Tenmile Lake and Reports
Sunday, January 11th, 2009
-
Water Temp: 45.3-46.9
Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)
Report: Took the kayak out to Cottage Grove Lake for about a couple hours of paddling and fishing. Saw several spots with a fairly good concentration of fish but couldn't coax any into biting the 3 or 4 lures I had to offer. Most of the main body was about 45.3 to 45.9 degrees but as I paddled across the earth dam and all the floating wood and debris the temps went up. That's where I'll start next trip instead of paddling all over the lake. It was fun to sightsee a bit though. Can't wait for March 8th and daylight savings time to kick in so I can start to fish the early mornings again. Sure hope we get some darn rain between now and then.
City: yoncalla,orTips: Used a 4" Aaron's Magic worm on a shaky head, a brownish colored jig and beaver, a baby brush hog texas rigged and a jerkbait. Sent 3 Curado reels to a place called ReelEx in California to have them serviced- can't wait to go try them out. Probably take the daughter out to the pond for some practice casting. She says she wants to go catch some bass as soon as it gets warmer! Me too!
Tuesday, November 18th, 2008
-
Water Temp: 55 to 58.5
Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)
Report: Had a blast at Cottage Grove for about 2 hours this fine day. Didn't catch any bass but loved being out there. There was 1 bass boat, one inflatable type boat over by the dam, my kayak and 3 or 4 shore fisherman. About the time I got there all but one of the shore guys left. The lone (Diehard!) shore guy was still there when I left. I hit a couple spots that showed fish on the meter that were near bait or a dropoff or both! No luck. I spent 20 minutes getting over to Shortridge. Fished the whole area pretty well with a jig and a Lucky Craft jerkbait. Again, no bites. Didn't bother changing up the lures but will try at least 2 new ones tomorrow morning if it's not pouring rain!
City: yoncalla, oregonTips: A dude on a bicycle said the bass boat dudes got a few but had to work hard for them. I seem to have better luck in the mornings- even this late in the year! Sounds like they probably had to deadstick a senko or dropshot the fish they got. Either way......lots of work for the size you usually get with those methods. I'd rather go reaction bait and try for a toad- especially this time of year. No matter what I'll keep trying. Stay warm and dry. See ya at the lake!
-
Water Temp: Still low 50's?
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Finally get to take the kayak out for an afternoon trip. The wind shouldn't be too bad either. I'll explore the Shortridge area some more but also have 2 or 3 other spots I'd like to give a go. At least I shouldn't have to worry about the goose hunters in the middle of the day(I think!).
City: yoncalla, oregonTips: Gonna try a spook, a drop shot rig and my favorite lure to start but if they don't work I'm switching to 3 totally different lures at the end of the first hour. Maybe a swimbait, a deep crankbait and a spoon! I'll post again soon. See ya out there.
Sunday, November 9th, 2008
-
Water Temp: low 50's?
Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)
Report: Went to Cottage Grove yesterday morning and this morning. Got one small bite on a jig but had some fun with a swimbait. I was tossing it way out and about 1/2 way back I felt a series of rhythmic bumps and I knew it wasn't the bottom. By the time I figured out it was a 4-5 pound follower the fish had almost run itself aground. I saw a dorsal fin and a big old splash and then saw a big silt cloud. I'm not sure if I should have sped up or killed it. If I'd realized what the first couple of bumps were I could have done either. I was laughing out loud afterwards. I've had lots of followers before but not where they were nipping the tail. Today I spent about 45 minutes out walking around what would be the middle of the lake in summertime. I got a ton of great photos of most of the creek channel area I love to fish during spring and summer. I need to make some notes on 4 or 5 potential new areas to add to my milk run. And then I need to hit 'em hard in early spring and see if they actually produce. I even got some cool photos of a stump at the waters edge that had at least 500 4" or bigger polywogs huddled up next to it- my 5 yr. old girl loved that shot! And I didn't catch any bass either yesterday or today.
