Panfish anglers across the country look forward to the annual spring fling, when schools of hungry sunfish and crappies invade fast-warming shallows to feed.
Simple tactics catch fish, which helps explain why many anglers dangle Aberdeen hooks or tiny jigs tipped with live bait below a small float or casting bubble.
Bobbering can be effective once you locate active fish. But when you want to cover water in search of the next spring slab, there is a better way.
Casting and retrieving a small, soft-plastic tube without a float is a great way to find and catch panfish cruising shallow bays and shorelines, especially when water temperatures top 50 degrees on a sunny spring afternoon.
Cast out, count the tube down to the middle of the water column, and fish it back, popping your rod tip at a 45-degree angle so the bait moves up, down and to the side.