Post by 31Airborne on Sept 1, 2019 15:51:11 GMT -5
Had not planned on making this event, thinking it would be too soon after surgery. I signed up early on for the FoM regional in late SEP w/ a view to using it as my first test. Fortunately rehab has been going well so I pushed up my plans to make the last VA West event of the regular season. Shoulder got a good workout in all three days - not a lot of catching, lots of fishing. The Pott was stingy to say the least.
Practice. Had a small cold front come thru on THUR, cooling off overnite temps (mid-50s). Previous week had been hot, just like everywhere else. I started each day w/ topwater. Had a couple of blow-ups but no takers. Threw moving baits quite a bit both days - nothing. Not even a sniff. Same-same w/ the jig. The only tnhing I could get bnit on was a c-rig (small creature baits and worms). No takers on the drop shot, shakyhead, or stick worms. I marked bait almost everywhere I went - up lake, in the river, backs of creeks and bigger coves, and in main lake cuts. Marked plenty of predator fish holding on the bottom and all around the baitfish pods. Nothing had any interest in what I threw.
TX day. I kept the c-rig and topwater on the deck but made a few adjustments. I added medium and small profile swimbaits, a weightless fluke, and a spoon. Knew I could get these down to where I'd been seeing bait and feeding activity ~easily and accurately. Great idea, solid execution. Only thing is someone forgot to tell the fish they were supposed to cooperate. I finally caught my first keep around 9 AM off a secondary point. Keeper #2 came a few mins later - cookie cutter 14" fish. Both were fat, bellies full of small shad. I worked this pattern for ~3 more hours before calling it a day around 1 pm. Shoulder was tired and it was hot. Didn't want to press my luck the first day back so I declared victory and headed. Didn't weigh my fish. Maybe 2.5 lbs.
Observations: 1) Water temps held steady between 78 and 81. Water is clear down lake, a bit stained up in the river and backs of creeks (maybe 4-5' of viz). 2) Marked small pods of bait in every creek and cove I visited. Most of this was holding in 20-40' over the main channel. Saw lots of feeding activity back in creeks in shallower water (10-15'). Also saw some schooling activity downlake but this was over pretty deep water (+75'). 3) My bites came in 8-15' of water. Fish were holding right on the break. Very subtle hits. You just felt it get heavy, mushy.
Wish there was more to report but it wasn't the best weekend of fishing I've ever had. Save for the shoulder - I am pleased to report everything worked fine and I am pain-free. Felt good to back on the water.
peace,
B
Practice. Had a small cold front come thru on THUR, cooling off overnite temps (mid-50s). Previous week had been hot, just like everywhere else. I started each day w/ topwater. Had a couple of blow-ups but no takers. Threw moving baits quite a bit both days - nothing. Not even a sniff. Same-same w/ the jig. The only tnhing I could get bnit on was a c-rig (small creature baits and worms). No takers on the drop shot, shakyhead, or stick worms. I marked bait almost everywhere I went - up lake, in the river, backs of creeks and bigger coves, and in main lake cuts. Marked plenty of predator fish holding on the bottom and all around the baitfish pods. Nothing had any interest in what I threw.
TX day. I kept the c-rig and topwater on the deck but made a few adjustments. I added medium and small profile swimbaits, a weightless fluke, and a spoon. Knew I could get these down to where I'd been seeing bait and feeding activity ~easily and accurately. Great idea, solid execution. Only thing is someone forgot to tell the fish they were supposed to cooperate. I finally caught my first keep around 9 AM off a secondary point. Keeper #2 came a few mins later - cookie cutter 14" fish. Both were fat, bellies full of small shad. I worked this pattern for ~3 more hours before calling it a day around 1 pm. Shoulder was tired and it was hot. Didn't want to press my luck the first day back so I declared victory and headed. Didn't weigh my fish. Maybe 2.5 lbs.
Observations: 1) Water temps held steady between 78 and 81. Water is clear down lake, a bit stained up in the river and backs of creeks (maybe 4-5' of viz). 2) Marked small pods of bait in every creek and cove I visited. Most of this was holding in 20-40' over the main channel. Saw lots of feeding activity back in creeks in shallower water (10-15'). Also saw some schooling activity downlake but this was over pretty deep water (+75'). 3) My bites came in 8-15' of water. Fish were holding right on the break. Very subtle hits. You just felt it get heavy, mushy.
Wish there was more to report but it wasn't the best weekend of fishing I've ever had. Save for the shoulder - I am pleased to report everything worked fine and I am pain-free. Felt good to back on the water.
peace,
B