Williams ice jig The Williams ice jig was produced in 3 sizes at one time. The larger J70 4-1/4” ¾ oz version was last seen in 1989. On this, the 20’th anniversary of the last production run we have decided to reintroduce this larger ice jig in 4 classic finishes. G Gold Mirror, S Silver mirror, H ½ silver ½ gold mirror and HN ½ silver ½ gold nuwrinkle. The J70 will be available for fall 2010. There will be a few of these new spoons on the market for this winter but they will be hard to find. Ask for them at your local fishing tackle dealer and they may be able to secure a few for you. Fall 2010 will see the official introduction of the J70 The J70 is a big fishing spoon and targets larger predators as well as aggressive fish. At 4-1/2 inches, it is the largest of the Williams ice jigs. That being said a 4-1/2 inch profile is not an over sized bait in the underwater world. Any self respecting Trout, walleye or Whitefish wouldn’t think twice about chasing down an adult Alewife or smelt …which would be between 4 and 6 inches in length. Largest ice tournaments in North America Williams is proud to once again be a sponsor to one of the largest ice tournaments in North America, the CIFC Georgina Fishing series which takes place on Lake Simcoe in Ontario Canada. The series encompasses 4 events over the winter. For more information go to www.georginafishingseries.ca
Hard water season The hard water season is here and with the advent of safe ice forming in many parts of the northern states, anglers are naturally thinking about fishing. With the deep freeze we recently experienced through the upper mid west many lakes are already passable or will be shortly. First ice often coincides with great action. A very effective presentation for panfish such as crappie or perch (as well as for whitefish or trout) is to tip a Williams ice jig or smaller W30 Wabler with a touch of colour. Use an Exude single salmon egg or Mister Twister 2” Teeny. Top that off with a part of or a whole minnow where permitted and you have a presentation that has proven effective for decades. As a matter of fact we were recently contacted by an angler form Minnesota who fishes Lake of the Woods extensively in the winter. He was introduced t the Williams ice jig for Whitefish last winter. He called to tell us how effective it was. As a matter of fact he made a point of trying to out fish the Williams ice jig with a friend last winter. On numerous occasions they fished the ice jig against a number of other proven favourite lures. They caught plenty of fish but hands down nothing beat the Williams ice jig. He called to tell us nothing even came close. Tight lines and be safe on the water. Mooselook and The Northeast Journal This coming season Mooselook and Williams will be featured on the Northeast Journal television show www.NortheastJournal.tv hosted by Harry Vanderweide who also happens to be the editor of the Maine Sportsman magazine www.MaineSportsman.com . The Maine Sportsman has been “the” go to source of outdoor related information for outdoors people, hunters and anglers in Maine and in New England since 1972. Harry has been the editor since day one. He is deeply steeped in the New England outdoors and, as he has mentioned in our correspondence, no stranger to Mooselook and Williams lures having pulled them for years in his pursuit of trout and salmon.. It will be a meeting of two New England traditions.
Fishing the Williams Flasher 1 of 2 The basics This traditional spoon design is a favourite for the eastern North American trout fisheries. Originally popularised for the speckled trout fisheries in New England and Quebec Canada, the technique is also very effective on other species such as; Rainbow trout, Lake trout and Browns. The technique has also spread to other regions where these species are targeted. It is a very basic presentation, effective because of its simplicity. The Flasher is used as an attractor. The design of the spoon, width to length ratio and weight give the spoon a wide side to side wobble at slower speeds which is what this style of spoon is designed for. Attach a swivel on either end of the spoon and 18 to 24 inches of leader with a baited hook or fly behind the spoon. Many anglers will run the leader behind the spoon slightly weaker than the main line. This allows you to tear off just the hook if you do get hooked up and save your spoon. For example an 8lb Maxima mainline and a 6 lb Maxima Fluorocarbon leader combination is a common trout set. Different light conditions and water colorations or clarity will make certain patterns more effective on some days / waters than others. The selection of Williams Flashers includes genuine silvers with a bright white flash, 24 karat gold for a more subdued flash, coppers, blacks and a variety of color accents on each background color. Experiment until you find the most productive color for that particular day or body of water. A slow troll is the most effective presentation. As you are moving along at your preferred trolling speed drop the spoon in the water along side the boat and watch its action. You do not want the Flasher to rotate. If it is, you are moving too fast. The stabilising ridge on the Williams Flasher will allow for a slightly faster troll than other versions of this design. The most effective presentation is a SLOW TROLL. Your fly or baited hook will have a slight pulsing / darting action imparted by the wobble of the spoon. It pays to experiment with different variables like leader lengths, colors and speed. We will expand upon these in our next instalment of “fishing the flasher” Tight lines !!!
