FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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Weather

96/74.  Mostly sunny.  0% chance rain.  Wind SSE 10 – 20.

Lake Level

Friday  95.70 msl.   Today  95.57 msl.  (You can see it starting to drop.)

Solunar Times

Good   8:27 am to 10:47 am.

*********************Get inhaled!  

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It really is Ground Hog Day on the lake.  The mornings are the same, cloudy and calm.  The water temp was over 89 degrees at the ramp, rising to over 90 as the day wore on, so it is definitely on the rise.  There was no one at the ramp when I put in and headed up lake.  When I have it to myself I always wonder if I am the only nut around.

Humidity brought to you by the Gulf of Mexico.  It has been ugly.

I wish there was something astute or stunning to say but there ain’t.  The lake is basically stable and so is the fishing.  Today it was all wood, period.  Not a bite any other way.  And one thing that has been interesting is that they are rarely on the same piece of wood as the day before.  But they are on the wood.

For the summer doldrums I will take one like this any day.

I did try some different places again today, and if there is wood there just might be one close.  They do seem to prefer just a little bit deeper banks, but some of them have the least amount of cover.  So fishing off the bank on shallower places with wood will get you bit.

And there are just enough of these to make getting up worth it.

One thing that can be said for the numbers is they are consistent.  It was an easy dozen by time I quit at 12:30, and I caught one on the last place I fished.  Occasionally you will catch 2 or 3 in an area, but generally it is singles, and definitely the better fish are by themselves. And as far as cover, they definitely want the thicker stuff with branches.

Lots of smaller fish, some way smaller than these.  The second one is skinny like a few of them have been.

I find it interesting that the really steeper banks have not produced for me.  Again I cranked a deeper channel bank without a bite, surprising with the wind blowing.  But again, most of them lack enough good cover to make fishing them worth it.  That is where they should be and fishing slower and deeper might work.  And of course Carolina rigging on the big main lake points should be going strong but the wind has been a player.  Today, and the last few trips, it has started coming up around 8 – 9:00 and when it blows it has been getting after it.  But it is what it is.

They really seem to have no preference for the type of plastic, beaver style, senko, and I caught a few on worm today.  I thought that might work a little better but didn’t really make a difference.  Location, location, location.  I lost my last 3/8th tungsten weight so used a 1/8th which made the bait  fall slower, and that definitely did not help.  So I went to a 1/4 lead and they started hitting it again.  That slightly less difference gave them to much time to think about it without reacting, the heavier weight does get more bites.  No matter what lots of them are still swimming off with it and you never feel a “hit.”

Not a bad morning, though it really has been Ground Hog day all over again.  We are coming off a full moon so things will change a little the next week or so.  And with more rain coming in a couple of days we will have cloudy conditions which always helps.  Wednesday is the 4th so I will probably fish tomorrow and leave Wednesday to the rest of you.

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I did forget to tell you another story about my buddy Todd.  It was his lower unit that went out, then the blown tire and fender shredding, when we were at Mansfield.  All of that ended up running about $5k.  But the best part of the story is the next day he sent me a text of his rear view mirror hanging off the windshield.  It just fell off while he was driving.  Told him he better just stay in the house!  So remember next time your day sucks, you always have company.

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After posting about fishing POC with Billy I got this comment.

Three things.
A buddy of mine, may he R.I.P., didn’t call me Topwater Billy for nothing.
In reference to your Razorbacks statement:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci3afKw_mcY
It’s not a “good thing” to fish with me? What the hizzell…….lol(I think)?

First, from now on you will be Topwater Billy on the blog, if there was ever an appropriate nickname this is it.  And yes, my Hogs did flirt with disaster, and then disaster struck.  It will stick in their craw for a lifetime.  (Note:  Speaking of Flirting with Disaster I saw Molly Hatchett in Little Rock in the 80’s and they brought the house down.)  Fishing with you is fun but the last thing I need is someone enabling me to throw topwater all day.  I already have a buzzbait fetish.  But they sure did hit it all day last week and I definitely learned something.  We will do it again.

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With the 4th around the corner be careful out there.  Have a safe holiday no matter what you do.  I will be on the weather watch which will dictate where next.  The trout are still calling me, but a little change of location and tactics is in order.  Both fresh and salt, we are in full blown summer and so are the fish.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines