Post by mwardncsu on Nov 22, 2014 21:32:24 GMT -5
Weather: COLD - 25 to start - rising to 50 by late afternoon, winds 5-10 from S, pressure dropping between 10a and 2p
Water: COLD - 47-52, visibility more than normal - 5' or so.
Techniques: Pulling big gizzards (all 6 or 7 I managed to catch on Fri), along with one really big alewife on freeline planers and "peanut" gizzards on downlines (4) as well as one lightline with a peanut gizzard
I slid out a bit early around 2:30 or 3 on Friday afternoon to try and load up the bait tank for Saturday. Slim pickings - checked a few creeks then finally headed up to where we've been getting them - still threw from about 3:45 till 5:30 or later. If it wasn't for one throw that yielded 5 at once it would have been VERY grim for Saturday. I tossed a couple of dozen peanuts in the tank along with the 6 or 7 larger gizzards I caught and quit as the sun was setting and the boat deck was becoming totally iced over and very slick..... 1st ice of the year... yea!
What a pitiful tank of bait...... embarrassing.....
We decided not to hit the water right at daybreak hoping it would warm up quickly... not to be. We headed out about 7:30 to a brisk 25 degrees.....
Given the limited bait situation we only put out two gizzards on each side, and I put the monster ale out on the bank side and we started pulling. We had some nervous bait and even a couple of chases & rolls but the fish seemed to think it was also too cold to play first thing....
Somewhere as the morning was getting rolling we had a board shoot back, but by the time I put my hands on the rod it was being released - with no bait on the hook - dang bait stealer..... didn't even get a chance to miss the hookset.
Somewhere down the bank a fish started rolling on a board and ran off with it. I set the hook on this one swiftly and handed it over to Mark to do some work....
We doubled back on the bank and had a fish slam a bait but take it straight into a big submerged tree. Mark reeled up the other boards as we tried to see if we could get the fish to come out of the tree but nothing doing - and just about then the other two boards - with two of our precious baits - hung hard in the same submerged tree
At that point we were down to one big bait (and turns out one "silver dollar" bait that was masquerading as a big peanut).
So around 10:30 we went in search of bait - we could find it - but it was 25-30 feet deep and my 10', 5/8" Joyfish just would not get them....
About 11:30 we decided it was time for a break to warm up and eat some lunch. Back out around 12ish, looking for bait. Threw and threw - did manage to snag one more big gizzard..... so we had two baits (and the silver dollar gizzard). We headed down to pull a different stretch of bank, though it yielded no action. Headed back to where we started the day and we managed to hook into two more fish - one that got off right at the boat as Mark was watching another board get rolled (thought we were about to have a double) and then one I brought to the boat that ended up being the largest of the day at 34" and 12 lbs
As the big bait dwindled, we put peanuts out on the planers. One actually got slammed - I was so shocked that I missed the hookset - hard to believe given it had a 5/0 hook in a 3" gizzard
We got down to the point that all remained of the big bait was our largest bait which had been drug around all day. A nice 13" beauty. It had been chased, rolled and even slapped a few times but nothing wanted to commit. Finally, just as I said I thought the fish in that area were too small, a fish rolled on it in a big way. The board stutter stepped backwards a few times but I remained patient.... only when it was time did I slam the hook home.... handed the rod back over to Mark again and he brought out last - and smallest - fish of the day to the boat..... 29" / 9 lbs
We called it a day about 3:30 and headed for warmer pastures..... It wasn't a great numbers day, but it was a great day in other regards..... Mark had not been out on the water for about a month and he was in need of some water therapy. We also got a chance to see and talk with several forum members here - something about the cold weather months that seems to result in folks slowing down a bit and talking more on the water - good to see Ready2Fish, YAKforThem, StripedYam, LiveBaitJunkEE, Fishhook, EB, Scott W, GreenMonster, VTSuperFluke, StriperSeeker and his lovely bride, Jiggin'Fluke, SeaJay & SueReel all out there today as well as getting to talk with all I think but GreenMonster..... always enjoy getting a chance to put a face to a Forum Name..... hope you all had a few tug your lines we well!
