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*El Capitan, June 30th
Solo. on alum./ 4 bass me (0 frog fish, 2
buzz, 2 Plopper).
Water 79 end/ Air 85-90, usual afternoon winds.
4 p.m. till 8 p.m.
Started w/ Plopper at ramp, got a two. Worked grass cove, starting left
side at the point and worked back. Frog and Plopper, nada. Saw 'Pink
Fishing' boat, two guys doing well on the buzzbait, through mine
afterwards, and the Plopper, got one in the back on it, another two
pounder.
Click photo to enlarge.
Buzzbait is THE lure right now, for sure
Went to the dam, got two
blowups on the Plopper, then worked backwards towards the island, but
after the rock pile ran into two guys and went around them, almost to the
point, got one on the buzzbait. Went around the point and worked the
island cove grasses, finally hitting the back, now all in shadows. Nada on
the Gunfish, surprising as few days earlier was good. Got one on the
buzzer, then back to the ramp for last 15 minutes, nada.
*El Capitan, June 26th
With Mike C.. on alum./ 6 bass me (0 frog
fish, 2 buzz, 2 Plopper/ Mike 2 on plastics).
Water 79 end/ Air 85-90, usual afternoon winds.
1 p.m. till 8 p.m.
Mike joined me at the lake around 3. I'd caught a couple of fours in the
chop at the ramp area on the Plopper, after fishing the back area for
nada.
Click photo to enlarge.
The Whopper Plopper is coming into play
more and more as the water heats up. TUL.
We went around there, then the grass cove a few hundreds yards down
towards Conejos direction. Mike got one, I nada on the frog, just blow
ups. Weird, did so well there week before.
Worked the shore by the dam,
then the grasses on way back, nada.
Ended up at the island at
dusk, and got into them w/ the gunfish after finding two young men
reporting sucess back there (was an area I got no blowup on the frog after
four trips there, but figured they were there). Got two landed, two pounds
ea., lost two monster in the grass (20# braid on spinner set up). Told
Mike to tie on a gunfish, he had a popper and got two blowups, no fish.
Click photo to enlarge.
The Gunfish is a go to bait for 'busters'.
In this case blind
casting between grass patches was the right application.
OH, threw the frog on the
grasses between dock and third 'walk though' with it got a giant explosion
(a sixer or larger), but fish did not stick- dang.
*El Capitan, June 20th
With Pastor Paul O.. on alum./ 9 bass me (6 frog fish,
2 buzz, 1 Plopper/ Paul 4on Berkley Power Craws and d/s senkos).
Water 74.5 start, 79 end/ Air 85-90, usual afternoon winds, sun-city till
late afternoon, then thin layer of clouds.
10.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.
Paul met me at the usual 7-11 spot at 9.30 a.m. and he put the gear in my
alum. boat. We were on the water by 10 a.m. and off to fish 'ramp cove'
where I'd got a 7 lb first cast a few days earlier. I got two on the
buzzbait working the shallows further back, and Paul got two blow ups off
a buoy in the middle, both dead-sticked. First on a plastic Spook type
lure, and the other a frog. Firsts never hooked up, the second he fought
for a few seconds, but lost it. Took about two hours to fish the area.
We shot over to the island,
now a peninsula, and we worked the left side to the back, then around. I
got two on the frog, then a blow up on the 'back side'. This probably took
an hour to an hour and a half. We then motored back across the whitecaps
over to the long point/cove on the east side, and we worked our way around
the giant cove, now on our third battery. Many grass areas and I got
another in 'open water' above a batch in the back left corner. Worked
further around, the 'giant patch' netted me another. Then past the small
point and got one on the corner, then to the back and got one there that
went airborne after bring the frog off the shore. Paul started getting
them on Berkley Power Craws and d/s Senko's, watermelon. He ended up w/
four, all in this cove. Some others got off too.
Finished this area around 4:15, and decided to work the ramp cove again,
so we did. About an hour and a half. Got one final fish, Whopper Plopper,
a good 2.8 fish that thought she was a 10. I did too for a second. TUL!
