Wind, Grind and Find

NumenOn the Water

Date:  8-30-15

Body of Water:  C Lake

Boat:  Numenon

With: A and M, partial

Target:  Muskies

Time: 6 - 11:30 AM

Conditions: Quiet, gray and 70-71 F water; lingering fog and drizzle for most of the outing. 

I was the first one out, but at least two other muskie boats launched soon there-after.  I started with a Top Raider in the dark, and switched to a black/silver bucktail as soon as I could see in the water.  I made certain I spent the scheduled Full Moon-set in a prime location, and still nothing moved for me.  

I was joined by A and M for Birthday Breakfast and Coffee bit later, and they accompanied me for a couple of hours as I continued to fish.  My lure selection expanded to include jerks, twitches and Big Rubber as well as a variety of bucktails, but it didn’t matter.  Nothing moved for me, nor did I notice anything from the other 2 or 3 muskie boats out there all morning.  It was still a nice outing ; I’d simply received my Birthday Fish a day early.

What do I have to say about this?

M asked for my Condensed Fishing Philosophy and while she quickly rejected my first pieces of advice (Keep at it!… Learn from your mistakes!), she jumped on my third offering of Wind, Grind and Find!  This has been my occasionally successful strategy, and while I’d like to think I continually refine my tactics on the water in pursuit  of muskies… if I have a weed-free lure moving through the water in a decent location when I’m out there, I’m doing it!  If nothing happens this cast, then maybe it will the next.  I can think this way through an  entire session.  Heck, apparently I can think this through an entire season.  I've still a lot to learn, and there have been some blown predictions and some pleasant surprises along the way, but my primary job is to execute as well as I can when I'm on the water.

The visible topwater action I observed on both days seems to be based on small bluegills suspended just below the surface; I saw many suspended just a few inches down.  This gives me something to think about in terms of the most effective presentation for these fish.