weekend Bassing around

[PADavid]

Ok so my Topic Title is lame, I could think of nothing clever, maybe with some more coffee?

Snuck to a local County Park Lake near my house Friday morning. It was complete fog of the pea soup variety.


I worked over a section of the lake that had produced for me in the past and was happy to find that the LM Bass were still around and hungry. I began at some submerged rocks and tried a number of baits until I hooked a little guy on a fluke that I wacky rigged.


Usually I have this area of the lake to myself except for the sounds of the occasional early morning jogger on the foot path at the top of the hill. About 45 minutes into fishing another angler came sliding down the hill and looked as surprised to see me as I was to see him. We say our "good mornings" and he moves off down the lake in the direction that I intended to pursue. Damn!

I was at a quandary, should I follow in the same direction and try to pass around him to fish the area I wanted or should I just fish in the other direction. My usual game plan is to start in one area that I know holds fish to try to beat the skunk. I then would poke my way along the shoreline casting at anything likely to hold fish and probing the open water until I got to my next "spot." I like to move and search when I fish, pausing only to pound a likely spot and getting past the unlikely areas pretty fast (with only two or three casts)

Well I decided to go back up to the footpath and hiked about a half mile in front of the other angler - that way he would not see me "pre" fishing the shore in front of him. I got around him and bushwhacked my way to the shore startling several deer out for their morning breakfast. I reached the shoreline in time to see a bass busting bait fish. I tried some of my 4" slim senko worms T-Rigged weightless and got some panfish hits for my trouble.

After a dozen or so casts, as I watched an osprey diving on some fish in the middle of the lake, I picked up the worm and quickly retrieved it. Just as my bait reached the shore a bass exploded on it in about 6" of water but completely missed the bait. I stopped the retrieve and then flipped the bait back into the general area but the fish did not hit again. I tried burning the bait and the fish again ignored it. However I knew there was at least one bass around so I worked the area again with renewed energy. Finally, a small bass picked up the stick bait and I landed a feisty 10" bass.

I picked up and moved another half mile down the lake to a some structure that held nice fish a few weeks before. The only problem was that to fish on the structure I had to wade out to my armpits - something that I do not usually mind, but the thick fog made the air damp and chilly. I decided to compromise and waded partway out and threw a heavier bait to reach the structure. My first cast resulted in a hook up and a decent bass:




I knew they were there and that they were hungry so I tied on the bait that I really wanted to use (my 4" stick in a dark green with black flake) and braved the chill. On my next cast I get another hit and land a smaller bass:


I proceeded to work the spot and landed about 5 more decent bass all in the same location:




So ends Friday fishing!


Saturday, Jake and myself did our usual circuit of several local lakes and ponds picking bass at each spot. On a whim we stopped at a stream that we drove past all summer and on his first cast Jake hits a nice LM bass:



This bass was a thick as it was wide and, although the picture does not do it justice, probably weighed close to three pounds. A very nice surprise.

I also got Jake to try my hand poured worms and he had a hit on his first cast and landed a dink bass on his next

[Mutt]

Looks like it turned out good for you. I hope I get the time to go get some stripers while they are running then go after the kings this year.