FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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I am still trying to figure out why we did not catch any bigger trout.  They generally run in the same class but the small ones were every place we fished and we just did not touch any good ones.  Tomorrow it is off to the lake for what is my Monday morning routine.  If the Boss was not getting back in the afternoon I would have headed to Fayette, but that along with the possibility of serious rain rules out that drive.  So it will be up early and gone as soon as it is safe, don’t mind the rain but not interested in being the main course at a barbeque.

Weather

88/76  Cloudy with morning thundershowers.  80% chance.  Wind SSE 10 – 20 mph.

Lake Level

Today  95.81 msl  (It has already dropped a little.)  Last  Thursday  95.84 msl

Solunar Times

Best 9:06 am to 11:06 am.

*********************Get inhaled!  

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It was dead calm when I got to the lake at 6:30.  The humidity was off the chart and the mosquitos, as the kids say, OMG.  They were thick and hungry.  Just getting the boat reading to launch, and I am fast, was something and there were a dozen in the truck when I headed home.  It just started to rain, and it would do so for most of the morning until I quit at noon.  At one point the thunder was getting close but it went around me, saving me a ride to hide under the bridge.

It has looked like this in the morning for the last couple of weeks.  Beautiful.

I went way up lake to see the water color and it had some color but was not muddy.  For the amount of rain we got it is surprising.  With it dead calm of course I started with a buzzbait and caught 4 0r 5, and they all looked like this.  They were just pulling it under with hardly a splash and I should have added a trailer hook, I would have caught a couple more.  Then the wind finally started, and from then on it was a good 20 mph with white caps near the dam and on and off rain.  So I switched to pitching, and today other than losing a good one in a bush, they all ran the same size, and I will spare you the pictures.

They were barely slurping it under this morning.

There was an interesting happening when I pitched to a deep log, one thumped it, and in the boat it came.  A crappie.  So I tossed it right back in there and thump, number 2.  So I left them alone, for now.  But there is definitely a fried crappie dinner in my future.  Not carrying a crappie rod with me is stupid as Coleto crappie are everywhere.

Been a while since I caught a couple, and it sure wasn’t pitching big plastics.

At this point, 10:00, the wind was blowing hard so I headed down lake to several deep main lake/channel banks and threw crankbait.  It was perfect conditions for it, to bad the fish were not having it.  I tried both a shad color and red crawdad without a bite.  So after a couple of hours, and 3 or 4 places, I called it a day.  There was another round of rain coming on the horizon and I got the boat loaded just in time, but not without the mosquito assault.

Wish I had the good camera with me, there were 4 or 5 more there.  Made me hungry!

Boy was the wildlife on the move.  The deer were eating that nice new grass and the big gators were cruising around looking for that last little bit to eat before calling it a night.  And something fairly unusual on Coleto, I saw a big water snake.  You see them occasionally but I have a feeling being a water snake is probably not the best career choice with the number of good fish in the lake.  And the last couple of times out the turkeys have been talking some, it was just a great day to be outdoors.

The fishing is consistent right now, mostly smalls for me with the occasional good one in the mix.  I definitely should have pitched all morning but it just looked like a buzzbait kinda day.  And not getting a bite on crankbait surprised me, but at least I tried.  So the 10 – 20 fish a trip continues, with one caveat, do not lose your good bite because that will probably be the only one you get.

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The CCA mag, Tide, had an interesting article about the trout spawn. To make a long story short, I learned something. There are definite spawning areas that are used DAILY from mid April to mid September and it occurs in the evening. It basically debunks the old wife’s tale that spawning occurs on the full moon.  And according to the article they spawn on a variety of places, a mix of cover and places, but there are definite “spots”.  The gist of the article is our trout population is going strong.

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On the travel front we just had a brush with awesome, but the timing is just not right.  My daughter and her husband contacted us wanting to know if we would go to South Africa with them in November.  Unfortunately we have a wedding, but it could have happened.  Round trip tickets right now are around $650, which is as cheap as it ever gets.  They are going to safari, and folks, if it has ever been on your bucket list check it out.  There is no time like the present.  It really is an eye opening experience.

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My buddy Aaron really wants to catch a couple of red snapper.  Anyone out there need a couple of tag alongs?  Of course we would help with gas, cleaning, etc, all the stuff that goes with fishing offshore.  So if you are headed out give us a shout and maybe we can get together and sack a few.

Next week Baffin Bay Area. We had a great day today on bank I’m going back to next weekend. Top water was on.

From sunrises to sunsets keep a tight line

And speaking of Aaron, he and a friend did catch some good fish today in Baffin.  Just goes to show you, sometimes it is all in the timing.

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I love it when folks send their pictures.  And Tommy V sent me his best one day 5 fish limit, and it is a nice one.

This is one big ass limit!

(Hope these came out ok, always have Problems downloading phone pics.)

My personal best 5 bass….fished an area of the lake where I  have caught some good bass….I am a kvd type fisherman,  I like to fish fast and cover as much water as possible….here are my top 5 bass that day..8.12,  8.1,  7.7,  7.1,  6.13….37lbs 15 oz.  All released to fight another day.

He did not say where or when, but that really is not the point.  That is a great string of fish and it is the kind that keeps us all coming back.  So congrats on an epic day.  And as far as the KVD thing, you sure have a KVD style limit!  Thanks for sharing and comment anytime.

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Tomorrow will be a get stuff together day, then hopefully back on the water Wednesday.  The big thing tomorrow, get my AARP card and my insurance to go along with medicare.  (When you are young 65 is a lifetime away, and now here it is.  Never thought I would make it!)   Not sure where or how, but will have to see what the weather brings.  I can honestly say I am getting dang tired of the wind.  Of course it usually is a hassle for us, the fish don’t don’t seem to mind it near as much.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines