FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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I was going fishing, then I wasn’t going fishing, then I woke up, and I was going fishing again.  What happened is my buddy Jeffish, who works as a plumber with his dad, came by to tell me his dad, Ken, broke his hip on the slopes.  So if he needed some help I was willing and then he found some real help and I was off to the lake.

Weather

68/39   Sunny.  Wind NNW 10 – 20 mph.  0% chance of rain.  (There is a little cold front blowing through tonight.)

Lake Level

Today 96.91 msl   Friday  96.94 msl   (It has been a very slow steady drop.)

Solunar Time

Good  10:17am to 12:17pm.   Best  4:28pm to 6:28pm.   (The best bite was late afternoon the other day.)

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It was definitely a lake day, if it was any day to fish.  After a couple of really warm days a cold front rolled through and when I got to the ramp it was blowing a steady 20+ cold out of the north, and it basically stayed that way all day.  The compass on the console read almost dead north when you were right into the wind, and it was cool.  There were white caps on the main lake, and way up lake.  With the prime period mid morning I headed straight to the place I got the big girl the other day, getting there about 9:30.

Best I could manage today, I will spare you the others.

I stayed with the swim jig for the next 4 hours, and had a total of 5 bites, and missed 2.  One felt like a crappie, the other I had such a big bow from the wind that by time I set the hook it was gone.  The wind was blowing everywhere, around every corner, and it was a pain in the a$$.  The fish I did catch did not want it hopped, the only bites came on a slow steady retrieve.  The front clearly had them not interested in anything I was feeding them.  Plus it was blowing right down the lake and it was hard to fish slow enough where I wanted to fish.  One of those fish where you can and not where you want.

Later in the afternoon it laid just a little so I headed down lake and tossed the big swim bait and the Alabama Rig,  Again a small one jumped on the swim bait fairly quickly, and then not another bite.  Still not sure what that is all about.  So at 4:00 I called it a day.  I fished up the river, main lake coves, points, all without success.  But no problem, it was no surprise it was tough.  Reminded me of those day when I was guiding or fishing a tournament, definitely a put on your big boy pants day.  And the best thing was I had a good time.

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And Billy sent along this question and it is a good one.

I’m not sure, but I think somebody said something about the…….RIVER!!!
Correct me if I’m wrong.

On a serious note, how is it that Coleto has not cleared up? We have not had enough rain at any time in a very long time to make the creek rise.

My initial answer is I do not have a clue.  But there was definitely a slow enough steady decline that it was easy to track.  It really started about 3 springs ago, if you remember we had a small flood.  It left the lake off-color from that point on.  Then the aquatic grasses did not show in any great amount that summer.  I spoke with the guy who just retired from Coleto that summer and he said that once it got that off-color the light did not penetrate and that was why there was a loss of grass.  Instead of deep grass, mats, edges, pads, the lake had it all, and the color was almost always clear, real clear at times.

Around that time the upper end started to gets some pretty good rafts of hyacinth, and there was lots of pads.  Slowly everything died.  Think about it, the hyacinth died, almost everywhere that gets it can not get rid of it and ours literally rotted and died.  There were a few patched of aquatic grass here and there that summer 2 years ago but it was definitely not green and slowly it all disappeared.  So here is the big question – Why?

First the water color is at least one result of being without the grass to filter the water.  Unfortunately this color may be it for a while.  We have had a gully washer or two, but again, not enough to kill grass over a whole lake, unless there is a reason.  They are building a lot more homes on the way upper end, there is another great big area being cleared right now, and I mean right down to the water.  Run off?  Maybe it is just the grass losing a foothold, but that seems impossible.  Responsible, who knows?  They did kill the grass in a 2 coves a few years ago, but nothing like the whole lake.

There are some real appreciative effects.  The bass spend a whole lot more time on wood than they used to.  It has become a real pattern when the fish are up.  But it is clear that the fish do not spend near as much time shallow as they used to.  It may require some changes of tactics on my part.  No coots in the winter.  For years I cussed them as they tore up the grass, and were often right where I wanted to fish.  Now with no grass there are very few, but this year there are more “other” ducks than I have ever seen.

So there is your final non-answer.  I really do not have a clue, but things have changed.  The good news, there are still plenty of good fish, and there is always a chance to catch a big girl every trip.  (See last trip.)  The fishing is just different.  If anyone else wants to put in their 2 cents worth, chime in.  To really have a good answer is above my pay grade.  But thanks for the question, I have been thinking about it regularly just did not know what to say, and obviously still don’t.

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I would like to thank you for the efforts you have put
in writing this site. I am hoping to see the same high-grade content by you later on as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my own website now.

Not sure who this was from but the site it came from was “castable depth finders”.  I always thought they would be good for ponds that you fish regularly.  Just grid them and you are in business.  And I assume it would work for ice fishing.  So hope he gets it done, it actually becomes somewhat addictive if you can get over the hump and write some.  The only advice I would give anyone who wants to have a blog, write, then write some more.  No writing, no blog.  So good luck.

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It is 7:30 as I finish this report.  It is clear and cool and the wind is not supposed to be calm all day so since I have all the bass stuff in the boat I am simply going to walk out, start the truck, and head back to the lake.  Nice to be able to fish where I want today.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines