Check out the KVD jerkbaits at Strike King.
Fish Catching Travel
I loaded up the boat Sunday morning and headed to Keller Bay. I don’t know what I was thinking. In spite of my best intentions I misjudged the wind, and I knew when I got there. But I thought I would hit at least a place or two so in the water I went.
The wind was blowing right down the mouth, so I headed for the South shoreline where there was some protection and made a wade. I actually covered a good bit of it, working from the shoreline to out over 3 foot deep. And over 2 hours I had no bites, not even a close call.
The water temperature was 52 degrees, and other than on that protected shoreline, the bay was beginning to color up. I tried to fish the good redfish bank at the mouth but the wind was blowing right down it and it was muddy. So I headed back to Olivia, and by time I got there the wind had really picked up and the whole North side was getting off colored and was really rough. So after 3 hours I put it back on the trailer and called it a bad day.
It was simply a matter of me choosing the wrong bay for the wind conditions. And one thing about Keller, if the wind is an issue, it is a bigger issue on the open bay. Keller is one of those places you kind of commit to for the day. And I just didn’t have it in me to make a big boat ride.
********************
Today though was an all together different day. Shoedog met me at Fayette County Lake outside of Gonzales for what is a every few month thing, to go throw jerkbait on Fayette. We have had a few tough days, we have caught well over a 100 several times, and we inevitably catch some good fish. Fishing Fayette can spoil you. Being a slot lake, when you get them figured out it can be a thing of beauty.
My first fish of the morning. A real representative of the slot fish in this lake.
Though Shoedog got off to a quick start with a nice fatty, it was a fairly slow morning. We caught one here and one there. I alternated with a KVD Jerk Bait, a Swim Jig, and a couple of different square bill crankbaits. Shoedog stayed with the jerkbait, and after a while we figured it out a little. You could jerk it hard, but you had to pause between jerks. And it was also clear the KVD I was using, which was a Blue/Chrome in the medium size, was what they wanted. Shoedog switched to the medium 3 hook black back Suspending Rogue, and from then on it was pretty much even.
What we call a Fayette Fatty.
As most of the grass is dead, and some might just be emerging, it wasn’t our usual grass beds fish in 5 foot of water. But the rest was classic, back end channel bends and secondary points inside the coves. We might have caught one at or near the mouth of a cove, or on a main lake point, but that was it. The rest were about half way back in the coves on points and bends.
We kept the boat in 6 – 8 foot of water, and it seemed like most of our bites came in 2 – 4 feet of water. We were giving it a pretty good jerk, but you had to let it set a few seconds before you jerked it again. They were not knocking the crap out of it by any means but you could feel them tick it. I think the 58 degree water temp combined with almost no wind had them off, so some of the bites were tricky.
Fayette will spoil you. When catching 18 like this is so-so you know you are spoiled.
Before we quit about 4:30 we both ended up catching 9. I was surprised the Shoedog wanted to quit, he is usually one for catching that one more, to make it an even number. We caught 18, lost several each, and missed several more. So the action was fast enough to keep your attention. We rarely have a bad day there, some are just better than others, and today was one of those. But again how spoiled can we be?
********************
On the menu every day at the bay.
So next it is back to the bay on Wednesday. Another day of 75 degrees, and nights only getting into the 50’s, should really help the water temperature at the bay, and consequently the fishing. And I really want to wash the bad taste out of my mouth from the other day at Keller Bay. it is not often that I give up that easily. Once I get there I usually make a day of it, it is 110 mile round trip and I want to get my moneys worth. It will up early and off to have another go oat it on Wednesday. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