*El Capitan, June 13th
With Mike C. on alum./ 3 bass me (two frog fish,
1 buzz, Mike one on fluke).
Water 74.5, Air 85, usual afternoon winds, sun-city.
5.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m.
Arrived and waited for Mike to show, he got tickets and we were off. The
bite on busters was reported to be happening at the ramp, so I motored
over w/ the trolling motor, tossing the Gunfish here and there. Noticed I
was picking up grasses and picked up the frog and tossed it on them, far
from shore. While looking down at the trolling motor foot pedal and then
reeling up the slack I felt a fish pulling the rod and the line moving
down and over, so I reeled like crazy and notice the line was slipping,
I'd not set the drag yet. I did so while reeling and felt the fish, a
large one. I set the hook some more yet did not want to tear it out, so I
fought it and she jumped- wow, a lunker. I called Mike and he got the net
after I tried to do it myself twice, and we got her in. Miracle, as the
hook was just skin hooked by and 1/8 in in the roof of her mouth.
Click photo to enlarge.
This 7.0 ate the frog after landing, toilet
flushed it as it did not make a sound.
We fished the busters but
they were far and few between, for about an hour, heading north as we did.
Noticed grasses and we worked them, frogs and Mike mixed it up as usual.
We ran to the rock pile towards the dam, on the right side, and then to
the buoy line, nada. I threw the Punker along the shore, and the frog on
the grasses as we found them, nada. By 9 we had reached the grasses by the
island I'd done well at, nada. By 10 we were on the back side, and I
tossed the frog and worked it slow- BAMMO, a nice three pounder, cool.
Click photo to enlarge.
This 4.8 was blind in one eye and the other
was looking bad too.
I worked the island point and
got blown up on with the Punker, darn. We worked the grasses back towards
ramp after that, a large cove that did not produce earlier but looked
good. We fished further back and coming out I tossed the buzzbait on a
clear area off a point and BAMMO again, a nice 4.8 pounder slammed it so
hard, and fought so hard, I thought it might be a DD, but no. Mike was
finished at 1 p.m., he had to go, and I continued by the ramp for another
hour and a half for nada.
*El Capitan, June 9th
Solo on alum./ 3 bass me (two frog fish, 1
Punker ).
Water 74, Air 80, usual afternoon winds, sun-city.
6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Arrived and started working the grasses by the island where I'd done well
the week before, nada. In fact, I did not get but one blow up before 10
a.m., could have stayed home and slept. BUT I might have missed a big one.
When I did get one, a 2 pounder, I got another in short order, that hit
and then came back after I swung and missed the hookset, luckily not far
away as she came back in less than a second and inhaled it, another 2
pounder.
Worked the other side of the
area, around the peninsula really as the island is high and dry, it's
usually an island, for more blowups. Continued down the shore towards
Conejos, and into Conejos. Nada and the arm was even lower. Buzzbait did
not work this time. Batteries dying and went to bathroom arm after trying
the points, more nada.
Headed back but stopped at
back area of island again, more blowups, a real big one, nada. Worked the
rock point in the white caps and got a nice three pounder on the Lunker
Punker.
*El Capitan, June 2nd
Solo on alum./ 4 bass me (one frog fish over
5 lbs).
Water 74, Air 80, usual afternoon winds, with thin clouds/sun.
2.20 p.m. till closing, 7.45
Arrived and started working a rock pile now showing over towards the dam,
n. shore, big baits (L. Punker), for nada. Started working shore and
noticed some grasses, started tossing the frog. Got an explosion, and that
kept me interested. Kept working north east and bended the corner and
worked 'island bay' at this point, missed another fish and second weed
patch got smashed and found myself fighting a fish taking 65 lb test down
into the weeds. Got it up and landed, very tough fight. Ended up being
just over 5 lbs.
Click photo to enlarge.
The first was a nice frog fish, over 5 lbs.
