NumenOn the Water
Date: March 5, 2017
Date: March 5, 2017
Body of Water: Reeds Lake
Boat: Numenon
With: TM
Target: Pike and Largemouth Bass
Time: 10:30 AM - 2:30 PM
Conditions: Mixed skies, 34-49 degrees F, with ESE winds to about 15 mph. Water was brown with impaired visibility (<2 feet) and ranged from 37 to 39 degrees F.
I went fishing for the first time in over three months! After the Ice-Season-that-Wasn't, I had Numenon prepared and ready to go upon my first availability. Pike season is still open, as is the newish, liberalized bass season; but I've little experience for either species from the boat at this time of year. My expectations weren't especially high, but I was still looking forward to getting out on the water!
I was greeted with the following conditions; no dock, cold water, rocks and wind; but Numenon started from her winter's nap on the first turn of the key, and soon I had her safely secured to a nearby tree.
I was to be joined by friend TM, and as he leans more heavily towards pike than bass (and because it was windy enough to challenge proper boat control for bass fishing), I thought we'd start chasing pike. I thought there'd be plenty of small males up in the shallow marshy areas, but the wind precluded entering those areas; plus, I wanted a bigger fish. I decided we'd slow-troll weed edges with three-way rigs and cranks. We'd use the electric motor to keep our speed down to less than 1.5 mph. With braided line and two ounces of lead, we had no problem maintaining contact with the bottom. I chose an original F-11 Rapala, but TM chose a Mann's 1-Minus.
We worked the lake's southern shoreline from about 5 to 20 feet deep, or so. I wasn't marking much of anything, but we were effectively keeping our baits in an imagined strike zone. Behind the Middle School, having come through a patch of scruffy weeds in 6 or 8 feet of water, TM exclaimed that he thought he had a fish; and he did! After an unspectacular, cold-water fight, a bright 23-inch (plus) pike hit the net.
With some definitive evidence that some fish were shallow and relating to weeds, I proposed that we cast some baits for the season's first bass. I was expecting to throw a crank, but I already had a Duo Realis Size 80 spy bait tied on. This was a Christmas gift from my girls, about the only thing I'd asked for. I didn't think the water clarity was sufficient for success, and I didn't plan on throwing it for long based on the likelihood of getting snipped off by a pike (these are fairly expensive baits), but I thought I'd give it a shot and get a feel for how this new-to-me bait fished.
On about my third cast, in a known big-fish location, near some weeds and over about seven feet of water, I felt a definitive "thunk" and set the hook. I raced to keep up with the fish, which proceeded to go immediately below the boat. It was a heavy fish, and didn't seem to realize it had been hooked. I put what pressure I could on the fish (long, medium-light rod and 6-pound fluorocarbon line.) In fact, I put too much pressure on it, and the hooks pulled. I wish I'd seen it; whether it was a large bass or better-than-decent pike, I'd have been very happy to have caught that fish! Regardless, it was an intriguing start to a possible Spy Bait Habit.
After a lull, I had to switch to a jerk bait; I'd had so much success on these last Spring. Now we were on the north side of the lake, and we were definitely concentrating shallow. I tend to fish too fast in the wind, but I forced myself to slow down; and I soon felt the familiar "tick" of a cold-water largemouth bite on the Shadow Rap. I swung and the rod loaded; and soon I'd boated the first bass of the year, a very solid 16-incher.
Now, it had truly been a successful day! After fighting the wind for a while longer, we relocated across the lake at another big-fish haunt. I switched back to the spy bait. On an initial cast, I felt some heaviness; continued reeling fast until I got this moving towards the boat; but still was not sure it wasn't weeds until the first head shake, just 15 feet from the boat. But with the shake was a flash, and I could tell that this was a fine bass. She was barely hooked, but the new net worked as planned (again!), and I was super pleased to have caught such a nice bass (on a new technique!) to start the season!
Soon, we'd run out of available time. It was time to head back in.
I went fishing for the first time in over three months! After the Ice-Season-that-Wasn't, I had Numenon prepared and ready to go upon my first availability. Pike season is still open, as is the newish, liberalized bass season; but I've little experience for either species from the boat at this time of year. My expectations weren't especially high, but I was still looking forward to getting out on the water!
