10-25-2006, 04:08 PM
[cool][#0000ff]Sorry if I rubbed salt into the wounds. Fishing any lake effectively is usually a matter of learning it well and then getting lucky and finding the fish on any given trip. The best way to learn the lake is to go with someone who can show you the best spots and techniques and then keep learning and practicing on your own.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I would be happy to join you guys for a show and tell session. Gotta issue the disclaimer that the trip could just as well be disappointing this time of year. Some days are better than others. At the very least, I could probably demo a few lures and techniques that usually work...when the fish are there and cooperative.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Based upon my past experience with Lake X, and what I experienced yesterday, I would bet that I could have launched my float tube at the ramp and could have been into perch within a hundred yards. Depth and food are the two key elements right now. That means that you have to find the perch fry, hiding in underwater growth, and then you will find the larger fish. You can't usually see the small fishies on the screen, but if you find larger fish hanging around structure then you will probably have found a feeding area. And, there will probably be both perch and smallmouth in the immediate area.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We started fishing in 30 feet of water yesterday, because that is where Dog-lover had success on a previous trip, a few days before. We also caught fish up to 37 feet deep. But...we also drifted in closer to the shoreline a couple of times and hooked some of our largest perch in only about 15 feet of water. That is also the depth we found some smallies.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]One of the keys to our success was having good sonar. Another was having a good trolling motor and a skipper that watched the sonar and stayed on the motor controls to maintain position when we found fish. If I had been in my float tube, I would have made it easier on myself by also having and using a couple of marker buoys. It is very helpful to have a close by point of visual reference and to be able to maintain exact position. The hands free position control of tubing is one of the things I enjoy about it and it often means that I can score more fish than boaters fighting breezes and electric motors while trying to concentrate on fishing.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Yesterday was not a "drop shot day". The fish were holding tight to the bottom and were not aggressive. We had to drop our jigs right on the bottom and then raise them no more than about six inches. Also, they did not respond to a lot of jigging action. They usually hit on a "dead stick" after we jiggled the lures just a wee bit. And, the hits were more like ice fishing hits...very light and tentative in many cases. Some of our largest fish felt like 2" minnows hitting the lures. But, hooksets are free so we used a short wrist snap on all touches. Sometimes the fish were small. Other times they put a good bend in the stick. Still other times we had only "a branch office".[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Fishing for bass and perch in warm weather is "can't fail" stuff. That's why Lake X is so good for kids and newbies in the late summer. Anybody can catch 'em. However, during the transitional time, like right now, you really earn every fish you catch. And, even those who are supposed to know what they are doing do not always fill the cooler with perch fillets.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]PM me with your schedule of a proposed trip. I will cancel my golf match with Mr. Bush and my candlelight dinner with Condie and we will gang up on those sneaky fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I would be happy to join you guys for a show and tell session. Gotta issue the disclaimer that the trip could just as well be disappointing this time of year. Some days are better than others. At the very least, I could probably demo a few lures and techniques that usually work...when the fish are there and cooperative.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Based upon my past experience with Lake X, and what I experienced yesterday, I would bet that I could have launched my float tube at the ramp and could have been into perch within a hundred yards. Depth and food are the two key elements right now. That means that you have to find the perch fry, hiding in underwater growth, and then you will find the larger fish. You can't usually see the small fishies on the screen, but if you find larger fish hanging around structure then you will probably have found a feeding area. And, there will probably be both perch and smallmouth in the immediate area.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We started fishing in 30 feet of water yesterday, because that is where Dog-lover had success on a previous trip, a few days before. We also caught fish up to 37 feet deep. But...we also drifted in closer to the shoreline a couple of times and hooked some of our largest perch in only about 15 feet of water. That is also the depth we found some smallies.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]One of the keys to our success was having good sonar. Another was having a good trolling motor and a skipper that watched the sonar and stayed on the motor controls to maintain position when we found fish. If I had been in my float tube, I would have made it easier on myself by also having and using a couple of marker buoys. It is very helpful to have a close by point of visual reference and to be able to maintain exact position. The hands free position control of tubing is one of the things I enjoy about it and it often means that I can score more fish than boaters fighting breezes and electric motors while trying to concentrate on fishing.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Yesterday was not a "drop shot day". The fish were holding tight to the bottom and were not aggressive. We had to drop our jigs right on the bottom and then raise them no more than about six inches. Also, they did not respond to a lot of jigging action. They usually hit on a "dead stick" after we jiggled the lures just a wee bit. And, the hits were more like ice fishing hits...very light and tentative in many cases. Some of our largest fish felt like 2" minnows hitting the lures. But, hooksets are free so we used a short wrist snap on all touches. Sometimes the fish were small. Other times they put a good bend in the stick. Still other times we had only "a branch office".[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Fishing for bass and perch in warm weather is "can't fail" stuff. That's why Lake X is so good for kids and newbies in the late summer. Anybody can catch 'em. However, during the transitional time, like right now, you really earn every fish you catch. And, even those who are supposed to know what they are doing do not always fill the cooler with perch fillets.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]PM me with your schedule of a proposed trip. I will cancel my golf match with Mr. Bush and my candlelight dinner with Condie and we will gang up on those sneaky fish.[/#0000ff]
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