04-13-2013, 03:29 PM
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[size 3][font "Calibri"]I went for a walk about 11 A.M. on Friday and it was sobright and warm I must have gotten spring fever. My afternoon meeting had beencancelled so I decided to burn a couple of vacation hours and go fishing. Thisseemed to be the closest thing to a “warm spell” I was going to see for thenext week or so. [/font][/size]
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[size 3][font "Calibri"]I was hoping that the warm afternoon with the front comingthe next day might turn things on. I decided to try Mud Lake since it wasshallower and might be warmer.[/font][/size]
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[size 3][font "Calibri"]I launched my tube from the Swede Lane Access Point at about4 P.M. I had never launched there before and it works just fine for a tube or anycraft you don’t need to float off a trailer. With another foot of water youcould float smaller boats with low trailers, but the 2 guys that launched theretoday had to work at it.[/font][/size]
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[size 3][font "Calibri"]I started out dragging bait along the reed edges andstopping to cast to good looking pockets. One rod had a floating crawler rigand the other a shrimp/whitie cocktail. The water was 2-3 feet deep in mostareas where I was with the tube positioned a short cast out from the reeds. Iwould guess the water temp was in the low 50's, because I went 4 hours in the waterwithout any cramps.[/font][/size]
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[size 3][font "Calibri"]There is no end to the good looking pockets in Mud Lake, butI got no wiggles in there for the first hour. When I finally did get a hit itwas on the crawler rig I was dragging 30’ away from the reeds. I had beenwatching the bobber I was casting into pockets and looked over and saw the linepeeling off out of the open bail. When the line came tight and I set the hook Icould feel the drag of reeds. The fish had picked up the bait and run forcover! I gave it some slack to free itself and out it came. I assumed carpbecause it was moving fairly fast, and came on a worm, but it turned out to be achannel about 21 inches. I went to put it in the basket and realized I had leftthe basket in the car. I rigged a stringer out of one of my rod saver lines andkept fishing.[/font][/size]
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[size 3][font "Calibri"]I continued doing the same thing for another hour withoutany more hits, so I left the reeds and headed for “deeper” water. I don’t thinkit even made 4’ out in the open water. Another 90 minutes passed with me goingdeeper and shallower, but no more hits. A little before dusk I headed back tothe reeds and the endless pockets. This time I had some action fairly quicklyon a chunk of carp meat, unfortunately it was only a pair of mudders. [/font][/size]
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[size 3][font "Calibri"]Just before dusk I noticed that my home made stringer hadfailed and the cat was free to fight again. At least I got his picture.[/font][/size]
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[size 3][font "Calibri"]I saw 2 small boats in my general area and one of them hadalso caught one cat. It was a nice fish, pushing 28 inches.[/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Calibri"]All in all a pleasant afternoon, I got to try a new spot,and it was a great cure (although temporary) for spring fever. Think warmer water[
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[size 3][font "Calibri"]I went for a walk about 11 A.M. on Friday and it was sobright and warm I must have gotten spring fever. My afternoon meeting had beencancelled so I decided to burn a couple of vacation hours and go fishing. Thisseemed to be the closest thing to a “warm spell” I was going to see for thenext week or so. [/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Calibri"]I was hoping that the warm afternoon with the front comingthe next day might turn things on. I decided to try Mud Lake since it wasshallower and might be warmer.[/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Calibri"]I launched my tube from the Swede Lane Access Point at about4 P.M. I had never launched there before and it works just fine for a tube or anycraft you don’t need to float off a trailer. With another foot of water youcould float smaller boats with low trailers, but the 2 guys that launched theretoday had to work at it.[/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Calibri"]I started out dragging bait along the reed edges andstopping to cast to good looking pockets. One rod had a floating crawler rigand the other a shrimp/whitie cocktail. The water was 2-3 feet deep in mostareas where I was with the tube positioned a short cast out from the reeds. Iwould guess the water temp was in the low 50's, because I went 4 hours in the waterwithout any cramps.[/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Calibri"]There is no end to the good looking pockets in Mud Lake, butI got no wiggles in there for the first hour. When I finally did get a hit itwas on the crawler rig I was dragging 30’ away from the reeds. I had beenwatching the bobber I was casting into pockets and looked over and saw the linepeeling off out of the open bail. When the line came tight and I set the hook Icould feel the drag of reeds. The fish had picked up the bait and run forcover! I gave it some slack to free itself and out it came. I assumed carpbecause it was moving fairly fast, and came on a worm, but it turned out to be achannel about 21 inches. I went to put it in the basket and realized I had leftthe basket in the car. I rigged a stringer out of one of my rod saver lines andkept fishing.[/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Calibri"]I continued doing the same thing for another hour withoutany more hits, so I left the reeds and headed for “deeper” water. I don’t thinkit even made 4’ out in the open water. Another 90 minutes passed with me goingdeeper and shallower, but no more hits. A little before dusk I headed back tothe reeds and the endless pockets. This time I had some action fairly quicklyon a chunk of carp meat, unfortunately it was only a pair of mudders. [/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Calibri"]Just before dusk I noticed that my home made stringer hadfailed and the cat was free to fight again. At least I got his picture.[/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Calibri"]I saw 2 small boats in my general area and one of them hadalso caught one cat. It was a nice fish, pushing 28 inches.[/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Calibri"]All in all a pleasant afternoon, I got to try a new spot,and it was a great cure (although temporary) for spring fever. Think warmer water[
][/font][/size] [font "Times New Roman"][size 3][/size][/font]
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