Post by mwardncsu on Mar 28, 2017 20:08:12 GMT -5
Weather: 50 rising to 70, mostly cloudy, very little wind
Water: 52-56, visibility of 1-5'
Techniques: 10"+ gizzards on freeline planers (3-6) & light-line float (1)
Time Fished: 7a-1p and then 5:30 - 7:30p
Decided to fish solo on Sunday - had tucked away some baits in the boat tank from Sat evening's catching and was out on the water about 6:45 and headed to my targeted spot.
I had not had baits in the water 2 mins when it was fish-on. Good fighting fish. Went around 14 lbs and 33"
Pulled on down and another big bait got gobbled up - this one a 16+ lb butterball that was 34.5"
Circled that area another time with no action so I made a move to an area I'd not fished since the Fall. Pulled a long stretch for a couple of hours over mostly unproductive water except for perhaps 1/4 mile stretch where I picked up a a couple of smaller fish in the 29-32" range. After a long pull I headed back down but stopped to pull the stretch that did produce and I picked up one more.
At that point my plan was to stop and get some gas & lunch - the gas gauge was blinking on the last segment from the time I left the dock that morning - meaning almost empty. Well, the marina was closed on Sunday so no lunch - and no gas. Figured it might be a LONG pull with the trolling more back down the lake, but I put the boat on plane and decided to see how far I could go. Past my creek - didn't want to take the time to dock, get in the truck, go get gas, come back, etc..... passed another creek that has a gas station but is usually expensive and has had issues in the past with water in the tank so I decided to roll the dice.... kept on rolling.
Sure enough about a mile from the bridge the boat drops off plane... fortunately it would still idle and I was able to get it back up on plane one more time - for another 1/2 mile - I was within sight of the gas pumps I was headed to when it dropped off again - and had juuuussssttt enough gas to idle into the slip. Guess I now know how far I can go with a blinking gas gauge
I put 60 gal in the tank and headed on to catch bait for a few hours in a couple of creeks - bait was scattered and could not find it up shallow so it was a bit tougher going but managed to get 35-40 baits. I unloaded 25 or so in the big tank and had planed to pack up and go home, but it was cloudy, with light rain - you know, perfect striper weather. So I headed to one creek I had wanted to pull and just not gotten a chance to - pulled my target stretch without a sniff - picked up and moved to another creek for a quick pull with no action - so one last move - good call as I picked up three more that evening - no real size - in fact some of the smallest fish for the day but they were good fighters.
Wrapped it up a little before dark and headed back to NC after a long day of fishing - 8 to the boat with several in the 16-17 lb range. I haven't found my Spring Pig yet but there are still a few weeks to go..... that 25+ lber / 40" is out there with my name on it..... I'm coming for ya!
Water: 52-56, visibility of 1-5'
Techniques: 10"+ gizzards on freeline planers (3-6) & light-line float (1)
Time Fished: 7a-1p and then 5:30 - 7:30p
Decided to fish solo on Sunday - had tucked away some baits in the boat tank from Sat evening's catching and was out on the water about 6:45 and headed to my targeted spot.
I had not had baits in the water 2 mins when it was fish-on. Good fighting fish. Went around 14 lbs and 33"
Pulled on down and another big bait got gobbled up - this one a 16+ lb butterball that was 34.5"
Circled that area another time with no action so I made a move to an area I'd not fished since the Fall. Pulled a long stretch for a couple of hours over mostly unproductive water except for perhaps 1/4 mile stretch where I picked up a a couple of smaller fish in the 29-32" range. After a long pull I headed back down but stopped to pull the stretch that did produce and I picked up one more.
At that point my plan was to stop and get some gas & lunch - the gas gauge was blinking on the last segment from the time I left the dock that morning - meaning almost empty. Well, the marina was closed on Sunday so no lunch - and no gas. Figured it might be a LONG pull with the trolling more back down the lake, but I put the boat on plane and decided to see how far I could go. Past my creek - didn't want to take the time to dock, get in the truck, go get gas, come back, etc..... passed another creek that has a gas station but is usually expensive and has had issues in the past with water in the tank so I decided to roll the dice.... kept on rolling.
Sure enough about a mile from the bridge the boat drops off plane... fortunately it would still idle and I was able to get it back up on plane one more time - for another 1/2 mile - I was within sight of the gas pumps I was headed to when it dropped off again - and had juuuussssttt enough gas to idle into the slip. Guess I now know how far I can go with a blinking gas gauge
I put 60 gal in the tank and headed on to catch bait for a few hours in a couple of creeks - bait was scattered and could not find it up shallow so it was a bit tougher going but managed to get 35-40 baits. I unloaded 25 or so in the big tank and had planed to pack up and go home, but it was cloudy, with light rain - you know, perfect striper weather. So I headed to one creek I had wanted to pull and just not gotten a chance to - pulled my target stretch without a sniff - picked up and moved to another creek for a quick pull with no action - so one last move - good call as I picked up three more that evening - no real size - in fact some of the smallest fish for the day but they were good fighters.
Wrapped it up a little before dark and headed back to NC after a long day of fishing - 8 to the boat with several in the 16-17 lb range. I haven't found my Spring Pig yet but there are still a few weeks to go..... that 25+ lber / 40" is out there with my name on it..... I'm coming for ya!
