Can't find a big fish this year...

We fished Desert Bass yesterday. We started by hitting a deeper
(relatively) little back lake looking for a topwater bite. Nothing. Not
even a bump. After burning up most of the photo period working the lake
from shallow to deep I target some shallow channels going back into the
mountain. On the first one I did the old noise zone trick with a buzzbait.
I just burned up the mouth of the channel and as far back as I could cast
with the buzzbait. Must have made 20 or 30 casts. Then it took 3 casts
with a popper before I hit the spot I was aiming for next to some floating
trash back in the channel. I hit where I wanted and the water exploded.
Woo Hoo. One in the boat and the shadows were starting to get short. I
know that channel and there is a spot further back that's a foot or so
deeper that usually holds a fish, but I opted not to go in and try it
because I have to back the boat out if I do.

Another little channel into the hillside looked interesting. I started to
pick up a buzzbait to try and draw them out of the brush into the channel,
but I saw one feeding just short of a floating tulie clump. I eased the
boat into the channel and dropped my popper right on top of him. On the
first twitch he blew it up and I missed him. I waked a Club-O over the spot
a couple times, and then let it drop. No joy, but I saw a swirl behind it.
Put the popper back on the spot and just let it float there for 10 seconds
or more. Then I gave it a quiver. Just enough to ripple the water, and he
was all over it. 2nd keeper in the boat.

While I was hunting that fish I had seen another one take something off the
surface further back in the channel. My partner and I took the boat up to
the tulie clump blocking the channel and I cast as far up as I could with
the popper. It settled down about ten feet past where I had seen that fish
working. Almost the ideal cast. One twitch and it blew up. I didn't think
it was going to be a decent fish because I got him on top and waked it right
in and past the tulie clump, but it was about 1.5. Keeper number 3.

We worked our way out of the lake after that. I worked my popper along the
shadow line and had one small fish roll on it, but they just weren't chasing
there. We decided to flip the brush in the main river.

As we eased out into the current I turned the boat, and we started flipping.
It was a slow grind, but we got bit here and there. Every bite was way back
in the trash. My partner was flipping with 20lb florocarbon, and I had to
dig every one of his fish out of the trash by hand. One that might have
culled I couldn't get to and it finally came off. He put two in the boat on
an orange craw pattern that filled our limit though. He flipped 4-5 more
that would have kept, but were no help. A couple times I got his fish by
reaching my arm way down into the brush to lip it and then cutting his line.
I flipped two. A short and a 2 pounder that culled. The short wrapped up
in the trash and I had to dig him out. I pulled the 2 pounder out of the
trash but he slipped down over a twig. No big deal. I let him swim down a
foot so he wasn't pulling directly against the twig and eased the boat up.
When I had the boat next to him he pulled straight up and swung into the
boat.

Gotta love that 65lb braid when trash fishing. I am disappointed that the
last time I ordered the only bulk spools were Power Pro. I just don't like
it as much as the Stren Super Braid that is now discontinued. I have to
call Stren and ask them if their new braid is the same as the newer style
Super Braid, and who sells bulk spools. Nobody had any last time I ordered.
This is the first time I have used Power Pro on my flipping sticks in a
couple years. Basically since I started using the Stren. I have to say the
new PP is better than the old PP, but it definitely does not perform like
the Stren.

We worked the current for a while, but neither of us really had our heart in
it. My partner suggested we try a back channel system he likes, and since I
was getting tired of fighting the pleasure boat wakes to fish the current I
agreed. I felt like we mostly just played around back there, but I tossed
a Club-O to a key point in one of the bigger lakes off the back channel
system and stuck our big fish of the day. 3+ plus and another cull.

I caught a couple more shorts on the Club-O and one short on a crappie grub.
Desert Bass has a junk fish pot. Its mostly just luck with somebody
bringing in a catfish or a carp to win that side pot., but once in a while
nobody brings in a junk fish and the pot rolls over. Now I keep a drop shot
rig setup with light line and a twin crappie grub. Its murder on redears
and bluegill, and I almost always have a 1/2 to 1.5 pound panfish for the
junk fish pot now.

Side note: I originally made myself some 1.5" crappie grub molds for
catching bait for catfishing. Most of the panfish around here are legal for
baitfish. The first time I tried them I caught 14 bass on them upto about
3.5 pounds, and no panfish. LOL.

Running low on time we decided to head back to the host marina and grind out
the last of our time around docks and artificial structure hoping for a
kicker fish. In one cove I pulled a keeper off of each of two spots where I
usually catch one. Both dead sticking a Club-O. Neither would cull... and
that was our day.

19 bass caught
3 on a popper
4 on a Club-O
1 on a crappie grub dropshotted
The rest flipping

10.75 pounds and a 3+ big fish for a middle or bottom half of the pack
finish at best. 1st place had over 21 pounds.

Good report.

How hot is the water out there?

Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

"Ronnie" wrote in message
...
Good report.

How hot is the water out there?

Surface temps are in the low 80s. Probably close to 90 in some of the
backwaters. We have had more water releases this year however, and it has
held temps in the main river. I have to be honest. I really haven't looked
a the water temp much. I've got my backup trolling motor on the front of
the Black Cat, and I have not gotten around to putting the transducer for
the front graph on it. I only see the temps when I am back at the console
cruising.

"Bob La Londe" wrote in
:

"Ronnie" wrote in message
.
..
Good report.

How hot is the water out there?

Surface temps are in the low 80s. Probably close to 90 in some of the
backwaters. We have had more water releases this year however, and it
has held temps in the main river. I have to be honest. I really
haven't looked a the water temp much. I've got my backup trolling
motor on the front of the Black Cat, and I have not gotten around to
putting the transducer for the front graph on it. I only see the
temps when I am back at the console cruising.




Ever thought about reaching into your ice chest, and scooping out a few ice
cubes, and putting them into the area of water you're fishing in?

Man, I would bet the the fish would go berserk with activity, and jump onto
your hook, and into your boat!!!!

You can thank me after you win the fishing contest.