|
Date: April 21, 2019 Body of Water: Reeds Lake Boat: Numenon With: BL (partial) Target: Largemouth Bass Time: 7:45 AM - 1:45 PM Conditions: Just about perfect; mixed clouds, warming from 40 to 65 degrees F, light southerly winds less than 10 mph. Water was less brown, slightly greenish, but with improved clarity to about 4 feet. Water temperatures were 46 to 49 degrees F. I returned to Reeds Lake after a two week hiatus, and it was almost as if nothing had changed; the water temperature was right where I'd left it. The water was visibly less stained and clearer, and I expected good things as I left the ramp. There were already several boats out fishing for bass, but my favorite stretch of pre-spawn edge was open for my efforts. Just a half dozen or so casts into the session, my jerk-bait was intercepted in about 8 feet of water. I landed a small pike; not what I was targeting, but a better start to my trip than my last one! Things were truly looking promising. But I struggled for the next couple of hours. I alternated baits (spy-, crank-, blade-, and rattle-), all while keeping the bass honest with a variety of jerk-bait styles, colors and cadences. I expanded my zone of interest from 3 to 25 feet of water. I had one sizable flash at my feet on a jerk-bait (again, in 6 or 8 feet of water), but that was it. At 10:50 AM, I picked up buddy BL at the dock. I explained the slow fishing and the puzzling conditions, but we were both just happy to be out, fishing, on what was turning out to be a very pleasant day. I'd set BL up with a Ned Rig and a crank-bait. I chose to focus on presenting a rattle-bait (a red craw Rattlin' Rap 06) in big-fish areas. The water seemed a little cool for the rattle-bait to be at its most effective, but the jerks were certainly not producing; I was searching for isolated, big bites. I fish these baits in cold water like a Carolina Rig, with a drag/sweep of the rod and then picking up slack as the bait noses the bottom. It didn't take long; my first nice bass of the season totally inhaled the bait. I'd intercepted her in about 8 feet of water, right between known spawning flats and depths of 25 feet or so. She was in a familiar location; two years prior, BL had netted a 5-pounder for me from this exact spot. That particular fish had been the start of an amazing, 45-minute LunkerFest. With that in mind, I stuck with the red craw rattle-bait pretty much for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, this day was a different story. I caught a couple of pike and was surprised by a hefty carp, so I still had fun. I don't think I missed any bass, though; my pattern did not repeat. BL missed a solid thunk on Ned, too. By 1:45 or so, I'd lost my focus; we called it a day as we looked ahead to better catches elsewhere, later in the season. What do I have to say about this? My season is off to a frustratingly slow start, but I've a lot of fishing opportunities ahead of me, and the best is certainly not behind. I am quite certain that I'll get there, eventually. In the meantime, I enjoyed a couple of quality encounters while sharing some time on the water with friends. And, I don't have to get rid of the 1975 Red Sox American League Championship hat! I was afraid that I'd have to, between my poor fishing and the Sox' unexpectedly dismal start to their season. Both of these unfortunate developments coincided with my receipt of this hat. Now, I know that jinx is busted, and I can don this classic, should I so choose, without fear of a light catch. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Steve LachanceRI --> NH --> MI-->MA-->ME Archives
June 2024
Categories
All
|
Proudly powered by Weebly