bassmanpete
03-16-2005, 06:53 PM
Conditions today were nice, if a bit chilly.
Water: 3ft vis or so, 46 degrees, falling but slowing after a spike earlier in the week. Nice pale green color to the deeper spots. With no sun, hard to get a good read on water as it was too dark for the shades.
Weather: cloudy and chilly. No sun, about 45 degrees when I started though the temp dropped kinda quick as it got dark , and very little wind Two below freezing nights previous, but days were warmer than forecasted until today.
Animal activity: saw a red tailed hawk on the drive, plus 4 buzzards around a road kill. Saw one beaver on the river, and heard an owl for about 5 minutes while on the water too. Saw several banded kingfishers near dusk, and spooked a rabbit taking out.
Fishing turned on after I spotted the beaver and kingfisher. Before that hadn't seen or heard a critter once I got on the river. Thanks to guys like DR, Rockhopper, and Britt talking about banging cranks on fast retrieves in cooler water I decided to try it today. Tied on a Bandit 200 in watermelon red flake after an hour with the tube and LC Pointer DD SJB. The third cast over a shallower slope (4-5 feet deep) below the hole (8-9 feet deep) gave up a 14 incher. A few casts later along a ledge dropoff above the slope area I found a 16 with the same bait.
I stupidly dropped anchor and think I ruined the area. It should have held more than just 2 fish. Paddled back up to another deeper area (5-7 feet) and worked the edges of the depths, casting across and upstream to get the bait down. As it was jjust rising up into view next to the boat a huge fat pig grabbed it and splashed my yak, then took off running. I think she followed it to the boat for a ways, but suddenly she was just there engulfing the bait from underneath. She pulled drag and I knew from the glance I got on the strike it was a big fish. Had to fight the net loose using another rod butt to dislodge it, but managed to slip the net under the fish and had to struggle to lift it up. Thought I had a C class for sure, but the mark on my rod measured out around 19.5 when I got home and used the tape measure. A solid 19. I ain't complaining. Very fat healthy fish.
That was the last fish, though she made me keep trying for another 30 minutes until I couldnt see where the crankbait was landing. All three fish today came from a winter area, but not in the spots they would be in even last month. All bit on cranks, as I missed two others, and each spot gave up the strike within 10 casts, so I guess they are responding to the longer days. All three hit as the bait was contacting bottom consistently. I would reel fast to get it down and as soon as I felt the bait start bouncing on bottom would slow the retrieve down. If it stopped banging I sped back up. Fish wanted it knocking on the bottom. First time I have tried this technique with cranks. Usually I get nervous if my crank is ticking structure, but after reading posts on here decided to bang it hard. All three fish came after bumping into significantly large objects.
It was good to get the March smallie out of the way. Now the problem is I have to be at school for parent conferences until 8 tomorrow and I want to go fishing instead. Pictures of another lap full of smallie will be up tomorrow.
Water: 3ft vis or so, 46 degrees, falling but slowing after a spike earlier in the week. Nice pale green color to the deeper spots. With no sun, hard to get a good read on water as it was too dark for the shades.
Weather: cloudy and chilly. No sun, about 45 degrees when I started though the temp dropped kinda quick as it got dark , and very little wind Two below freezing nights previous, but days were warmer than forecasted until today.
Animal activity: saw a red tailed hawk on the drive, plus 4 buzzards around a road kill. Saw one beaver on the river, and heard an owl for about 5 minutes while on the water too. Saw several banded kingfishers near dusk, and spooked a rabbit taking out.
Fishing turned on after I spotted the beaver and kingfisher. Before that hadn't seen or heard a critter once I got on the river. Thanks to guys like DR, Rockhopper, and Britt talking about banging cranks on fast retrieves in cooler water I decided to try it today. Tied on a Bandit 200 in watermelon red flake after an hour with the tube and LC Pointer DD SJB. The third cast over a shallower slope (4-5 feet deep) below the hole (8-9 feet deep) gave up a 14 incher. A few casts later along a ledge dropoff above the slope area I found a 16 with the same bait.
I stupidly dropped anchor and think I ruined the area. It should have held more than just 2 fish. Paddled back up to another deeper area (5-7 feet) and worked the edges of the depths, casting across and upstream to get the bait down. As it was jjust rising up into view next to the boat a huge fat pig grabbed it and splashed my yak, then took off running. I think she followed it to the boat for a ways, but suddenly she was just there engulfing the bait from underneath. She pulled drag and I knew from the glance I got on the strike it was a big fish. Had to fight the net loose using another rod butt to dislodge it, but managed to slip the net under the fish and had to struggle to lift it up. Thought I had a C class for sure, but the mark on my rod measured out around 19.5 when I got home and used the tape measure. A solid 19. I ain't complaining. Very fat healthy fish.
That was the last fish, though she made me keep trying for another 30 minutes until I couldnt see where the crankbait was landing. All three fish today came from a winter area, but not in the spots they would be in even last month. All bit on cranks, as I missed two others, and each spot gave up the strike within 10 casts, so I guess they are responding to the longer days. All three hit as the bait was contacting bottom consistently. I would reel fast to get it down and as soon as I felt the bait start bouncing on bottom would slow the retrieve down. If it stopped banging I sped back up. Fish wanted it knocking on the bottom. First time I have tried this technique with cranks. Usually I get nervous if my crank is ticking structure, but after reading posts on here decided to bang it hard. All three fish came after bumping into significantly large objects.
It was good to get the March smallie out of the way. Now the problem is I have to be at school for parent conferences until 8 tomorrow and I want to go fishing instead. Pictures of another lap full of smallie will be up tomorrow.