Post by O2BFishin on Jun 18, 2005 21:42:27 GMT -5
We arrived Sunday. Lake was as flat as I've ever seen it. The wife headed for milk and cereal and I revved up the motor! It was blazing hot, water was real low, bays loaded with weeds, and a slight northerly breeze. 
My dad, daughter's boyfriend "J", and I headed for a cove that consistently produces for us... until now. Finally, at Orchard Bay and Wham, Bam, thank you Mame, we netted a pike, a big cat, and a walleye just before sunset. ;D
I was puttering around the docks by 5 am Monday in shorts, barefeet, no shirt as the sun came up. Hot! We went to our cove for a miracle! I tossed out a 5" minnie in case the "big one" was lurking near by. The bobber began dinkin' an' dunking. I took the advice of some of you fellers and waited 'til the hook was near his tail, set the hook, and found out Mr. Toothy was a BIG smallmouth. For the next hour, smallies hit worms, minnows, spinners - but esp. the big minnies. I actually cast my pike minnie as far from the weedline as possible to avoid 'em. ( - the curses of fishing before bass season!) We netted over ten smallies in the "better than average range".
My wife went with me Mon. evening to drift Church Shoals and adjacent islands, unsuccessfully. We wound up in the bay just behind Orchard Bay; don't have map in front of me to get the name. Bass were jumping clean out of the water to get the dragon flies that were out in force. Two boats were in the bay catching bass one right after another. Being a good guy, I resisted the urge to join them, although we didn't mind the fact we picked up a couple bronzebacks on our N'crawlers!
Tuesday, we woke to a drizzle. It passed over by 6:30 am so dad, "J", and I went "exploring" around the bridge. We followed the Hot Spots map religiously, but struck out royally. Not even sunfish!!! Then, we got caught in a downpour! We pulled onto shore but after 20 minutes decided to head in.
The rest of the week was good news, bad news. The hot weather broke on Wednesday, but a front brought on and off again rain the last half of the week. We got out every morning and evening except for Thursday evening (?) when the wind whipped up ferocious white caps. Now and then someone in the camp would find crappies out in the middle, but nothing for us.
BUT... pike and walleye were biting. And, smallmouth. Both my boys lost lunkers at the boat. (They're learning to watch that drag adjustment in the school of hard knocks!) We stumbled into three catfish that were over 20 inches and for good measure, a couple bowfin .
For boys and girls just getting to BL, the weedline is the ticket. The last buoy in frot of Orchard Bay is where we got our walleye, all but one pike, and two huge catfish. The best lure was a silver "Walleye Wonder" from WalMart. I figured it was made to catch wannabe fishermen, but couldn't resist getting it a couple weeks ago! It lived up to it's name and we were off to Wally World for a couple more. Top color was silver, second was gold. I tipped 'em with n'crawler, but "J" caught a wallie and pike without tipping the hook at all. I also got pike on #4 Mepps with trailing bucktail. Tried floating and suspending raps with no luck. "J" got one walleye on a big ole Musky bucktail and then lost it on another strike.
Thanks to all who gave me tips for walleyes. It was a pleasure to boat my first walleye and the three we ate lived up to their reputation as the best freshwater fish around.
Oh yeah, all our pike and walleyes were 19" - 22". No lunkers this year, but they made the trip entertaining. Lord willing, we'll do this again next year, same time, same place.
O2BFishin
My dad, daughter's boyfriend "J", and I headed for a cove that consistently produces for us... until now. Finally, at Orchard Bay and Wham, Bam, thank you Mame, we netted a pike, a big cat, and a walleye just before sunset. ;D
I was puttering around the docks by 5 am Monday in shorts, barefeet, no shirt as the sun came up. Hot! We went to our cove for a miracle! I tossed out a 5" minnie in case the "big one" was lurking near by. The bobber began dinkin' an' dunking. I took the advice of some of you fellers and waited 'til the hook was near his tail, set the hook, and found out Mr. Toothy was a BIG smallmouth. For the next hour, smallies hit worms, minnows, spinners - but esp. the big minnies. I actually cast my pike minnie as far from the weedline as possible to avoid 'em. (
- the curses of fishing before bass season!) We netted over ten smallies in the "better than average range". My wife went with me Mon. evening to drift Church Shoals and adjacent islands, unsuccessfully. We wound up in the bay just behind Orchard Bay; don't have map in front of me to get the name. Bass were jumping clean out of the water to get the dragon flies that were out in force. Two boats were in the bay catching bass one right after another. Being a good guy, I resisted the urge to join them, although we didn't mind the fact we picked up a couple bronzebacks on our N'crawlers!
Tuesday, we woke to a drizzle. It passed over by 6:30 am so dad, "J", and I went "exploring" around the bridge. We followed the Hot Spots map religiously, but struck out royally. Not even sunfish!!! Then, we got caught in a downpour! We pulled onto shore but after 20 minutes decided to head in.
The rest of the week was good news, bad news. The hot weather broke on Wednesday, but a front brought on and off again rain the last half of the week. We got out every morning and evening except for Thursday evening (?) when the wind whipped up ferocious white caps. Now and then someone in the camp would find crappies out in the middle, but nothing for us.
BUT... pike and walleye were biting. And, smallmouth. Both my boys lost lunkers at the boat. (They're learning to watch that drag adjustment in the school of hard knocks!) We stumbled into three catfish that were over 20 inches and for good measure, a couple bowfin .
For boys and girls just getting to BL, the weedline is the ticket. The last buoy in frot of Orchard Bay is where we got our walleye, all but one pike, and two huge catfish. The best lure was a silver "Walleye Wonder" from WalMart. I figured it was made to catch wannabe fishermen, but couldn't resist getting it a couple weeks ago! It lived up to it's name and we were off to Wally World for a couple more. Top color was silver, second was gold. I tipped 'em with n'crawler, but "J" caught a wallie and pike without tipping the hook at all. I also got pike on #4 Mepps with trailing bucktail. Tried floating and suspending raps with no luck. "J" got one walleye on a big ole Musky bucktail and then lost it on another strike.
Thanks to all who gave me tips for walleyes. It was a pleasure to boat my first walleye and the three we ate lived up to their reputation as the best freshwater fish around.
Oh yeah, all our pike and walleyes were 19" - 22". No lunkers this year, but they made the trip entertaining. Lord willing, we'll do this again next year, same time, same place.
O2BFishin