Kept working that bay and got
some more blow up. Worked the island, with frog and Punker, then the back
bay, more blowups. Worked the shore towards Conejos and then ran to
Conejos Arm but no grass beds found. The shallows back there gave me
interest and got one on first cast of the Lunker Punker, about 3 lbs.
Click photo to enlarge.
Got a nice one on the Lunker Punker
in the back of Conejos Arm.
Kept working that bay and
tossed the Gunfish towards the back of the back cove and got another
explosion, nice2+.
Click photo to enlarge.
Gunfish got me the third fish on as
many topwater lures.
Realized the size of the flats
might better be fished with a buzzbait, and patted myself on the back
after the first cast with it, as half way to the boat I got the fourth of
the day, and figured I get a bunch now that I had such early luck/skill on
it.
Click photo to enlarge.
Buzzbait fish, the fourth on the
fourth different topwater bait.
Yeah, figured it be easy
money, but after 30 more casts no more on the buzzbait. Worked my way back
out of the arm, and ran back to 'island cover' to re-fish the grass beds,
after stopping on the points and tossing the Punker. The winds made it
tough, and the grasses did not produce another. Left at 8.15, after
getting back to the docks at 7.50, sunset was at that time.
*Otay Lake, Chula Vista, CA USA, May 28th
Solo on alum./ 4 bass me
Water 78, Air 80, usual afternoon winds, with thin clouds/sun.
Noon till closing, 7.45
Arrived and asked what worked for guys as they left, some top early
morning but nothing now, some on Senkos at Bushlow's, etc. So started
fishing the back right of Harvey's, last cove area and to far back. Used
Punker, Gunfish and chatterbait a bit, all for nada. Frog too, especially
in far back, which does not go that far anymore, lake is way down and
tulles almost not in water now.
Called James Nelson, who was
driving out when I was going in, he'd fun fished (he's a guide, one never
knows), and he reported some in same area, before grasses area, on
jerkbaits, especially flukes. I went to that area, but
Click photo to enlarge.
The first was a nice sizes 3.62, the
biggest
landed for the day, and a real fighter.
kept trying the Gunfish, knowing something should
attack it, and started getting into them with some busters I found.
Worked the busters for about an hour, they were far and few between, with
two blow up and 'no-sticky', so worked my way towards Harvey's opening,
the right side, then the point, got one, and then around the point,
then across to work shadows, more blowup and more fish.
At the end of the day one monster toilet flushed that little Gunfish and
stripped off 20# buttoned down drag/braid and burying itself in the
grasses in 2.3 seconds. This was over a weed bed in Otay Arm- dang.
*Mazatlan, Mexico., May 23rd
With 'tour group' of 5, out of El Cid Marina
Sport fishing.
1 blue Marlin
Eight pack boat.
Water ? Air 90, windy and sunny.
Yep, deep sea, TUL! Our tour guide Herbert Kellner decided too add this
onto our 'Gold hunting Mexico' one week tour and I'm glad he did. We got
on the boat (5 of us) at 7.30 and sped out about 15 miles and then slowed
and started
trolling. We came up on two batches of floating gallon jugs tied together
with 10 yards of line but no one
was home.
Click photo to enlarge.
Our boat was one of these, an Aries.
We continued out to 23 miles and paralleled the coast, slowly in an
s curve pattern. We saw a sailfish, which is in season, and quickly
circled it at a faster rate twice, but no go. The about 9.30 we got
hit on the right side (looking back), which was Herbert's pole, but it did
not stick.
Click photo to enlarge.
View from our hotel restaurant
The captain picked up the
other outrigger and pumped the lure, so both outriggers were now being
pumped. In the pandemonium when he got a hit and it stuck I yelled out the
ladies name that I thought whose rod it was, then realized it was 'my
pole' as it was the outrigger one, not the one on the bottom deck that was
hers, and the deckhand brought it down and instructed for me to seat in
the fighting seat and I started the fight, which we guessed took about a
1/2 hour.
Click photo to enlarge.
