FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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Weather

75/88.  Times of clouds and sun with 40% chance of widely separated thunderstorms.  Wind ESE 10 – 15 mph.

Lake Level

Today  98.24 msl.   17 days ago  98.24 msl.   (After all that rain and it is right where it was.  They dumped a ton.) 

Bite Times

Minor  9:54 am to 10:54 am.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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This is what a $250 annual permit will get you in a morning of fishing!

My struggles on the lake continue.  When I pulled out of the ramp at 10:30 (Big storm coming.) there was a guy taking out his nice Ranger so we chatted.  Johnny’s experience this morning was the same as mine, one small one.  His came on a drop shot on wood, mine came way up lake pitching to cover.  Whatever is going on right now I am not the guy to go to for positive information.  I do know one thing, they are not in the stuff.  But we both agreed on one thing, it seems GBRA’s explanation of where the grass went, (The flood about 4 or 5 years ago.) seems to be bullshit, but that is another story.  We both think they killed it, but no proof that is the case.

As the water is still up I ran almost to the plant then way up the river just to get a feel for color and temp.  The water temp was in the mid 80’s and the color is a real tannic looking dark.  It did surprise me that way up the river the water color is fishable, no real mud line which I thought for sue there would be.  I went that way after fishing lots of shallow cover without success with lots of different baits.  Then it was a couple of deep points out to 20′ without a bite.  The one above came after pitching a mile of great stuff, and was the only bite I had all morning.  And I pitched over a mile of great looking cover.

The Coleto Creek Bassmasters have a tourney this weekend and I will be very interested in the outcome.  Here is my projection.  One big fish will be caught, the rest will be in the 6 – 8lb total for runners up since it is a 3 fish limit.  That is they way it has been going, so if you are in the club and reading this, please post the results so the rest of us mortals can see how it went.  Put enough people on the water and someone will get lucky/or figure it out.

So while there might be some usable information here, water color etc, unfortunately I am adding little to the discussion.  I guess the only type of fishing that is not in my wheelhouse, slow dragging a plastic on a Carolina Rig on deep ledges, just might be the way to go.  What ever has kept them from moving into all the fabulous looking cover is escaping me right now.  It just looks to good.  Guess I will remain a puzzled old man for the time being.  And it sure is humbling.

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And this from Anonymous.

Thank you for writing your “stuff”.

Thanks for reading.  Who knows, you might even get something out of this drivel.  At least  on the lake there is a primer on what not to do.  So keep reading, it keeps me writing.

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Headed out of town for a couple of days, then it will be back at it.  Time to head back to the Gulf, at least I can catch one.  It really is puzzling what is going on at the lake.  Maybe at times I am simplifying the question.  Is it lack of fish, or is this set of conditions the perfect storm?  As I did whack lots of big fish last month they are obviously not gone, it must be the perfect storm of conditions.  At least that is my story and I am sticking to it for the time being.  So in spite of my complete lack of success this morning keep stopping in, you never know, and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines