Deep water indicator technique (mine)

[Tom Butler]

I have a new plan for deep water indicator fishing this year:

View attachment 61588

I tried it. Except for a short cast, it tended to loose energy and collapse in a pile. My little bead flies didn't pull the UG leader down. When I used big enough tippet not to collapse, the flies would not sink far enough, always stopped at some point.
Good luck with your trial, I'd like to know if you get something that works consistently.

 

[Buzzy]

I didn’t want to hijack another thread… so here goes.


I was asked (not the first time, and not tooting my own horn) about what my deep-water indicator set up was, and I will share what I do and how I do it. There has been some other posts that cover similar methods.

So, first I tie my own leaders, and I don’t use “tippet” I use leader. For all stillwater indicator fishing I use fluorocarbon, because it sinks and is virtually invisible. For stillwater dry fly or surface fishing I use monofilament. The reason I tie my own leaders is that I have cut and burned my hand to many times and hate that “papercut” feeling. By tying my own I can use a long piece of heavier leader in the top long section and then taper down. This also allows me to have knot/split shot in the bottom section just above the top fly to stop the peg. The knots also allow me a way to not have to “hemostat” measure after each fish (measure once with hemostats, then measure from the closest knot or end of fly line). I also, depending on how catching is going, use my fish finder to measure depths and use the yardstick on my boat to measure the length of my indicator (on my Garmin I have set the “Offset” to 1 foot because that is how deep my transducer is under the surface)

I use what we call the “rodeo cast” as it can produce a wild rodeo mess (macrame class) if the wind comes up. I start by pulling up on my line and start making a figure 8 over my head, with arm fully extended overhead, and continue to do this (slowly letting fly line out while swinging) until the flies break the surface, then I continue the figure 8, until I am ready to let it all go in the direction I intend to fish (generally wind at my back) and then swing my rod tip forward and down, letting it all go. The deepest I have used this cast is about 35 feet under the indicator. I understand and have delt with the frustration of missing fish with 35 feet down and say 15/20 feet from the rod tip, part of the game of catching. If I get to frustrated then I don’t cast out further than the rod tip +/-.

I will say, I peg in from the bottom, the peg is inserted on the fly side of the indicator. My logic is that when a fish pulls/grab and run, it could pop the indicator. When the fish pulls and I set (swing/yank) my rod up it provides pulling in both direction on the leader/peg, popping it loose most of the times.

I have gone to using my own quick release indicators for most indicator fishing, this allows me to quickly adjust the depth I want to target fish. I will still use an indicator that just uses a “toothpick” as the peg when I have a rod set up for only a specific depth (I know I am only going to fish a 9 foot leader, and my indicator is going to be all day at 7 feet).

My leader lengths and configuration. And my indicator/pegging.

View attachment 61419
View attachment 61418

Again, this is just my configuration and why…

And while you were reading this your indicator went down multiple times!

Tight Lines

Shawn -
Thanks for the indicators. Fished "pink" yesterday and oriented the peg as you've shown. My leader was a mere 22' long, I only had two tangles - one of those was when a trout jumped right beside my float tube and came unbuttoned. An observation on Seeger Indicators: The sleeve Shawn epoxies into the indicator does NOT wear out - that's just one benefit, the other benefit and even more advantageous is with only a few tries, I was able to peg the indicator so a 14" trout would unpeg on the fight but almost never lose the peg connection on a cast. I struggle with this at times. No more doctoring my indicators with UV cure. Thanks so much, Shawn!!

 

[ifsteve]

My opinion has been that at some depth indicator fishing isn't effective as there is too much slack to pick up on the strike and the fish will feel the fly before you get tight. Now of course if they are taking and running they will often hook themselves but to me once they get over 20ft deep I just don't find that very effective fishing. Maybe I am missing the boat here.....lol....

 

[Buzzy]

TTT, @Shawn Seeger !

I got home yesterday afternoon after eleven days up in BC's Thompson-Nicola area. Sadly, several of my favorite lakes suffered total winter kills, add to that very warm weather (not a drop of rain in 11 days?), fishing was at times tough - until it wasn't. At any rate, I spent the majority of my fishing time fishing two rods from my pram; at times both were indicator rods but more often I fished one indicator rod and the other either a full sink, intermediate or a floater "naked".

For my indicator rods, I fished exclusively with the same two indicators, this is one of them:


You can't see the sleeve that Shawn epoxied into the drilled out "corkie" but it's there. These Seeger Bobbers (Seegercators) are indestructible but even better, it's pretty easy to get the peg pressure dialed in so the peg releases when playing a fish and also so the peg/bobber doesn't separate when casting.

