baby alewives

[fishlessman]

any one ever seen small ones swimming, is it smooth like a golden shiner, tight wobble like a rattletrap lure?  i want to try imitating them, the ones a saw last weekend on the boat floor were just over an inch, i dont have any lures that small or that shape. ive tied flies for the fall but they are much bigger. only lure i can think of are those small daredevils and ive only seen the tiny ones in red/white. the alewives were about an inch to 1.125 long

[lowaccord66]

Fished last weekend amoungst an abundance of them in NY.  3" gulp minnow seemed to match that hatch nicely. 

[fishlessman]

Fished last weekend amoungst an abundance of them in NY.  3" gulp minnow seemed to match that hatch nicely. 

when swimming does the alewife have a tight fast wobble or more of a long glide, im not used to fishing in lakes with them. they are about an inch now, come late fall i see them up around 3 inches but never live ones

[MG39]

Because of the size of their eyes & shinny body, a "polar flash clouser minnow", worked on a rod would be just the ticket. I know that when stripers are feeding on the small Juvenile River Herring, either Blueback Herring or Alewifes, that fly works well.

I don't know how it would be straight off a stationary rod?

[Baydog]

Yup, Gulp minnow.......We have millions of them in the lakes down east.

[lowaccord66]

when swimming does the alewife have a tight fast wobble or more of a long glide, im not used to fishing in lakes with them. they are about an inch now, come late fall i see them up around 3 inches but never live ones

They dart pretty quickly I think trying to match the lure to how they swim is splitting hairs but thats just one guys opinion.  If I were surfcasting the fly mentioned would be used as a teaser for sure.

[fishlessman]

i do tie the clousers up during the fall, big ugly ones.  might tie up some little ones tonight, the ones spit out on the deck were much shinier and lighter than the ones ive seen in the fall. i can jig/troll them all day, two windshield wiper jigging boxes in the boat

[Tunker]

i do tie the clousers up during the fall, big ugly ones.  might tie up some little ones tonight, the ones spit out on the deck were much shinier and lighter than the ones ive seen in the fall. i can jig/troll them all day, two windshield wiper jigging boxes in the boat

Try tying a small modified version of the Surf Candy/EZ body Sandeel geared specifically to look like an alewife.  Polar/craft fur, big eyes and UV cure epoxy make it fast to tie and incredibly realistic.  I've had good luck doing this.  Troll it behind a dodger or something similar to give it some bounce.  Very durable fly.

[fishlessman]

made up a clouser design. secret stuff dubbed body to bulk it up, then secret stuff top and bottom for shape, then purple polar bear (the real stuff) on top, and some pink polar bear on bottom. what it looks like on the vise and when the sun hits it, really brightens up in the sun

[khperkins]

made up a clouser design. secret stuff dubbed body to bulk it up, then secret stuff top and bottom for shape, then purple polar bear (the real stuff) on top, and some pink polar bear on bottom. what it looks like on the vise and when the sun hits it, really brightens up in the sun

Nice.

[lowaccord66]

Nice.

x2 very well done. 

[fish wayniac]

Looks pro! I hope it gets you on fish.

[fish wayniac]

[fishlessman]

these are the ones i use in the fall with good luck, they have more color in the fall and its the only time of year blue works for me on the lake

[fishlessman]

not a bad first fish for the fly