FISH CATCHING TRAVEL
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Don’t Leave Home Without It. I don’t!
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After a basketball weekend time to at least fish for a little bit. And boy were the games good. It was 42 degrees when I got up this morning so it is just a matter of waiting for it to get around the 50 degree mark before heading out. Plus I would suspect that if they do bite the afternoon would seem to be better, but as usual, you only know when you go.
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Fresh or salt it has a place in your arsenal.
Weather
61/40. Sunshine and clouds mixed with 0% chance of rain. Wind NNE 10 – 15mph.
Lake Level
Today 98.09 msl. Friday 98.07 msl.
Solunar Times
No relevant period today. Day classed as poor.
The Fishing Met My Expectation
I figured it would be tough with the big cold front, and if there was a bite it would be in the afternoon, and both were correct. I waited until after 10:00 when it finally reached 50 degrees. When I got to the lake the wind was out of the North at 15 mph and it was not exactly pleasant. The first indication of things to come, the water temp at the ramp was 65 degrees, down 5 since Friday. And the rest of the lake, 66 or so. One back end of a cove was 63, a 14 degree drop from Friday. In fact, there was a couple of times I made a move and wondered if the gauge was stuck. So in some places the water temp dropped a good 10 degrees. And the first place was a good indication of the affects of the front.
In the first cove 8 took a run at the Bang O Lure, and only 3 hooked up, all small. Their heart was not in it. But the one pattern that continues to hold fish is coves with grass. It won’t be long even at this slow drop where those places will be done. So after at least seeing some fish up in the first cove I headed up lake to fish my “old reliable” banks, where the temp had dropped 8 degrees and it had some color. And like it has been the fishing up lake is not as good as down lake. I intentionally fished a long stretch with a swim jig, and only caught a small with no other bites. So I headed back in a big cove up lake and caught 3, again all smalls. A couple on the pearl Controlled Descent Jerk Shad and one on spinnerbait.
After that a couple of main lake banks that usually are good spinnerbait banks this time of year and nothing. It was getting late so time for the most consistent cove the last month. And 6 or 7 jumped on, again all small males. It was the same place where I flipped the wood on Friday without success. Today twitch the Jerk Shad by a stump or lay down on the same bank and out they came. You never know. One more cover produces another 4 or 5, again all on the Jerk Shad. So they were definitely biting. And there are beds, not sure if I can see them better as the water clears, or they are new. I slid over to look at a big bed and one eased off when I got close. I don’t bed fish, but if you do it looks like it is available right now. So at 6:30 I called it a day. No pictures, trust me they were dinks and I sure don’t want to look at them again. But the day went exactly like I expected.
It looks like there is going to be a later spawn. There were several beds here and there, it seems the cold front just ran the better ones off. So while today was less than stellar, it was to be expected. I still believe the good fishing is yet to come, maybe in the next few days. But with it being 36 degrees this morning it might be a day or two. But the sun is shining and hope springs eternal. I am a glass half full fisherman, and expect to fill that glass every time I get on the water.
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And Rusty our Fayette guru sent along this comment.
Good morning Doug! After a long fight with the flu, I am back on the water. Fayette lake has been giving up lots a fish if you can dodge the craziness of the spring break crowd. I was throwing a watermelon lizard most of the time. From 2′-12′ . Couple of us fly tyers are tying at the annual Sowbug show in Mountain home this weekend. Of course, we are also trout fishing and have been catching some nice rainbows and browns. Weather is about to change so outcomes the big boy gear .
Tight lines my friend,
Rusty
Looked up the Sowbug Roundup and it looks like all things fly tying. And best of all you get to wet a line in the White. When I moved there a fly fisherman was a rare sight. We called them “Beaners”. Now before anybody gets their panties in a wad it was not a racial slur, it was a shopping slur, as in LL Bean. One thing that makes the White what it is is pretty good access, and there are fish in every inch of it. So have a good time and maybe that 15lb brown will cooperate. I just might slip up to Fayette this week on one of the poorer weather days, keeps folks to a dull roar. And it is going to be cool here too so bundle up. Good to hear from you.
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A Dilemma
I have a problem that lots of folks would love to have, I can go somewhere next week, as in anywhere within reason. Australia would be my first choice but lets not get totally carried away. So for this week I will be looking at Norfork Lake, Grand Isle, Falcon, Amistad, the Laguna, and anywhere else I can think of. Now one might think that would be a simple proposition, but hardly so. With the fishing in full spring mode in all those places, and the weather beginning to settle some, all are in play. It would be nice to stay at one of the old resorts I used to guide for on Norfork. There is a lot to be said for having the boat in a stall and just walking down and fishing, plus the time is right in North Arkansas and it would be a short learning curve. Louisiana would be several days of redfish on spinnerbait, love the Fourchon marsh. And big bass on Falcon, what is not to like about that? So I will fret, and look, and fret, and watch the weather, and fret. But if that is my biggest problem right now no worries!
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Tommy, a reader who is a good tournament fisherman and holder of a lake bass record dropped me comment after my big fish the other day. He catches a lot of big fish and wondered if the one I caught on Friday was 7 or 8, and I believe he was exactly right. Since I don’t weigh them anymore I never put a guess on the big girls, it keeps the trolls down. But that one Friday was a big bodied, egg swollen pig. When I lifted her out of the water the weight was immediately apparent. One thing about pictures, they either do them justice or not. In this case she was all that.
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And I got this comment from Donny and all I can say is better late than never.
Ok saw your post 3/25/19 Coleto Creek.
Also saw your list for 2012, kind of late I know, but I can help you with two items.
#3. Take at least 5 new people fishing with me.
I volunteer.
#8. Figure out the crappies on Coletto Creek.
Been meaning to try this, maybe white bass too.Went to high school in victoria (before they made the lake), live down in rockport now, not too far to drive up and chase crappie or whites.
I always wonder how much of this thing folks read. But from 2012! So tell you what, we can at least deal with number 3 at some point. The whites are done here until they set up on their summer haunts down lake a couple of months from now, but the crappie never stop biting on Coleto. So I will keep your email address and when the urge strikes to catch a few for the pan I will drop you a note. Thanks for reading.
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This spring has been nothing short of a weather adventure. We have had extremes day to day, and often in the same day, and this weekend was a perfect example. It blew so hard last night it shook the house. And our high basically went from 75 to 50 degrees, and it was 45 degrees when I got up this morning and will not see the 60’s for 2 days. What is interesting is we are down over 3″ in rainfall even with front after front. And though it drizzled some this morning it looks like it won’t amount to much. The weather has played a bigger role in my fishing decisions this year than any I can remember. And it will be the most important factor in where I head in a week.
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Looking at the weather for the rest of the week it looks like Friday will be bay day. I haven’t spent a day boat fishing for reds in while, but it is hard not to get in the water with them. And after today’s sun and warming temps the lake should get the bass going and with clouds and rain in the forecast the next couple of days it should be big fish time. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
