09-27-2010, 05:13 AM
After reading some recent reports from the area about big bass on poppers, I decided I should take a day off from homework for some much needed stress relief. The conditions were calm with an occasional breeze, and the water just might have been a tad clearer than it was a couple of weeks ago. I hit the water just before noon and started around the weedy shallows near the boat launch. Nothing came up for a popper, so I went a little deeper with a Rapala Flat Rap. I finally got a nice hit, more of a pummel really, along the outside edge of the weeds. I eventually wrestled in this chunky specimen. [inline "flat rap bass small.JPG"]
I worked my way up the shoreline tossing a bass bug with a little attention from the local fingerlings and gills, but nothing big enough to even hook up. I tried a shakey head in an area where I'd done well before with one, but nothing would even touch it. I continued along, eventually crossing to a point on the other side of the reservoir. I tied on a deep crank and cast it parallel to the shore in about 12 feet of water. I felt something hit the crank and miss. I gave it two more cranks and contact was made. After several runs, and a couple of head shaking leaps, I was able to net this fatty.
[inline "crank bass 18 small.JPG"] I kept throwing the crank along the bank and soon had another hookup. It didn't feel quite right and I soon discovered why. [inline "perch small.JPG"]Since I didn't have my basket with me I tossed the fish back. I worked along the point and scored a few more bass on the crank. I also tried to clean up the scraps with a shakey head and drop shot rig, but only caught some little 10" bass. I felt that my light action rod was being neglected, so I tied on a LC Pointer 65 DD that I had recently purchased. I was just about done with my cast when a nice bass shot up and grabbed it right under my tube.
[inline "lucky bass small.JPG"]Luckily the rod and the 6lb line held up. I caught a couple more fish off the point and decided to move back across to a nice steep bank that was now heavily shaded. My first cast along that bank brought another nice bass that clobbered the lure with only a couple of feet of line out.
[inline "crank bass small.JPG"] I tossed the Lucky Craft tight to the bank, and something gently slurped it in before I even so much as twitched it. Another fat bass soon came to hand.
[inline "lucky bass 2 small.JPG"] I worked my way along the bank catching a few more on cranks. When things cooled off I deployed the shakey head and scared up a couple more.
[inline "shakey bass small.JPG"] When I started the water was only 63, but now it was a balmy 67, and it showed in how hard these fish were fighting. I caught a few more alternating the crank and shakey head along that bank. I realized I only had a bit over an hour of light left, and I was clear down at the dam now. I worked my way back, stopping to catch another bass off the first point.
[inline "crank bass 2 small.JPG"] I threw the jerkbait as I worked my way back to the boat launch and took a couple more bass. It was getting pretty dark now, and I was contemplating calling it a day when I hooked another good fish off the deep side of the weeds on the jerkbait. I was hearing a lot of splashing in the shallows now, so I felt it was time to give the old 8wt some exercise. Three casts against the bank brought three bass. They were smaller guys in the 10-12" range, but they absolutely exploded on it. I turned around and lobbed my popper over the deeper water. This brought me a bit larger fish which were a ton of fun on the fly rod.
[inline "popper bass small.JPG"] One of them leaped completely out of the water and took the bug on the way down.
[inline "popper bass 2 small.JPG"] [inline "popper bass 3 small.JPG"]They really seemed to like this popper. [inline "yum small.JPG"]It was getting really difficult to see my fly at this point, but I decided to end by pounding the bank again. My bait plopped down less than a foot from shore. I gave it a couple of plunks, and a huge back rose out of the water and rushed my fly. It had to be a good 18-20" bass. It doubled the 8wt over and took off. I was pretty excited until it dove into a mound of weeds that I couldn't see because of the darkness. I tried to ease the fish out, but my hook pulled free. I flogged away a little longer, but it was completely dark now and the moon hadn't quite risen. I was bummed to have lost that big boy, but it was still the best day I've had on this fickle water. I ended up with 36 bass and 1 perch. The forecast looks good, so hopefully I'll make it back before we get a cold snap.
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I worked my way up the shoreline tossing a bass bug with a little attention from the local fingerlings and gills, but nothing big enough to even hook up. I tried a shakey head in an area where I'd done well before with one, but nothing would even touch it. I continued along, eventually crossing to a point on the other side of the reservoir. I tied on a deep crank and cast it parallel to the shore in about 12 feet of water. I felt something hit the crank and miss. I gave it two more cranks and contact was made. After several runs, and a couple of head shaking leaps, I was able to net this fatty.
[inline "crank bass 18 small.JPG"] I kept throwing the crank along the bank and soon had another hookup. It didn't feel quite right and I soon discovered why. [inline "perch small.JPG"]Since I didn't have my basket with me I tossed the fish back. I worked along the point and scored a few more bass on the crank. I also tried to clean up the scraps with a shakey head and drop shot rig, but only caught some little 10" bass. I felt that my light action rod was being neglected, so I tied on a LC Pointer 65 DD that I had recently purchased. I was just about done with my cast when a nice bass shot up and grabbed it right under my tube.
[inline "lucky bass small.JPG"]Luckily the rod and the 6lb line held up. I caught a couple more fish off the point and decided to move back across to a nice steep bank that was now heavily shaded. My first cast along that bank brought another nice bass that clobbered the lure with only a couple of feet of line out.
[inline "crank bass small.JPG"] I tossed the Lucky Craft tight to the bank, and something gently slurped it in before I even so much as twitched it. Another fat bass soon came to hand.
[inline "lucky bass 2 small.JPG"] I worked my way along the bank catching a few more on cranks. When things cooled off I deployed the shakey head and scared up a couple more.
[inline "shakey bass small.JPG"] When I started the water was only 63, but now it was a balmy 67, and it showed in how hard these fish were fighting. I caught a few more alternating the crank and shakey head along that bank. I realized I only had a bit over an hour of light left, and I was clear down at the dam now. I worked my way back, stopping to catch another bass off the first point.
[inline "crank bass 2 small.JPG"] I threw the jerkbait as I worked my way back to the boat launch and took a couple more bass. It was getting pretty dark now, and I was contemplating calling it a day when I hooked another good fish off the deep side of the weeds on the jerkbait. I was hearing a lot of splashing in the shallows now, so I felt it was time to give the old 8wt some exercise. Three casts against the bank brought three bass. They were smaller guys in the 10-12" range, but they absolutely exploded on it. I turned around and lobbed my popper over the deeper water. This brought me a bit larger fish which were a ton of fun on the fly rod.
[inline "popper bass small.JPG"] One of them leaped completely out of the water and took the bug on the way down.
[inline "popper bass 2 small.JPG"] [inline "popper bass 3 small.JPG"]They really seemed to like this popper. [inline "yum small.JPG"]It was getting really difficult to see my fly at this point, but I decided to end by pounding the bank again. My bait plopped down less than a foot from shore. I gave it a couple of plunks, and a huge back rose out of the water and rushed my fly. It had to be a good 18-20" bass. It doubled the 8wt over and took off. I was pretty excited until it dove into a mound of weeds that I couldn't see because of the darkness. I tried to ease the fish out, but my hook pulled free. I flogged away a little longer, but it was completely dark now and the moon hadn't quite risen. I was bummed to have lost that big boy, but it was still the best day I've had on this fickle water. I ended up with 36 bass and 1 perch. The forecast looks good, so hopefully I'll make it back before we get a cold snap.
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] I'm going to try to make it out there at least once more before we have to end it, whenever that is. I'm going to try for some smallie action locally tomorrow. Sure wish it'd happen since those guys fight soooooooo good. Good on ya!!!!! And good luck on the studies/homework/school. Don't forget what's important for the long haul. The bass will wait for ya, I'll keep putting em back for ya, ok? Hope the bassies survive the low water this winter on our favorite spots. [frown][frown][frown]