FISH CATCHING TRAVEL
I was trying to decide where to fish when 2 things happened, and both ended up with me deciding to fish the lake. First up when checking the lake level according to their website it dropped almost 2 feet since last Thursday after being relatively stable for a couple of months. Why has it come down like that? Who knows, but it is the one thing I have worried about. So then I check the weather and see the wind forecast. 16 – 31 mph! Where in the hell did that come from? There has not been enough wind to blow out a candle the last couple of weeks. Might even get the spinnerbait out if it blows like that. With those 2 things in mind it will definitely be the lake. Crazy times this summer.
Weather
99/78. Sunshine and some clouds with winds gradually subsiding with a 25% chance of rain, will feel like 106 degrees. Wind SSW 16 – 31 mph.
Lake Level
Last Thursday 97.95 msl. Today 95.99 msl. (What! This apparent drop happened in only a couple of days according to the website.)
Bite Time
Major 8:09 am to 10:09 am.
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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.
For all your wading needs.
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One cool sunrise!
It was a beautiful morning. The lake has definitely gone down a foot, the water temp was still in the low 90’s, and the color has deteriorated just a little in some places. I wish the picture above was better, it was something. The clouds on the right and a line where the red started, which I think is the dust thing we have been experiencing lately.
Since it was still basically dark when I started it was the buzzbait on the best place, which definitely has been affected by the drop in water level. In fact, after fishing all morning and catching 7 bass it appears the better fish must have backed off some as I did not have a big bite all morning, and the spoon and Knockin Tail got the only good bites.
The spoon and Knockin Tail saved the morning.
Like the other day when they bit it was one after the other. On the first place 4 smalls jumped on the buzzbait, 3 on about 5 casts. On the next place 3, including the ones above, jumped the spoon and Pearl Knockin Tail, in about 5 casts. Other than that it was a few half hearted bites here and there but it has definitely slowed down. Around 10:00 the wind started just a little, where they came up with 20 – 30 mph for a high wind today I do not know as it did not ever start really blowing before quitting. So just for the morning finish I trolled to the ramp area before calling it a morning.
A couple of catfish trolling back to the ramp.
Besides these 2 catfish a couple of small bass hooked up, and one good one pulled off. Most of the stuff I saw this morning seemed to be in the 15′ range, and the shad seem to have broken up some, what appeared to be small schools tended to be right on the bottom. So after catching a total of 11 time to call it day. On getting in the truck it was already showing 90 degrees, no wonder I was hot.
The morning was not a complete bust, the falling water had them a little off from what it has been. We can only hope that whatever led to that stops and the water level stabilizes. And on the way in saw several folks crappie fishing, including one boat that caught 2 in just the time it took to pass them. Folks are fishing straight up and down with minnows, and it has been good the last month from folks I talked to or have seen putting them in the boat. All I have to say about the lake, bring on fall.
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I did want to mention that by putting a high quality small swivel on the front of the spoon, with the clip removed, did not hurt anything and it comes through the stuff just fine. A split ring on both ends solved the twist problem, still a little but not something to worry about. And another trick is to tear off a small piece from a old plastic and thread it on the hook so that it gets right to the bend. Then put the Knockin Tail on and it will keep it from sliding down the hook, and it runs much better. The punch line, keep the plastic straight with the spoon and you will get more bites.
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Things are sure tough in Louisiana, and the videos today of the damage at Grand Isle are heart breaking. The motel is basically gone. The dock and store, while standing, are trashed and the fuel tanks are gone. There is a fresh video driving down the main drag which is stunning in the amount of damage. And if you think about it the damage runs for 60 miles north of there. This is going to take months and years to fix, and who knows how many folks will just give up in Grand Isle, it is ugly. So all the best to Buggie and his wife Dodie, along with the rest of the Bridgeside family, folks are pulling for you.
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Basically I am just treading water until I hit the road to Colorado in a week or so. Starting to really get excited about the fishing, and the cooler weather. Visions of being on top of the mountain at daylight listening for elk and searching for the elusive Bighorn. Not sure why I get so obsessed with sheep, it probably came from watching World Wide Sportsman back when there were really no other outdoor shows. Every week I hoped for sheep and marlin. I got the marlin, the sheep will just have to be with a camera, but that is fine by me. Will be back on the water sometime but until then I am dreaming of the afternoon hatch and trout blowing up on a hopper. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
