FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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Preparing this Sunday it has the potential to be a pretty good day.  Of course that is totally predicated on me fishing properly.  I will hash and re-hash the plan for the day, where to start, color, depth, all factors that will come in to play, but as we all know the best made plans can change once we are on the water.  So sore back and all I will be at Froggie’s come daylight ready to do battle. (I thought.)

Weather

72/57  Intervals of clouds and sun.  Wind NNE 5 – 10.  10% chance of rain.

Tides

High   6:03 AM     0.3
Low   1:27 PM     0.1
High   8:13 PM     0.2   (Water all day with a morning fall, my favorite.)

Solunar Times

Best 2:33 to 4:33 pm   Good  8:21 t0 9:21 am

The Best Laid Plans………

Unfortunate change in plans.  When I got out of bed this morning it was real obvious there was no wading today.  I was stiff as a board after tweeking my back yesterday, luckily no pain, but there was no way I could get in and out of the boat without hurting my self.  At least there was the alternate plan, to the lake with the front seat on the deck and sit down and bass fish, and that is exactly what I did.

It was about 9:00 and drizzling when I dropped the boat in.  The water temp at the ramp was 66, and the rest of the day I found nothing warmer than 70, it definitely has taken a step back.  And the color, ugly, to real ugly.  And it is still charging up and if it keeps up it will be over the piers at the ramp.  This is how high it was when I first started fishing it.  It is up in the shoreline cover, and it is about to morph into a flippin’/pitchin’ extravaganza.  But I digress.

The morning was just hitting places here and there, and it became apparent the swim jig was the ticket.  And no place was any better than any other, but some were fishless.  They were not chasing squat, so I just settled into slow rolling it, and picking up the spinnerbait occasionally.

It was definitely a lot slower than it has been.  The wind was out of the NNE at a good 15mph, and it did not clear until about 2:00.  It was two in this cove, three on this bank, one out of a bush, and it stayed that way most of the day.  I could not get a pattern, just slowly swimming the jig without any hopping or jerking.

                                                  What’s up with that?

As I went around a point there was a bush sticking out on the end so I buzzed the spinnerbait right over it and one just blasted it.  I thought I was in the money with a big fish.  After a pretty good tussle in came the tilapia above.  Having caught a few on lures this is the first one that smoked a spinnerbait.  Guess when they get bigger they may not be so particular.

And the catfish whopped the swim jig, and this is like 5 out of 6 trips were a catfish has hit the swim jig.  I had several hits today I missed, and after catching the catfish that is probably what they were.  Just unusual to catch both of these on the same day with lures.

                                At least I managed a couple of nice ones.

I did manage to boat a couple of good ones, but most were just keepers.  Before I quit I ran up lake to see how ugly it is, and it was ugly.  It is super off color and I had 2 bites on some of my best places.  After throwing the pearl Controlled Descent Jerk shad and the Bang-O-Lure without success early it was apparent, they were not shallow and they were not chasing squat.  And in some places it was just not clear enough for that presentation.  Of the dozen or so I caught today, most came on the swim jig and a steady retrieve.  Funny how for as few bites as I had the bass that did hit ate it, and there was no coming off.

It was different sitting down and fishing most of the day, I much prefer to stand.  But I took it easy and did no real bending or lifting and it looks like this is about over.  It was tough today, conditions were not the best, the north wind, a big rise with mud, and cool temps, all combined to keep the bite down.  That really should not hurt things much in the short run, as long as we get no more rain for the next week, it should settle down pretty quickly.  So a day that could have been a bust at least included some fishing, it just was not on the Gulf.  Rats.

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Get Inhaled!

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I got this question from the Mowdy, and it is a good one.

I, too, have purchased several packs of the Controlled Descent lures. I am looking forward to using them. I have a question! How do they cast? The hook they come with is weightless, and with the foam flotation, there is little weight to the rig. Can you get much distance on a cast using a bait casting reel?

