Fish like a Guide does to Stay on Fish

Fish like a Guide does to Stay on Fish

By Todd Reed

Iowa is full of great rivers, lakes, ponds and streams.  Most have plenty of fish to keep a person busy all day long.  Whether you fish for bluegills, bass, muskie or anything in between we have all had our great days, and we have had those days we have forgotten about.  I have done a bit of guiding over the past decade on the water and on the ice, but my profession of being an educator keeps me busy and fishing mostly on the weekends.  However, there are a select few around the state who have made guiding fishing trips a main line of income for them and families. These guides will be on the rivers and lakes up to 200 days a year working and even more out scouting or enjoying some free-time for themselves.  When a person is on the water that much, you start to think like a fish and tend to know their next move. This month we have some insight from several guides around the state of Iowa who let me in on a few of their secrets and advice for the novice anglers around the state.

Before talking about the actual fishing, I asked a few of the guides about the equipment for people starting out in their fishing adventures.  No one knows equipment better than guys that use it as often as these men. I was expecting to hear many name brands and different lengths of rods, but no.  One great piece of advice came from Kevan Paul of Clear Lake. He stated, “The best advice is to buy your product from people that know what they are doing. Buying from fishermen that will set you up with what you need.  Just walking into a big box store and picking up a few things isn’t the best thing to do. Everyone has different needs. Some anglers may fish off a boat while some may fish off the shore, others may own a dock on the lake and want to get started from there.  Purchasing the right rod and reel is important but getting the right line and tackle is just as important. Them using it correctly is by far the most important and that’s the kind of advice you will get in a bait and tackle store, because those guys fish a lot and know exactly what the customer needs, not just what the customer wants to hear.”  Chad Loreth, guide at Iowa Great Lakes Outdoors also suggests to KISS; keep it simple stupid when it comes to starting kids out in the sport of fishing. Chad suggests ultra-light poles and slip-bobbers so the kids can see and fight the fish. With this combo kids will feel every movement as the fish tries to swim away. Keeping with that pattern, Guide Ryan Hale also prefers to use slip-bobbers with clients to help them see the smallest of bites and keep his anglers catching fish all day long (ryanhale.net).  Each of the four guides I spoke with do provide all rods and reels for a relaxing day of fishing. Having the right equipment can make or break a day, so each guide keeps their own equipment ready for customer use.

The next topic struck a chord with the guides, I asked what do you do when the fish just aren’t biting?  Of course the most popular answer was, “That never happens to me!” On the serious side of things we all know this does happen. Here is some sound advice about the tough times of fishing.  Crappie guide in Missouri and at Lake Red Rock, Travis Lepley swears by being mobile. “Just because you can’t find fish or that the fish won’t bite in certain areas doesn’t mean you are done for the day.  Just keep moving and sooner than later you will be getting a few bites.” I think his best advice was the following, “Fishing is more about finding the fish rather than a secret spot or a special bait.” This probably explains his favorite technique of tracking down big crappies in the Midwest; spider trolling.  This does take some special equipment, if you get the chance check him out by finding him on Facebook or giving him a call at 641-840-0153. Kevan Paul from the Clear Lake area says, “I guess it’s going to depend on what we have done already. Most guides have an ACE in the back pocket.

Meaning they have a spot that can catch something.  Now if it’s a matter of just catching fish I have some easy panfish we can catch in the shallows/backwaters. Easy but might not be big in size, would need to do some sorting for a meal of fish. If they want to catch eyes and stick to it, I would try multiple locations and multiple techniques until we find them.” Finding Kevan Paul is easy to do by searching Facebook or Kevan Paul’s Guide Service or contacting Clear Lake Bait and Tackle; 524 Hwy 18 East in Clear Lake, Iowa.  Using high-tech equipment is necessary for guide Chad Loreth, he states, “I like to use my graphing units to key on areas that have weed growth and areas that the weeds may be scattered. By seeing the scattered weeds, I can align the boat using my trolling motor and spot-lock function to keep my clients in the best fishing areas. I would also use this same technique with trolling, finding the higher percentage areas fish will be around that time of year. Moving upwards of ten times a trip to find that one school of fish that will make a lot of memories for clients is what it is all about.” You can find Chad online at www.igloutdoors.com and on Facebook at Iowa Great Lakes Outdoors.

As you can tell, guides who spend this much time on the water can really dial in where the fish are living, moving and gravitating towards on any given day.  A few key things my observations and talking with these 4 proven anglers; 1). Finding the fish is the key anytime of the year, 2). Using basic tackle and presentations will catch you fish year-round, 3). Small fish, big fish, or a lot of fish can make great memories, 4). Moving from location to location to find active feeding fish is necessary. 5). When in doubt, call on a proven angler to help you better learn the finer details of the great sport of fishing.