Looking for fish/ fighting a blue marlin
It tail walked about 5
minutes into the fight, at first emerging and coming directly towards us
from just 30 years
away, thus giving the captain a
scare as well as the other anglers and myself. I'd seen where a billfish
had come into the boat with all that unspent energy, thrashing around with
that weapon attached to it's face). The others backed into the cabin while
the captain floored the boat so as to give us distance, almost sending Herbert overboard
as he was filming me.
Luckily it dove and came up again moments later, now tail walking across
the stern from right to left another 20 or 30 yards. It was an absolutely
spectacular sight, one I'll never forget.
Click photos to enlarge.
First blue marlin, Right- standing Mikel,
me, Gitta, Angie, Herbert
Bottom, captain and deckhand Caesar.
After the tail walk the deckhand, Caesar, was
very excited. First, he said it was not a sailfish, which was the main
large game fish being caught off Mazatlan, but a blue marlin, and that they are
usually caught in October he said. Secondly, it was a nice size, about 200
lbs he'd guessed (he changed it to about 180 after we landed it). I say
'we', as they put two gaffs in it but could not drag it over the gunwale,
it was too heavy, which was maybe a good thing as it had that weapon and
was far from dead. But I helped drag it in by grabbing it's gill, and they
then held it down with their feet, at the same time the captain grabbed a
bat to finish it off with a series of beatings to it's head.
We trolled for more fish for another
couple of hours but it was not to be and headed in at about noon, arriving
back at 1 p.m.. We heard the bite had been tough,
and out of the three other boats had been out one got skunked, one got a few mahi-mahi,
and another got 1 or 2 sailfish. The other boats zoomed over near us once I landed the
fish, hoping to get another blue marlin as they travel with others
generally, although well spread out.
Our last night we splurged and found the highest rated steak house in
town, which was a short walk from our hotel. Yumm. Can you see the
'artist' in this pic? Hint, middle of the photo.
*El Salto, Mexico., May 20th
With 'tour group', 1 bass me, 8 for Herbert
Other boat- Mikel W.- 0, Angie 2, Ralph 1 (11.3#'s)
2
Aluminum boats w/ 40 hp, ours had a trolling motor, theirs did not work.
Water ? (probably 80) Air 90, windy and sunny.
Yep, El Salto, TUL! Was going by the lake and our tour guide Herbert
Kellner decided it was too good to pass up (he's a bass fisherman too), so
we stopped and he arranged two boats for our group for three hours, and
they supplied poles and lures!
Click photo to enlarge.
Our quick visit to El Salto really paid off
for friend Ralph
Wellborn. His wife Angie in background.
We got out on the water about 1,
and fished until 4. I got a 3 pounder in short order, with a lot of hits
on the zoom watermelon red lizard. Herbert got more, ending with 8, mostly
on Senko's and smaller. I threw the large white spinnerbait a lot, and lost
a 7 or 8 on the top of some trees on the top, and another on the last cast
on the lizard that did not budge on hookset, almost costing me the rod.
Click photo to enlarge.
Our guide was reported to be one of the
best there.
*California Delta., May 5th-8th
Solo, 9 bass
Out of Tower Park Marina, off Hwy 12.
Aluminum boat w/ 15hp four stroke.
Water 66.5, windy most days and sunny.
After teaching a photo class in Carmel I headed over to the Delta and
arrived on Monday the 5th around 3 p.m.. It was super windy, but I went
out and with info from friend Mike Meyers tried the frog. I went to the
spot I'd lost a 10 on it last fall, headed west from the ramp, and the
'pea' top was there, not as much, and the hyacinth was more spread out. I
worked a spot near it and had three hits in 10 minutes. Sharpened the
hooks on my Live Target frog and landed the next hit, a 3 pounder.
Click photo to enlarge.
After that, nada. Worked my way
around the island and was surprised to get a 3 pound striper on a Bone
Super Spook, then had a 10 pounder hit it three times at the boat- wow.
Wind was so bad I left before
dark, and was so tired went to the Motel 6
Day 2
Joined me friend Mike Meyers. We started at o dark hundred out of a ramp
off 7 mile drive, where Mike said he now lived. We made a long run towards
Stockton, about 6 or 7 miles I'd guess. An area where he says he gets a
lot of numbers, but they were not much interested. I got one on a S.
