Fish Catching Travel
Initially the plan was for some fishing yesterday but I got a call from a friend who needed some help. First it was to fill in a hole, which we knocked off fairly quick. Next up was to do a little motor work on his 75hp Mariner. That took quite a while, but after getting the new stator installed the motor fired right up. It really is nice to have something like that happen when doing motor work. So as soon as he gets the motor synchronized he will be back in action.
So with yesterday a wash it was off to Coleto for a short morning trip to put a few fish in the boat before the big weekend. With clouds and high wind, nothing new around here, it was definitely a spinnerbait and buzzbait day. And the fish did not disappoint.
This girl smoked a Strike King Burner Spinnerbait. Nothing like a big fish stopping a high speed bait!
I alternated between the Strike King Burner when there was lots of wind on a bank, and the Lunker Lure buzzbait when it was more of a ripple. The fish above came out of a log, the rest were coming out of isolated patches of grass. I did catch one on a big grass flat, but the better places are still near deeper water with grass.
Sorry about the no shirt thing, it was warm out there. Notice the grass on the bait, you have to move them out of it as soon as they smash it.
Today the better fish were just smashing that buzzbait. This is not a light line technique, I am using 20lb mono. You need to move them out of the grass pretty fast or they bury up. As far as speed goes, I am reeling it about 3/4 speed with a 7 to 1 reel. You can definitely reel it to fast, just keep it moving nice and steady. And remember to point the rod right at them, your hooking percentage will go up on the buzzbait.
She was long with a big head. Look at her tail, not sure she was all that good at catching stuff, except the buzzbait.
And to further refine where they are located, while I have caught them from the upper end to the dam area, it really boils down to main lake banks, with good water nearby. Grass is absolutely the ticket, but one thing I have noticed is that the better places have had more isolated patches. Pay close attention to the way the patches lay, and try to run the bait right by any point or irregular feature, then just hold on.
Another nice one, she hit it within eye sight of the ramp at 3 pm with jet ski’s and speed boats running everywhere.
One thing that has been consistent the last few weeks is that some of the best fishing is right in the middle of the day. Even today with lots of boat traffic as the day wore on the fish continued to bite. So if you get a chance to go, just concentrate on those main lake banks and watch for that grass. I easily put 15 in the boat today, and several more where like the ones above. It was a good day of fishing by any standard.
The water temp was only 80 degrees, which is why so many fish are still shallow. While Coleto has shallow fish all year long, they do migrate deep once our summer gets here, it just has not made it yet. Same for Fayette. As long as we have these relatively mild days and cool nights the shallow fishing should stay good for at least a while longer.
Something to check on your trailer.
I usually write something about boat trailers this time of year. Nothing can ruin a weekend faster than trailer trouble beside the road. And occasionally I take my own advice and look mine over from front to back making sure all is well. I learned something today and just wanted to pass it on to you. Not only could this have been a hassle, it could have been a disaster.
Look at this closely, then if you have a swing away tongue go look at your trailer.
After I backed the boat in the garage and was cranking it off the hitch I heard something hit the floor. It was the nut off the bolt in the swing away tongue. The nut had sheared off the bottom of the bolt that holds the tongue on. Why? Who knows. That it happened in front of me so I could catch it before something more serious happened was a stroke of luck. And while the bolt was still holding the tongue, who knows how long it would have done so. This is down right scary to think about. So if your trailer has that feature be sure to check it out. There is no way I would have seen this just looking at the trailer as the the bolt would have looked fine even with the nut sheared off. So just be sure your bolt is intact by looking underneath.
The Holiday Weekend
Every year after this weekend the fishing boards are loaded with folks complaining about other folks behavior on the water. So be careful this weekend. Lots of folks who do not use their boats that often, or who are relatively inexperienced, or have had one to many, are out on the water. Lines will be long at the ramps, folks will be running this way and that, so be careful. This is one time when it pays to be the bigger man. Yield to folks, give people space, do not get pissed at the ramp. A little civility on the water will go a long way, for other folks and for your blood pressure. And they make life jackets for a reason – just sayin’.
Line
I admit that braid lines are giving me fits. Only recently have I spent any time fishing them, and while there are a few things I like, there are some things that drive me nuts. Why will a braid knot slip completely apart but it will tangle on the rod tip and not let go? Why does it have to slip inside a split ring? Why when I get a backlash is it the mother of all backlashes? Why does it seem that it is actually easier to throw lures off? Since lots of folks love braid it must be me. Trilene Big Game has been my line of choice for years. I change line frequently and keep spools of 6 – 20lb, and a couple heavier, for all conditions. So I guess I will stick with the old tried and true, maybe this old dog ain’t havin’ that new trick.
Next
Chris got in touch with me wondering if I wanted to scratch the redfish itch. Of course the answer was yes. His boat has been in the shop with some motor troubles, and after over a month it is back in the garage. So Tuesday it will be some back lake somewhere. Hopefully the wind will finally lay some, but who knows. No matter what we will be out there somewhere. As far as the next couple of days I hope you have a good weekend, I intend to spend some time working on the blog. Whether you are fishing, spending time with family, or just hanging out, I hope you all have a safe and happy weekend. Thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
