Leesville 10/13. The skunk has finally landed

[piper]

Greetings,  Hit the lake from 930  - 230.   Windy as hell with funk mist in the face .with water temp averaging 69.
Went to the bait haunts....nothing but small gizzards. Looked for 2 hrs . Used a few of the bigger nuts we caught but no fish to eat them. Put 1 greenback in the boat caught on a downline.  2 more caught in the throw net .  Saw folks trolling deeper channels but we didn't bother .   No stripes

[grasscutter]

I unloaded my boat this week....I may be done till after hunting season.....rather disappointing last time I went.....idk it just didn't feel right or something

[mwardncsu]

From everything I've ever heard about Leesville, if this is your first skunk then you've had a great run and are long over due

Those skunks keep you coming back.....

[piper]

Grass, I have to agree. It felt different yesterday. I realize weather/wind can always change an outlook . It seemed like we were always fighting back with the trolling motor to avoid being pushed into the bank. My trolling motor was done by 1:00 or so...To find the bait haunts empty had me scratching my head. I bet we spent about 3 hrs total chasing bait. Found a ton of topwater flicks only to net small ones.

The skunk can only mean we need to get back at it again

[Shadslinger]

Oct 14, 2013 7:24:41 GMT -5 piper said:

Grass, I have to agree. It felt different yesterday. I realize weather/wind can always change an outlook . It seemed like we were always fighting back with the trolling motor to avoid being pushed into the bank. My trolling motor was done by 1:00 or so...To find the bait haunts empty had me scratching my head. I bet we spent about 3 hrs total chasing bait. Found a ton of topwater flicks only to net small ones.

The skunk can only mean we need to get back at it again

Water temp change and fish patterns change, just gotta know how to change and adapt with the fish. The fish are still in the lake just different locations in the lake and water column. Thats what makes it such a challenge and fun to learn. Not trying to be a smart@ss but I have a buddy that caught 12 this weekend including a 17lb and 28lbr and it wont on no downline.

[grasscutter]

Oh yeah ....I fished tournaments years ago...redman which is the bfl today.....somebody somewhere will figure out and find the fish.....right now I guess hunting season is heavy on my mind.....a turkey is next on my list now lol

[dogsbestfriend]

i have seen alot of turkeys at leesville !!!

[piper]

Oct 14, 2013 9:39:45 GMT -5 Shadslinger said:

Oct 14, 2013 7:24:41 GMT -5 piper said:

Grass, I have to agree. It felt different yesterday. I realize weather/wind can always change an outlook . It seemed like we were always fighting back with the trolling motor to avoid being pushed into the bank. My trolling motor was done by 1:00 or so...To find the bait haunts empty had me scratching my head. I bet we spent about 3 hrs total chasing bait. Found a ton of topwater flicks only to net small ones.

The skunk can only mean we need to get back at it again

Water temp change and fish patterns change, just gotta know how to change and adapt with the fish. The fish are still in the lake just different locations in the lake and water column. Thats what makes it such a challenge and fun to learn. Not trying to be a smart@ss but I have a buddy that caught 12 this weekend including a 17lb and 28lbr and it wont on no downline.

I'm well aware patterns change...this just seemed really quick .  Also the water was up for a Sun...assuming it was the rain..Not sure I'll be switching tactics anytime soon...the whole trolling thing on such a small body of water doesn't really appeal to me.   Glad someone was catching em though...will give it another go on Friday

[piper]

Huuuuuuuge schools back in the usual haunts .. Very strange what a day can do...of course I started my day by losing my throw net after the 3 rd toss...tried to jump in and save it. But no dice...caught 2 large gizzards before that and put 1 5 lb striper in boat .

[penn113h2]

Hey i know I've asked this before but can you guys tell me where at Leesville your catching bait and how your catching the approximately 10lb and up, my luck has been not so well and I'm working so hard to catch them and no good results, so please help me!

Also, just remembered, I'm deciding whether to use 6 inch shad bodies for my umbrella's, is this a good idea. And do you think I could use spreader bar rigs for striper?

[piper]

I use a 6' radius 5/8 mesh throw net . I look for schools Of shad and throw on them. Not a fan of trolling or umbrella rigs so can't help ya there. As far as bigger fish.. Your guess is as good as any. I've been told by some olde timers to check a few locations and they have produced. Most of my fish average 6-7 lbs with the largest at 14 lbs this year. Still looking for the big boys. . Their here

[penn113h2]

Okay thanks, so the big strips are back? Big many record of big meaning average teens to 20lb'ers?

[penn113h2]

And ya I use about a 5' radius net, unfortunately cheap but I bought a easy pro cast circle for it so every time I cast it perfect but my nets cheap too so, think bout upgrading my net to a better one from bass pro

[BentRod]

I think Leesville has potential for upper 20s to 40lb+ fish still. SML has no shot at all other than a rare occasion. There's insane, I mean insane amounts of pressure on SML now compared to even 5 yrs ago. I cant believe the boats on the lake this fall..never seen anything like it. All the NC fisherman are coming up now bc they fished their own lakes out. You go back 8-10yrs and nobody was fishing SML. Our fish got big quick and everybody came back and now we're in a decline again. Hopefully we don't crash, but I've come to the realization that we'll likely never see any numbers of 30lb+ fish again. Leesville can do it if you can keep the pressure down and keep the big fish in the lake. It can be fished out very easily down there. You can't grow 40lbers if you're catching them all the time, even if you're releasing them. Some fish have got to slip through and they're not at all on SML.

[penn113h2]

Ya Nokidfing, but honestly I still think LVL has it's potential for big strips, and plus hey leesville holds the state record so that's the only reason why I think LVL is the dominate lake for strips around here.