05-26-2011, 12:09 PM
[cool][#0000ff]With all the crazy weather I have had to just watch for a brief window and then go fishing. Sometimes I don't know exactly where I will go until I get up in the morning and check current forecasts.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]This morning I had already ruled out Willard. First thought I might hit the Knolls but forecast was for wind from the SW. Yeah...right. I decided to hit Lincoln Beach. It fishes better with southerly breezes. Only problem was that the north wind started about 9:30 and got stronger all day.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Almost couldn't find the end of the south dike at Lincoln Beach. The high water has left only about a foot above water and is eroding what is left. Got launched inside the channel about 7ish. Air temp 43 and water temp 56 at launch. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]No fish around the ends of the dikes so I motored over to the shallow cove by the pump house. Got a few whities fairly quickly and then hooked up with a "dorsal diner"...carp. Didn't keep the white bass but did keep the carp for future "reference". [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Worked down into the channel, fan casting and picking up a few more white bass. When they slowed down I rigged one rod with a bobber, 3 feet of leader, a bobberhead jig and a minnow. That was the beginning of a couple of hours of enjoys. If I plopped the bobber anywhere within about 10 feet of the reeds it did not float very long. Sometimes it seemed like it sunk as soon as it plunked down. Lots of cookie cutter kitties in the skinny water today...and they wanted to play. Fun fun.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]At one point it had slowed down for a few minutes and I picked up my tandem jig rig to pitch for whities while the minnow was soaking under the bobber. Down went the bobber and I got a firm smack at the same time on my jigs. Oh dear. What to do? I set the hook on the bobber rod and put it back in the holder to allow the fish to fight itself while I reeled in whatever was on the jig. Turned out to be a 21 inch walleye. Then I picked up the kitty pole and finished rasslin' with another cookie cutter kitty. Plumb wore me out. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That was my only walleye...but I ain't complainin'. Probably got 15 or 16 cats all together. Kept a limit of 8 for the smoker. Tossed back all the whities today...maybe 15 to 20. Nothing big and onesies and twosies. No concentrations.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Actually, I could have gone home at 9:30 and would have still have had a good day. I had my four species slam and plenty to take home. But that was when the cold north wind came up. Water temp had risen to 58.5 by then but never got over 59 before I got off the water about 1. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]At one point I wondered if there might be some action down near Benjamin Slough so I kicked and fished my way down there. Reminded me that I had sprained my right ankle last week. Dumb. Especially since there was little action there. Got one white bass and one small kitty in about 2 hours of diligent effort.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Motored back to the cove as the wind was still blowing from the north. Finished up way down inside the cove. The water temp there was a balmy 62...being in a protected area and getting some water from warm springs upstream. But only kitties were there to greet me...and tell me goodbye when I packed it in.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A few bank tanglers fishing the end of the south dike. They were making short casts off the bank with worms and cut up white bass meat. Catching an occasional whitie and a few bullheads. Should be a lot of bullhead action off the dikes when the water warms up again.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]This morning I had already ruled out Willard. First thought I might hit the Knolls but forecast was for wind from the SW. Yeah...right. I decided to hit Lincoln Beach. It fishes better with southerly breezes. Only problem was that the north wind started about 9:30 and got stronger all day.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Almost couldn't find the end of the south dike at Lincoln Beach. The high water has left only about a foot above water and is eroding what is left. Got launched inside the channel about 7ish. Air temp 43 and water temp 56 at launch. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]No fish around the ends of the dikes so I motored over to the shallow cove by the pump house. Got a few whities fairly quickly and then hooked up with a "dorsal diner"...carp. Didn't keep the white bass but did keep the carp for future "reference". [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Worked down into the channel, fan casting and picking up a few more white bass. When they slowed down I rigged one rod with a bobber, 3 feet of leader, a bobberhead jig and a minnow. That was the beginning of a couple of hours of enjoys. If I plopped the bobber anywhere within about 10 feet of the reeds it did not float very long. Sometimes it seemed like it sunk as soon as it plunked down. Lots of cookie cutter kitties in the skinny water today...and they wanted to play. Fun fun.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]At one point it had slowed down for a few minutes and I picked up my tandem jig rig to pitch for whities while the minnow was soaking under the bobber. Down went the bobber and I got a firm smack at the same time on my jigs. Oh dear. What to do? I set the hook on the bobber rod and put it back in the holder to allow the fish to fight itself while I reeled in whatever was on the jig. Turned out to be a 21 inch walleye. Then I picked up the kitty pole and finished rasslin' with another cookie cutter kitty. Plumb wore me out. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]That was my only walleye...but I ain't complainin'. Probably got 15 or 16 cats all together. Kept a limit of 8 for the smoker. Tossed back all the whities today...maybe 15 to 20. Nothing big and onesies and twosies. No concentrations.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Actually, I could have gone home at 9:30 and would have still have had a good day. I had my four species slam and plenty to take home. But that was when the cold north wind came up. Water temp had risen to 58.5 by then but never got over 59 before I got off the water about 1. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]At one point I wondered if there might be some action down near Benjamin Slough so I kicked and fished my way down there. Reminded me that I had sprained my right ankle last week. Dumb. Especially since there was little action there. Got one white bass and one small kitty in about 2 hours of diligent effort.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Motored back to the cove as the wind was still blowing from the north. Finished up way down inside the cove. The water temp there was a balmy 62...being in a protected area and getting some water from warm springs upstream. But only kitties were there to greet me...and tell me goodbye when I packed it in.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]A few bank tanglers fishing the end of the south dike. They were making short casts off the bank with worms and cut up white bass meat. Catching an occasional whitie and a few bullheads. Should be a lot of bullhead action off the dikes when the water warms up again.[/#0000ff]
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