Date: April 8, 2017
Body of Water: Reeds Lake
Boat: Numenon
With: Alone
Target: CIR Largemouth Bass
Time: 10 AM - 3 PM
Conditions: Clear; 35 to 65 degrees F; winds less than 10 mph and variable, southerly direction; water almost 44 to almost 45 degrees F
I anticipated a fairly tough bite based on the chilly start and high, clear skies, but one never knows. I started in some high confidence water (but not my best water) with my trusty shallow Shadow Rap. I had my first strike in the first 10 minutes or so. This was a chunky 16.5-inch pre-spawn largemouth in prime condition; things were off to an unexpectedly good start!
This fish had eaten over shallower weeds than I would have expected (perhaps 3.5 or 4 feet of water) given the cold. I concentrated my efforts in this new strike zone in several key spots; and 2.5 hours or so later, had to concede that the fishing was tough! I started expanding my search zone and expectations for what might work. If the fish weren't unexpectedly shallow, perhaps they were off the deeper edge? None had risen for my jerk bait, but perhaps I could dredge one up with a crank.
Returning to my starting point with a KVD Strike King diver, I pretty quickly found the edge I was looking for. On a slow, "Carolina-crank" presentation, this lure would tick through the weeds in 5.5 to 6.5 feet of water or so, and these were the right weeds; green and without that nasty, filamentous algal slime. On consecutive casts, I brought in a little of this opportune salad. I was pleasantly vindicated when my next cast was intercepted by a hard-fighting 20.5-inch largemouth. She was likely the fish of the day!
A fish like this is worth patterning, for sure, and so I worked hard at replicating this presentation. It took some effort, and I had to return to this same spot a couple more times, but I was ultimately able to add a fat 19-incher, a solid 16-incher and a long-but-lean pike to the catch. I had a chance at my "limit" bass, too, but I managed to lose her,
So I captured only four legal-sized bass, leaving some room for improvement in my virtual bag of 13 or 14 pounds for the day.
With the exception of the first bass, all the fish came from a very short stretch of weeds near the tip of a subtle underwater point. The spawning flat reaches furthest into the lake here. It may prove to be a key future location; it certainly seems to have concentrated the (biting) fish this day!
I anticipated a fairly tough bite based on the chilly start and high, clear skies, but one never knows. I started in some high confidence water (but not my best water) with my trusty shallow Shadow Rap. I had my first strike in the first 10 minutes or so. This was a chunky 16.5-inch pre-spawn largemouth in prime condition; things were off to an unexpectedly good start!
This fish had eaten over shallower weeds than I would have expected (perhaps 3.5 or 4 feet of water) given the cold. I concentrated my efforts in this new strike zone in several key spots; and 2.5 hours or so later, had to concede that the fishing was tough! I started expanding my search zone and expectations for what might work. If the fish weren't unexpectedly shallow, perhaps they were off the deeper edge? None had risen for my jerk bait, but perhaps I could dredge one up with a crank.
Returning to my starting point with a KVD Strike King diver, I pretty quickly found the edge I was looking for. On a slow, "Carolina-crank" presentation, this lure would tick through the weeds in 5.5 to 6.5 feet of water or so, and these were the right weeds; green and without that nasty, filamentous algal slime. On consecutive casts, I brought in a little of this opportune salad. I was pleasantly vindicated when my next cast was intercepted by a hard-fighting 20.5-inch largemouth. She was likely the fish of the day!
A fish like this is worth patterning, for sure, and so I worked hard at replicating this presentation. It took some effort, and I had to return to this same spot a couple more times, but I was ultimately able to add a fat 19-incher, a solid 16-incher and a long-but-lean pike to the catch. I had a chance at my "limit" bass, too, but I managed to lose her,
So I captured only four legal-sized bass, leaving some room for improvement in my virtual bag of 13 or 14 pounds for the day.
With the exception of the first bass, all the fish came from a very short stretch of weeds near the tip of a subtle underwater point. The spawning flat reaches furthest into the lake here. It may prove to be a key future location; it certainly seems to have concentrated the (biting) fish this day!
 |
| 20.5 inches and well over five pounds; this big gal led me to a couple of other nice ones, too. |
What do I have to say about this?
Reeds Lake has provided a very solid season to date, but each day's fishing has not been easy; I've had to remain flexible in both location and presentation. Today, I was forced to expand my range and options, because the jerk bait was simply not producing. I know the fish are available; it's discovering what they will react to on a given day that seems to be the key to maintaining any consistent success.
Switching to the crank was key, today, but so was noticing the key weeds and then exploring them with a productive presentation. I borrowed a retrieve technique from last year's rattle bait success by dragging the crank along the bottom "Carolina-style" with the rod tip, as opposed to reeling. This slows me down, but provides constant contact with the lure, as well as a repeated pause to the retrieve cadence. It works with the rattle baits, and now I know it works with this crank, too.
Finally, I'd be hard pressed to say when the last time I caught 5-pounders on back-to-back trip happened to be. Maybe on Brooks Lake back in the hot summers of the early 1990's (buzz baits in the early morning darkness); or, possibly never. It has been a very solid season for me to date.
Reeds Lake has provided a very solid season to date, but each day's fishing has not been easy; I've had to remain flexible in both location and presentation. Today, I was forced to expand my range and options, because the jerk bait was simply not producing. I know the fish are available; it's discovering what they will react to on a given day that seems to be the key to maintaining any consistent success.
Switching to the crank was key, today, but so was noticing the key weeds and then exploring them with a productive presentation. I borrowed a retrieve technique from last year's rattle bait success by dragging the crank along the bottom "Carolina-style" with the rod tip, as opposed to reeling. This slows me down, but provides constant contact with the lure, as well as a repeated pause to the retrieve cadence. It works with the rattle baits, and now I know it works with this crank, too.
Finally, I'd be hard pressed to say when the last time I caught 5-pounders on back-to-back trip happened to be. Maybe on Brooks Lake back in the hot summers of the early 1990's (buzz baits in the early morning darkness); or, possibly never. It has been a very solid season for me to date.
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