Clear Water Yo-Yoing

EDITOR'S NOTE: I've never caught as many catfish in my life as I did when I fished at Blue Bank Resort on Tennessee's Reelfoot Lake last summer with Yo-Yos. Be sure to check out last week's "John's Journal" to learn even more about yo-yoing for catfish. Practice what you learn, and you'll have even more catfishing success this summer.

A Yo-Yo comes rigged with 20 feet of trotline staging, which may present a problem when you fish in deep, clear lakes or through the ice in the winter. The catfish will see that heavy line.

However, this problem has a simple remedy. Tie clear monofilament to the end of the swivel, pull off as much monofilament as you want to use, and then tie your hook to the monofilament. When fishing in deep, very-clear lakes, you may want to utilize 6 to 12 feet of monofilament on each Yo-Yo. By having the ability to tie additional line onto the end of the Yo-Yo, you can fish almost as deep as you want.

To learn more about Yo-Yos, contact Mechanical Fisher, P.O. Box 1170, Diamond City, AR 72630; (870) 422-7715. For more information on Blue Bank Resort, write Rt. 1, Box 970, Tiptonville, TN 38079; (901) 253-6878.

Tomorrow: Streamfishing