City: yoncalla, oregonTips: Used a green jig and trailer, a Lucky Craft jerkbait and a 5" trout colored swimbait. The lake has dropped about a foot and a half the last 3 days despite the rains. If you've never seen it down you should go have a look- there is a lot to see. Take your mud boots and take a hike.
Friday, November 7th, 2008
-
Water Temp: low 50's?
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Fished at Cottage Grove for about 40 minutes on the way to work today. Seemed like the only decent day weather wise in at least a week so maybe the bass would take advantage of it. I tossed a jig and a deep diving crankbait. I worked the bank between Shortrigde and the next cove south. I didn't get a bite until 5 minutes before I had to leave for work! I felt a tap, counted 2 and set hard. Missed it dang it. The trailer (Glued to the jig) was gone and the skirt was hanging on the hook point. I fixed it and put on a new trailer and cast out again. About 3 or 4 casts later I felt a good bite, counted 4 and reared back hard. Pulled in an 18", 3 lb.,11 oz. largemouth. She was very well behaved and hardly moved during the weighing and measuring. Would have liked to have stayed another 15 minutes but seen if she had any friends with her but you all know this one- Born to Fish- Forced to Work!!!
City: yoncalla, oregonTips: Actually saw a forage item that I hadn't even considered especially this time of year. And purely by accident my color and size of jig and trailer matched the forage almost perfectly. This may be the key to catching fish into December. I'll experiment further and update this soon.
Sunday, October 19th, 2008
-
Water Temp: 52.5-54
Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)
Report: Launched the kayak at Cottage Grove early and headed towards the dam. Saw some fish on the fishfinder so spun around and cast back to them. Got an 11" bass on a Lucky Craft pointer 100 after about 8 casts. The duck/goose hunters were blasting away as usual this time of year. I had a little "lead rain" pepper the surface within 10 feet of me- not exactly relaxing in a plastic boat! I put up my hooded sweatshirt and put on some shades although God knows it that would help. And I paddled on down to the barrier at the dam. Lots and lots of surface activity and some small bites but no good fish. I stayed with the Pointer and a larger Lucky Craft squarebilled crank. I took off the crank and put on a jig and beaver once I got over by Shortridge Cove. Saw and heard some big bass slurping bait out about a cast from shore. Saw some big ones on the meter. Got one real hard bite at the end of a long cast, set hard, the rod bobbed 3 times and then the rod straightened up. It was the reason I was there but I blew my chance. I had the kayak sideways instead of pointing towards the bait so even with braided line I couldn't get the hooks into the fish. It also didn't help that I was using a med. action Bass Pro Shops rod instead of my usual heavy Loomis spinning rod. Next chance (If I get another before the years done) I'll be ready. It was pretty calm out there at least for the first couple hours. Sweatshirt was just fine.
City: yoncalla, oregonTips: Be ready- I even had the camera this time. See Oct. 30, last year. Take advantage of this last little bit of good weather- the bass sure are.
-
Water Temp: mid 50's?
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Only made it out to Cottage Grove one day in the last 2 weeks! Not really enough light to make the stop worthwhile. I fished a jig around the ramp and didn't get a bite in the 20 minutes I was there. I did see a bit of surface activity. I fished a small tournament with my friend Mike on the 11th. I won't mention the name of the lake it was at due to the unusually crappy fishing. Out of the 17 boats and 33 fisherman there were only 13 fish brought to the scales. Nine teams had zero, 5th-8th place had one fish a piece. We weighed a 12 1/4", .9 pound smallmouth- the only bass we got all day. First place had 2.95 lbs.- the big bass of the day- 2.15 lbs., and a .8 pound smallmouth. I think they got $210 for big fish and $540 for the overall win. Second place had 3 bass for 2.95 also but the big fish was the tie breaker. Third had 2 for 2.01 lbs. and fourth place only had 1.65 pounds for 2 fish. They got $160. Had we caught any other keeper bass we would have finished in the money. My friend Mike was pretty upset we couldn't come up with a couple more fish- it was kind of a golden opportunity. He felt a little better after he won a new 7', M.H. baitcast rod at the raffle afterwards! I won a horse themed coatrack that my daughter absolutely loves- she is nuts about horses. Not exactly the way I wanted my first Oregon bass tourney to go but one thing I'm sure of- the next one can't be any worse fishing.
