Anyone Here Microfish?

[Oregon Native]

A person could go to a aquarium shop to stay out of the weather too and catch exotic micro's!!

[ArthurLK11]

17 hours ago, bostonsox2904 said:

I'm in central FL, but there is definitely great microfishing down south. I know the Tamiami Trail is a popular "spot". Retention ponds might be limited in species, so look for waters that are interconnected with the bigger system.

Thanks. I've fished Tamiami a bunch, but never for micros. I might have to give that a shot. 

[bostonsox2904]

Sometimes we get tired of wearing our arms out catching snook, tarpon, and redfish down here in Florida ?

 

Here are some from last weekend.

[ArthurLK11]

11 minutes ago, bostonsox2904 said:

Sometimes we get tired of wearing our arms out catching snook, tarpon, and redfish down here in Florida ?

 

Here are some from last weekend.

Nice. What is that first one? Also, a bluespotted has been on my bucketlist for almost a decade lol I'll get it one day. 

[bostonsox2904]

3 hours ago, ArthurLK11 said:

Nice. What is that first one? Also, a bluespotted has been on my bucketlist for almost a decade lol I'll get it one day. 

#1 is golden silverside, and I believe #2 is a dollar sunfish. Bluespotted still on my list too!

[J Francho]

I've gone collecting fish for aquariums, including the pine barrens of New Jersey.  We did not use hook and line, since that has the potential to mortally injure the fish.  Eneacanthus spp. (Pygmy Sunfish) are characters in an aquarium setting.  They remind me a lot of many dwarf Cichlid spp.

[ArthurLK11]

5 hours ago, bostonsox2904 said:

#1 is golden silverside, and I believe #2 is a dollar sunfish. Bluespotted still on my list too!

Upon closer look I believe you're right on the dollar. The tiny size just made me think bluespotted. 

4 hours ago, J Francho said:

I've gone collecting fish for aquariums, including the pine barrens of New Jersey.  We did not use hook and line, since that has the potential to mortally injure the fish.  Eneacanthus spp. (Pygmy Sunfish) are characters in an aquarium setting.  They remind me a lot of many dwarf Cichlid spp.

I'm originally from New Jersey, but a ways away from the Pine Barrens. That place is a gold mine for microfishing and lifelisting though. Between all the pygmy sunfishes and the redfin pickerel, it's worth the trip. 

[NYWayfarer]

Watch “Extreme Philly Fishing” on Youtube. He is a life lister and does all kinds of micro fishing. He has videos exclusively on the pine barrens of NJ. Some of those Sunfish you need a permit to catch.

 

I enjoy microfishing on my local canal and river. Here are some baby Smallmouth and Largemouth I have hooked.

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[Smells like fish]

Let's hear about your equipment? Line size, hook size, bait etc?

[ArthurLK11]

8 hours ago, Smells like fish said:

Let's hear about your equipment? Line size, hook size, bait etc?

I don't have a rod dedicated to it as the ones I would want costs a couple hundred dollars, but I just use my regular ultralight rods with 4 pound flurocarbon. Fluro is denser than mono or braid so even without any weight it sinks to the bottom easier. For hooks I recently really started liking tanago. They're a little hard to find in the US, but there is one website that sells specialty microfishing gear, Tenkarabum. Finally for bait I like redworms. They're smaller and skinnier than nightcrawlers so it's easier to get them onto the small hooks. All of this is the perfect scenario, I've microfished with some larger hooks and nightcrawlers like I did in this video when I don't have the other resources. 

 

[bostonsox2904]

13 hours ago, Smells like fish said:

Let's hear about your equipment? Line size, hook size, bait etc?

 

I just use a 6ft section of bamboo collected outside (longer would be better for extra reach)

tanago hooks or size 26 nymphs and dry flies

when fishing bait it's either dough or tiny worm flecks

main line is 10lb, with a 2lb test leader

 

The most important is the tanago hooks in my opinion, so the hook with actually fit in some of these minnows mouths

[NYWayfarer]

16 hours ago, Smells like fish said:

Let's hear about your equipment? Line size, hook size, bait etc?

Lew's Mach 2 Speed Spin size 100 on a Lew's Mach 2 Speed Stick ML/F

 

4#Kastking monofilament line, size 6 or 8 Eagle Claw Aberdeen hook. Usually a piece of red wiggler worm.

[billmac]

I found the secret to fishing micro-smallmouth: Use gigantic lures.  The larger the lure, the smaller the smallmouth that will attack it.

[Smells like fish]

32 minutes ago, billmac said:

I found the secret to fishing micro-smallmouth: Use gigantic lures.  The larger the lure, the smaller the smallmouth that will attack it.

Someone suggested once that the bass attacking their lure must been trying to mate with it as they were same size ?

[KayakJimW]

On 8/14/2020 at 6:50 PM, ArthurLK11 said:

Basically a mini tank that you can use in the field to take pictures of fish without keeping them out of the water too long. Here's a picture of one. I looked on Amazon and my local pet shop, but haven't really found anything like it. Thought you mightve had one you would recommend. Thanks anyway. 

Another aquarium guy here...  this would work for that but keep in mind acrylic scratches pretty easily so you'll want to protect it when you're hiking.  Wrap some non abrasive cloth around it for example...

 

Lee's specimen container, small  

https://www.amazon.com/Lees-Convalescent-Home-Specimen-Container/dp/B0002APRLA?th=1

[ArthurLK11]

6 minutes ago, KayakJimW said:

Another aquarium guy here...  this would work for that but keep in mind acrylic scratches pretty easily so you'll want to protect it when you're hiking.  Wrap some non abrasive cloth around it for example...

 

Lee's specimen container, small  

https://www.amazon.com/Lees-Convalescent-Home-Specimen-Container/dp/B0002APRLA?th=1

Thank you. Will have to give that a shot. 

[J Francho]

Lee's hanging specimen containers have 1001 uses.  I use to have around 20 of each in my fish room.  Don't drop them on concrete.  The hanger cracks easily.

[ArthurLK11]

Just a couple of the different species I've caught microfishing in the last week. From first to last they are the Salvini cichlid, bluegill sunfish, Mayan cichlid, and jaguar cichlid. 

[georgeyew]

You guys need to step up your game and try to outdo the guys in this video:

https://youtu.be/9-NuAe9460Y

 

[roadwarrior]

Hmm...

I would rather watch paint dry.

 

[ArthurLK11]

11 hours ago, georgeyew said:

You guys need to step up your game and try to outdo the guys in this video:

https://youtu.be/9-NuAe9460Y

 

That's a cool video. Those fish were tiny, but I think I have them beat. Two days ago I caught my smallest fish ever. This tiny little golden topminnow. It came out of a puddle that was about 12 inches in diameter. 

[georgeyew]

1 hour ago, ArthurLK11 said:

That's a cool video. Those fish were tiny, but I think I have them beat. Two days ago I caught my smallest fish ever. This tiny little golden topminnow. It came out of a puddle that was about 12 inches in diameter. 

On a hook?

[ArthurLK11]

4 minutes ago, georgeyew said:

On a hook?

Yes. Small tanago. 

[ArthurLK11]

Caught 5 of these guys yesterday. This was the salvini cichlid with the best colors. 

[mrpao]

That's a beautiful fish. Would look great in an aquarium.