Fishing Forum

Another Friday on the water since I had it off and Madi had multiple projects to get done this weekend for school. (She said go ahead and go verse wait for Saturday.) The fact that it was a full moon and Friday the 13th certainly didn't get me! Water temp was 71 at the launch and somewhere in the 78 range later in the afternoon. Certainly a shorts and t-shirt launch day. I was covered in sunscreen and had the bimini up for shade pretty early on. The lake is at 1075ft now.

Catch wise better than I have done in quite a while! I certainly can't remember the last 33 fish day chasing LMB/SMBs. 21 SMB, 8 LMB and 4 Stripers visited my deck yesterday. Several 3lb SMB, several 2 1/2s, lots of 2s and as usual in some areas lots of small shakers. One 3lb LMB and the rest were 2-2 1/2. The Stripers were the normal stuff and made it home for lunch or dinner today.

Found a pair of SMBs on a bed. Late bloomers I suppose. For the first time that I can remember I caught both off the same bed. Found one LMB (3lb'r) guarding a nest. (I never saw the nest but he was very protective of an area.) It took a drop shot to finally get him. Not the wisest with tall grass nearby and using a 7lb fluoro leader. Not sure how I didn't snap my line but eventually got him landed after several 20-30 foot rips of line off my reel and at one point all tangled up in the tall grass.

All to myself at the launch.



Nothing but glass...





Sunrise on the water.



Busy front deck... Didn't use half of them.





Shade break... The bimini can be a pain but certainly nice when it is hot out.



Daaaark smallie. 3lb'r to boot. (They sure look bigger when someone else is there to take the picture verse a self pic...)







3lb'r



New secret place found [shocked] This was LMB pitchin' heaven alley. Went down it tossing a crank and nothing. Hit it again pitchin' a texas rigged senko and it was one LMB after another. I even caught one SMB in it pitchin'.




After being on the water all day in that sun it was worth a little tip for the golf cart ride to the truck verse that climb.



Tom
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Couldn't wait until dinner [crazy]

Went with what is called around here as "Madi snacks" since she loves Stripers cooked this way. Her favorite by far.

1 cup pancake mix
1 can of Sprite (7-Up should work too)
1 egg

Stir/mix up and put in fridge for ~20 minutes.

1 paper plate with a mound of flour on it. (I added a splash of garlic flavored bread crumbs to the pile.)

Cut normal sized Mead Stripers up into 3-4 bite size chunks.

Coat all of the fillets in flour, then into the Sprite mix, then into the flour again and finally lay them out on parchment paper/cookie tray and put it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. This last part was something I have never done before and it works! The freezer just for a bit before cooking sets them up some. It firms up the breading so when one is putting them in the oil they do not stick together or get stuck to the metal grating in the basket. 375 on the fryer. 4 minutes for the thinner pieces and 5 minutes for the thicker. Having them layed out on the cookie tray made it easy to pick and choose what thickness goes into the fryer quickly.

If one doesn't want as much breading just skip going into the flour the second time. But they will have to sit in the freezer longer for the wet breading to firm up more.



The plate never got all that full... We were eating them as fast as they came out. Smoking hot and gooood.






Betting someone out there is hungry for some fresh Stripers right about now []

Tom
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don't tell anyone about that secret spot. i have been there and agree almost every cast guarantees a fish.
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You must've been reading Facebook instead of watching the sky. [][][] The full moon wasn't the 13th. It will be full on the 21st.
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That's where I saw/read that. Lol. Didn't verify [crazy]. It was set before I hit the road for the lake.

Tom
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