week end fishing report.

[AdictedBassTard]

The wife and I headed out to our favourite spot over the week end for some bassin'.
It was a cool 84, 43% humidity and 10mph NW winds gusting at 20mph. The water was choppy and slightly stained.
We got to the lake at 08h00 and to my dismay, discovered my tube's seam had split (have spoken to Outcast regarding this already). I repaired it with the supplied vinyl kit and headed out, only to find it still leaked, though not as bad. I simply kept the pump attached to the valve and shunted some air into her whenever she looked a little .

10h15 - Me
1 x 8" LMB Rapala shallow diver natural
10h35 - Wife
1 x 15" LMB 1 3/4 lbs june bug Yamasenko 5"
10h40 - Me
1 x 9" perch Rapala shallow diver natural
10h45 - Me
1 x 19" LMB 5.5lbs pumpkinseed Yamasenko 5"
11h30 - Wife
1 x 10" perch in-line spinner Panther Martin black/yellow
11h42 - Wife
1 x 10" bluegill in-line spinner Panther Martin black/yellow
13h00 - Me
1 x 20" pickerel 3.5lbs Rapala X-Rap yellow/orange
15h30 - Me
1 x 20" LMB 7lbs pumpkinseed Yamasenko 5"
16h45 - Wife
1 x 16" LMB 2lbs pumpkinseed Yamasenko 5"
18h30 - Wife
1 x 16" LMB 2.5 lbs pumpkinseed Yamasenko 5"

We lost a number of fish too. One i hooked into almost took my rod from my hands while I was trying to sort out a bunch-up which had formed a nice knot on my bait caster. I tried to follow it while attempting to undo the bunch in my line but it snapped my 10lb line like rotten cotton.


Wifey's 15" LMB

Wifey's 16" 2lb LMB

Wifey gets a show from her 16" 2.5 piglet

My 3.5lb pickerel. Biggest pickerel I've ever seen.

My 5.5lb pig

A nice 7lb lunker.

All were returned unharmed apart from the pickerel. They are a little to prevelant in the lake at the moment, so we keep all over 17".

On the way up to the lake we took a short cut through the tree line where I startled a red tailed hawk which had been perched on a fallen tree out of my line of sight.
It flew into a tree close by only to lose grip and dangle from the branch with a single foot.
We snapped a few shots of the hapless bird before it spiraled to the ground.
We edged our way closer for a better look at it and snapped a few more shots. I was unable to ascertain the reason for its predicament. It may have been injured or simply old. Either way, my wife and I decided to let nature take its course and left the poor creature to its own devices.
I have never in my life been so close to a wild raptor and been able to look into its eyes from a half dozen yards. It simply took my breath away ... I felt almost naked. It was as though its piercing gaze conveyed the truth of the wild animal kingdom - all predators are fierce, even when injured and seemingly at my mercy.
That alone made my year. Thank you God.




-ABT-
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Good report and nice pics. That's a bodacious pickerel, and some good bass too.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Good luck with the new toy. (sonar)[/#0000ff]
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[zonker]

Great report ABT. Great pics, too.

[cool]That 7 lb LMB is like the one I want to catch. But I'm still looking. Nice backdrop against all that red sunburned skin.

That raptor story was strange indeed. Makes you really wonder what was going on. Perhaps someone shot it. I've seen yahoos take potshots at flying hawks, though it is a foolishing and potentially expensive thing to do.

Sorry to hear about your tube. Let us know how Outcast treats you.

Thanks for sharing.

z~
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[ATFISHING]

WTG ADICTED. NICE REPORT AND GREAT PICS.

AT
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[AdictedBassTard]

Thanks folks, glad you liked it.

@Z
I have also seen morons take pot-shots at raptors. I was even forced to get very physical with one who figured a taxidermied bald eagle would look nice in his home bar.
There are numerous spent 4-10 shotgun shells lying around in the area where the hawk was but I do know of turkey hunters that frequent the area too, so I am not sure (never hunted turkey).
The bass that snapped me up has got to be a monster. I made a pledge to find Moby Dick and lip that fat hog someday.
I have nailed two bass in the 7lb range on that lake. Almost all come from converging lilies and cow-tails. The lunkers are are just off the deep edge of this convergence. I haven't fished deep yet as I have no clue as to where any deep structure or topography may be so we have not hit any schooling bass yet. Hopefully the fishfinder will change that.

@TD
Thanks ... luck is what I'll need. Never used a fishfinder before so it'll be an experience for sure.

-ABT-
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