City: yoncalla, oregonTips: Well I didn't catch any bass but I did get 6 trout. I got 'em on a 4.5" worm, a rogue, a rattletrap, a small crankbait and one other lure that I can't remember now but I do remember it wasn't a big jig! Guess I shoulda packed trout lures- I may have caught a bass or two!! Kayak is in at 7AM at Cottage Grove tomorrow for sure.
Starting with a jerkbait and a small crankbait!
See ya out there.
Friday, October 3rd, 2008
-
Water Temp: low 60's?
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Finally found time to do some math. Since June 30th of this year I've caught and released 53 bass for a total of 153 lbs., 5 ounces. Less than 5 of them came on something other than a jig. More than 2/3 were caught from the shore. All came from Cottage Grove Lake. First one of the year came on Feb. 27th. My point is start early next spring, teach yourself to use a jig- take nothing else with you so you have to stick with it, fish them slow and milk the good spots for all they're worth. I have 5 or 6 spots along the west shore that gave up 85% of this years bass! Fish often so you stay in touch with the lake and the fish. I'm very lucky to be able to go 3 or 4 mornings a week when there's enough light. I'm also lucky 'cause it's right on my way to work so I don't have to waste a lot of gas. If I only have 20 minutes to fish that's fine- you can catch, weigh, photograph and release 3 nice ones easily in 20 minutes. Some of my spots are a good bit of walking and the exercise (Mental and physical) is a good thing. If I get up early and have an hour and a half (June and July!) then it just makes the work day breeze by. There are some spots I like to fish that you can't reach from anything but a boat but I like to take my kids there with me so they can enjoy the scenery and the fishing as well. My daughter is actually starting to recognize some of the good spots already. I havn't fished since the 27th but am hoping to get out in the kayak early Sunday. Who knows if they'll bite after our little rainstorm. They have been really rolling the water out of the lake lately- the creek only had about 3-4' of water way back in the back on the 27th.
City: yoncalla, oregonTips: Do a report once in a while would ya? Who cares if you only caught 1 little 10" bass- at least you got a bite! And you're out there trying.
Saturday, September 27th, 2008
-
Water Temp: 64-66
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Had a fun day at Cottage Grove with my brother-in-law Ferdi and his friend Beto. We fished from 6:45 till 3:15 and we covered lots of water. We all started tossing jigs. Beto hooked up with a 4 pound plus fish about 10 minutes in and had it on top and coming to the boat but it tossed the jig about 20' away. But at least we knew we were in a good spot. I got an 18", 3.3 on my jig about 15 minutes later. When he saw me set the hook he said "Now I see why my fish got off- I didn't jerk hard enough". Ferdi and Beto did listen when I told them "when" to set the hook. At the next spot we tried I got an 18", 2.15 also on the jig. By now Ferdi is starting to wonder about the jig he's using. I really wanted him to catch a good fish- usually when we go he catches 7 inchers! I gave him my best/most productive color and what happens? Beto and I get bites and he doesn't. We moved out to a big stick up where I caught a 3.15, 20"er the last time Ferdi was in the boat with me. As we stop I tell Ferdi here you take my jig and I'll use yours. Thank God he said no. I go to put down the trolling motor and I feel the boat rock. I look back and Ferdi's rod is loaded up big time. It's a 6'6" heavy action Loomis so it must be a good one. Beto grabs the net and I fire up the camera. They net it and wow- what a nice fish. It's 21" long and weighs 4 pounds, 12 ounces! Finally the curse of the 7 incher is lifted (And then some). We took pictures of Beto and Ferdi holding it and then we tossed it back. We fished all over the darn lake after that for several hours and didn't catch another fish. But we had a great day and great fun telling jokes on a beautiful lake with good friends. Is there any better way to spend the day?? Landing and launching even went well and we didn't break anything!