Water: COLD - 47-52, visibility more than normal - 5' or so.
Techniques: Pulling big gizzards (all 6 or 7 I managed to catch on Fri), along with one really big alewife on freeline planers and "peanut" gizzards on downlines (4) as well as one lightline with a peanut gizzard
I slid out a bit early around 2:30 or 3 on Friday afternoon to try and load up the bait tank for Saturday. Slim pickings - checked a few creeks then finally headed up to where we've been getting them - still threw from about 3:45 till 5:30 or later. If it wasn't for one throw that yielded 5 at once it would have been VERY grim for Saturday. I tossed a couple of dozen peanuts in the tank along with the 6 or 7 larger gizzards I caught and quit as the sun was setting and the boat deck was becoming totally iced over and very slick..... 1st ice of the year... yea!
What a pitiful tank of bait...... embarrassing.....
We decided not to hit the water right at daybreak hoping it would warm up quickly... not to be. We headed out about 7:30 to a brisk 25 degrees.....
Given the limited bait situation we only put out two gizzards on each side, and I put the monster ale out on the bank side and we started pulling. We had some nervous bait and even a couple of chases & rolls but the fish seemed to think it was also too cold to play first thing....
Somewhere as the morning was getting rolling we had a board shoot back, but by the time I put my hands on the rod it was being released - with no bait on the hook - dang bait stealer..... didn't even get a chance to miss the hookset.
Somewhere down the bank a fish started rolling on a board and ran off with it. I set the hook on this one swiftly and handed it over to Mark to do some work....
We doubled back on the bank and had a fish slam a bait but take it straight into a big submerged tree. Mark reeled up the other boards as we tried to see if we could get the fish to come out of the tree but nothing doing - and just about then the other two boards - with two of our precious baits - hung hard in the same submerged tree
At that point we were down to one big bait (and turns out one "silver dollar" bait that was masquerading as a big peanut). So around 10:30 we went in search of bait - we could find it - but it was 25-30 feet deep and my 10', 5/8" Joyfish just would not get them....
About 11:30 we decided it was time for a break to warm up and eat some lunch. Back out around 12ish, looking for bait. Threw and threw - did manage to snag one more big gizzard..... so we had two baits (and the silver dollar gizzard). We headed down to pull a different stretch of bank, though it yielded no action. Headed back to where we started the day and we managed to hook into two more fish - one that got off right at the boat as Mark was watching another board get rolled (thought we were about to have a double) and then one I brought to the boat that ended up being the largest of the day at 34" and 12 lbs
As the big bait dwindled, we put peanuts out on the planers. One actually got slammed - I was so shocked that I missed the hookset - hard to believe given it had a 5/0 hook in a 3" gizzard
We got down to the point that all remained of the big bait was our largest bait which had been drug around all day. A nice 13" beauty. It had been chased, rolled and even slapped a few times but nothing wanted to commit. Finally, just as I said I thought the fish in that area were too small, a fish rolled on it in a big way. The board stutter stepped backwards a few times but I remained patient.... only when it was time did I slam the hook home.... handed the rod back over to Mark again and he brought out last - and smallest - fish of the day to the boat..... 29" / 9 lbs
We called it a day about 3:30 and headed for warmer pastures..... It wasn't a great numbers day, but it was a great day in other regards..... Mark had not been out on the water for about a month and he was in need of some water therapy. We also got a chance to see and talk with several forum members here - something about the cold weather months that seems to result in folks slowing down a bit and talking more on the water - good to see Ready2Fish, YAKforThem, StripedYam, LiveBaitJunkEE, Fishhook, EB, Scott W, GreenMonster, VTSuperFluke, StriperSeeker and his lovely bride, Jiggin'Fluke, SeaJay & SueReel all out there today as well as getting to talk with all I think but GreenMonster..... always enjoy getting a chance to put a face to a Forum Name..... hope you all had a few tug your lines we well!
Perhaps some were sitting in 1-2 as well in the afternoon when the sun came up - but to be honest I did not go to the very back back back of the creeks....