Shawn - Last Saturday I was fishing a nice shoal on Leighton Lake, I'd anchored my pram in about 19' to 20' of water, set the peg in my Seegercator at about 17' when magic happened. It was two hours of one rod fishing with a whole lot of catching, a whole lot of Seegercators down. I lost track of fish to the net (25+?) with many fish lost or missed on the take. The Seegercator functioned perfectly, I didn't have to stop and replace the indicator after a dozen or so pegs. What a gas! Thanks again for the Seegercators!

(I have @Engee to thank for suggesting the "Zucchini Midge" (which I suppose is a "black n red" in many boxes).



Size 13 Zucchini Midge (I like to use a split shot about 18" from the fly to get the riggin' deep quickly when Seegercator fishing).

 

[skyriver]

TTT, @Shawn Seeger !

I got home yesterday afternoon after eleven days up in BC's Thompson-Nicola area. Sadly, several of my favorite lakes suffered total winter kills, add to that very warm weather (not a drop of rain in 11 days?), fishing was at times tough - until it wasn't. At any rate, I spent the majority of my fishing time fishing two rods from my pram; at times both were indicator rods but more often I fished one indicator rod and the other either a full sink, intermediate or a floater "naked".

For my indicator rods, I fished exclusively with the same two indicators, this is one of them:

View attachment 68177
You can't see the sleeve that Shawn epoxied into the drilled out "corkie" but it's there. These Seeger Bobbers (Seegercators) are indestructible but even better, it's pretty easy to get the peg pressure dialed in so the peg releases when playing a fish and also so the peg/bobber doesn't separate when casting.

Shawn - Last Saturday I was fishing a nice shoal on Leighton Lake, I'd anchored my pram in about 19' to 20' of water, set the peg in my Seegercator at about 17' when magic happened. It was two hours of one rod fishing with a whole lot of catching, a whole lot of Seegercators down. I lost track of fish to the net (25+?) with many fish lost or missed on the take. The Seegercator functioned perfectly, I didn't have to stop and replace the indicator after a dozen or so pegs. What a gas! Thanks again for the Seegercators!

(I have @Engee to thank for suggesting the "Zuchinni Midge" (which I suppose is a "black n red" in many boxes).

View attachment 68178

Size 13 Zuchinni Midge (I like to use a split shot about 18" from the fly to get the riggin' deep quickly when Seegercator fishing).

But did you peg it from the bottom?

Sounds like a fun trip!

 

[Buzzy]

But did you peg it from the bottom?

Sounds like a fun trip!

I absolutely did peg it from the bottom, it's a Seegercator not an Iracator.

 

[Irafly]

I absolutely did peg it from the bottom, it's a Seegercator not an Iracator.

Bottom might be better on round indicators.

 

[Shawn Seeger]

Bottom might be better on round indicators.

Gotta love round bottoms... hahaha

 

[Billy]

Gotta love round bottoms... hahaha

 

[Flybox1]

I make a bunch of florocarbon leaders before every season. Two dozen in sizes 20' up to 30' gets me through the season.
Equal sections of 12/10/8lb Berkeley Vanish. Perfection loop, and hang marker (bobber stop) included.
Grab-n-go. All the "business-end" stuff gets added on the water.

 

[Ronbow]

Gad this is inspiring stuff.

Just when you think you have it figured out a new modification, new leader, new indicator, (Ira or Shawn included) new flies, new lake, new rod, new line, new reel and new shoulder are all announced. Last one a personal favorite. Not.

So Shawn, I really worked on this, honed my meager skills, thought of all Ira has taught us, Troutpocket suggestions, Buzzy experience, added just a touch of Lou and applied it all on my fishing quest in Norway. SUCCCESS!!

 

[Buzzy]

Gad this is inspiring stuff.

Just when you think you have it figured out a new modification, new leader, new indicator, (Ira or Shawn included) new flies, new lake, new rod, new line, new reel and new shoulder are all announced. Last one a personal favorite. Not.

So Shawn, I really worked on this, honed my meager skills, thought of all Ira has taught us, Troutpocket suggestions, Buzzy experience, added just a touch of Lou and applied it all on my fishing quest in Norway. SUCCCESS!!



View attachment 70482

When will the Lutefisk be ready? ;-)

 

[Wetswinger]

When will the Lutefisk be ready? ;-)

I'd like to order some Kipper Snacks.!