I have had no problem casting them with my casting reel.  The foam does not really seem to affect distance, at least as far as I can tell.  But remember, if you put a complete piece of foam in the question is how much weight to get it to do what you want based on depth and wind.  I have noticed in the salt that a little over half keeps it basically floating.  And unless the trout and reds want it on top you will be using a weight of some sort.  The key is to find out how and where they want it and then repeat.

I am still experimenting with using weight inserted, pre-weighted hooks with the screw lock, spit shot on the line (Not the best choice as it is pinched on the line but it works.) or inserted in the body.  I also picked up some of the pointy lead you can insert into plastics.  And don’t forget, they work just fine without doing anything, but that takes all the fun out of it.  I will keep trying stuff and keeping you all informed.  If you have any comments or suggestions as you use them let us know.  If we all help each other we can really figure out ways to make them effective no matter the conditions.  Thanks for the question.

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A couple of years ago I bought a chrome Gun Dog topwater at the fishing show.  The salesman told me if it did not catch fish he would buy it back.  That thing has never caught a trout.  Well this year I wanted to try one of the good looking jointed soft body lures by Steve’s Lures.  Matt told me when I bought it that he guaranteed it would catch fish.  We will find out soon enough.

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And speaking of rigging the Controlled Descent Lures donf sent this comment.

What kind of knot are you going to use to connect your braid to the fluoro? I have tried numerous (alberto, modified alberto, uni-uni…) and eventually what happens is that the braid starts to unravel with the result that I lose a fish when I get a good hookup. Consequently I have given up attaching braid to fluro directly. The braid I’m using is Power Pro, not sure if the brand makes a difference. Now the only time I use braid is on a popping cork or swivel attached leader.

I have started using all fluro line on my lure casting as the extra line weight makes it much easier to cast weightless like worms or senkos rigged wacky and the fluro is so stiff that I can detect line movement of a bite very easily.

I have always stuck with the uni to uni on Power Pro since I started using braid, it is just what I started with.  I had a problem or two in the past, especially joining fluoro to braid, slick to slick, but since I started re-tying my leader before each trip at the work bench in good light I have not had any problems.  And you are so right on the popping cork, helps set the hook on those super long casts.  I also have basically gone to all fluoro on most everything that is slow moving, but on fast moving baits like a buzzbait, or the swim jig, it is fluoro to braid.  Line types are critical to lure presentation, it all works together.

Fluorocarbon does weigh more and helps with the very casts you are talking about as well as detecting the bite and is working fine for me on the CDL so far.  In fact, that is all I am currently using on the Controlled Descent Lures, but will be trying some braid in the future.  But as far as I am concerned fluorocarbon gets more bites, period.  Thanks for your comments, obviously you do a little fishing.  (Just kidding, it must be a lot based on the knowledge you just shared with us.)

And the rest of you, the last 2 comments are what makes this place go.  You don’t have to cough up your secret place, but sharing information helps all of us.  Our sport is about never stopping learning and growing to become a better fishermen and ultimately putting more fish on the end of the line.

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And last I got this question from SAJoe.

Can you do me a favor and ask Todd(the bagley guy) how was the water clarity on Travis. We got a lot of rain last week. Hate to make a run up there and water looks nasty. Thinking of getting there for spring break. Thanks

Good news.  He fished Saturday and the clarity was 6 feet.  He reports the topwater fishing was insane all day.  It rained that day and night and not since, so looks like it should be perfect.  If I could pick a day it would be just what they had, warm temps and rain all day.  So have a good trip and let us know how it goes.

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I was not happy about not making the bay.  The good fish are biting and I saw several big trout on Facebook this week.  So I am not sure what is happening the rest of the week, but I will be fishing.  Australia is a little over a week away and I want to get a few days in before I hit the road.  Visions of big fish on the Great Barrier Reef are starting to even be in my dreams.  Guess it really is a good reason to get excited.  Thanks all for your comments and reports, they are appreciated.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines