05-31-2010, 09:00 AM
Started on the ledge - main river channel (lower part). Picked up one on a Carolina Rig right away but the bite was slow so went to the dam to get a limit with a drop-shot, no problem. Got one keeper off the steps off the lock and another off the rip-rap. Checked 5 more places on the main river ledge (red buoy side) and still slow. Had almost 6 1/2 hours left so made two more attempts to find 3+ lb. fish in Harrison area but all were still around 2 lb. size. Made the decision to run to Birchwood and fish rock piles, shell mounds. etc. looking for some better post spawn bass. Culled one off slab rock about 7 ft deep (glad I marked some of those during winter pool) and noticed some activity on a nearby pea gravel flat. Discovered quickly it was covered with post spawn smallies, caught about ten of them, biggest one was almost 22 inches long but all head and no body, weighed less than 4 lbs. It hit like a freight train but when it got to the boat it was so exhausted/stressed it could barely move. Sure would have liked to see it before it dropped its eggs and lost all that weight. So now we had two decent fish and one 15 1/2 inch bass that needed to be culled but still no kicker. With less than 1 hour left ran to Harrison bay area and made two stops, three casts each swimming a jig and culled the 15 1/2 incher. Thought we had more weight but what the heck, did the best we could. Shoulda woulda coulda.