Post by mwardncsu on Feb 8, 2017 11:39:41 GMT -5
Weather: Frikin' Beautiful - mostly sunny, low 40's rising to low 60's - wind from S picking up in the afternoon to around 5-10
Water: 45-48, visibility from 2-6 feet
Techniques: dollar-bill to 14" gizzards on free-line planers - and occasion a dollar-bill on a light-line & downline
Time Fished: 8am - 6pm - with probably 3 hours of bait catching in there
Was going to catch bait & maybe fish last weekend but it was cold and it was going to be in the 60's Mon-Wed here - and had the flexibility to come up to the lake early this week so I made plans to do so. Had the chance to jump on with LiveBaitJunkEE / Kurt, so he picked up me about 8am with a 1/2 dozen baits and we headed out to add some more to the tank - found a 14" beauty in my creek and after loading several more we put out a spread. Pulled a good part of the creek without any action - water temps were around 45-46 and heavily stained.
We repeated this pattern several times - working our way up the lake - checking a few creeks for bait, adding some larger ones here and there - and pulling without success. Somewhere on the way up the lake as the mud started to turn to a light stain we spotted some 48 degree water - we went up a bit above that to a beautiful emerald green water but the temperature dropped quickly to 43-44 - we did try pulling there with no luck. Decided to move back down the lake a ways and find that warmer water - good call - we pulled a flat where we found the warmest water - 48-49 - and missed two fish - kept pulling on down to another creek and had no love - and found plenty of smaller bait but no good sized ones.
Moved back up to fish the flat where I missed a fish (not used to using circles on planers - even though Kurt reminded me
) - good call - we finally ditched the skunk for the day. The first fish hit the inside board like a bass - a slow bobbing of the planer board - I reeled down on the reel this time and picked up the rod to not feel a whole lot at first - thinking it was a bass - then it started to pull - and then shake its head. Wasn't a huge fish but turned into a 27.5" / 9 lber which turned into dinner for Kurt. Just a minute or so after getting that fish to the boat the outside board dove - I cranked the reel and pushed the rod into Kurt's hands as it started to peel drag off his Abu 6500 setup. He had a nice little fight and we brought a 16 lb / 35.5" striper to the boat for a quick photo session before being released.
We tried one more creek as his trolling motor batteries were drained down to nothing - and then spent the last hour of daylight working on a tank of bait for Tuesday AM to try it all again tomorrow.....
Water: 45-48, visibility from 2-6 feet
Techniques: dollar-bill to 14" gizzards on free-line planers - and occasion a dollar-bill on a light-line & downline
Time Fished: 8am - 6pm - with probably 3 hours of bait catching in there
Was going to catch bait & maybe fish last weekend but it was cold and it was going to be in the 60's Mon-Wed here - and had the flexibility to come up to the lake early this week so I made plans to do so. Had the chance to jump on with LiveBaitJunkEE / Kurt, so he picked up me about 8am with a 1/2 dozen baits and we headed out to add some more to the tank - found a 14" beauty in my creek and after loading several more we put out a spread. Pulled a good part of the creek without any action - water temps were around 45-46 and heavily stained.
We repeated this pattern several times - working our way up the lake - checking a few creeks for bait, adding some larger ones here and there - and pulling without success. Somewhere on the way up the lake as the mud started to turn to a light stain we spotted some 48 degree water - we went up a bit above that to a beautiful emerald green water but the temperature dropped quickly to 43-44 - we did try pulling there with no luck. Decided to move back down the lake a ways and find that warmer water - good call - we pulled a flat where we found the warmest water - 48-49 - and missed two fish - kept pulling on down to another creek and had no love - and found plenty of smaller bait but no good sized ones.
Moved back up to fish the flat where I missed a fish (not used to using circles on planers - even though Kurt reminded me
) - good call - we finally ditched the skunk for the day. The first fish hit the inside board like a bass - a slow bobbing of the planer board - I reeled down on the reel this time and picked up the rod to not feel a whole lot at first - thinking it was a bass - then it started to pull - and then shake its head. Wasn't a huge fish but turned into a 27.5" / 9 lber which turned into dinner for Kurt. Just a minute or so after getting that fish to the boat the outside board dove - I cranked the reel and pushed the rod into Kurt's hands as it started to peel drag off his Abu 6500 setup. He had a nice little fight and we brought a 16 lb / 35.5" striper to the boat for a quick photo session before being released.We tried one more creek as his trolling motor batteries were drained down to nothing - and then spent the last hour of daylight working on a tank of bait for Tuesday AM to try it all again tomorrow.....
