|
Date: June 17, 2019 Body of Water: Lake St. Clair (LSC) Boat: Numenon With: Alone Target: Walleye and then Smallmouth Bass Time: Launched at 7:30 AM; returned to ramp at 3:30 PM Conditions: Generally overcast with a northerly wind, diminishing over the day from about 10 mph. Water was chalky green and 55 degrees offshore; very clear and 63 degrees on the spawning grounds at Memorial Park; and 65 degrees and stained to muddy in L'Anse Creuse Bay. As I drove to Lake St. Clair, I still didn't know if I was going to target smallmouth bass or walleye. I'd thrown some bottom bouncers, crawler harnesses and Gulp! into the tackle bag; when the bass get post-spawn and finicky, I've been able to rely on off-shore walleyes at this time year to keep the bites coming! But, it's been a late spring; bass were reportedly still spawning; the moon was full; and, I simply prefer bass. I would generally prefer to fish for brown bass! Upon arriving at the the ramp, though, walleye seemed like a better deal. The gray skies, north wind, walleye chop (but not so much as to make the run to the shipping channel too difficult or painful) all seduced me to try the 'eyes, at least first. I'm not much of a walleye fisherman (I'm not crazy about harvesting or eating them), but I do enjoy a peaceful day involving a simple spread of bottom bouncers, a lot of space to roam and plenty of bites. For whatever reason, mid-June walleye seem to drop down from the St. Clair River's main channel to markers 27 and 28 in the shipping channel of Lake St. Clair. I've found them there each of the last several years. Unlike previous years, this time there were no signs of mayfly husks on the water, and the water was a solid 7-10 degrees cooler than similarly timed trips in 2017 and 2018. But, a dozen or so boats had also made the trip out there, so there was at least a general expectation for some golden walleye to be present. I deployed three rods; a bottom bouncer with a small Mack's Smiley blade (silver) with a pinched Gulp! crawler (chartreuse); a bottom bouncer with a more conventional fire-tiger perch spinner dressed with a full Gulp! crawler; and a long-lined crank-bait behind the boat. (I used a variety of slender- and shad-style walleye baits, but none of these ever got hit at the slow speeds I was fishing. This presentation will not be discussed further, here.) I presented these, moving with the current and wind at about 1.0 mph (+/- 0.2 mph) with the electric trolling motor. I started just north of marker 28 and went south, along the east side of the channel, almost down to marker 24. Depths were generally 20-21 feet. The Mack and pinched bait got hit almost immediately, but the Gulp! got stolen from the hook. I re-set with high hopes, but then a lull hit the fleet. It took almost 20 minutes before I got my next bite, and a 15.5-inch walleye was welcomed aboard. I'd prefer bigger; but this size (to about 17 inches) represents the current, dominant year class; and I'm rarely in a position to bicker, when it comes to 'eyes. I'd collected another, 16+ inches and a hefty silver bass before I ended this first drift. I'd seen only one other net; the fishing was not fast and furious, but I was getting my share; I ran upstream to set up my next drift. I collected two more legal-sized walleye on this drift (as well as a tiny 12-incher). I cut this drift short on both ends. One of my fish was on a waypoint from the first drift, and several of the fish had come from a slightly deeper, mapped depression; my third and last drift now focused on this area to a greater degree. It was now about 10 AM, and I was hoping to get my fifth legal-sized "limit" fish by 11 AM; what I didn't expect was for the bite to improve to the degree by which I had 10 walleyes by 11. All but one came on the same silver Mack Smiley combo; for the third drift I'd switched out the traditional spinner harness for a chartreuse Mack Smiley blade. Strangely enough, all but the last fish continued to eat the silver blade. Perhaps color does make a difference! And I still had enough time to go bass fishing! I ran into the Mile Roads, near Memorial Park. Very few people were bass fishing, and many were out in deep (14+ feet) water. All observed appeared to have "low energy". I decided to try my trolling tactics here, switching over to cranks at 1.7 mph or so. I caught quite a few fish in 11 - 12 feet of water. Once again, KVD Flat 1.5 cranks in white perch and sexy shad produced well. At just a short cast back, these ran deep enough to occasionally tick the scruffy weeds emerging from the lake's bottom. In addition to 6 or 8 rock bass (which seemed to definitely prefer the white perch lure, to which they bore a strong resemblance in shape and color) to true trophy size, I landed three bass to 18 inches. I jumped a few bass, too. The 18-incher kept me going; those are the fish I was hoping for. But, at 1 PM, I ran away from these fish (twice in one day? Really?) to go look for more walleyes in L'Anse Creuse Bay's muddier waters. I had to run that way to return to the ramp, anyway, and I figured this was a good excuse to give this newer area (a known community hole, especially with the stained water) a legitimate shot. However, other than finding some nice, deep cabbage patches (waypoints were secured) for future efforts, nothing productive happened by the time I pulled my plug at 3 PM. What do I have to say about this? It really was a relaxing day; a full weekday of fishing with no troubles! It was good to convince myself that I can walleye fish, and it was a pleasure to soak in the peace and quiet of slow, e-trolling in the middle of this lake. I'll get back to bassing when they settle in to their summer patterns. And, my bass cranking rods with 15-pound fluoro make great bottom-bouncing rods! They telegraph bottom conditions and bites, are light enough to be sporting, and have enough backbone to handle all the fish I've encountered, so far! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways
0 Comments
Date: June 3, 2019 Body of Water: Reeds Lake Boat: Numenon With: Alone Target: Largemouth Bass Time: 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM Conditions: Clear and bright, 50-65 degrees F; water was 64 - 65 degrees F and clear (> 6 feet visibility); funky spawn time; wind was easterly at first but swung to NW and built to 10 mph or so. I expected things to be difficult; the cool night, clear sky and still conditions all contributed to these expectations. The unexpectedly clear water might make things even tougher. But my previous experience on this lake at this stage of Spring was my biggest source of concern. While I'd caught some nice fish and occasionally, numbers of smaller fish, I often struggle with bedding largemouth. I find myself caught between sight fishing (because I can see them! I know they are there!) for fish that largely refuse to bite; and blind casting for fish that I must simply trust are there. Well, at least this knowledge and experience gave me a starting point! In fact, it was in anticipation of these conditions that I'd chosen to fish this lake on this day; I wanted to see what I could put together. With the sun still fairly low in the sky, I chose to fish initially by tossing a wacky-rigged Senko near irregularities within the inside weed edge or simply blindly to the deep weed edge. It didn't take long for a deep edge fish to inhale my bait; a beautiful, 16-inch, 2-pound, 9-ounce pre-spawn largemouth! Re-rigging, I noticed a few beds in the shallows. I found males on most of these, but they were reluctant to bite. Several simply drifted off as I cast baits to them; another seemed locked onto his bed. Still, he would not eat or otherwise pick up a bait from his nest. He steadfastly refused to taste a tube, Ned or Senko. His body language (posture, erect fins, etc.) indicated interest or concern; but he would not commit. And, just like that, I realized that I'd just burned a half hour of effort with nothing to show for it. Plus, these fish were not as large as the fish I'd caught, or the very occasional cruiser I could now see with the increased sun angle. I decided to abandon the beds to the extent I could, and focus on the (better) fish that I could not see. That decision was almost validated immediately, when a 4-pound class fish ate my Senko. Unfortunately, that one shook the hook and escaped the net. But that was the class of fish I expected and wanted; and so, I would fish the rest of the day blind-fishing the deeper weed edges, especially those adjacent to known or observed spawning areas. But I'd doomed myself to a long dry spell. I missed a solid strike on a shallow crank (perhaps this was a pike, though), but the Senko, whether presented wacky-style or Texas-rigged, was ignored. I stuck with the day's program, though, and at about Noon, the bite picked up. The Noon Fish was a welcomed visitor; I'd gone more than two hours without a bite! This fish was the best of the day, too, scaling out at 18.5 inches and 4 pounds, even. Over the next couple of hours I managed two more "keepers" at just over 14 inches and 1-pound, 9-ounces and 1-pound, 8-ounces and several shorts. I was really concentrating on presenting the wacky Senko on long casts to between 5 and 7 feet of water. This is how I'd gotten my bites and caught my fish; and I could see occasional cruisers (including a couple of certified lunkers) just inside this depth. I knew that persistence would likely pay off; and at about 2:10 PM, I had my "limit" fish close to the boat. My heart sunk a little bit when I lost this probable 3-pounder at the edge of the net. Fortunately, I kept my head down and soon thereafter swung into a 2-pound, 13-ounce bass. So, I'd not lost much by farming out the previous fish, and I'd secured my virtual limit. At 12-pounds, 7-ounces, it was something of a victory for me on a tough day of catching. What do I have to say about this? I took the logistics of this day pretty easy; late start, early finish, inland lake. But I fished hard in the time I had available. I was pleased to persevere my way to a respectable limit. Not all days can be epic; but all can (and should) be enjoyed. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: June 1, 2019 Body of Water: Lake St. Clair (LSC) Boat: Numenon With: Alone Target: Smallmouth Bass Time: 8 AM - 11 AM Conditions: Overcast; winds from all quadrants and generally less than 10 mph and diminishing; but thunderstorms brewing, with the first thunderclap just after 11 AM and the first deluge at 11:20 AM as I approached the ramp. Water was very clear (>10 ft visibility) and about 62 degrees F. The wind was stronger, more northerly, and more easterly than I'd hoped and expected; and my fishing started off very slowly. A crowd of boats off Twelve Mile/Memorial Park from 6 to 10 feet of water or so marked the current Community Hole. I joined them surrounded by plotted waypoints from past catches. The water was very clear, and the bass were on the verge of the spawn. The catching could have been absolutely awesome; it just wasn't. I tried cranks and jerks as my preferred tactics; but everybody else was scratching bottom with tubes, Neds or drop shots. After a half hour or so without any action, I drifted a Ned Rig from the rod holder and immediately caught a rock bass, the first of the season. Soon thereafter and in the same area, I switched from a standard green tube to a smaller, goby/green Powerbait tube and almost immediately scored a nice, 16-inch buck smallmouth from about 8 feet of water. Things were looking up! After another slow period, I moved a bit to the north, but still in the area of Memorial Park and still surrounded by waypoints from the past. It was much less crowded here. The tube and Ned produced three more bass, but these were all small, between 13 and 14.5 inches; these were small males and not the fish I was hoping for. As I considered my options, I glanced over my shoulder to the west and noticed seriously darkening skies. As I checked local radar on my phone, a single, but close, thunderclap struck. It was time to get off the water! What do I have to say about this? I never really found my groove this morning. Obviously, the session was interrupted and cut short by the weather; but I'm not sure I would have hit my stride this day. While most reports have indicated "lights out" bass fishing, this particular area seemed to be struggling; and I'm not certain I had a longer run in me. Three legal bass to only 5.5 or 6 pounds; not a good day. And, why was I in the serious minority in getting off the water? Most folks didn't even make a move toward shore or the many marinas. To me, that makes absolutely no sense. If only because I know how much it ended up raining; but also, because there will be so many more days to catch fish! At least, that's my plan! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: May 21, 2019 Body of Water: Waquoit Bay, Falmouth, Massachusetts Boat: Maritime 1480 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 5:30 AM - 9 AM Conditions: Clear and bright; another Small Craft Advisory in place, with the wind swinging through the west to become WNW. With skies already bright, I chose to start my Quests for 3 and 7 with the fluke and jig. I caught two almost immediately, but then had to work for No. 3. Keep in mind, 10 minutes without contacting a fish during this trip constituted "work". At about 6 AM, Striper No. 100 for the trip came aboard! By 6:30 AM, I'd caught six for the morning, and I picked up the popper to try to make No. 100 for the Boat a memorable one. I almost immediately hooked and fought a beautiful, mid-20 inch striper to near boat side. I must have already been thinking about the picture and this blog, because I lost focus and flubbed the fish! Waquoit Bay then made me wait almost a half hour before my next strike (now, on the jig/fluke), but finally striper seven for the morning, No. 100 for the Maritime, came into the boat at 7:07 AM. For good measure, my next cast produced another striper. With all goals now met, I decided to go on the hunt for some bigger fish. Unfortunately, the westerly component of the wind was still too strong, and I was unable to control the boat and fish at the same time; I abandoned the Waquoit Bay outlet, even though I suspect there were bass present. I completed my circuit of Waquoit Bay without identifying other, obviously fishy spots; I returned to my starting point to finish off the fishing portion of the trip. The fishing had picked up, and I captured 6 more in the final half hour. The deeper water "north of the yellow buoys" appeared to be holding the most fish. All fell to the jig and fluke; my topwater bite had evaporated. The morning's stripers had all been caught on the jig and fluke; 14 fish to 21 inches. I'd had only a single topwater strike, and it had been a better fish. Now with 111 stripers for the trip (107 over the Maritime's gunnels) and 99 for my Childs River/Eel Pond area, I motored back to the ramp. It was time to transfer the boat to the property in Falmouth, Maine! ![]() I'd applied this striper decal to the new boat after my first session. Her primary quarry will be stripers, and she'd immediately proven herself to be mighty capable. Now, I'm thinking about applying the same decal every time 100 stripers are documented to have come aboard. What would she look like in 10 or more years? What do I have to say about this? First off, thanks to those that made this trip possible, enjoyable and productive! My hosts, my family, my Beantown Visitor; thank you! Second, despite the wind, I was able to fish new waters and catch fish! I was likely a bit early for the biggest bass and sea bass, and my boat is too small to access less protected waters in such windy conditions, but I was more than happy with the fish that I had access to. I enjoyed this light-tackle action; and I caught more stripers on lures this trip than in the rest of my life, combined. Third, the Maritime met and exceeded my expectations; I suspect she'll be a welcomed, long-term partner in my coastal pursuits. I capped off the trip with a trouble-free trip to Maine. There, I learned that the bass had arrived! But I was out of time; they'll have to wait for me to return. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways |
Steve LachanceRI --> NH --> MI-->MA-->ME Archives
June 2024
Categories
All
|
Proudly powered by Weebly