Once again, I began my day of fishing over by the Marina. But, today it was completely dead! Didn't even see a fish ... though I was seeing plenty of bait. Not a good sign!
After working the entire area for nearly an hour, MikeyB called me and said he was heading over to join me. We decided to meet on the other side of the lake where there is more natural cover and vegetation. By, the time I packed up my gear and got over there, MikeyB was already fishing and in the process of releasing his first fish - a dink caught on a 2" Calcutta Vibrating Flashfoil swimbait in a Golden Bunker pattern.
I got to fishing, but was still having no luck despite throwing Senkos, Robos, cranks, and even AWMiller's Swamp Thang. I decided to heed the advice I've heard from many pros about what to do when the fishing is tough: slow your presentation WAY down. I wanted something that really lends itself to a super slow retreive. So, I threw on a Yamamoto Skirted Double-tail Grub in Green Pumpkin with Red/Black flake, Malibu-rigged on a Gamakatsu 2/0 EWG hook. On my first cast, BANG!, this little Bass got me off the shnied.
MikeyB added another tiny fish on the swimbait and then decided to pick up my pole that was tied up with a BPS Triple Ripple Grub in Pumpkin/Chartreuse Tail rigged on a brand new Fin-tech Nuckle Ball Jighead in black with yellow eyes. His first cast (with MY rig
) produced this little scrapper.
I moved down the bank a bit to fish an area near the end of the docks. Again, on the first cast with the Double-tailed Grub, I got a hard bump but no follow through. And then, a few seconds later, my line started moving out from the bank. I pointed my rod-tip in that direction, let the line load up and set the hook. WHAM! ... this leaping 1+ pounder made me work to keep him out of the weedline. But, I finally got him ashore and quickly got took this shot before sending him back to grow some more.
After farming one on the hookset with the Grub, I employed one of the deadliest Bass techniques there is: immediately casting right back to that fish with a worm of some kind. I flipped a 4" Kinami Flash in Mad Melon right back to the spot and BOOM! This little one pounder fell for the oldest trick in the book.
MikeyB had to head out at this point, with four fish in two hours to his credit. So, I took back my set-up with the Triple Ripple Grub and worked it in tight to the bank. On my third cast, I worked it back about halfway at a medium pace and nailed this chunky 1.5 pounder after some close calls with the bank's vegetation.
At this point, these were the only baits that I was having any luck with (of course, MikeyB had gotten some dinks with his swimbait).
Things were slowing down, so I went back to the bait that had seemed to be preferred by the finiky fish - the Double-tailed Grub. I was rewarded for that decision with this one pounder.
And then, the fish of the day! This 2+ pounder wasn't sure he wanted to eat my offering. He kept picking it up and dropping it. Everytime he let it go, I gave the bait a little "Doodle Dance" on a very slack line making it vibrate in place. It kept him coming back ... and, finally, enticed him to pick it up and head for deeper waters. That's when I set the hook, BAM!, and proceeded to have the fight of the day. This brute even managed to peel a little line off!
I though that was a good way to end things. So, I packed things up and got ready to head out. But, just as I was about to pick up my bag and gear, there was a big commotion in the water behind me. I quickly tossed the Double-tailed grub in the vicinity of the raucous and immediately got picked up. Once again, I loaded up and set the hook ... POW! To my amazement, this little Crappie (at least that's what it looked like from the shape of the fins ... could be a Green Sunfish, though) managed to get the 2/0 hook well into his mouth!!
I ended the day with eight fish, not including the 3" baby Bass that tried to eat my Kinami and wouldn't let go despite being pulled from the water and dangling there until I pulled him off!
Considering the algae bloom still going on, that wasn't too shabby. Plus, now I've got some good memories to hold me over until my next outing.Caveman
Co-Founder
UFishClub.com
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