FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Check out the KnockerB.  If you like a one knocker you will like this as much as the trout do!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD – YOU MADE IT 88 YEARS IN SPTIE OF US!

(Please excuse the late post.  I am on the road headed to see the grandkids, and that is priority number 1.)

Coleto Creek

With the wind supposed to be 20+mph it was time to hit the lake.  I am sick of the wind, and it is blowing up to 30 as I write this.  But that aside I dropped the boat in the water around 8 and fished until 1:30.  It was one of those interesting days that come around on occasion, and it took me, or the fish, a while to get the hang of it.

The water was just a little higher than last time, in fact it is almost to the top of the small loading dock.  The water temp was 76 degrees and is still off-color.  And unfortunately I am still not seeing any emerging grass coming off  the bottom.  Hopefully we will get some grass back, but what has me more confused, is the water color has remained the same even when we have had no rain.  Makes me think something is going on up stream somewhere.  I know there is a big housing development and maybe it is runoff.  Will just have to see how it goes as we progress into summer.  But back to the fishing.

In the first cove I missed 6 or 7 fish, most on Bang O Lure and a couple on buzzbait.  But no big deal, it just must be one of those things.  And then a couple of hours later after maybe boating 3, and missing a bunch, I finally put 3 or 4 in a row in the boat.  Notice anything in the picture below?

Three in a row in the side or back.  And the other problem, of the 10 or so I did catch they were all this small.

They were rolling on it, boiling it, nipping at the buzzbait, they just were not aggressive.  A trailer hook on the buzzbait did not result in any more coming over the side.  In fact it was probably 1 out of 5 give or take a couple.

They were a little more aggressive in the afternoon. but I was still foul hooking them more than the old in the mouth stick.  The thing that is probably more important was they were all small.  I might have had one good one roll it, but they all looked the same.  That is probably the last day for serious topwater fishing unless we get one more cloudy day with drizzle and no wind.  I did catch several walking the dog with a white topwater, but most were on the Bang O Lure.  I tried windy banks with spinnerbait without success.

With the water level where it is right now it is time to start pitching and flipping that lizard.  There are plenty of banks with access to deep water that have great grass and cover.  And if the lake is going to have little grass this year rest assured they will take up residence in that thick stuff and stay there as long as there is water.

The day was hardly a success, especially since I had not fished in a while.  It will be interesting to see how the lake progresses this year, like last it will be different.  But I hope it is while before find out, I want to be fishing the bay.

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Shoedog spoke with whoever it was in Austin concerning the Lake Fayette closing and they told him that it will be closed for the time being and may be for a while longer.  So those of you who fish it are just going to have to keep checking to see when it reopens.  Hopefully it won’t be much longer.

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The Bassmaster Elite Series final day was on Lake Norfork with 12 competitors.  All but one caught a limit but Randall Tharp topped 16lbs to take the title and $100,000 in cash.  They caught about what I figured as to weight, and really big fish just did not appear at the weigh in.  The fishing there is just another animal compared to other areas of the country.  It was interesting how they went back and forth between lakes and it really did set up a different finish.  Often the guy leading the last day has found a pretty consistent place and pattern that allows him to hold on.  With this one they were back on Norfork where they had not fished for 2 days and it really was back to square one, a cool challange.  So congratulations to Randall Tharp and I am sure Mtn. Home is glad to be back to normal.

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Speaking for Bull Shoals Clyde was able to slip out for a few of hours and sent me a couple of pictures.

Now that is a smallmouth!

Caught this one on that Maribou jig on Sunday afternoon along with some smaller ones ,a keeper Kentucky  ; and a Bull Shoals crappie.

Nice Black Crappie – and I mean black during the spawning season.

With the  variety of species available in the Twin Lakes area Clyde has spent a lot more time fishing light line and maribou jigs, which will catch almost any fish anytime, anywhere.  Clyde could truly be labeled a multi-species fisherman in the mold of the guys at In Fisherman.  He never met a fish he did not like.  Thanks for the report Dude and we are 1 month to Canada.

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And Jim dropped a comment on the Chris and Clay gator story.

That was a great story; thanks for sharing….. It had everything in it including a threat message from the Boss about the picture taking.

Thanks for your comment, it was actually tamer than a few I received which normally included at least one or two expletives.

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I have more including a report from Shoedog amongst other things.  It will be good to see the parents and then my daughter and her family.  The two granddaughters are growing up fast.  We will also see the Shoedog as he is headed back to Arkansas for a couple of more days of fishing.  I sure hope the wind is down next week, I am really ready to get back topwater fishing.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines