Post by mwardncsu on Dec 22, 2017 22:42:34 GMT -5
Weather: started off in high 38's, rose to mid-50's - mostly cloudy, no real wind
Water: 46-51, very clear - some brownish algae bloom on the water surface in a number of places
Techniques: Freelined big gizzards (12-14") behind planers against the bank.
Time Fished: 7am - 5pm
On the water this morning with 6 big gizzards in the tank from the day before. Go Big or Go Home! My plan was to pull these till they were gone then head back home to NC. Based on the action the day before, I thought that would be by lunch-time. Wrong.....
I was treated to a great sun-rise as I pulled my creek to start the day.
Other than some very nervous bait on the first blow-down I pulled, the sunrise was the best part of my creek. I decided to make a run down the lake and try a mid-lake creek - which turned out to be barren. So I ran back up the lake and hit several spots along the way - without any luck.
Around 12:30 I figured it was going to be an afternoon bite - if there was a bite. I had heard from a buddy that was out jigging and he said they had only picked up one and no one else around them was doing much.
I moved to some cooler water - mainly till kill time - I was contemplating picking up and moving when the clicker started going off and got my attention - had a good fight, thinking this was a good fish - well, it was foul-hooked under its mouth - which made it fight bigger than it was - but still a 11 lb striper in the boat to kick the skunk to the curb.
Pulled that stretch a while longer with no more action so I moved back down the lake, working my way back towards home in a couple of creeks. Picked up one more fish around 4pm - this one about 13 lbs.
By this point - well actually well before this point, my baits were looking like crap from being pulled, reeled in, tossed back in the tank or a bucket and moving to a new spot and putting them back out again. That, and I think everyone found it's way into a blown-down at some point and I had to go retrieve them - when you only have 6 baits to fish you do what you have to do to keep them going - but I am sure the condition of the baits resulted in the lack of action today as well.... I wrapped up back in the creek where I pulled the 38" fish from the day before, but found no one home so I wrapped it up a little after 5pm and headed back to the house.....
Merry Christmas to all of you!
Water: 46-51, very clear - some brownish algae bloom on the water surface in a number of places
Techniques: Freelined big gizzards (12-14") behind planers against the bank.
Time Fished: 7am - 5pm
On the water this morning with 6 big gizzards in the tank from the day before. Go Big or Go Home! My plan was to pull these till they were gone then head back home to NC. Based on the action the day before, I thought that would be by lunch-time. Wrong.....
I was treated to a great sun-rise as I pulled my creek to start the day.
Other than some very nervous bait on the first blow-down I pulled, the sunrise was the best part of my creek. I decided to make a run down the lake and try a mid-lake creek - which turned out to be barren. So I ran back up the lake and hit several spots along the way - without any luck.
Around 12:30 I figured it was going to be an afternoon bite - if there was a bite. I had heard from a buddy that was out jigging and he said they had only picked up one and no one else around them was doing much.
I moved to some cooler water - mainly till kill time - I was contemplating picking up and moving when the clicker started going off and got my attention - had a good fight, thinking this was a good fish - well, it was foul-hooked under its mouth - which made it fight bigger than it was - but still a 11 lb striper in the boat to kick the skunk to the curb.
Pulled that stretch a while longer with no more action so I moved back down the lake, working my way back towards home in a couple of creeks. Picked up one more fish around 4pm - this one about 13 lbs.
By this point - well actually well before this point, my baits were looking like crap from being pulled, reeled in, tossed back in the tank or a bucket and moving to a new spot and putting them back out again. That, and I think everyone found it's way into a blown-down at some point and I had to go retrieve them - when you only have 6 baits to fish you do what you have to do to keep them going - but I am sure the condition of the baits resulted in the lack of action today as well.... I wrapped up back in the creek where I pulled the 38" fish from the day before, but found no one home so I wrapped it up a little after 5pm and headed back to the house.....
Merry Christmas to all of you!