek chubs and common shiners) in January...and a friend of mine traps minnows in the creeks all winter...so the cold weather certainly isn't too cold for them.

Some of the fish you listed (Brook Stickleback, Johnny Dater) reside very close to shore on the bottom. They are also extremely wary of any commotion on the shore. Often times, they will spook just from your approach (vibration from your steps and any shadows or movement). They will disappear before you even get close enough to see them. They will either dart away, or hid among the rubble on the bottom. To target these, you need to present your bait on the bottom. Try to poke around the rocks, presenting your bait as close as you can to the side of the rock. Watch your baited hook carefully and watch for any twitches, movement or you may even see the little fish suck in your bait. It's all about sight fishing when for these guys.

Some of the fish you listed (Fathead Minnow, Blacknose Dace, Longnose Dace, Northern Redbelly Dace, Redside Dace) reside in current and again close to the bottom. Although they are sometimes less wary, they form mixed school with all the other minnows. The difficulty here is trying to present your bait to them before the creek chubs get to your bait. It's extremely difficult and frustrating. All you can do is to weed through all the creek chub and you may catch some of them eventually. Patience and perseverance here is the key. Again, you could improve your chance if you can see and identify specific species and repeatedly cast to them. Try to get your bait to the bottom as quickly as possible since that will decrease the chance that a creek chub can see it and take it.

See if you can get a tanago rod, or even a bamboo stick will be useful for micro fishing. You need to present your bait with precision, and presenting your bait on a tight line to likely areas is the best way to do it precisely. The tight line will also allow you to set the hook immediately, as opposed to picking up slack from a difting float rig. Some of these little fish can suck and spit a bait without ever quivering your float (nevermind pulling it down...remember, they are 2" fish!). A proper rod setup that allows you to present your bait gently, quietly and at a distance also increase your chance of catching them. That's why some tanago rods are over 10' so it allows people to present to fish without wading or walking too close to the fish.

Using a float rig in a creek = too many annoying creek chub that is spoiling your micro hunt.

Also, remember to focus on your target. If you see an area with only creek chub, move on. If you see an area with only trout smolt, move on. Fish the mixed school to improve your chance...better yet, see if you can find a school of your intended target only. Fishing for other larger fish with tanago hooks snelled with 1lb or less of mono could mean a lot of snapped line and lost hooks. Concentrate the tanago hook effort for the truly small fish that requires the tanago. Otherwise, use #24 hooks and larger for the other fish.