FISH CATCHING TRAVEL
While Michael, the owner of My Coast Outdoors, is a great bait maker he is also a heck of a fisherman. Here is a pic of the second one he caught over 5 in the last 2 days. He reports plenty of both trout and reds the last couple of days.
Both the Knockin Tail and his original Controlled Descent Lures caught fish. Remember this time of year to not overlook the Controlled Descent Lure, it is the perfect time for it. With what, and exactly where, he was doing it will remain a secret for the time being. All I can say is there are some good things coming on the horizon for My Coast Outdoors. Nice fish!
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A very interesting day. After looking at the forecast it looked like getting out at daylight might be perfect, and once it the front was supposed to get here, which it did, it was high north winds and a 20 degree temperature drop. Which was nuts as it was 74 degrees when I got up at 6:00. This has been one crazy fall. What made the front so cool today is I was way up lake and decided to head back down and fish a few main lake spots. Cruising along here it came, cold and blowing. It was actually following me and I would get out of it, and it was warm, then a gust would catch up and it would cool right off. Weird.
Nothing much has changed with conditions, low 70’s, stable level, and it is clearing daily now. First up was where I have been catching them and the bite was on. It was another one of those I am not guessing how many, but did a pass with the Honeydew Knockin Tail on a jig head, then the jerk bait, and then A Rig with a face full of Pearl Knockin Tails.
That will work. The Alabama Rig with Knockin Tail trailers caught them today.
The numbers were definitely on the Honeydew Knockin Tail. Hopped it off the bottom and then letting it fall, keeping contact with the bottom. Some were just there, others smacked it pretty good. There are definitely tons of small bass there, many under 12″, and they were a little pesky when I knew it was a good morning for better fish. But when you are catching them never look a gift fish in the mouth, unless it is to remove a hook!
After the first pass where I caught a wad of them it was time to re-fish with the jerkbait, which also produced fish. One did smack the crap out of it and I broke my line. It was my Lou’s Lure custom painted bait and I was bummed. No excuse for that. But I did find out the old standby Smithwick Rouge also got the job done just fine. (I have literally caught hundreds on it over the years.) So time to re-fish with the A Rig and Knockin Tails, and that produced some better fish.
And nothing like another double to keep it interesting.
I really am enjoying fishing the A Rig right now. When we had grass it was impossible to fish, now conditions are perfect. It catches fish big and small, and when we get some real cold weather, combined with the early pre-spawn, it might really get good. And then good fortune struck, as I re-fished the bank there was my jerk bait floating on top. That happens once in a blue moon and it made my morning. Love that thing.
The Honeydew Knockin Tail catches fish. And the jerk bait still doing its part.
It stayed good until about 10:00 and then it seemed to shut off. I hit one main lake bank and caught 4 on jerk bait, then could not buy a bite on anything. Before heading up lake to check on the whites I hit several other banks without so much as a pass at it. And the white bass did not pan out either, and then here came the front so I called it a good day. On the way in saw that the eagle is back, not sure if it is the same one but every year one or two come, and maybe this one rode the front down. Winter is coming, at least I hope so, and no better sign than seeing the eagle and all the Osprey around.
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Finally it looks like there is going to be a little bit of biological sense in the state of Oklahoma. They estimate that 70% of all bass in state lakes are under 14″, which is the legal limit and the result of the catch and release mind set by bass fishernen. The state is thinking of going to the limit which may include only 1 over 16″, the rest can be small. It is so needed in many places in this country.
Catch and release has worked, in fact it looks like to well. In my 50 years of chasing bass I have seen lakes come up and go down. In the old days our limit was 10 with no length. Of course that was stupid and liberal limits slowly changed all over the country. But those of us who fish multiple places know that there are now fish, the fishing is better than it was decades ago. So bass fishermen get lots of the credit for the resurgence of the bass. But it does have a downside.
Catch and release is used to belittle people who simply want to eat a bass, even if they are following the law. Bass fishermen need to take a breath, as long as folks are following the law they can eat bass until they puke, and it is none of your business. At this point we need to realize this is based on science. Oklahoma says bigger fish is not the ultimate goal of the proposed changes, it is simply to restore a balance. But one benefit it would take some of the pressure off the bigger fish. One thing we all know, a body of water can support so many pounds of fish per acre, and while they are all different, very few I have fished would be hurt by folks eating a few small ones which can only help the other bass.
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Next time you hear from me hopefully there will be some great pictures from the Moab area. Looks like there will be a cold front but nothing to whine about, we love the mountains and it comes with the territory. And if luck is with us, some sheep pictures. That area has the Desert Big Horn which I have not seen and photographed yet. So it is going to be a great week. And next up in the fishing department is a couple of days on the salt, either POC if windy, or north Padre and the Laguna. It is big fish time and I don’t want to miss it. Man I love this time of year, so much good fishing, so little time. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