City: yoncalla, oregonTips: Fish seem to be scattered. We never saw any big concetrations of fish on the finder and we never got 2 out of one spot. We did however get bites within the first 10 minutes at all the spots we got fish. I'd say stick with the run and gun and don't be afraid to hit the good spots more than once. I wouldn't waste any time up the creek until it's down to just the channel itself. We went up there twice- once early and once later and couldn't draw a bite. Used a chatterbait and the jigs. Oh and I got to see the July 4th & 5th spot with no water on it. Nothing but a lone small stump with a bit of a dropoff below it. Man was that a hot spot!! I'll be fishing it again next year! Good luck and be safe out there.
Monday, September 22nd, 2008
-
Water Temp: cooling a bit
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Took my 5 1/2 year old daughter to Cottage Grove today. We headed over to the dam and started tossing crappie jigs. She got 2 bites but didn't get the hook in them. We switched lures to a different color and they wouldn't hit 'em so we tied on a fat-free shad crankbait and started trolling over towards Shortridge Cove. About 1/2 way there we got a good bite. I chopped the big motor, spun her chair around to face the back and handed her the rod. Then I said "Reel,reel,reel"! She got to feel the fish pulling but shortly after the rod straightened up some and all that came in was the lure. We are both getting a bit frustrated now. We made one full pass across there with the crank but no more bites. She wanted to go fast so we ripped across to the east shore by the campgrounds. She said later her best part of the day was watching the grebes take off as we got near them. Must have been 50-60 of them. She liked the way they flapped and then tried to run on the water. I told her it always cracked me up too. While I tossed my trusty (Or you'd think by now rusty or crusty!) jig she busted up some bread into tiny tiny pieces and fed all the bluegills. Couldn't get any bass to bite so we fished all the way up past the creek ramp. Got a 17", 2 lb.,5 oz. bass on the edge of the creek channel next to some weeds and near one of the giant stumps. She netted it for me. No more bites after 1/2 hour so we trolled out of the creek until we were on the main body then blasted over to the "school of rocks" spot. Saw a submerged tree on the meter less than cast from shore and it had some fish on it. Now I know where to cast from shore for the rest of this week! Tried down the bank about 150 yards and got a clone of the other fish but this one was 2.8- also on the jig. Also on a submerged tree with some weeds nearby. She netted this one and even though we brought her gardening glove along I couldn't talk her into holding it for a picture. She loves to look at them but not touch 'em. One more blast across the lake and back to the dock. There was only about 16' of dock still in the water. If I have another adult with me we can still launch as long as they don't mind getting their toes wet. Now if I'm alone it's kayak time!! Looking forward to gettin' dragged all over by some big old bass. Next adventure on the agenda- brother in law and a buddy up from California for a day of bassin' Oregon style. Hope we don't fall in, break any rods or hook any ears. Should be like a day at the circus!
City: yoncalla, oregonTips: Wear helmets, life jackets and use 2' long Wally World poles!! If my boy and girl will let us borrow them! See ya out there.
Friday, September 19th, 2008
-
Water Temp: warm
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Went to Cottage Grove for about 35 minutes before work today. Walked up to the "school of rocks" spot. Cast out my brown jig and got a bite within about the first ten seconds! Set the hook and dragged in a 17", 3.1. Very chunky, very feisty and very healthy! Thought to myself-wow, this could be a fun morning. Fished 200' of bank and couldn't draw another bite! And I lost one of my good brown jigs in a little rockpile on the next to last cast. Good start- crappy finish.
City: yoncalla, oregonTips: I've actually been carrying 2 rods the last couple weeks- both with jigs on them. So if I miss a bass or lose a jig I can just grab another rod and toss right back to the same spot. If they're hungry enough they'll eat it.
-
Water Temp: warm
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Went to Cottage Grove on the 17th and got 3 nice bass in about 35 minutes. They were 17", 18" and 17". They weighed 3.0, 2.12 and 2.10. Got them all on the brown/orange jig at the "school of rocks" spot again. The first one was a leaper, the second one dug and dug and the last one made a beeline straight for me. I had to reel like a mother just to keep up with it. A great way to start your workday! Hopefully this bite will keep up until Halloween!
