Bob La Londe wrote:
"Chris Rennert" wrote in message
.. .

Hey all, just wanted to throw this out there and get some replies based
on experience or opinion or both. Conventional wisdom tells you to fish
the northwest side of the lake this time of year. The sun beats that
shoreline longer, etc etc. Going against conventional wisdom and
following experience my trip on Friday led me to Cane beds on on the
south side of the lake, as well as channels on the south side of the
lake. I had success in both areas. I know all fish are individuals, but
there are considerable populations that are going against the grain as
well.

Sunday, my buddy and I were fishing those smallies, and I knew that
there were a bunch of guys practicing for a tourney on the Winnebago
system for this coming weekend. We caught all those smallies from a bay
off of Winnebago on the south end of the bay. We could see boats at a
distance pull into the north side of the bay, fish for about 20 minutes
and roll, nobody even came close to where we are. NOw a lot of the guys
fishing in their defense do not spend the time I do on the lake.

Just wondering, why these fish don't follow the rules that have become
conventional thinking. Is it maybe that there are so many fish on the
northwest side that they take the next available cover (that wasn't the
case, the guys were pulling water according to a couple guys I talked
to), or is it that maybe the bottom composition doesn't lend itself to
support feed. (The area we were in has milfoil during the summer, as
well as baseball size rock, to pea gravel, just awesome for crayfish,
and the sheepshead gave away the smallies).

Just thought I would pose the question and see if anyone had any
thoughts on it.

Chris


Sounds like there were definitely some differences. Not knowing your
climate my first question would have been about water temp, and then
possibly were these staging fish that likeed the bottom for beds and the
cane for cover? Was the north side a muddier bottom or a perhaps solid
rock? Although rock might surprise. I got to see lots of bass bedding on
solid rock this spring.


Great questions Bob. The temps on the main lake are about 50 degrees.
But we had a dropping Baro & 0 wind and 70 degrees for 3 days. So there
was a mass migration (I am thinking) into the shallows to feed. So I
am guessing the crayfish were coming out of their haunts and were made
available to the Sheepshead & Smallies... OH, also, another thing we
noticed. About a 6ft Lake Sturgeon was constantly surfacing tail in the
air. No doubt he was also taking advantage of the feast. That was the
only surface commotion we had seen, but something to remember none the
less. There may have been more than 1, but he/she was large and staying
in a consistent area.

The north side of that bay (which is about a half mile away), is also
gravel, but a little shallower (We were fishing about 2.5 to 3.5 ft,
with 8 to 10 ft nearby). Maybe we caught these fish just coming up out
of the deeper water. Either way it was a good day, but I figured I have
to ask the questions and try and figure it out :-D

Chris