Post by mwardncsu on Apr 22, 2013 10:17:36 GMT -5
Weather: low 60's dropping to upper 40's, wind blowing 15 from NW, finally laying down about 9:15p
Water: 57, visibility, not sure, it was dark
Techniques: Throwing artificials towards the bank off points - X-raps, Rapala F18s, other jointed lures that dive about 5'
Decided to get out and try the night-bite for a bit - worked all day in the basement putting the last coat of paint on the walls and then did a little electrical trim-out, then headed to my buddy's place on the Blackwater side of the lake to hit some points which are usually good night-bite points in the spring. We headed down to the boat about 7:30 as the wind was still blowing pretty good, and went out to our 1st point just before dark.
We tossed and tossed with no action for a while - got to our third point, which was a bit of a secondary point which Mark decided to stop at on a whim. Second cast in and Mark hooked up. At first he thought he had a bass
, then he thought maybe he had hooked a stick 
and then the fish turned into something respectable and started taking some drag. He was fishing with 12 lb flouro on a bait-caster and 7' or so graphite rod - it worked him good for a while around the boat. Finally got it to the boat - netted it due to the dark and all those trebles flying around.
A 16 lb striper, forgot to get a length but it looked to be in the low 30"s, so was a heavy one for its length if his scales were right - was our one and only fish of the short night. Turns out we didn't need to worry about the treble hooks as this fish engulfed the swimbait and unfortunately put a hook in his gill plates - we worked on the fish for a while to get the hook free and Mark finally had to cut a bit of the gill plate to get the lure out - boat looked like we'd murdered someone, but we spent a little time reviving the fish and it did swim off - not sure if it made it or not - hope so, but it was in the slot so we could not keep it and it had a better chance there than it did on the filet table. I hate treble hooks
Never head any alewives flipping, but sounds like we may have called it quits a little too early that evening - tough being tired old men.....
Water: 57, visibility, not sure, it was dark
Techniques: Throwing artificials towards the bank off points - X-raps, Rapala F18s, other jointed lures that dive about 5'
Decided to get out and try the night-bite for a bit - worked all day in the basement putting the last coat of paint on the walls and then did a little electrical trim-out, then headed to my buddy's place on the Blackwater side of the lake to hit some points which are usually good night-bite points in the spring. We headed down to the boat about 7:30 as the wind was still blowing pretty good, and went out to our 1st point just before dark.
We tossed and tossed with no action for a while - got to our third point, which was a bit of a secondary point which Mark decided to stop at on a whim. Second cast in and Mark hooked up. At first he thought he had a bass
, then he thought maybe he had hooked a stick 
and then the fish turned into something respectable and started taking some drag. He was fishing with 12 lb flouro on a bait-caster and 7' or so graphite rod - it worked him good for a while around the boat. Finally got it to the boat - netted it due to the dark and all those trebles flying around.
A 16 lb striper, forgot to get a length but it looked to be in the low 30"s, so was a heavy one for its length if his scales were right - was our one and only fish of the short night. Turns out we didn't need to worry about the treble hooks as this fish engulfed the swimbait and unfortunately put a hook in his gill plates - we worked on the fish for a while to get the hook free and Mark finally had to cut a bit of the gill plate to get the lure out - boat looked like we'd murdered someone, but we spent a little time reviving the fish and it did swim off - not sure if it made it or not - hope so, but it was in the slot so we could not keep it and it had a better chance there than it did on the filet table. I hate treble hooks
Never head any alewives flipping, but sounds like we may have called it quits a little too early that evening - tough being tired old men.....
