Wednesday on the water

[Garry2Rs]

This morning, after breakfast, I put Buck in the truck and three rods in the boat. Our destination was a small cottage lake about 20 minutes from my place. This lake has both LM and SM Bass, Musky, the odd Walleye and panfish.

 

On the southwest corner of the lake is a huge rock, about the size of a three story apartment building. This rock forms one side of a narrow bay about 100 feet wide and 300 long. At the base of the rock, the water drops almost straight down 10 or 12 feet then humps up in the middle before dropping slightly and then rising to form the east side of the bay. In the shallower center area is a large weed bed of coontail and millfoil. As the bay opens back into the lake, there are some isolated patches of Cabbage and then a couple more large weed beds. In years past I've caught Musky at the base of the large rock, but this year the water seems to be lower and the weeds thicker.

 

Approaching from the northeast, I cut the motor well out and drifted toward the bay with just a little help from the trolling motor.

 

Yesterday I purchased some Tiki Man craw/worms and Tiki Man Wave Worms on sale at Wally World for less than $3.00 a bag. I rigged up a craw/worm with a jig head. A couple of long cast produced some interesting tugs from the Rock Bass in attendance, but no real Bass. I replaced the craw/worm with a small curlytail worm and tossed it into some of the openings in the weed bed and along the front edge...nothing doing.

 

The breeze had picked up a bit now and was pushing me out of the bay, toward the open water. Both motors were down, and I came to an almost complete stop in one of the thick outer weed beds. From here I could cast to the edges of the bed and to some open spots within the bed etc. Cast isn't quite the right word, it was more of a flip, being right on top of my work, I was swinging the little worm out, like a pendulum, so as not to make a big splash when the bait entered the water.

 

I had stared with the closest holes and edges and was now flipping to the far side of an outside edge. This would have required pin-point casting...It was easier to toss beyond the target and then tug the bait back toward the edge, before letting it sink. The worm is on a small jig, it sinks on a slack line and then you take up that slack and shake the rod tip...As I picked up slack this time, I realized the worm wasn't where I'd put it...the line came tight ...I felt weight and set the hook. This first fish was about a 1.5 lb. Large Mouth. Buck was very happy to see the fish and wanted to taste it...we had to have a discussion about seeing with your eyes not with your mouth...That settled, we continued on...grin.

 

Beyond the weed bed is a series of large rectangular rocks that look like they could be assembled into a first class break wall...In the spaces between the blocks, we found a couple of Small Mouth.

I returned to the weed bed in the bay and threw a Frog on top of the weeds working it out over the edges...the only action we saw was from some Rock Bass, when the frog got water logged and sank, they tugged his rubber band legs...grin.

 

I moved to the east side of the bay and tossed the craw/worm again. It caught a couple of small SM. Bass around the rocks where the weeds ended, but I missed a couple of better fish when they threw the small hook...I think I will save these for trailers on larger weedless jigs.

I switched to a Wacky worm and then a Shaky worm, looking for bigger fish around the weed edges where I've caught them before, but no one was home.

 

It was 11:30, we'd been on the water for about 90 minutes and had boated three or four Bass but only one would have been over 12 or 13 inches...

 

It was time to move on. I felt sure the Bass weren't in the heavy weeds today. Tthey were around rocks and cruising in weedy, but open areas. I followed the south shore around the corner and out of the bay. This was the lea side of the lake, and I was able to fish without constantly adjusting my position with the electric motor. I didn't land anything but dinks as I went down the south shore to a point where I had to move toward the centre of the lake in order to pass a series of islands rocks and shoals. As I fished my way out, I picked up another nice SM Bass on the shaky worm. Buck felt that I needed help so he dove in...I landed and released the fish then landed the dog...grin.

 

The wind was now pushing me fairly hard, so I let it carry us all the way to the north shore while I had a snack. On the north side of the lake are a series of docks that have always been good to me. The first couple of docks only had small Bass or Rockys, but our next stop was a goody.

 

This next dock faced directly into the wind. I made a wide turn in order to get the angle right. I was a little farther away than I needed to be, but with the wind behind me it was an easy cast. The dock was floating so I threw a low sidearm cast and skipped the wacky worm right up to the dock.

 

I was using one of my new Tiki Man Wave Worms. I have never used this brand before, but as I said before, the price was right...The worm is much larger in diameter than a Senko and quite heavy. They cast very easily. I was using a 3/0 hook, because it was already on the line, but 4/0 or 5/0 wouldn't be out of place with such a thick bodied bait.

 

The worm hit about 4 feet short of the dock, then skipped and dribbled the last few feet, to stop against the dock. With no weight other than the hook, I watched it slowly sinking...

These worms are sort of a marbled mix of tan and cream and are fairly visible as they sink.

I had closed the bail and picked up one turn of slack line when the worm suddenly vanished...the line took off sideways...One quick tug to set the hook started the "Airborne and Tail-Walk Show." It was about a two pounder and would be my best fish of the day.

 

I continued along the north shore until it opened into a large bay. There are two sets of two islands and some rocks and shoals in that large shallow bay. I found several small Bass and three more "keepers" before we called it quits. Buck and I were back in the house at 4:15 having landed 6 good fish and 6 or 7 small ones, not counting the pesky Rock Bass...grin.

In Summery;

We found the fish in there regular spots...docks and rocks, Those that were associating with weeds, were cruising well outside of the heavy weed beds.

The water was 65* in the lea and 68* on the windy side of the lake. Those stories about the wind pushing the warmer surface water to the windy shore are true!

There wasn't a cloud in the sky...don't let anyone tell you the fishing is bad on "Bluebird "days...grin.

The weeds are still green and healthy.

For those of you looking forward to the weekend...It should be a good one!

Garry2R's

[tbayboy]

Thanks for the weekend preview. All the great details in the report is much appreciated by guys like me always looking to soak up whats working and not working.

[fatherof3]

that was a great read full of detail,thanks for sharing

[misfish]

Great read Garry.

This lake,15 minutes north or south of you ?LOL

 

Thanks for sharing

[mcallister.grant]

Great report.. Very detailed.

[Jer]

Great report Garry,

 

My friend Russ and I are planning a trip on Saturday to what could be the very same lake (never to be mentioned), it all sounds eerily familiar.

 

I'm picking up a new boat trailer on Friday, so we should be a lot quicker at the launch.

 

The weather looks to be holding out til at least Tuesday.

[Guest Johnny Bass]

Definately a nice read Garry. I'm looking forward to the weekend but they are calling for 25-30k winds!!!!Meanwhile its been hot all week and we are too busy at work to take days off!

[evster]

Thanks for that! It was a great read. Too bad i'm not going out this weekend

[Guest mistyriver1]

Great read Garry.

[Roy]

Great report as usual Garry. Sounds like a peaceful fish with your Bud. Thanks for sharing.

[Bly]

That was a nice read...thank you for taking the time to post it. Hope your forcast for the weekend holds true

[fishindevil]

Great detailed report garry !!!!!!! you had a nice day on the water thats for sure, and yes im looking forward to the weekend,im sure your details will help a few anglers for sure...thanks for giving us a great update....cheers

[fishnsled]

Great report! Thanks for posting!

[Smokey]

Great read Garry and really great to have you back. Now if we could just do something about getting those daily pics of yours back up sometime.......

 

Thanks for the report.