Angler improvised Bondy Bait

[Hamilton Reef]

Angler improvised Bondy Bait for his approach to river muskies

http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/statewide ... xml&coll=1

10/28/06 Bob Gwizdz, (517) 487-8888 ext. 237 bgwizdz@boothnewspapers.com

WINDSOR, Ont. -- It wasn't what we'd hoped to see.

The distinct mud line along the south shore of Lake St. Clair extended into deep water and ran down the Canadian side of the Detroit River. Muskies, our target, are sight feeders, so water clarity is an important factor in the angling equation.

But Jon Bondy, my host for a morning of casting and jigging for the lower Great Lakes' alpha predator, remained hopeful.

"The water temperature's 54," said Bondy, a 33-year-old all-species fishing guide. "Yesterday, it was 48. That tells me it's surface run-off, coming off the land.

"Water is most dense at 39 degrees. So the colder water may be clear down below the mud. We'll find out."

And we did. Within 20 minutes, Bondy was fast into a 41-inch muskie that inhaled the 15-inch bait he'd cast into the shallows.

It was just a sign of things to come. By 11:30 a.m., we'd boated 10 muskies, the smallest of which was a three-footer. And the biggest? An honest 53 inches, well north of 30 pounds.

Bondy, who has received national acclaim for his innovative approach to fishing river muskies, is improvising again. He's taken his Bondy Bait, a unique 7-ounce soft-plastic body bait for deep-water jigging, and turned it into a casting bait, by reducing the internal weight, removing the tailspinner and adding a jumbo 6-inch curly tailed grub. The resulting bait looks like it should attract whales. It's heavy enough that, when cast on a heavy saltwater rod, it feels more like you're swinging a sledge hammer than fishing.

But our first trip up the shoreline netted three muskies -- all caught on what Bondy is calling his "Bondy Bait 2.0."

Then, we let the current begin sweeping us downstream. Bondy added a fourth muskie by jigging in deeper water. And as we started up again, fishing became almost silly.

I hit a nice fish (44 inches). After we netted it, photographed it and released it, Bondy hit a fish on his next cast. After the same drill, I hit an even bigger fish on my next cast. Three on three casts.

It took almost an hour to boat our eighth muskie of the morning, but only because we jumped off three, including a giant that came head-high out of the water and threw the bait back at Bondy, before we brought them to net.

We continued our pattern, casting into the shallows as we headed upstream, jigging in deep water as we fished back down. Bondy added a muskie on the downstream drift and scored the 10th by casting -- the giant 53-inch specimen was as big around as a defensive tackle's thigh.

So we called it a day after four hours on the water.

Sensational.

Bondy, the only Canadian on the Bassmasters Elite tournament trail, said muskie fishing has been outstanding this fall.

Sportsmen had been concerned about the muskie population since spring, when a die-off caused by a viral disease had large fish floating along the length of the river. Bondy was among them.

"In June, my bites were off about 15 percent," he said. "But in fall, my bites are up, so I'm not sure now."

Bondy said he started muskie fishing again -- he guides for walleye in early spring, muskie in June, bass in summer and muskie again in fall -- in late September and the bite has been outstanding. It should continue until it gets just too brutal to fish.

"Last year, my last trip was Nov. 21 and we caught them good, including a 30-pounder," he said. "And, you know, there was nobody else out there."

Bondy, who has built a nice little side business selling his jigging baits, said he isn't sure whether he'll go commercial with the 2.0 model. It's a work in progress he said.

So far, Bondy has taken about an ounce and a half off the jigging model by weighting the internal wire structure with tin instead of lead, but it's still a chore to cast it. Attempts to use some sort of plastic on the wire were unsuccessful -- the bait didn't run right, Bondy said -- so he's going to experiment with zinc. But Bondy said that if he can't make the bait lighter (and still cost effective) for the market, he'll continue to fish with it on his own.

"That jig was so effective I just had to make a casting version," he said.

Obviously, this fishing isn't for everyone. Throwing that big bait on a heavy rod is a workout. But when you see the results, like that 53-incher with teeth like a shark, you see why he does it.

"That fish was at least 38 pounds," said Bondy, who strained like a power lifter when he held the fish to pose for pictures. "People are going to freak when they see that."

For information on Bondy or his baits, check out www.jonbondy.net or call 313 332-9813.