Spook, turned out to be a striper. We worked this area for some time, made
a run again and again, not much anywhere we went. He'd get one here and
there, I pretty much just got nada.
Towards the end of the day we
were back near the ramp, and we were at a spot he says a lot of striper
usually are. He mentioned a tulle island that tapers off like I told him I
like for the Punker, and started throwing it. Within three casts got a
heck of an explosion, figured it was a striper but saw green and realized
it was a nice largemouth.
Click photo to enlarge.
Last day, noon
till 6.
Overcast all day
6 bass, solo w/ alum. boat.
Started last
day about noon, with overcast, the bass ate the frog real well. Got two
fours, a couple of 3's, and some 2's. Started out at 'end of storage' row,
usual honey hole working the cheese, nada. Then figured with overcast they
did not need to be there. About 10 minutes later got the biggest one of
the day, about a 4.8, near a tulle patch. About 1/2 hour later, another at
first bend, right side, headed to 'three island'.
Kept working
those tulles, got two 3's and a couple of 2's before calling it a day with
winds at about 6, long drive home still a head of me.
*El Capitan, Fri., April 4th
solo, 7 bass
7:30 a.m. till 2 p.m., Cloudy all day, westerly wind, 5-10 mph, water 65
Took the 'Aluminum Wonder'
(just name it, feel better already),
GOD INCIDENT (as there are
no co-incidents).
After hooking up the Skeeter and getting on the freeway I was 'all of a
sudden concerned' with one tire being low, although I'd first notice it a
month ago when Paul did, and had driven it from Ramona and to Otay and
back since. So after taking the first exit figure the odds it would go
flat 15 seconds later!!! Yep, it went flat before I got to the end of the
ramp, and pulled onto Encinitas Blvd., parked and called AAA. Half hour
later I was towing the Aluminum Wonder, newly named as you have to wonder
about life, right? TUL for taking care of me, not having it go flat at the
lake, on on the freeway, etc..
Anyways, I was up at 6 am and
to the lake and fishing by 7.30. 'Busters' were being fished as I got to
'bathroom bay'. I got a few after fine tuning which lures to use over
about a three hour period, fun. First off, got a 2.8 on a silver
Kastmaster (had a gold one on, but the bait is silver- no wonder not
getting hit), then tossed a Gunfish and got one, and then a small Rebel
popper (after seeing how small the shad were), then more on the Gunfish.
Tied on a spybait prop bait and got one on third cast, but 6# braid
slipped, lost the fish and the lure. It was black back, silver, and the
chartreuse one did not perform.
Click photo to enlarge.
First fish, Kastmaster.
Middle: My old Gunfish still performs, netting me most of the bass.
Last pic- Rebel popper.
Shot out to Boulder bay by 11
and worked the rocks, getting #6 on the Gunfish, and #7 on a S. Spook,
white, about a 3. Wind strong by 1 and very strong by 2, when I worked my
way back towards the ramp across from Boulder Bay, and then the island for
nada, and gone by 2.30. Fun and productive day, TUL.
* Otay Lake, Wed., March
26th
solo, 4 bass (two bed males, caught twice
each)
7 a.m. till 2 p.m., Cloudy and sprinkling all day, westerly wind, 5-10
mph, water 65.5
Took the 'Answered Prayer', my Skeeter, just repaired.
Wind was not too bad, for a rainy day. Went to start at opening of
Harvey's, first the point on right, then to sunken rock pile, metered
fish, nada. Big baits. Then to tulles again, got hit on the Super Spook,
no sticky. Then worked around point to rocky area where you can see the
ramp, nada.
