Post by mwardncsu on Oct 28, 2013 13:14:12 GMT -5
I forgot to post this one a few weeks back....
Weather: Sunny skies, new moon, light winds from NW, temps starting in mid-60's rising to upper 80s (it is October, right
)
Water: upper 60's to low 70's depending on location, visibility of a couple of feet.
Techniques: "Money-maker" gizzards with a few larger ones on planers - then "peanut" gizzards on downlines / lightlines later in the day (along with a few bigger gizzards out)
Well, the fishing calendar said Saturday was one of those 99% fishing efficiency days.... so I figured it would be crap, but might as well fish.
I snuck out around lunchtime for an hour and a half on Friday to try and catch some big bait in my creek. Managed 10-12 nice gizzards before heading back in.
Went back out that evening to hit a couple of lights to see if I could put a few more in the tank but did not find them on the near-by lights and decided sleep was better than more gizzards as I knew we could get more once the sun was up. I did spot this mystery on the radar - started off as a small blob and grew as I approached - no lights ahead of me....
Cut the engine and turned down the radio and figured out what it was..... a big flock of geese.
Tyler and my buddy Mark drove over and we headed out a little after 6:30 am. We passed a spot where multiple boats were gathering, heading on to a place of our own. We got our baits out and it was not long before we had one planer dashing off and Tyler had to run across the boat as Mark and I were rerigging some rods to try and get it - just as the fish let the bait go - then seconds later another board was slammed and I grabbed it - with this one hooked up.
Nothing big, but around 31" and 10 lbs
We fished a few more hours with a couple of chases and one blow-up that did not commit, but then it really got good, things turned on and we really loaded up!
After all that action we had to turn it down a notch or two.... you know, pace ourselves.....
It was a hot day - felt like August - the cows thought so as well....
We started downlining some 3"-4" gizzards and found these....
One yanked on a downline and Mark brought it (almost) to the boat for the ultimate quick release.
But, we hung in there.... things picked up again before too long....
Again, it's important to pace yourself - can't blow it out all at once.... we hit the evening bite with a full buffet of shad - 4 planers, 2 or 3 lightlines and 4 downlines - and rode it into the sunset.
And then polished off the evening with some chicken fajitas
Told you we loaded up!
Weather: Sunny skies, new moon, light winds from NW, temps starting in mid-60's rising to upper 80s (it is October, right
)Water: upper 60's to low 70's depending on location, visibility of a couple of feet.
Techniques: "Money-maker" gizzards with a few larger ones on planers - then "peanut" gizzards on downlines / lightlines later in the day (along with a few bigger gizzards out)
Well, the fishing calendar said Saturday was one of those 99% fishing efficiency days.... so I figured it would be crap, but might as well fish.
I snuck out around lunchtime for an hour and a half on Friday to try and catch some big bait in my creek. Managed 10-12 nice gizzards before heading back in.
Went back out that evening to hit a couple of lights to see if I could put a few more in the tank but did not find them on the near-by lights and decided sleep was better than more gizzards as I knew we could get more once the sun was up. I did spot this mystery on the radar - started off as a small blob and grew as I approached - no lights ahead of me....
Cut the engine and turned down the radio and figured out what it was..... a big flock of geese.
Tyler and my buddy Mark drove over and we headed out a little after 6:30 am. We passed a spot where multiple boats were gathering, heading on to a place of our own. We got our baits out and it was not long before we had one planer dashing off and Tyler had to run across the boat as Mark and I were rerigging some rods to try and get it - just as the fish let the bait go - then seconds later another board was slammed and I grabbed it - with this one hooked up.
Nothing big, but around 31" and 10 lbs
We fished a few more hours with a couple of chases and one blow-up that did not commit, but then it really got good, things turned on and we really loaded up!
After all that action we had to turn it down a notch or two.... you know, pace ourselves.....
It was a hot day - felt like August - the cows thought so as well....
We started downlining some 3"-4" gizzards and found these....
One yanked on a downline and Mark brought it (almost) to the boat for the ultimate quick release.
But, we hung in there.... things picked up again before too long....
Again, it's important to pace yourself - can't blow it out all at once.... we hit the evening bite with a full buffet of shad - 4 planers, 2 or 3 lightlines and 4 downlines - and rode it into the sunset.
And then polished off the evening with some chicken fajitas
Told you we loaded up!