I was greeted with the following conditions; no dock, cold water, rocks and wind; but Numenon started from her winter's nap on the first turn of the key, and soon I had her safely secured to a nearby tree.
 |
| 2017: Numenon's 15th Season, about to begin! |
I was to be joined by friend TM, and as he leans more heavily towards pike than bass (and because it was windy enough to challenge proper boat control for bass fishing), I thought we'd start chasing pike. I thought there'd be plenty of small males up in the shallow marshy areas, but the wind precluded entering those areas; plus, I wanted a bigger fish. I decided we'd slow-troll weed edges with three-way rigs and cranks. We'd use the electric motor to keep our speed down to less than 1.5 mph. With braided line and two ounces of lead, we had no problem maintaining contact with the bottom. I chose an original F-11 Rapala, but TM chose a Mann's 1-Minus.
 |
| Three-way rig and crank for trolling |
 |
| First Fish of 2017; and a first on this technique for me in a soft-bottomed lake. |
With some definitive evidence that some fish were shallow and relating to weeds, I proposed that we cast some baits for the season's first bass. I was expecting to throw a crank, but I already had a Duo Realis Size 80 spy bait tied on. This was a Christmas gift from my girls, about the only thing I'd asked for. I didn't think the water clarity was sufficient for success, and I didn't plan on throwing it for long based on the likelihood of getting snipped off by a pike (these are fairly expensive baits), but I thought I'd give it a shot and get a feel for how this new-to-me bait fished.
On about my third cast, in a known big-fish location, near some weeds and over about seven feet of water, I felt a definitive "thunk" and set the hook. I raced to keep up with the fish, which proceeded to go immediately below the boat. It was a heavy fish, and didn't seem to realize it had been hooked. I put what pressure I could on the fish (long, medium-light rod and 6-pound fluorocarbon line.) In fact, I put too much pressure on it, and the hooks pulled. I wish I'd seen it; whether it was a large bass or better-than-decent pike, I'd have been very happy to have caught that fish! Regardless, it was an intriguing start to a possible Spy Bait Habit.
After a lull, I had to switch to a jerk bait; I'd had so much success on these last Spring. Now we were on the north side of the lake, and we were definitely concentrating shallow. I tend to fish too fast in the wind, but I forced myself to slow down; and I soon felt the familiar "tick" of a cold-water largemouth bite on the Shadow Rap. I swung and the rod loaded; and soon I'd boated the first bass of the year, a very solid 16-incher.
 |
| First Bass of 2017 was this solid 16-incher. It ate a shallow Shadow Rap, on the pause, between some shoreline cattails and the remnant of the inside weed edge. |
Now, it had truly been a successful day! After fighting the wind for a while longer, we relocated across the lake at another big-fish haunt. I switched back to the spy bait. On an initial cast, I felt some heaviness; continued reeling fast until I got this moving towards the boat; but still was not sure it wasn't weeds until the first head shake, just 15 feet from the boat. But with the shake was a flash, and I could tell that this was a fine bass. She was barely hooked, but the new net worked as planned (again!), and I was super pleased to have caught such a nice bass (on a new technique!) to start the season!
 |
| Over 18 inches and fat! |
Soon, we'd run out of available time. It was time to head back in.
What do I have to say about this?
This was a truly welcome outing after a long winter! To have some success was just a bonus, but what a bonus! We caught multiple target species on multiple new techniques. In sub-40 (degree F) water! The bass were in prime shape, big enough to count any day (in my book), we enjoyed a hot lunch "Kanalgratis-style" (see here, but especially their You Tube channel), and we have a lot to look forward to! The 2017 Fishing Season has just begun!
This was a truly welcome outing after a long winter! To have some success was just a bonus, but what a bonus! We caught multiple target species on multiple new techniques. In sub-40 (degree F) water! The bass were in prime shape, big enough to count any day (in my book), we enjoyed a hot lunch "Kanalgratis-style" (see here, but especially their You Tube channel), and we have a lot to look forward to! The 2017 Fishing Season has just begun!
 |
| Duo Realis Size 80 Spy Bait (top) and a Shallow Shadow Rap (bottom) presented on light line both scored this day! |
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