Then shot to back of trees on
right in back of Otay Arm, throwing big baits, nada. Tossed frogs into
tulles some, and large Plopper quite a bit. Worked back, same side, into
coves and on points, nada. Saw lots of bass in shallows. Went across,
worked coves and points, all fishy looking, nada. Went to get coffee, the
open cafe did not have any. Went across to the bay and worked it, big
baits to the back, then found bed fish, worked one real aggressive make,
got him twice, worked my way out after half an hour, worked the left side
to the rock piles and then across lake again to first bay north of the
ramp, then worked a bed fish again, got him twice, then left.
*Miramar, Tues., March 18th
solo, 3 bass
10 a.m. till 4 p.m., Sunny, westerly wind, 5-10 mph, water 65.5 / 67 far
eastern coves.
took aluminum boat
Wind was calm when I got there, as hoped for. Worked beds I knew about
from day earlier, Penasquitos Arm, as one deep one had a three and an eight, but could not get them to
go. Tossed swimbaits quite often, trying out my new Triple Trout and the
old faithful Punker.
Rigged up a 4" pumpkin Senko after trying the frog in a back
cove, which got some hits but nothing stuck. The Senko got hit right away,
a nice two pounder. Got another while working towards the east end, with winds
helping me get there, got strong. Lost a four at the boat on that Senko on
second to last cove on left.
Worked the Gancraft and the
TTrout back against the winds back to the first floating dock. Nice to get
more practice on bed fishing today, body a bit sore in the evening after
two days of fishing now- out of practice still.
*Miramar, Mon., March 17th
solo, 3, one bass, two trout
1 p.m. till 7 p.m., Sunny, westerly wind, 5-10 mph, 65 / 66 far eastern
coves.
took aluminum boat
Wind was pretty strong for bed fishing already, one boater was leaving as
I was getting there -Robert from Chula Vista, who has a convenience store
in O'side, and was fishing on an eastern boat, a '97 Sprint bass boat,
with a '97 125 Mercury motor (4 cylinder two stroke- for saltwater
research shows). He was new to the lake, usually fishes El Cap and Otay.
I started by trolling for trout after tossing swimbaits
from ramp to buoy line. Did not get any until I hit east end of lake, then
got one on a setup I invented. A med-diver crankbait with a chartreuse
jointed Rapala on 3' of 4 lb test behind it. Then got one on the other
pole, which had a gold Kastmaster on it. Both fish were only 14' or so,
less than a lb, but would make a good dinner.
Found 'bedders' down there shortly after, as once I had dinner it was game
time. Worked them for awhile, getting one on a d/s, then lost a Mattlures
Bluegill as the line was only 10lb or so, and tried to pull it off a tulle,
tulle won.
Tossed swimbaits last couple of hours, mixing up the 7"
Punker and the Gancraft glider, for nada. Saw two guys getting them pretty
good tossing Senkos at tulles as I worked westward against the wind- note
taken.
*Miramar, Tuesday, March 11th
solo, 0
3 p.m. till 7 p.m., (now daylight saving) Sunny, westerly wind, 5-10 mph,
water 64.5 / 65 far eastern coves. Took aluminum boat
Met 'Ramona Tom' again in his green Nitro (only three boats out there) on
the water this time. He was 'scouting', and saw me launch (was not sure it
was me but motored up as I just got to a cove) said he might fish El Cap
on Thurs. This time I got his number, said maybe we'd get together. What's
the odds to run into him twice in five days?
Click photo to enlarge.
My new Gan Craft Jointed Claw 178 SS (slow
sink) swimbait
Anyways, lot of beds but no fish. Clear water, a bit windy, worked the new
Gan Craft 178
and the Grande Plopper up and down the tulle line.
Made a run back to the ramp to get my jacket towards dusk, knew it would
get cold. While landing I met Andy Nguyen, cousin of Jimmy Huynh,
tossing his new Mattlures deadstick bait
http://www.mattlures.com/index.html around the docks, about a 250 in
size. Looked DEADLY.
Click photo to enlarge.
New Mattlures 'Deadstick' bait, comes in 10
and 13".
He said Jimmy was going to
get him a Negotiator by Roman Made soon, but I think he meant a 'Mother',
the $450 lure, as he said that was the price (Negotiators are only $95)
and since Jimmy is sponsored he'd get it for about $300.
http://store.romanmade.com/
Went back out and stared
straight across from the ramps, where I'd left off. Worked all the way
into that cove and then back to the buoy line by dusk, only one hit, and
that was on the prop bait I threw for awhile in the first cove I'd worked
earlier.
Then met Kevin "The Kid" Nakada of Sea
Samari
http://www.seasamurai.com/Guides.html , a kayaker guide for La Jolla
yellowtail, as I unloaded the boat. He said he'd caught about four bass,
about four lbs each, on swimbaits. He'd seen a wolf pack of females with
one about 18 cruising and looking to bed down at the other end of the
lake. The next few days are supposed to be the best for the lower
elevation lakes for bed fishing, I'll probably try my luck tomorrow too.
*El Capitan, Friday, March 7th
1 bass me,
2 p.m. till 5.30 p.m., Sunny, westerly wind, 5-10 mph, took aluminum
boat
Met 'Ramona Tom' in his green Nitro on his way out, told me about killing
'em at Boulder Bay on crawdads. But was time to try and get more topwater
action, and started at the islands. Tossed the Punker and got a three next
to a rock pile about a half hour into it, just after a gentleman fished it
with the Hudd. Worked that bay, as Paul and I got two there the week
before, nada. Went towards Conejos and worked the windy points on the
right before, then across to the bay and worked back towards the islands,
great rocky shore, so so steep, looked very fishy. Used the Plopper Grande
quite a bit. Went towards Conejos again and worked the point towards dusk,
nada.
*El Capitan, Mon., Feb. 24th
0 bass me, 0 for Mike C.,
6 a.m. till 1 p.m., Overcast skies, cold. Westerly wind, 5-10 mph, until
9.30 a.m., when
it reversed. Took Skeeter
Second part:
1 p.m. till 5.30 p.m.
1 bass me, 1 bass Paul O.
Was soooooooooooo nice finally getting out on a boat and enjoying nature
at a local lake with fishing buddies Mike Castaneda and Paul Owens. I'd
been a bit sick with colds and coughs for past month, like most of us, and
didn't want to make it worse. Plus fishing
'deep water' to catch them, as in 40 to 60', is not too fun for me and
that's how you pretty much must fish them this time of year- they go deep
when it's cold.
Click photo to enlarge
Getting towed back to the docks. The
carburetor is acting up, and needs work.
I'd first went out at 6 a.m. with Mike
Castaneda, on my boat, and the bite was tough- nada for us and many
others- weather had turned real cold and windy that day, after many days
of temp. in the 80's! The motor quit on us at the far end of the lake and
we had to call the lake staff to come out and tow us back in around noon.
I had an appointment to take Paul out at 1 p.m., and we made it in time.
But he had to bring his boat so we could fish the rest of the day
properly.
Click photo to enlarge
Paul
and I fished around
the islands, double hook ups at around 3 p.m.,
me on d/s 6" trick worm, he on chartreuse spinner bait. His got off while
lifting it in.
Click photo to enlarge
Paul mentioned how many poles we had, and two
more are not even in the shot.
Had a little bit better success, got a
nice two pounder, and Paul got one on a spinnerbait at the same time, but
nada else landed. I had a real nice explosion on my top water Super Spook
lure at dusk, it just felt that it was time. THAT is what I fish for,
those big bass hitting so hard on the surface on your lure that it scares
you sometimes. I'll get her next time!
________________
*Lake Morena, Mid Jan.
0 bass, solo 2 p.m. till 5 p.m.
(boat not allowed on, so shore fished).
First trip of the year was when I took the aluminum boat up to
Lake Morena, about an hour and a
half from home. The lake is trying to keep Quagga Mussels out, so all
boats have to be clean and dry. I had a bit of damp mud in the bottom of
the boat, and was refused entry for it. So I shore fished for a couple of
hours, mostly larger swimbaits, my new 160 Whopper Plopper. Founds some
lures and a fishing rod and reel, as the lake it being drawn down and the
water is about 30' lower that it was a few months ago.
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