FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Weather

Lake Level

Today 95.72 msl.   Thursday 95.74 msl.  (The lake is about 2.5 feet low and really dropping.)

Bite Time

 Major 7:46 am.    Minor 2:46 pm.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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No Wonder Nobody was at the Ramp

There was one truck in the lot when I got to the lake around 9:00 and they were running jug lines.  There was no one when I took out at 2:30. As a side note checking the cleaning table, they are smacking the catfish pretty good.  The other reports I am getting the crappie are tough and of course anytime you can win on the lake with barely 10lbs it is tough.  Besides talking to the “ramp watcher” who is there most evenings checking everyone else out, ran into a guy from Iowa, 50 miles from my hometown who is camping there and said he was having trouble catching keeper crappie.  But you know me.  Bad fishing, the temp at the ramp was 62, down 10 degrees and it was 58 way up lake, down 12, and to add to the conditions the wind was blowing a steady almost 20 straight out of the north and it was drizzling.  How could it get any better than that?

One of those Kentuckies that are not in Coleto Creek.

It was an interesting day; I did not miss a fish of the around 8 bites I got.  Really tough when you fish perfect when they are not biting worth a hoot.   Starting way up lake, it did not take long to tell it was going to be tough.  But today was the day I had to fish with Austin up tomorrow and then God knows what for weather starting Thursday, s0 you go when you can.  The first fish was the Kentucky and thinking back on it this is when I caught them last year, all were up the lake.  I did make a white bass pass but this up and down temp and falling lake has them backed off, but that should/will change soon.

Junebug swim jig with a 4″ Greenback Knockin Tail trailer.

3 jumped on the swim jig and the best one jumped off on the boat flip.  But as far as a what/where there is none.  From way up lake to within sight of the ramp it is literally one here and one there.  It seems like as soon as I changed baits one or two would get on, then nothing for long stretches.

Watermelon red stick worm off wood.

The shallow bite has slowed down significantly as the lake continues to drop.  Most of the brush is now out of the water, or at least does not have enough water on it to hold them that shallow.  It was just a tough day all around.  But I sure cannot blame the fish.  It does not matter, Lake of the Woods, Bull Shoals, or Falcon, the conditions today are not conducive to catching fish as a rule.

Spinnerbait.  Like I said last post I can catch on all of it but just cannot find “the bait.”

So the marginal lake fishing continues.  Hope to get back on the salt soon, but the weather will dictate all like it does this time of year.  But it does not matter to me, I am a fisherman.  Whether good fishing or bad, being out there is part of it.  We only get one run at this life and being outdoors is my happy place.  You cannot catch them or shoot them sitting on the couch watching the boob toob.  Get up and get out, it is good for the soul.

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I read the Game Warden Notes on the TPWD website every month and am occasionally amazed at the shear stupidity.  There is one interesting thing that happens every fall, folk’s road hunting, trespassing and other assorted dumbass moves.  Now obviously they are not all that smart or they would not be doing it.  Reminds me of New Years Eve and drinking and driving.  Breaking the law during the “season” when every game warden in the state is working is just plain stupid.  And when the judicial system starts meeting out stiffer penalties, by that I mean a loss of hunting or fishing privilege, it should help slow that kind of behavior down a little.  Very common these folks are repeat offenders and should be treated as such.

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Got this interesting comment from BJ.

I have been following these reports for a long time now and I want to say please keep them coming! It is very helpful when planning a trip to CC. I have a trip planned in late January.

At times I receive the occasional comment from folks who are not all that appreciative of my lake reports.  But just like meeting the 2 guys at the ramp the other day who read and appreciate my freshwater reports it is nice when I get a little lake feedback.  Anybody can be a one trick pony; I like to catch all fish in all places.   For me fishing variety is the spice of life, if you keep doing the same old thing you will get the same old results.   So thanks BJ, great to hear from you.

Mini Rant

And on that note I have always wondered why folks complain when there is not “enough” salt reports.  I realize that the majority of folks in this area fish the salt but as far as that goes I have one comment:  This site is free, I share information that others refuse to and try to tell it like it is.  Facebook is a perfect example of everything my reports are not.  Plenty of catch photos without any information and of course not a peep when fishing is poor.  I understand if you are a guide or tournament fisherman there might be a good reason to not share, but that is not the way I roll and never has been.  How fishing got to be some big secret is simply sad.

Counting a new laptop this month, I burned up the old one doing hundreds of reports, there are annual fees for hosting and domain registration, all at my expense.  The only ads you see on this site are free to the boys because I use and believe in their stuff, consequently I am not beholden to anyone.  (As a perfect example of everything this site is not would be an article in Saltwater Sportsman where the author touted all his sponsors with 53 mentions without really saying anything to help you catch a fish.  Sure………… you used all that stuff every time out.) This shit is not free to me so anytime anyone wants to pick up the tab we can talk about content.

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And this from my sister-in-law Vic in Florida.

These are some smart Sandhills.  We learned it in grade school:  Always cross with the light

Thanks.  That is just plain cool or weird, not sure which.

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Hope this was not to boring, but it won’t be long before the reports heat up.  And it will be interesting what may come of my time in Colorado.  Some snow shoeing, checking out new places, and looking for lion tracks when there is a new snow fall.  As we have not been there in January it will be interesting to see how the river is.  Southeast Colorado is being spared the big freeze out, and with the temps regularly hitting 40 plus in the daytime I might even boat a trout or two.  But no matter what there will be fishing.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck nad Tight Lines