Home of the Swimming Jig and Rage Craw
Fish Catching Travel
After a couple of great days on the Gulf it was time for a little bass action. That really was prompted by what was to be some serious fog, then wind and possibly rain. So trying to catch a great day following a warming trend we put away the salt stuff and headed to the lake.
The water temperature had come up 12 degrees from when I was there last week, and the lake may have come up just a little. The wind was lightly blowing so we headed to the long channel bank up the plant arm and started throwing topwater. Over the next 2 hours we caught just enough on top to keep after it.
The first non-midget on a topwater.
We also fished the first outlet cove and one of the big long ones on the right hand side going in. It became real apparent that even though the water was warmer in the back end of those coves, the fish were just a little farther out, near a secondary point, or the points near the mouth of the cove. We caught 8 on topwater by 10, but it just didn’t seem right.
It seemed like we were right on the edge of catching a big bunch, and possibly a big one, but it just did not happen. What a difference a year makes. One of the things that keep fishing interesting is how things change. If I had to pick the real difference this year from last is the water level is keeping them back a little. But with the rain pouring down as I write this, expect the lake to really start to rise.
We then headed way up lake in the Coleto arm and fished a spawning cove to see if they were moving in there yet, and again caught one or two small ones on the topwater. I had alternated topwater with spinnerbait and swim jig, finally settling on the swim jig. The point at the mouth of that cove has grass on it, with the main river channel turn hitting it where the channel leading into the cove hits on the other side. So I slow rolled the Strike King Swim Jig down the drop and put 4 or 5 in the boat real quick.
Somebody tried to take a big bite out of this guy.
And the hits (Pun Intended) just kept on coming.
Nothing like the thump when the good ones are eating it.
The whole bite took place in a couple of minutes. One thing about finding pre-spawn bass who are staging for the big move, you can catch em. If this rain lowers the lake temperature some, which it should, the big bite will hold off a little while longer. But it won’t be long, those bass have some serious business to attend to.
After that we hit places down lake putting a fish in the boat here and there, all on the Swimming Jig. Finally about 2 the wind started to howl and we called it a day. The final total, best we could tell, was about 17, half on topwater early, the rest on Swimming Jig. Not a bad day, and a good way to end our 3 days of fishing.
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It is always nice to hear from a new reader, who apparently is pretty honest. As you may, or may not, know Doug, I like to fish Keller Bay myself. It can be tough, but it seems like when it is good, it is very good.
Great blog. I just found it a couple of weeks ago and can’t wait for future reports. Hopefully I can learn something. I also got skunked on Sunday in Keller bay.
Thanks, Doug.
I actually thought about Keller Bay for Tuesday but after Shoedog putting on his giant Drum clinic looks we made the right choice. So thanks for the comment, and keep them coming. Happy to have you along for the ride.
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Just click here to get a couple of bags.
I also heard from one of my regulars with a good question.
Great report, Thanks, You keep writing, I’ll keep reading. Think I’ll order a bag or two of the Down South lures. Do you use Pro Cure or any other fish attracting gel’s with your soft plastic’s ?
Thanks, Rick.
Actually I use the scent that is included with the Rage Shrimp by Strike King, and have also used Gulp spray in the past. If I am correct I think Strike King gets it from Pro Cure. Sometimes I use it regularly, other times I forget. I have a bottle of Pro Cure but have no idea where it ended up. But no matter what scent does not hurt anything. And it if gets you one more bite every trip, or they hold on to it for another second, it adds up to lots of additional fish in a year.
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Terry and the Nebraska boys are still catching them through the ice. I did it some growing up, and it is fun, at least until the ice goes out and it is back to real fishing.
Went to a little state park in central Nebraska called Pibel. Always seem to have some luck there. Was on the ice (13.5 “) by 7:00 AM and drilled two holes with my 7″ hand auger and marked fish immediately. Started catching fish within minutes. Had 2 catfish 22″ and 20″, Lmb 13″, 12” crappie, and 14 gills on the ice by 9:30. My other two buddies had one of their limits by then and I help them finished out their limits. We were packed up and one the road home to clean our tasty cold water morsels by noon.
Nice job. Sounds like ice fishing has advanced quite a bit since I was doing it. With this warm winter we are having you should have ice out early. And you know the standing invitation to fish down here is always open, or why not sneak off to Canada with us during the full moon in August? Thanks for the report.
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The weather has really taken a turn for the worse. It cooled off, rained some, and the wind is blowing pretty good. Hopefully the rain will amount to something and it should be cleared up by Saturday. So next on the plate is a wading trip. I have to be sure my waders aren’t leaking like a sieve. So keep those comments coming, keep stopping in, and thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
