Fish Catching Travel
Fayette County
My brother, alias Shoedog, and I were able to meet at Fayette for some fishing on Wednesday. We knew the wind would be blowing, and it was. Now Fayette can get real rough when the wind is blowing just right, and before the day was over it was blowing “just right.”
I have not fished Fayette in the winter, and as we were not sure exactly what might be going on, we started with a crankbait. I do know that I got an email or two from readers who stated it had been slow.
We both started with a deep diving crankbait, Shoedog used a sexy shad color Rapala DT14, and me, a Strike King XD5. We fished a big point without success but as we rounded it and headed down the inside bank, were it was somewhat protected from the wind, we caught our first one. Then we caught another. We ended up staying with crankbait most of the day, though I did catch this one on a jerk bait. The problem was it was so windy you could not throw plastics or jigs effectively.
A nice regular Fayette bass on the small Rapala Husky Jerk. This was the size we caught Wednesday.
The punch line is we started at about 7:20, and over the next 4 hours we caught them slowly but steadily. Other than a couple on jerk bait, most came on the crankbait. The pattern was the back side of windy points. We kept the boat in 10 -12 foot of water, with most of the fish coming out of 6 -9 feet. Many times on Fayette the fish are directly related to grass, but other than one bank where we caught 7 or 8 near a grass bed, they were scattered.
Nice when you can just see that crankbait sticking out of their mouth. I will give them credit, it might have been slow, but when they hit, they knocked the crap out of it.
Shoedog and his DT14. While we did not get the big one today, the ones we did catch were a nice average size.
One more, but you get the picture. Glad I took these instead of waiting for the bigger one we knew would be coming before the day was over. This the same Strike King XD5 I used at Falcon last time. They really like that thing.
Our best bank was the back side of the point leading into the big cove with the park in the back. After catching a few on it we decided to run to the dam and fish our way down lake with the wind. That was about 11:30. Little did we know that that would be the last fish we would catch.
At this point the wind was beginning to blow. So as we worked our way down we added to what we already knew, which was they were not in the back of coves or pockets, there were a few on the points, but basically they were about half way back in the big covers. It was simply a matter of keeping the boat in 10 – 12 feet, and then using a medium to somewhat slow retrieve. When they ate it, they smacked it, and we missed very few.
As we worked our way down lake hitting points, coves, trees, all the stuff Fayette has to offer, they just refused to bite. After an hour we decided to re-fish our best place, and we did not have a bite. At this point the wind was beginning to blow 20 mph and it was getting rough, and I mean 3 – 4 foot swells. So on came the life jackets, and back to the ramp we went, only getting a little soaked in the process.
And I was thinking about a couple of things on the way home, thinking about choices. Instead of re-fishing any of the places we caught fish, we just kept covering the water. Of course we were planning on re-fishing the good places later in the day. Well later never came as the wind became unbearable. So not re-fishing it earlier turned out to be a bad choice when the wind got to howling. So what made me think of choices? When we got to the ramp there was a boat with a couple of guys in it rigging up. And as we got the boat on the trailer, they headed out.
Now not re-fishing those fish turned out to be the wrong choice. But calling it a day was the right choice. Whether or not we caught another fish was a choice of little consequence to our lives, or that of our loved ones. Those guys not putting the boat back on the trailer and calling it a day was another choice, one that could affect their families and lots of other folks. There reaches a point where it is just not worth it from a both fish catching and safety standpoint. I have fished in all kinds of weather I definitely should not have, but yesterday we made the right choice. It was just to rough for lots of reasons.
So all in all a good morning. We wanted to hit the front in hopes that would turn them on, but once they quit, they quit. Still catching 16 or 17 nice ones in 4 hours before the bite quit is ok by me anytime. Fayette is still one of my all time favorite lakes, and even when it is slow you can still catch fish.
Duck Hunting
You know, it is hell getting old. I was able to go with my friend Chris and his dad to try and kill a couple of ducks on Tuesday. Well they did kill a few, 4 I think, but I did not help a lick. Here we are headed to the spot when I realized I forgot to buy my permit. Suffice to say I did not hunt. Really stupid on my part. But this gives you a hint of how nice it was that morning. To bad I am an idiot.
A real nice morning that had ducks written all over it.
Nothing like getting up at a time that Chris calls “crazy early”, and then ending up not getting to hunt. When I get ready to fish I always take stock before I pull out of the driveway. Things like plug in, motor will turn over, trolling motor charge level, and a trailer walk around. Guess I will have to start making sure I do that kind of a check when I head to the woods. I told you it was hell getting old.
So tomorrow is off to the Lavaca River with Todd, alias Tmart, who regularly posts on Austin Bass Fishing. By the way if you have not been there stop in, they are a great bunch of guys. Todd needs some trout for a fish fry and so do I. So as with all great plans, we shall see. And hopefully with a day at POC on Sunday I can get the fish fry order filled. But either way, I will be on the water doing what I love the most. We should all enjoy ever day we have on this earth. I am just lucky that many of my days are spent on the water.
http://www.austinbassfishing.com/forum/
Good Luck and Tight Lines.
