04-21-2016, 02:55 PM
Tried Mantua Tuesday evening, hoping to catch the first bass and bluegill movement into the warming shallows. Caught 2 small bass at the edges of flooding trees, but overall the fish were sparse, VERY shallow (hard not to spook) and poorly motivated. I could see bluegill sneaking away here and there, but they were not ready to feed. The wind was rolling cooler water against the banks, so maybe that was the issue, and the water level is rising.
Generally this time of year, sneaking into shallows near cover with a flyrod or small baits (like leftover icefishing mealworms) will get you some bites, but you have to hit it toward the end of a three or four day warming trend, not after a storm or on cooler days. It's tough, sneaky, slow fishing, though, lots of tangles, bad casts, and lost tackle.
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Generally this time of year, sneaking into shallows near cover with a flyrod or small baits (like leftover icefishing mealworms) will get you some bites, but you have to hit it toward the end of a three or four day warming trend, not after a storm or on cooler days. It's tough, sneaky, slow fishing, though, lots of tangles, bad casts, and lost tackle.
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