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Had a long write up that I lost by accidentally hitting the back button lol. Go figure..so here's a short one.
Got to the lake at 630 to over cast grease flat conditions. There were already a few people on the water fishing the cove directly next to the launch at sailboat cove. Urban cowboy shows up a few minutes later and we both set up. Seeing how the cove was already being picked apart, we decided to try out luck out towards the dams.
I made my way past the lifeguard shack first and started to pitch a jig into visible structure. I've never been to this side of the lake before so I decided to stick close to shore. Didn't see my first fish until halfway between the shack and the first dam. Wasn't a big one, but it was sitting suspended behind my tube. I noticed it only because I spooked yet as I was reaching back for my drink. Didn't think too much of it yet until a few feet later. I encountered a small school of fry. Kicked some more, pitching away before I noticed a bit of surface dimpling behind me. A half kick back and I let the momentum carry me over. It as a massive school of bass fry and I once again spooked another bass.
It hit me, we were here in a post spawn situation dealing with fry guarders. I shook my head as I realized I didn't bring anything for this scenario. I quickly abandoned the jig and switched over to a husky jerk in helinski shad pattern. Made a few casts parallel to shore before I spotted another mass of dimpling further offshore. I fired a cast over it and started my retrieve.
A few cranks in, I get a soft thud...one of those thuds that you get when your bait runs into a mass of weeds. I do a quick jerk in hopes of freeing the bait, but I only managed to hang it up some more as felt only more weight load up the rod. I high stick the rod and retrieve quickly, paying little notice to how my line was shooting faster to the surface than towards me. I just thought it was a big patch of grass. I saw the front of my husky jerk break the surface with a strand of grass on its lip...then my jaw hit the water as the rest of the husky jerk came out, attached to the mouth of an angry bass. It didn't jump thankfully, just shook a little before diving back down. Made two short runs before bulldogging me just out side of net range. She was long and a few moments, I managed to get her into the net. The middle hook stuck inside of her mouth while the tail to the outside. Guess that explained the weird fight. Upon closer inspection, she looked spawned out and beat up. Would've been a real pig if she was caught before the spawn.
Reached over for my pliers than it hit me. I forgot my pliers at home. Spent what felt like forever gingerly trying to unhook two trebles from both the fish and the net. The golden lining, I only hooked myself twice in the process hahah. Took my photos of triumph and shot them over to bigfish. Put her back into the net and waved over a bass boater that saw the battle. He helped me do an unofficial length with his board, his board topped out at 18" and the fish still had some inches beyond that. We both agreed at a safe guesstimate of 20". He helped me me take a few more photos before I let her go. He told me he has been catching a few of them that size and larger in the mornings on a buzz bait. He confirmed my suspicions of fry guarding too. We said our goodbyes as he slowly made off to another area. I see urban cowboy make his way towards me and we touch base again.
We worked our way around towards the second dam and we see more fish, a few wolf packs of smaller fish and spooked a few more fry guarders. He gets his fish of the day working the wolf pack and decides to work the area more thoroughly. I kick over to the base of the second dam. I see another massive school of fry and spotted another pig close by. I threw everything at her to entice a bite, but failed miserably.
By this time, the water was getting lumpy as there were some speed boaters on the water generating some wake along with some wind as well. I kick my way back over towards urban cowboy and touch base again. He spooked a few fish as well but couldn't coax any more fish.
I made my way back in first, leaving him to continue working the area. I fished the cove next to the boat launch seeing how I still had some time left. Nothing to show for it besides more fry, a few spooked ifs and a pair of bed fish I couldn't convince to play before time ran out.
Quitting time came and we were both out of the water by 150. We shared our observations and our struggles, hoping the others faired better than we did. We were both happy to have at least landed one though and were mesmerized by the large fish we saw under us. We said our goodbyes and headed home.
It was a pleasure to fish along side you urbancowboy and I look forward to doing it again. Now you've experienced the lake, I hope you knock them dead next time.
