NumenOn the Water
Date: 10-16-2016
Date: 10-16-2016
Body of Water: Reeds Lake
Boat: Numenon
With: Alone
Target: Pike
Time: 10:30 AM -2:30 PM
Conditions: Sodden; mist to drizzle to rain following overnight thunderstorms. Air temps 63-65 degrees F; water temps 62-63 F. Water was stained brown to downright muddy at the west end.
I trolled a three-rod spread including a line off a board on the basin side of the boat; a flat-lined crank- or minnow-bait off the port; and a hand-held rod with a deep crank on the starboard side. Trolling speeds were generally 2 - 2.5 mph. At first I concentrated in the 15-18 foot range, and this did produce two quick pike. As these lacked the size I was looking for, I subsequently spent more time offshore. However, this trip I keyed in on specific structural elements as opposed to blindly trolling the lake's deeper basins, looking for suspended fish. I got four more pike, all in about 21 feet of water, all associated with humps, breaks, or isolated areas of offshore, hard bottom.
The following lures produced; Size 7 Flick'r Shads (2); Trolls-to 15 (2); DT16; and DT20. Cranks were generally 75-100 feet back, and with one exception, the fish were tight to bottom. The DT 20, for instance, reaches almost 20 feet down on 75 feet of 20-pound braid; the Trolls-to 15 will reach 17 or 18 feet on this same length. Quite often the lures were digging bottom to initiate strikes; but one fish came on the Flick'r Shad suspended about 12 feet down over 21 feet of water, or so.
Three pike were between 22 and 24 inches, the other three were between 24 and 26 inches (i.e., "keepers", although all fish were safely released.)
I trolled a three-rod spread including a line off a board on the basin side of the boat; a flat-lined crank- or minnow-bait off the port; and a hand-held rod with a deep crank on the starboard side. Trolling speeds were generally 2 - 2.5 mph. At first I concentrated in the 15-18 foot range, and this did produce two quick pike. As these lacked the size I was looking for, I subsequently spent more time offshore. However, this trip I keyed in on specific structural elements as opposed to blindly trolling the lake's deeper basins, looking for suspended fish. I got four more pike, all in about 21 feet of water, all associated with humps, breaks, or isolated areas of offshore, hard bottom.
The following lures produced; Size 7 Flick'r Shads (2); Trolls-to 15 (2); DT16; and DT20. Cranks were generally 75-100 feet back, and with one exception, the fish were tight to bottom. The DT 20, for instance, reaches almost 20 feet down on 75 feet of 20-pound braid; the Trolls-to 15 will reach 17 or 18 feet on this same length. Quite often the lures were digging bottom to initiate strikes; but one fish came on the Flick'r Shad suspended about 12 feet down over 21 feet of water, or so.
Three pike were between 22 and 24 inches, the other three were between 24 and 26 inches (i.e., "keepers", although all fish were safely released.)
What do I have to say about this?
It appears that only I am Man Enough among my friends to fish in the rain. Everybody I offered a boat seat to declined. Can't say that I blame them, but one never knows when the 40-incher will show up. I'll continue to wade through numbers of small pike as I await my chance.
A few years ago, I would have been elated at today's results. I've grown to expect more, I guess, as I've accumulated experience on this lake. But I still haven't totally dialed these fish in. With hardly any weeds to hold them shallow, I expected a solid suspended bite. But in two trips, this has not yet materialized. Working the bottom hard today may have made the difference between a crappy day and a pretty decent outing.
But I'd still like to refer to these fish in pounds, instead of inches.
It appears that only I am Man Enough among my friends to fish in the rain. Everybody I offered a boat seat to declined. Can't say that I blame them, but one never knows when the 40-incher will show up. I'll continue to wade through numbers of small pike as I await my chance.
A few years ago, I would have been elated at today's results. I've grown to expect more, I guess, as I've accumulated experience on this lake. But I still haven't totally dialed these fish in. With hardly any weeds to hold them shallow, I expected a solid suspended bite. But in two trips, this has not yet materialized. Working the bottom hard today may have made the difference between a crappy day and a pretty decent outing.
But I'd still like to refer to these fish in pounds, instead of inches.
No comments:
Post a Comment