FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Brought to you by

**For a super deal on your Wade Right use promo code FCT15 and get 15% off on your online order!**

Thought I would slide in one more lake morning before the rain gets here.  According to the weather dude, he is not all that reliable, it is going to start raining soon and keep on raining on and off for days.  We can only hope.

Weather

94/74  Scattered rain and thunderstorms.  50% chance.  (It sprinkled)  Wind SE 10 – 20mph.

Lake Level

Today  95.01 msl   Tuesday  95.10 msl   (And the drop continues.)

Solunar Periods

Good  5:35 am to 7:35 am.  (Yep)   Best  11:19 am to 1:19 pm.  (Yep)

*********************

Get inhaled!  Dealing with grass, nothing beats the Controlled Descent fished weedless, it comes through like a champ.

*********************

As I headed up lake at daylight it was just about dead calm.  The water is clearly about to really get low, the drop was visible from just 2 days ago.  The temp was 87 at the ramp and was 91 on the main lake at 12:30 when there was thunder on both sides of me and I called it a morning.  First up was swim jig, and before I got done with the first bank 5 jumped on, and it would continue like that off and on all morning.

There are a few good ones out there if you keep after it.  Caught pitching to wood.  A big head slim body girl.

Basically from daylight until 10:30 or so I stayed with the swim jig and whenever a piece of cover, they are getting few and far between, presented itself I pitched the 5″ watermelon red stick worm with a 3/8th tungsten weight.  About half of them just started swimming with it, so if it moves, hit it!  Unlike Tuesday the fish were clearly up and active everywhere and there were very few periods where I was not catching fish, though like usual most were small.

Later in the morning I headed up the other arm and of all things ran into a reader.  He was just on a boat ride and asked if I was that guy.  Guilty as charged.  It is so nice to meet folks who read this blog.  At times I wonder if anyone is out there and it is nice to know you are.

Pitching was clearly the way to go today, Especially when the sun was out.

The first bank I fished up that arm was where the swim jig had been working and it was surprising to not get a bite.  So I re-fished it with a buzzbait and caught one and missed another.  The wind was finally up a little, not near what the forecast said, so I stuck with the buzzbait for a while.  I caught 5 or 6 on it, but still can not get that bite from a big girl.  You would think I would give it up, but until they stop hitting it I will not stop throwing it.  Especially on one of the cloudy rainy days coming.  But again, see the one on the left, whenever I got to a good piece of cover I would pitch.  And cover with good deep water nearby is clearly better than the shallow stuff.  The way the lake is falling they are not having that type of places right now.  And of course points, always points this time of year.

Basically the little deeper cover was the best, and while most were small, and I caught a bunch, it was good fishing.  It was an easy 20+ this morning.  Taking into account the current falling water and high temps the fishing was pretty good.  Some of that may have to do with the coming front.  The deer and hogs were out, I saw several gators and even a racoon on the shoreline eating something that was fairly crunchy from the sounds of it.

Also they were jerking crappie all over the lake and I actually saw several folks actually catching them.  And from what I am seeing the crappie are biting all over the lake, just pick a place.  And one string I know of was caught out of 20′ so they are out there.  And for you hard core bass fishermen the big long points on the lower end of the lake should be hot right now if you like to fish deep.  So in spite of the weather and conditions fishing on the lake is not to bad.  To bad it is so freakin’ hot.

*******************

Tommie V, after sending me the pic when he and his girlfriend won the Coleto Bassmaster Tournament, sent me this very cool picture.

Broke the sheldon lake record using my flyrod.  I was catching crappie using a bass popper when I noticed a big swirl.  I maneuvered the boat in order to make a perfect cast….well she liked the presentation….I think I’m still shaking.

It was caught 4/11/18.  24″  9.23 lbs.

All I can say about that is wow!  That is a hoss!  Where preparation and opportunity intersect and you got the job done.  Nothing like that memory, way to go.  Thanks for sharing and as this is an open forum for anyone to send me stuff, feel free to keep it up.  And it looks like you have had a pretty good spring.

**********************

I have been slowly updating some things on the flats boat, and the trolling motor is next.  Over the decades I have settled on Minnkota but they do have 2 flaws, one is the way the head is mounted on the shaft.  Basically it gets shook loose and I do not understand why they do not have a better way.  And when you get the variable speed if you leave the handle extended it slowly shakes and then turns on.  I have had mine fixed twice by 2 different places and it is still shaking loose and starts running as I drive, so time for a change.  I must admit since it has been on the boat for 8 years and lived a hard life there really is not much to complain about.   Just break out another grand!  I have the new one but it looks like unlike past boats this is a mounting nightmare.  It is always something.

*********************

I heard from my buddy Aaron and he has been smoking the trout somewhere near Rockport.  If you remember I posted that giant he caught a month ago, and he is still on a roll.  Give that boy some water and a rod and he is the best fisherman I know by a good bit.  So he has them found and it looks like next weekend he is going to take me to the promise land.  In an interesting aside, he reports that he is adding fish bites to his plastics and they are slamming it.  Fishing with him both fresh and salt he is always looking for that little extra, and when he finds it, and he usually does, it is game on.  Can’t wait!

**********************

This has been an interesting stretch when you consider all the different fish and places I have been after the last 6 weeks.  Now with a trip with Aaron next week, and maybe a trip to Falcon if the weather will cooperate, it is a good run and I hope it continues.  And I hope to fish with Michael from Controlled Descent in the near future.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines