NumenOn the Water
Date: 5-3-2016
Body of Water: Lake St. ClairDate: 5-3-2016
Boat: Numenon
With: Alone
Target: Smallmouth Bass
Time: 7:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Conditions: Nice gentle day; started overcast but cleared; winds calm to less than 10 mph, generally SE; air temps 45 - 65 degrees F; water temps 48 to 52, but generally about 50 degrees F. Some mild stain to water in areas, but very clear elsewhere.
I suspected I would start in the area of my previous success, but this wasn't based on any real Intel so much as the knowledge that the bass were certainly pre-spawn, and they were known to spawn in the area off the "Mile Roads" on the lake's west side. There's no better search bait for smallies than a jerk bait, so that was my probable starting point. As an added bonus, this combination of conditions and plans just felt pretty good; I was confident that I'd find some quality smallmouths over the course of the day. To have these plans verbally validated by a couple of Ohioans with a tricked-out Ranger bass boat in the parking lot just increased my confidence. They'd reportedly caught them pretty good the day before; they added the need for clear water, too.
I stopped at the community hole where I'd done well last year (around 12 Mile Road in less than 11 feet of water) and I was fishing before 8 AM. I started with a Berkley Fire Stick, but I worked in rattle baits and cranks, too, as I searched for that first strike or bass sighting of the day. But it proved to be slow going for me and the other 20 boats in the general area. After an hour and with nothing to loose, I decided to scout for new water. I'd selected a specific spot based on my GPS mapping. This was really just a noted indentation in the break line at the depth of interest, and I was somewhat surprised to find another couple of dozen boats in the immediate vicinity of Ford's Cove.
As the boats milled around in the area from maybe 3 to 12 feet of water, I noted a few surreptitious hookups. These folks were using apparent finesse tactics, and they were doing everything they could to not attract attention to themselves or their bass. I made a switch from power to finest and pick up my rig with a black-over-blue hair jigs. Working a barely visible color edge in about seven feet of water, a fish flashed as it sucked in my bucktail. I set the hook and the rod loaded with a heavy fish. It was just a drum, and the water was too cold for it really fight that well, but it was big; it was the first fish of the day; and I had finally caught a fish on one of my precious hair jigs. Things were looking up!
Shortly thereafter, I saw my parking lot friends jerk-baiting in slightly deeper water (perhaps 9 feet), and one of them hooked up with a nice bass. I switched back over to jerking, and after a few casts decided to go with a silver and pink X-Rap. I'd been throwing darker and more natural jerks so far and I thought maybe this change would wake them up!
Maybe it did,or perhaps it was the day's clouds finally burning off, but within a half dozen casts, at about 10:45 AM, I got hit and a solid 2-pounder came aboard. For the next half hour, I was repeatedly rewarded for applying my new formula; long cast, wind it down, three short jerks pause; two or jerks and a long pause. Repeat if you have the chance, but expect to get hit on that second, long pause!
These fish were certainly worth the drive! With an average weight over three pounds, and a couple over four to probably five pounds, I quickly put together a fine virtual limit estimated at 17 or 18 pounds.
I was now the area's Hot Stick, and folks were edging in from all sides. After photographing and releasing the last, biggest bass, I could tell that my sweet spot in 10 or 11 feet of water was being covered by others. I edged off and continued to search for another group of bass, and when I didn't find any after 20 minutes or so, I decided to eat lunch while making a run to new, uncrowded water.
Well, I ran away from the best fish that I had found. I did catch a few others to 2.5 pounds or so (green pumpkin tubes and Ned presented in precise spots got bit, while I searched for active bass with the X-Rap), but mostly I ended up eliminating water for the next trip; I know where to concentrate my efforts in the short- to mid-term on this lake.
I suspected I would start in the area of my previous success, but this wasn't based on any real Intel so much as the knowledge that the bass were certainly pre-spawn, and they were known to spawn in the area off the "Mile Roads" on the lake's west side. There's no better search bait for smallies than a jerk bait, so that was my probable starting point. As an added bonus, this combination of conditions and plans just felt pretty good; I was confident that I'd find some quality smallmouths over the course of the day. To have these plans verbally validated by a couple of Ohioans with a tricked-out Ranger bass boat in the parking lot just increased my confidence. They'd reportedly caught them pretty good the day before; they added the need for clear water, too.
I stopped at the community hole where I'd done well last year (around 12 Mile Road in less than 11 feet of water) and I was fishing before 8 AM. I started with a Berkley Fire Stick, but I worked in rattle baits and cranks, too, as I searched for that first strike or bass sighting of the day. But it proved to be slow going for me and the other 20 boats in the general area. After an hour and with nothing to loose, I decided to scout for new water. I'd selected a specific spot based on my GPS mapping. This was really just a noted indentation in the break line at the depth of interest, and I was somewhat surprised to find another couple of dozen boats in the immediate vicinity of Ford's Cove.
As the boats milled around in the area from maybe 3 to 12 feet of water, I noted a few surreptitious hookups. These folks were using apparent finesse tactics, and they were doing everything they could to not attract attention to themselves or their bass. I made a switch from power to finest and pick up my rig with a black-over-blue hair jigs. Working a barely visible color edge in about seven feet of water, a fish flashed as it sucked in my bucktail. I set the hook and the rod loaded with a heavy fish. It was just a drum, and the water was too cold for it really fight that well, but it was big; it was the first fish of the day; and I had finally caught a fish on one of my precious hair jigs. Things were looking up!
 |
| This drum was the first to stretch my line. It provided a fine visual strike on my black-over-blue bucktail jig. |
Shortly thereafter, I saw my parking lot friends jerk-baiting in slightly deeper water (perhaps 9 feet), and one of them hooked up with a nice bass. I switched back over to jerking, and after a few casts decided to go with a silver and pink X-Rap. I'd been throwing darker and more natural jerks so far and I thought maybe this change would wake them up!
Maybe it did,or perhaps it was the day's clouds finally burning off, but within a half dozen casts, at about 10:45 AM, I got hit and a solid 2-pounder came aboard. For the next half hour, I was repeatedly rewarded for applying my new formula; long cast, wind it down, three short jerks pause; two or jerks and a long pause. Repeat if you have the chance, but expect to get hit on that second, long pause!
 |
| The day was looking brighter and this second bass was simply beautiful! |
 |
| Things just continued to get better... |
 |
| ... and better! |
 |
| I wish the lighting were better for this golden butterball of a bass. |
These fish were certainly worth the drive! With an average weight over three pounds, and a couple over four to probably five pounds, I quickly put together a fine virtual limit estimated at 17 or 18 pounds.
I was now the area's Hot Stick, and folks were edging in from all sides. After photographing and releasing the last, biggest bass, I could tell that my sweet spot in 10 or 11 feet of water was being covered by others. I edged off and continued to search for another group of bass, and when I didn't find any after 20 minutes or so, I decided to eat lunch while making a run to new, uncrowded water.
Well, I ran away from the best fish that I had found. I did catch a few others to 2.5 pounds or so (green pumpkin tubes and Ned presented in precise spots got bit, while I searched for active bass with the X-Rap), but mostly I ended up eliminating water for the next trip; I know where to concentrate my efforts in the short- to mid-term on this lake.
What do I have to say about this?
One certainly can't complain with such nice fish, even if you allow yourself to lose contact with them, and a veritable limit of 17+ pounds is a good catch for me, anytime. Plus, I completed my final Bass Goal of the season with that biggest smallie, which I believe to be the biggest ever aboard Numenon. Finally, with my primary scouting mission successfully accomplished, I'm feeling good about the prospects for success next week.
One certainly can't complain with such nice fish, even if you allow yourself to lose contact with them, and a veritable limit of 17+ pounds is a good catch for me, anytime. Plus, I completed my final Bass Goal of the season with that biggest smallie, which I believe to be the biggest ever aboard Numenon. Finally, with my primary scouting mission successfully accomplished, I'm feeling good about the prospects for success next week.
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