Fish Catching Travel
The original plan today was to head to the Gulf. That got short circuited by a steady rain and wind a little higher than they were forecasting. So about 10 I decided to go ahead and hit Coleto. I know I was whining yesterday about the weather, but the folks up north are getting hammered, and I can still fish Coleto. Going there turned out to be a good choice for several reasons.
When I got there it was raining pretty good, and it kept raining until around 2. I thought I would start with a spinnerbait close to the dam as the water temp is much higher down lake than up. Also, the lake has come up some, which is a real good thing. So with clouds, rain, and a pretty good breeze, I started in a big cove near the park.
I probably fished for about an hour, staying with the spinnerbait, before I had my first bite. A 60 degree water temp is perfect for spring buzzing the spinnerbait for big fish, and I mean making a big wake. As I came out of the cove there was a little flat point with grass on it. I tossed it across the point and one just absolutely blasted it. I mean she smoked it. And after a pretty spirited fight over the side she came.
I wish the picture did this girl justice.
This was one big fish. I never weigh them anymore, but I would like to know how big she was.
She was definitely looking for a place to do her thing. The fish on Coleto are so close to spawning. As soon as we get a 3 or 4 day warming trend, and if it coincides with the next moon, it is about to get ugly. I stayed with the spinnerbait for about another hour, and though I missed one, it wasn’t producing like it should. Probably because I was moving up lake and the water temperature was consistently dropping.
So next it was a large spawning cove up lake and I committed to the Swim Jig. Though 1 came over the side inside the cove, the cold water had obviously moved them out. Which was born out when I caught 4 right on the big flat grass point at the mouth. The fish have consistently bit that Swim Jig when I toss it to the edge of the grass and reel it out.
One thing, of the fish I caught on it today I might have felt what most folks would call a “bite”. They were just swimming up behind it and eating it. Keeping the rod pointed right at it helps with feel, and many of the bites right now feel like you are dragging a piece of grass. Though that will change as they get more active, now if you feel “something” set the hook. And while I am retrieving it at a moderate speed, as that water temp warmed they wanted it fairly fast. So remember when fishing that jig to start off slow and keep increasing your speed. Once you find the right speed it will be game on.
The first one on the Strike King Swim Jig. And here is couple of more of the 6 or 7 I caught on the Swim Jig.
They were eating it.
I called it a good day with this one. Notice she ate the Swim Jig.
Sometime late afternoon I thought I was in the Twilight Zone. The sun came out and the wind died. I almost did not know what to do with myself, not! Immediately if was off to coves out of the wind with the sun shining on them. That turned out to be another good choice as the baitfish were flopping here and there, and the bass were there.
While the topwater minnow has not been producing the really big fish right now, it will catch you fish. It was interesting how they wanted it twitched and stopped, more like the classic topwater fishing, and not the constant twitching. A few short twitches and then letting it set produced a bunch of strikes, and I kept that up until I quit at sunset. Like all baits, vary your retrieve until you find it the way they want it that day.
The first of 6 or 7 on topwater.
Once the sun came out and the wind quit they were smoking that balsa minnow.
I love this time of year. What is your bait of choice? Fish it! I am catching them the way I like to do it, but that is not the only way to catch them right now. It is location, location, location. One thing is constant no matter the weather and the bait, it is grass on secondary and main points. They are wanting to spawn, and if this weather will ever settle down, they will be at it hot and heavy.
As fishermen we are confronted with decisions every day when we fish. Today I made the right ones all day. Throwing the spinnerbait was a good choice, but when it was not producing like it should, I went with the slower presentation of the Swim Jig. And moving out of the coves to the points was correct with the falling water temps. Then when it cleared, and the wind died down, going to flat coves out of the wind was a good choice. That water warmed rapidly, and the topwater bite was on.
So even though it was not a Gulf day, there will be plenty of days for that. And having Coleto nearby is a wonderful thing. I am lucky to have that option when the weather is just not conducive to the Gulf. It looks like we are about to have another few days of crappy weather, we just can not seem to get out of this every 3 day front thing. But good days are coming. Thanks for reading my stuff.
If you want to read a little more about buzzing a spinnerbait here is a link to that.
https://fishcatchingtravel.com/techniques-you-can-use/112211-fall-spinnerbaits-getting-a-buzz-on/
Good Luck and Tight Lines
