The conditions - Low 35 day time High 46 FOGGY and Cold what I like to call perpetual morning. The moon was Waxing Crescent. The Lake was at 405' and dropping 1/2 per day but maintaining.
For me this trip was really about three things 1.) I have changed some of my setups on my rods in terms of line, rod and reel combos and I need to get use to them before my tournament season begins. 2.) Fish aggressively all day, look for a reaction bite, as I have a tendency to just pick up my jig and grind it out when I should be looking for the aggressive fish. 3.) Gather some info in terms of where the fish are positioning on the lake, bait, depth, and areas - via sonar for the club tournament.
One of the changes in setup I made this year was on my swim bait rod. I am using 30lb Power Pro Braid
with a 20lb Maxima fluorocarbon leader. Prior to this event I purchased approx $150.00 in swimbaits from Sportsman's Outdoors in Roseville. On my second cast with the Osprey Top Hook 6" swim bait I get a bad backlash that causes my line to stop suddenly and my bait to continue - $20.00 I was trying to cast this thing like a huddelston and learned very quickly that an underhand roll cast is the best at allowing the line to come off the spool as it keeps the bait never pauses in the air, prior to this I was using the "deckhand cast" the challenge there being that the inertia of the bait pauses in the air as it reaches the peak and gains speed on the descent causing my reel to backlash MOST of the time or me putting way to much thumb on the spool limiting my casting, so 20.00 lesson on the best way to cast the heavier swim baits especially on braid. I work the break line near the launch ramp, in the granite rocks and barren banks - nada. I work the humps on the outside working uphill - nada. I run up to where I know fish spawn on the lake and follow the creek channels out looking for fish hide outs - nada the whole time deep crankin, ripbaitin, swimbaitin and few football head jigs for good measure.
I talk to my tournament partner and great friend Mark Keyes he has two good fish on worms in 50' ok i note that but I am still lookin for my aggressive fish and lose another 20.00 in the rocks - note to self i really need to make me a heavy duty lure knocker!
I fish until 4pm without a bite up one end of the lake and down another, heck I even end up wormin in 50' when I graph fish but I just cant get a bite to save meself. My fingers are numb, my toes are frozen and its time to haul in for the day. First trip of 2011 a bust in terms of fish and a bigger bust in terms of losing baits.
However, as always with fishing, I learn something new each outing whether I am on them or not; so to recap the success of my three goals:
1.) I have changed some of my setups on my rods in terms of line, rod and reel combos and I need to get use to them before my tournament season begins - The 30lb braid is too thin for throwing these big baits and when it does back lash it is HELL to pic out, so new adjustment is to go to 65lb braid. Changed casting style for these big baits from deckhand cast, to an underhand roll cast, perfect the Tony Pena Knot. Create a lure knocker for trout baits. The drop shot with a braid to fluor leader was excellent in terms of sensativity and castability, only down fall is tieing leaders on the fly.
2.) Fish aggressively all day, look for a reaction bite, as I have a tendency to just pick up my jig and grind it out when I should be looking for the aggressive fish. Success and fail - I did pick up the reaction baits and stuck to it all day, however my instinct was to slow way down and fish the jig and dropshot on the 40-50' ledges. I ignored this voice in my head due to my goals and conditions - filing this one away for future use, check the reaction bite, but focus on the current fish activity.
3.) Gather some info in terms of where the fish are positioning on the lake, bait, depth, and areas - via sonar for the club tournament. - Catching fish and not catching fish are all forms of information - my information was that there were fish down in 40-50' on secondary points on the leaward side. I found bait dispersed out through these areas as well. My network also gave me some valuable information in regard to a jig bite (which makes me froth at the mouth) on rumors of a 5lber. I did not go to some spots where I know I have had big bites before - At the river temp breaks I did not see any grouping of fish, most fish metered were in the North and behind Mormons island - so I have some sort of Idea of how I want to attack this lake for the Tournament.
a school of fish with bait nearby. I pickup my Drop Shot rod and lower it strait down with my trusty Margarita Mutilator worm, tink - I get a bite, call for the net, its a good one, as a matter of fact its an awesome 3.5 lb TROUT - ugh I sink - we fish hard for the rest of the day but no other bites. The 4lber is good for big fish of the tournament, so I cash a check which is always a good thing in a tournament.