City: yoncalla, oregonTips: Be prepared and expect to get bit on the next cast. Check for nicks in your line and retie often- only takes about 20 seconds! GO...NOW! Winter's just around the corner.
Tuesday, September 16th, 2008
-
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: See what happens when you try to type at 4AM. Fifteenth to last word in last report should be "right"....arghhhh!!
City: yoncalla, oregonTips: Mountain Dew!!! With orange juice!
-
Water Temp: 71-73
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Took my 2 1/2 year old boy to Cottage Grove in the boat today. We started at the dam with a bobber and crawler chunks. He got 2 3-4" bass but was even more excited about the 30 to 40 fish milling around the bait. I had to hold the strap on the back of his lifejacket on he may have jumped in! He kept saying "Hold, hold" but as soon as he touched his thumb to the fishes lower lip he'd pull back. He'll get used to it in time. We also tossed a small Rapala but no hook ups on it. We took a little boat ride up the creek and he was ready for his hour long nap as soon as I cut off the big motor. I worked up one side and down the other while he slept but couldn't draw a bite. I did see one major blow up way back in the weeds and if I had a frog on would have tossed to it ASAP. But my retractable butt flipping stick is the only rod I can keep safe in the 6' long rod locker and you can bet it'll have a jig/beaver on it! When he woke up we headed to the school of rocks spot but school was out. We spent another 30-40 minutes over by the dam. He got another 4" bass on crawlers and a 6" one on the Rapala. And now you could see about 50 plus milling around the bait and feel 4 or five bumps every time you tossed the Rapala. He had 2 bluegills hooked up but couldn't get them in the boat. I wanted to show him the difference between bass and bluegill. Next spring he'll learn all about them. We idled over to the mouth of Shortridge Cove and while he basically ate all his goodies from the cooler I tossed at a couple of fish I saw on the fishfinder at 24 and 25' deep. And about 1/2 way back in I got a good bite, set the hook and told the little guy to hand me the net! It fought really good for a 16 1/2"- 2 lb, 15 oz. bass! It was solid looking from head to tail. After 4 or 5 more casts we headed for the dock. A very fun way to spend an afternoon. From the look of that bass and the way the bite was so slow I'd say the bass fed like crazy over the last few days (Full moon) and were floating around rubbing their bellies like us after Thanksgiving dinner!
City: yoncalla, oregonTips: Take your little ones now while the dock is still in the water. Go to the dam and take worms or crawlers. #8 or #10 hook and a small piece of bait 3 to 4' under a small bobber. Or no bobber and a small split shot- the bluegills hit it on the drop. Any stick or pole will work- we had 40 fish or more at times in the shadow of the boat. Left side of the dam as you motor up to it- girht next to the barrier. Have fun and be safe- hold onto that life jacket!
Monday, September 15th, 2008
-
Water Temp: 70 somethin'
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Fished the 6th, 10th, 12th and 13th. Who says 13's an unlucky number. This report is for Cottage Grove Lake. I got a 17 1/2", 2 lb., 12 oz. bass on a brown/orange jig with a brown chunk trailer Sat. morning at 7AM. I was able to wade out far enough on the grassy point to toss right to the "school of rocks" spot. I saw a swirl about 35' off to my left so I tossed to it. I got a bite almost immediately and set only to miss. I let it drop and she came back and got it. Good thing I had a heavy stick and string or I may not have got it across 25' of the thick stuff. I tried out the bite up the creek from the dock and never got a bite. Tossed a baby bass spook, a jig and a chatterbait. And I took a walk over near the dam just to see if the little rats were around and they are. Tuesday I'll be taking my 2 1/2 year old boy over with a bobber and worms and letting him learn how fun that is. If he scores and I'm pretty sure he will he will be about 8 months ahead of big sister as far as first fish caught all by himself. Gotta go rig up his poles- a little hook and bobber on one and a teeny crankbait on the other.
City: yoncalla, oregonTips: Take lotsa drinks and snacks, his pillow in case he wears himself out catchin' fish and a tube of sunscreen. Charge that camera!!
