It's Opening Day!

I finally got on the water at 9:00, it was gray, a damp, dank 42 degrees,
but calm. I decided this year I'd try other lures and techniques, rather
than my usual pearl Zoom Fluke and firetiger Secret Weapon spinnerbait. So,
figuring to use some of the lures that I got from Joe, I hit the stained
waters of Lake Mohawksin.

I figured with the cold overnight temperatures that the smallies would have
moved out of the shallows, so I started fishing rocky points with deeper
water. After taking a beating by Randy in Kentucky while he fished a wacky
rigged senko type bait behind me, I started out pitching one of those. The
watermelon color didn't draw a bite. Neither did pumpkinseed, white,
junebug or some of the laminate colors.

I switched to a tube, still nothing. I worked deep wood, rocks, steep
dropping shorelines and some laydowns. Nothing! I ran down to the
papermill, and fished the water intake where I've done well in the past. I
pitched senkos, tubes, creatures, trick worms, still nothing! Finally,
working down the shoreline, I pitched into a laydown and managed one small
dink on a watermelon senko, texas rigged.

By now, the weather had turned. The clouds blew out and bright sunshine and
wind arrived. Thinking the fish might now tuck into the shaded areas, I
started skipping tubes and senkos underneath overhanging trees in the shade.
Still nothing, only now, the wind was howling and it made boat control
interesting, especially with a hand controlled trolling motor on the loaner
Cat. I started throwing (what else?), a firetiger Secret Weapon (tandem
blades, chrome and gold). Slipping the motor into the wind, I started
"chunkin' and windin'", and had a nice sized smallie swirl at the bait.
Thinking quicker than I usually do, I dropped that rod and grabbed the senko
rod and pitched back to the fish. NOTHING!!!

Well, I knew there was a good smallie there, and I was darned if I was going
to let it go, so I brought out another rod, and tied on a 5/0 EWG hook and
put on (what else?), a pearl Zoom Super Fluke. By this time, I was blown
250 yards down the shore, so I trolled on back. On the first cast with the
fluke, I got pounded, but missed! I straightened out the lure and pitched
back in. That cast was rewarded with a solid thump, and the first keeper
smallie of the day. I posted a picture on APBF if you'd like to see it. It
was a nice, fat fish, pre-spawn and almost 20 inches, and according to the
digital scale, 3.92 pounds.

I ended up catching 14 smallies, the shortest was 14 1/2 inches, and the one
pictured was the largest. The bulk of the fish were in the 16 - 18 inch
range and I had a ball!

All of the fish were caught on the fluke and the SW spinnerbait. I tried, I
really did want to use other lures, but hey, I wanted to catch fish!

All in all, not a bad day at all, but I just couldn't bring myself to go
chase walleyes.......
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com

Sometimes a variety of baits will put you on fish all day. Jeremy and I
had 6 nice Lm in 4 hours on 4 different baits, around 18-20 lbs on the
6 fish caught, speedworms, craws, wacky rigs and chatterbaits. Took the
little guy out early this morning and caught two, he caught one that
was up on a bed with a nice cast to the bed. They are starting to move
up and the big un's should be turning on soon

"Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers" wrote in
message ...
I finally got on the water at 9:00, it was gray, a damp, dank 42 degrees,
but calm. I decided this year I'd try other lures and techniques, rather
than my usual pearl Zoom Fluke and firetiger Secret Weapon spinnerbait.
So, figuring to use some of the lures that I got from Joe, I hit the
stained waters of Lake Mohawksin.

I figured with the cold overnight temperatures that the smallies would
have moved out of the shallows, so I started fishing rocky points with
deeper water. After taking a beating by Randy in Kentucky while he fished
a wacky rigged senko type bait behind me, I started out pitching one of
those. The watermelon color didn't draw a bite. Neither did pumpkinseed,
white, junebug or some of the laminate colors.

I switched to a tube, still nothing. I worked deep wood, rocks, steep
dropping shorelines and some laydowns. Nothing! I ran down to the
papermill, and fished the water intake where I've done well in the past.
I pitched senkos, tubes, creatures, trick worms, still nothing! Finally,
working down the shoreline, I pitched into a laydown and managed one small
dink on a watermelon senko, texas rigged.

By now, the weather had turned. The clouds blew out and bright sunshine
and wind arrived. Thinking the fish might now tuck into the shaded areas,
I started skipping tubes and senkos underneath overhanging trees in the
shade. Still nothing, only now, the wind was howling and it made boat
control interesting, especially with a hand controlled trolling motor on
the loaner Cat. I started throwing (what else?), a firetiger Secret
Weapon (tandem blades, chrome and gold). Slipping the motor into the
wind, I started "chunkin' and windin'", and had a nice sized smallie swirl
at the bait. Thinking quicker than I usually do, I dropped that rod and
grabbed the senko rod and pitched back to the fish. NOTHING!!!

Well, I knew there was a good smallie there, and I was darned if I was
going to let it go, so I brought out another rod, and tied on a 5/0 EWG
hook and put on (what else?), a pearl Zoom Super Fluke. By this time, I
was blown 250 yards down the shore, so I trolled on back. On the first
cast with the fluke, I got pounded, but missed! I straightened out the
lure and pitched back in. That cast was rewarded with a solid thump, and
the first keeper smallie of the day. I posted a picture on APBF if you'd
like to see it. It was a nice, fat fish, pre-spawn and almost 20 inches,
and according to the digital scale, 3.92 pounds.

I ended up catching 14 smallies, the shortest was 14 1/2 inches, and the
one pictured was the largest. The bulk of the fish were in the 16 - 18
inch range and I had a ball!

All of the fish were caught on the fluke and the SW spinnerbait. I tried,
I really did want to use other lures, but hey, I wanted to catch fish!

All in all, not a bad day at all, but I just couldn't bring myself to go
chase walleyes.......


I'm sure you know this, but some might not. When you want to learn new
baits that is all you should have in the boat.


--
Bob La Londe - Webmaster
www.YumaBassMan.com

Tornament Director
www.YumaProAm.com



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"Bob La Londe" wrote in message SNIP

I'm sure you know this, but some might not. When you want to learn new
baits that is all you should have in the boat.

Yeah, that is usually a good idea, and it's one that I've done in the past.
But, I've also learned some self control and can usually stick to a plan.
It's on days like yesterday though that make me glad I'm intelligent enough
to realize that when one method isn't working, try something else.

Had I left the dock with only equipment for wacky rigging, I might have gone
fishless for the day.
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com

"Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers" wrote in
message ...

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message SNIP

I'm sure you know this, but some might not. When you want to learn new
baits that is all you should have in the boat.

Yeah, that is usually a good idea, and it's one that I've done in the
past. But, I've also learned some self control and can usually stick to a
plan. It's on days like yesterday though that make me glad I'm intelligent
enough to realize that when one method isn't working, try something else.

Had I left the dock with only equipment for wacky rigging, I might have
gone fishless for the day.

That is true, but you might also have learned some versatility in
presentation and locations with those baits.


--
Bob La Londe - Webmaster
www.YumaBassMan.com

Tornament Director
www.YumaProAm.com









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