01-20-2009, 01:41 AM
Arrived at the Strawberry marina around 7:00 a.m. Headed south out of the marina to the far bank (several bays west of Haws Point). Started fishing around 8:00 a.m. in 27 feet of water. Saw very few fish and none of them were feeding.
Picked up the gear around 11:00 a.m. and headed over to where the "old dike" used to be. Fished in 24 feet of water. Again few fish, they were feeding however, the strike was lite. I decided to try something radical. Put on a big Radical Glow tube jig and a minnow & dropped it down the hole. I could see the jig and minnow near the bottom (first time I have been able to see this deep in Strawberry). Jigged the minnow aggressively (just short of ripping the minnow off). Caught 15 cutts using this method between noon and 2:30 p.m.
It was interesting to watch the fish. They would target the minnow, once the minnow was pulled from the hook it would settle to the bottom. The fish would then pick up the minnow off the bottom so that the head was hanging out of one side of his mouth and the tail was hanging out of the other side. The cutt would then shake it's head like a shark for 10-20 second and then the minnow would disappear. All the while I am watching this, I am still jigging my tube jig very aggressively. The cutt then turns and attacks the tube jig. I must have seen this happen 8 - 10 times. I went through two packages of minnows & when I left there were no minnows visible on the bottom. If the fish got off on the way to the surface, you could drop half way back down & he would attack it again for a second hook up.
Next time I go up, I am going to drop a chub minnow (by it's self) on the bottom and leave the bail open on the reel. Let the fish have it for 10-20 second before setting the hook. (The problem is, they may get hooked too deep?)
All of the cutts were in the slot: >19 and < 22 inches.
The weather was beautiful & no wind.
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Picked up the gear around 11:00 a.m. and headed over to where the "old dike" used to be. Fished in 24 feet of water. Again few fish, they were feeding however, the strike was lite. I decided to try something radical. Put on a big Radical Glow tube jig and a minnow & dropped it down the hole. I could see the jig and minnow near the bottom (first time I have been able to see this deep in Strawberry). Jigged the minnow aggressively (just short of ripping the minnow off). Caught 15 cutts using this method between noon and 2:30 p.m.
It was interesting to watch the fish. They would target the minnow, once the minnow was pulled from the hook it would settle to the bottom. The fish would then pick up the minnow off the bottom so that the head was hanging out of one side of his mouth and the tail was hanging out of the other side. The cutt would then shake it's head like a shark for 10-20 second and then the minnow would disappear. All the while I am watching this, I am still jigging my tube jig very aggressively. The cutt then turns and attacks the tube jig. I must have seen this happen 8 - 10 times. I went through two packages of minnows & when I left there were no minnows visible on the bottom. If the fish got off on the way to the surface, you could drop half way back down & he would attack it again for a second hook up.
Next time I go up, I am going to drop a chub minnow (by it's self) on the bottom and leave the bail open on the reel. Let the fish have it for 10-20 second before setting the hook. (The problem is, they may get hooked too deep?)
All of the cutts were in the slot: >19 and < 22 inches.
The weather was beautiful & no wind.
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