Friday, September 5th, 2008
-
Water Temp: 70 somethin'
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Went to Cottage Grove but only had 20 minutes to fish. Fished from 5:55 to 6:15 AM. It was DARK when I got there! I had tied on a Zara Spook the night before so I started tossing it first. I got it about 2/3 of the way in (20-25' away) when I heard a sound that reminded me of a toilet flushing. I kept right on walking the lure but my line never tightened up. Either the bass just plain missed it or a small bass was chasing the Spook and the big fish grabbed him! Sure wish I could have seen the fish- it was so dark I didn't even see the splash and subsequent rings. I tossed the Spook 1 more time and then grabbed my jig rod and worked it around the area but no more bites. Has anyone else had that happen? I'll be back at it but this time I'll have a black spinnerbait with a big old colorado blade, a 5" trout swimbait and a big black senko.
City: yoncalla, oregonTips: And my net and camera. And a daily dose of optimism. Might be kinda hard to reel with my fingers crossed! See ya out there but quiet please!
Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008
-
Water Temp: 71-72
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: My 5 1/2 year old daughter and I took a 5 hour trip to Cottage Grove this afternoon. She had her first day of kindergarten and did really well so I told her we could go fishing. Today was variety day. We saw a float plane land and take off twice, a guy and his dog race out into the lake after a stick( She rooted for the dog!), a sailboat, a few jet skis- even got to see one take off up close, 2 kayaks, a ski boat and a bunch of ducklings. We fished the west shore and just drifted with the breeze. Tried a new crankbait out and had a 10" bass grab it , make it within 5 feet of the boat and then shake off. I also was tossing my jig around quite a bit. Every cast where I yanked some weeds she'd have me dump them in the net. She had the whole bottom of the net lined with them. She eventually got bored and said "Can we go fast again?" So we zoomed over to the creek- watch out for that stump out in the middle just as you get to the mouth! We idled up the creek and started fishing. We fished for an hour with nothing to show but a net full of weeds. She is learning how to handle that net pretty well. She took a while to realize if you bang it on the side of the boat it will probably scare off the big bass. We went up one side of the creek and down the other. On the way out I tossed the jig up close to the bank and while trying to keep us headed into the wind- I felt the line tighten up. I set the hook and the fight was on. She was leaning over and using the net as a paddle to help us head into the wind! I said "Get that net ready to land this bass- it's a good one". She put the net down in the water and I tried to lead it into the net. The bass tailwalked right across the net. She started to swing at it like it was a giant butterfly. Lucky she didn't knock it off the line. The second try went better and she tried to lift it but needed a bit of help getting it over the side of the boat. When she saw it she said excitedly "Daddy- that's the biggest bass I've ever seen!" She got out the camera and went to work while I weighed and measured it. It was 4 lbs., 3 ounces and 21" long. It was pretty chubby looking. They're eating good. After we let it go she said the same thing my 2 1/2 year old boy said- let's get another! We fished there for another 1/2 hour with no luck. We idled out past the stump and then blasted over to another spot. When I pulled up on this spot it was about 5 PM and it had a bit of shade. It's kind of a grassy ledge with a bit of a drop off into deeper water. I was casting my way in and when the boat was about 40' from shore I saw what looked like a small school of nice bass hanging right along the edge. I backed the boat off and then showed my daughter as we drifted back in slowly. She grabbed her Ugly Stik and tossed her frog patterned skitter pop right on top of them. We waited for the strike that would surely come any second. After 3 or 4 casts I tried my jig. Still no bites. Finally after trying several angles we floated up closer and the school of nice bass turned out to be a school of nice rocks! She laughed a lot about that. And of course couldn't wait to tell Mommy when we got home. We tried for 1/2 hour around there and couldn't get any bass to go. So we blew up a big green balloon, tied it onto her Ugly Stik and towed it around with the big motor. We hoped to fly it like a kite but it wasn't quite windy enough. Then we headed back to the dock. A real nice jet ski lady helped us put our boat back on the trailer. While we were headed up the ramp my girl said "Daddy- I'll always remember this day!" And I said "Why honey- because it's your first day of school?" And she replied "No Dad- because of that big old bass!" Wow- what a cool day.