Thanks for making the long read...here's what you've been waiting for
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Got to the lake at 630 to over cast grease flat conditions. There were already a few people on the water fishing the cove directly next to the launch at sailboat cove. Urban cowboy shows up a few minutes later and we both set up. Seeing how the cove was already being picked apart, we decided to try out luck out towards the dams.
I made my way past the lifeguard shack first and started to pitch a jig into visible structure. I've never been to this side of the lake before so I decided to stick close to shore. Didn't see my first fish until halfway between the shack and the first dam. Wasn't a big one, but it was sitting suspended behind my tube. I noticed it only because I spooked yet as I was reaching back for my drink. Didn't think too much of it yet until a few feet later. I encountered a small school of fry. Kicked some more, pitching away before I noticed a bit of surface dimpling behind me. A half kick back and I let the momentum carry me over. It as a massive school of bass fry and I once again spooked another bass.
It hit me, we were here in a post spawn situation dealing with fry guarders. I shook my head as I realized I didn't bring anything for this scenario. I quickly abandoned the jig and switched over to a husky jerk in helinski shad pattern. Made a few casts parallel to shore before I spotted another mass of dimpling further offshore. I fired a cast over it and started my retrieve.
A few cranks in, I get a soft thud...one of those thuds that you get when your bait runs into a mass of weeds. I do a quick jerk in hopes of freeing the bait, but I only managed to hang it up some more as felt only more weight load up the rod. I high stick the rod and retrieve quickly, paying little notice to how my line was shooting faster to the surface than towards me. I just thought it was a big patch of grass. I saw the front of my husky jerk break the surface with a strand of grass on its lip...then my jaw hit the water as the rest of the husky jerk came out, attached to the mouth of an angry bass. It didn't jump thankfully, just shook a little before diving back down. Made two short runs before bulldogging me just out side of net range. She was long and a few moments, I managed to get her into the net. The middle hook stuck inside of her mouth while the tail to the outside. Guess that explained the weird fight. Upon closer inspection, she looked spawned out and beat up. Would've been a real pig if she was caught before the spawn.
Reached over for my pliers than it hit me. I forgot my pliers at home. Spent what felt like forever gingerly trying to unhook two trebles from both the fish and the net. The golden lining, I only hooked myself twice in the process hahah. Took my photos of triumph and shot them over to bigfish. Put her back into the net and waved over a bass boater that saw the battle. He helped me do an unofficial length with his board, his board topped out at 18" and the fish still had some inches beyond that. We both agreed at a safe guesstimate of 20". He helped me me take a few more photos before I let her go. He told me he has been catching a few of them that size and larger in the mornings on a buzz bait. He confirmed my suspicions of fry guarding too. We said our goodbyes as he slowly made off to another area. I see urban cowboy make his way towards me and we touch base again.
We worked our way around towards the second dam and we see more fish, a few wolf packs of smaller fish and spooked a few more fry guarders. He gets his fish of the day working the wolf pack and decides to work the area more thoroughly. I kick over to the base of the second dam. I see another massive school of fry and spotted another pig close by. I threw everything at her to entice a bite, but failed miserably.
By this time, the water was getting lumpy as there were some speed boaters on the water generating some wake along with some wind as well. I kick my way back over towards urban cowboy and touch base again. He spooked a few fish as well but couldn't coax any more fish.
I made my way back in first, leaving him to continue working the area. I fished the cove next to the boat launch seeing how I still had some time left. Nothing to show for it besides more fry, a few spooked ifs and a pair of bed fish I couldn't convince to play before time ran out.
Quitting time came and we were both out of the water by 150. We shared our observations and our struggles, hoping the others faired better than we did. We were both happy to have at least landed one though and were mesmerized by the large fish we saw under us. We said our goodbyes and headed home.
It was a pleasure to fish along side you urbancowboy and I look forward to doing it again. Now you've experienced the lake, I hope you knock them dead next time.
Thanks for making the long read...here's what you've been waiting for
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