Fine tuning your presentation Previously we discussed the basic method of pulling a Williams Flasher for trout. Follows some fine tuning that can turn a slow day into a more productive one. Angling is a science. If you fully understand your species and the waters you are on you will become a more productive angler. Where you caught fish in the spring will not be where you catch them in July and vice versa. The color and speed you used on a windy cloudy day can and likely will be different than what will be most effective on a sunny calm day. Spring will see more fish in the shallower water than mid summer or fall. The F1 will run at a depth of 5 to 8 feet at a slow troll with 100 feet of mono or braid out. The F2 will run slightly deeper. As the season progresses and you want the presentation down a little deeper where the trout are, simply add a little weight in the form of a sinker 24 to 30 inches in front of the spoon or run the set off of leadcore. It pays to experiment with speed as well as depth and color. The Flasher will work at very slow speeds. On days when fish are neutral and not as active a slower presentation can trigger more strikes than a faster one. The larger F2 Flasher has a slightly more accentuated action and also offers a larger surface are to reflect more light. The nuwrinkle finishes in either the F1 or F2 effectively double the surface area of the spoon and therefore offer a brighter flash from different angles. It also pays to experiment with leader lengths behind the spoon. The 18 to 24 inch length referred to previously is the most popular. However longer or shorter leads can also trigger strikes on different days. Much like the salmon anglers on the west coast and the great lakes who experiment with the length of their leaders behind the dodgers they are running, the same principal holds true for fishing the Flasher. A shorter leader will impart more action to your trailing hook which can trigger aggressive fish. A longer leader takes your bait farther away from the spoon and can trigger strikes from skittish fish that are lure shy but have come in to investigate the disturbance and flash created by the Flasher.
The F1 Flasher from Williams was slated to be a new for 2010 product. With production capabilities being ready ahead of schedule, Williams decided to introduce the new series in the spring of 2009. The new spoon hit the market in late May 2009 just in time for the spring trout fishery. This style of spoon is a popular attractor spoon in the North eastern USA and eastern Canada for the speckled trout fishery and other trout as well. The popular method is to use the Flasher as an attractor without hook and run a 12 to 24 inch monofilament or Fluorocarbon leader behind the spoon with a hook and bait (where permitted) or fly. The wide side to side wobble of the Flasher imparts a darting / pulsing action to the trailing bait. Trout are attracted by the displacement of the spoon sensed by their lateral lines as well as to the visual flash of the silver and gold finishes on the Flasher that reflect all available light farther and brighter than standard nickel or chrome and brass finishes commonly found on this style of spoon from other manufacturers. The Williams trademark stabilising ridge helps to keep the Flasher from doing a full rotation. The stabilising ridge was deemed important enough by the patent offices in both Canada and the USA to grant a patent to Williams on the design. One of the few patents ever issued for fishing spoons. Reaction from anglers was impressive. The F1 Flasher measures 2-3/4” and weighs 1/3 oz. A larger F2 version was on the drawing board for the 2011 season as a follow up introduction. Keep in mind the F1 was slated for a 2010 introduction. Response was so positive to the early introduction of the F1 that Williams decided to introduce the F2 larger version at 3-3/8” and ½ oz for the 2010 season. Anglers will be able to find the larger F2 in stores as of the spring of 2010. Williams fishing tackle manufacturer is renowned for their finishes of genuine silver and 24 Karat gold. This wide bodied spoon is not a new design, it is an effective one. Rather it is a classic spoon design produced by a number of manufacturers. Williams simply improved upon a good thing making it better. Better visibility with the precious metal finishes and a more stable wobble with less rotation due to the stabilising ridge.
http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/gallery/fishing/bass/2006/04/50-greatest-lures-all-time?photo=35
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyiMtWTDb54
News on the fishing industries and tournaments. Great Lakes Angler Magazine. www.glangler.com
The Maine Sportsman is Maine's premiere publication on hunting, fishing and outdoors recreation. www.mainesportsman.com
Here is another interesting fly fishing magazine.
Catfished.com Catfish, carp and bass fishing at Clear Lake in Northern California. Lots of information on baits, rigs and tackle plus a friendly fishing forum.
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MAN OVERBOARD: Angler to always put safety first.