Finding new ways to catch fish is a subject that consumes an angler’s thoughts night and day. What haven’t the fish seen yet? Would they eat that? What if I tried this?

Often, these thoughts result in failed attempts on the water, but every now and then something magical happens. It all comes together. It works. This is what happened to PWS Angler Max Wilson during Event 3 on Lake Mille Lacs when he showed fishing fans a live demonstration of the Slip Bobber/Power Corking technique with a new twist.

We know what you are thinking, slip bobber fishing is not new…and you are right, it is not. Slip bobber fishing is a basic and well-known way to catch a fish. However, the way Max Wilson was fishing with his slip bobber was quite different from what many have seen as he used traditional tactics with new fishing technology.

Max was using an artificial leech made by the company Slimers. The Slimers’ leech is an artificial leech that looks, feels, and moves like a real leech. These leeches come in 3”, 4”, and 6” sizes. Slimers look and feel like the real thing, and they do not require the maintenance and care that live bait does. Since the H2H PWS events are “no live bait”, the Slimers were a perfect choice for Max Wilson. Links to some of these products can be found at the bottom of the post.

For those of you that watched the event, you also noticed that the Slimers alone were not the reason for success. Max Wilson also had electronics to really be efficient on the water. Max Wilson used the Garmin Panoptix Livescope System to locate suspended fish. With the Panoptix system, Max could identify exactly where his fish were suspending in the water column, set his slip bobber to the exact depth, and watch his bait hit its mark.  The Slimers slip bobber rig with a Panoptix system was a deadly combo and was perfect for the fish Max found where he was able to pinpoint their location and watch the fish react and ultimately eat his bait.

Finally, the rod. One of the other major components on the setup we saw Wilson using was his JT Customs rod. The exact model he was using was a JT Custom Rods Black Reign Series 7’3” M action rod. This rod gave max the perfect combination of hook setting power and fish fighting ability to increase his success rate.

So how many fish did Max catch in the Lake Mille Lacs Event? View the results HERE.

Links below to the gear Max Wilson was using during the event.

Max’s Gear

• Slimers Leeches
• JT Custom Rods Black Reign Series 7’3” M
• Garmin Panoptix LiveScope System
• Garmin Head Unit (not exact model Wilson used, but compatible with the Garmin Panoptix LiveScope System)

Alternative Options

• Berkley Gulp Leeches
• Mag’s Custom Rods