Available Fishing Guide:
Website: Darrell & Dads Family Guide Service
Started fishing at about ~8:20. I started off with the hot crank from last week. NADA!
Rotating between a dropshot, tube and even a wacky worm. About 45 mins in, I finally hook something while using the wacky worm. I know it's a big one, but what exactly is it..... LOL, looks to be about a 4' old paddle or something.
Well, I move slightly to a different spot. I ran my crank past a dock with nothing. Then I pitched my wacky to it. I felt a tick and see my line move a little. Reel in slack and slammed the hook home. BOING and nothing moves. Felt like I got snagged. Then I felt the head shake. Uh oh, this is a tank. I pull it away from the dock and it's swimming out and digging down. Haven't see it yet. It finally surfaces briefly and I see it's a big LMB. It digs down again and starts going through the grass and pulling drag. I manage to get it by the boat and swoop it into the net. WOOT!
19.5" LMB @ 5 lb 7 oz . New best for me.
Continued working through the area but no more bites. I check out a few more spots but getting blanked. Had several machine gun nips on my wacky though. I did find a small group of SMB about 10-13". But they weren't interested in my offerings. Got them marked for next time.
I go to the spot where I caught several last time out. Start with my crank and still nothing. I switch to a slightly deeper diving one, but still relatively shallow. Nada. I make a couple of casts with the wacky and fish on! I reel it in close enough to see it's about a 14-15" SMB. Then pop goes the hook. UGH. Several fan casts later, fish on again! I get it close and see it's about the same size SMB. I also see it's slightly foul hooked too. Right on the outside of it's face. But it stays put and I get it into the net.
15" SMB @ 2 lb even.
I keep going along this path and I get a couple of quick ticks. Then all of a sudden, it just loaded up. Set the hook and it feels like a very nice fish. It's staying down and there's a slightly breeze so I cant see into the water. The fish starts circling around and I maintain pressure. I see it's pulling drag. It's getting closer and it unbuttons! OMG. UGH. If I had to guess, it had to have been a 17"+ SMB....
I'm using an o-ring on my worm with I believe a #1 or maybe 1/0 octopus hook. My theory is, the smaller mouths of the SMB aren't inhaling my setup. Or maybe the o-ring lays the hook weird on the worm? I don't know, but it's frustrating.
I keep going and I'm reeling in my line quickly to make next cast, when all of a sudden, I get a strike at boat side from a small SMB. I quickly grab my rod with the shallowish crank. I cast it out and start burning it. BAM! Fish on. Love those reaction strikes, lol. Just a little guy. About 10" or so.
I make a run to another spot where I had success last time, but nothing there. Did get machine gunned by perch.
I also saw lots and lots of fingerlings. I don't know what they are. They are all over the lake. Especially at the boat launch. They are jumping everywhere right along the 8MPH buoy line. About 2-3" silver thingies.
At another area, they were about 1-2" dark greenish. I'm guessing those are perch. I saw some with dots, so I'm thinking trout?
Available Fishing Guide:
Website: Darrell & Dads Family Guide Service