City: yoncalla, oregonTips: Just take 2 poles- and tie a jig on each one. Maybe try 2 different colors but until it cools way off I don't think I'll toss anything else. We went to Mc D's for dinner. Tried to get her to try a "Whopper" from across the street but she said "No thanks". Just thought it would have been more appropriate.
Monday, August 18th, 2008
-
Water Temp: 70 somethin'
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: The dates were off by 1 week in the last report. The days fished were the 13th, 15th and 16th. Oops- my bad!
City: yoncalla, oregon
Sunday, August 17th, 2008
-
Water Temp: 70 somethin'
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Had another slow week at Cottage Grove. I fished the 6th, 8th and 9th mostly along the west shore. I only got one bite the 6th and 8th but on Saturday the 9th I got a 16"- 2.7. I tossed it back and on the next cast I got another good bite, set hard and watched my line shoot for the surface. This fish felt and looked a bit better- maybe 3.2- 3.5. It jumped like it thought it was at the bass olympics. It easily cleared 2 feet! And it also shook my jig out and sent it skipping across the water back to within 10' of where I was standing. That's fishin' baby- can't land every single one. And besides I did get an entertaining 7 or 8 seconds. I also got a great sunrise photo on Wed.- the bats were still out when I got there and the sky was fantastic.
City: yoncalla, oregonTips: The water has dropped about 1.5' to 2 ' in the last couple weeks. I believe they'll keep dropping it- maybe even faster so.....get that boat out there and have a great day on the lake. Try to take advantage of the strong, hard biting bass in this lake. And ask someone you've never fished with to go with you- they may get hooked for life- a 5 pounder leaves a pretty lasting impression! See ya out there. >]]]]](*>
Monday, August 11th, 2008
-
Water Temp: 75 plus in spot
Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)
Report: Went to Cottage Grove with my 2 1/2 year old son. Boy did we have a cool day! We launched up the creek and putted over to the spot my friend got a 3.7 off of last Friday. We made about a dozen casts and then the wind had drifted us into the exact spot I was lookin' for. I made a cast to within a foot or two of where he got the fish. It didn't even get to the bottom! A nice hard smack- 2 second delay and wham... fish on! I got the rod down in front of my boy so he could feel it pull and try to help reel it in. He was pretty excited and curious. I netted the fish and when I swung it in the boat he looked down and acted like he wanted to touch it. I lipped it and got the jig out. It flopped hard and then he looked a bit scared of it. I wrestled the camera out and tried to take a decent photo of him and the fish but of course you can only see 1/2 the fish and it's covering the boys face! The coolest part was when I went to weigh it. I went to stick it under the right side of the lower lip and there was already a hole there. Then I weighed it and it was 3.8 and 19" long. I can't be absolutely positive but I'm pretty darn sure this was the same bass my friend released 3 days earlier. Same spot, same lure, same pole, almost same time of day, same hard bite. I am already a catch and release guy but this one really made my day. And I hope it will be a memory that will stay with my little guy forever. Didn't catch any more but with some help from the wind (Rocked him to sleep) and remembering to bring a pillow and blanket he was able to get a nice hour long nap while I drifted and covered some water. All in all a really great dad and son day. Looking forward to many more of those. Now my 5 year old daughter who is very competitive wants to go out and catch a 4 pound bass- Honey , looks like we gotta take the boat out again....sorry! Wink, wink!
City: yoncalla, oregonTips: Don't be afraid to take a young 'un out in the boat. Get a good fitting life jacket, hat and glasses and cover 'em with sunscreen. My son has been really good. He likes to wander around the boat and look at the cupholders, sit down and drive- well turn the steering wheel and make the sounds, and sometimes he just sits down and enjoys the scenery. He'll stand in front of me for several casts and help me reel it in but gets a bit bored if a bass doesn't grab the lure. He did try to throw the net overboard or maybe he was just trying to dip it and get another big bass! Either way he wasn't too happy when I took it away.
Advertising