Atlantics

Originally Posted by Hookmanski

Awesome report! I've tried for these guys from shore 3 times. Always had follows right to the bank but never hooked up. Guess I'll have to try again!

Hook Atlantics follow a lot. Two things I've done to improve the chances of a strike in those situations. First wear polarized glasses so you have a longer lead time seeing them following. When you see them, slow the retrieve and twitch the lure. Many times that gets them to strike. Same concept almost as causing a reaction strike. If they follow to your feet and still haven't committed, don't reel your lure out of the water. Stop it and let it dangle a foot below the water line. Same thing just twitch it and I've had them hit it when it's not even moving almost like you're jigging it through the ice. I use a 10 to 11 ft G Loomis that allows me to keep the lure a fair distance from the shoreline just for that reason. You'd be amazed how many followers will stop, watch the lure bouncing in the water and actually whack it. Again make sure you're going with at maximum 6 lb fluoro, on lighter days drop down to 4 lb or even 2 lb. It makes all the difference in the world.

When you're fishing from the shore you're typically catching fish chasing herring high in the water column. Different scenario than if your fishing from a kayak or boat and fishing deeper holes of the lake so line test is more of a factor fishing from the shore than it is from a boat.