NumenOn the Water
Date: 9-11-15
Date: 9-11-15
Body of Water: C Lake
Boat: Numenon
With: Alone
Target: Muskellunge
Time: 5:15 - 8:15 PM
Conditions: Cold fronty and a shower rolling through; 10-degree drop in
a short time, but just a mild northerly wind. Water was turbid and 70-71 F.
Ah, fall. After an
unseasonable hot spell, water temps have fallen again into comfortable muskie
range; and I had a few hours available.
Why would I wait until the morning? I was off on a quick week-night trip!
There was very little traffic on the lake this evening. Staying over my favorite scruffy weeds ringing
the lake’s north basin in 6-11 feet of water, casting confidently, I still found nothing with bucktails, topwaters
and jerks. With time running out, I switched to Big Rubber with a mini Medusa
(there is, after all not much big bait in this lake.) I was quickly rewarded with my first Big Rubber fish, a beautiful (easily) 5-pound largemouth bass that was
just a little over-powered by my tackle.
She wasn't my targeted muskie, but she was my biggest bass of the
year, though (so far), and she was beautifully rounded and plump!
Five-pound bass are always welcome aboard Numenon; and a beautiful lavender sunset sealed the deal on
a very nice night.
 |
| I missed this shot by 5 seconds; it was Super Lavender for just a moment. |
 |
| My first Big Rubber fish was a bass! |
Date: 9-13-15
Body of Water: M Lake
Boat: Numenon
With: Alone
Target: Muskellunge
Time: 6:30 AM - Noon
Conditions: The cold front continues with the coldest temps in months
(42 F); crisp, clear and bright; New Moon +1; it should have been a good morning! Very clear water at 68-71 F.
Once again, I was first at the ramp! I started
in the pre-dawn darkness at a favorite spot with a Top Raider, but lack of any activity led me to
switch to a bucktail as soon as I could see it approach the boat. I gradually mixed in Big Rubber (this time a
UV ‘Dawg) and gliders, and I worked weeds, edges and drop-offs, hard! I did move one fish that was clearly tracking
my Harasser (it was pushing a lot of water as it moved behind my bait and
followed for a few yards), but it disengaged before I ever saw it. This fish was in a classic-looking spot, but
one at which I’d not yet encountered a fish.
So they are there, and often they are where they are supposed to
be! Most of the day was spent on known
fish spots and/or the best structural locations available to them.
Despite a strong effort that even included an
hour or so of trolling cranks (with two lines and at 4+ mph, I’m probably
covering 20X the amount of water I can cast; but perhaps less efficiently),
nothing else happened. At least three other
muskie boats were out there, but there were no indications of success for any.
I experienced another sunrise, I enjoyed the waterfowl and cranes, I
revealed another good spot or two, and (most importantly) I tweaked my leader
for glide baits. I found it difficult to
take the scissors to a $12 leader, but I knew that for these baits I needed to
minimize the mass and resultant momentum (inertia?) of the braid-to-leader
connection. These baits don’t spin, so
I don’t need the barrel swivel; and a nice Albright* knot cured with some super
glue seems to have provided a low-mass, slim, secure connection of the leader
to braid. I was amazed at how much more
reactive to manipulation these baits are now, and I really thought I’d raise a
fish this day.
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| A Numenon Albright should breathe more life into my gliders! |
My biggest 'skies so far have revealed themselves to gliders, and I think I’ve just upped my game for them.
*As modified by Numenon. Everybody seems to tie their “Albright” just
a little differently and in their own manner.
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