NumenOn the Water
Date: 4-15-16
Date: 4-15-16
Body of Water: Reeds Lake
Boat: Numenon
With: A and O
Target: Largemouth Bass
Time: 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Conditions: Quite pleasant with temperatures pushing 70 degrees F and easterly winds of about 10 mph. Water temps were 46 to 50 F or so, and the water was quite murky.
It was the end of the work week, and my thoughts were on getting Numenon out on Reeds Lake ASAP to enjoy Spring's arrival. Of course, I knew everybody else was thinking along similar lines, but Ollie was walked, fed and with me as I made my first cast at about 4:30 PM.
It had been almost three weeks since my last bass outing, and water temperatures had only climbed a few degrees. I started where I'd left off, with a Berkley Firestick suspending jerk bait near deep weed edges, and on my third or fourth cast I connected to a fat pike that pushed 30 inches. It wasn't the bass I'd hoped for, but it was a nice fish and a good start! I caught two other fat pike in the next half hour (same bait, jerked long outside weed edges in known big-bass areas; 24 and 26 inches or so), but with fish seemingly active and no bass yet, I started introducing other presentations.
I spent some time with a hair jig in the very shallows (I found some nice submerged rock areas and other cover items of interest), but there seemed to be nothing going on in shallow. I cranked weed edges and deeper with a variety of baits, and I pulled a chatter-bait through some shallow weeds. Nothing got hit.
After a nice picnic dinner with A now in the boat, I made another pass with a different jerk bait, and when that was again ignored, I picked up my rig with the Berkley War-Pig tied on. I love throwing and using lipless rattle baits, and I'd thrown this bait previously, but with no success (yet this season.)
I probably tend to fish too fast, and I love burning rattle baits. But the water temperatures dictated a slower presentation, and I forced myself to slow down and keep the bait in contact with the bottom, weeds, or other cover. Soon after switching to the Pig, I felt a slight hesitation in the lure's vibration, and I instinctively set the hook. The rod loaded (it wasn't weeds this time!), and soon the evening's first and only bass was swung aboard.
This fish was slightly shallower and more in the weeds than other bass I'd caught during the previous trip. I think she was in the weeds in about 4 or 5 feet of water.
It was the end of the work week, and my thoughts were on getting Numenon out on Reeds Lake ASAP to enjoy Spring's arrival. Of course, I knew everybody else was thinking along similar lines, but Ollie was walked, fed and with me as I made my first cast at about 4:30 PM.
It had been almost three weeks since my last bass outing, and water temperatures had only climbed a few degrees. I started where I'd left off, with a Berkley Firestick suspending jerk bait near deep weed edges, and on my third or fourth cast I connected to a fat pike that pushed 30 inches. It wasn't the bass I'd hoped for, but it was a nice fish and a good start! I caught two other fat pike in the next half hour (same bait, jerked long outside weed edges in known big-bass areas; 24 and 26 inches or so), but with fish seemingly active and no bass yet, I started introducing other presentations.
I spent some time with a hair jig in the very shallows (I found some nice submerged rock areas and other cover items of interest), but there seemed to be nothing going on in shallow. I cranked weed edges and deeper with a variety of baits, and I pulled a chatter-bait through some shallow weeds. Nothing got hit.
After a nice picnic dinner with A now in the boat, I made another pass with a different jerk bait, and when that was again ignored, I picked up my rig with the Berkley War-Pig tied on. I love throwing and using lipless rattle baits, and I'd thrown this bait previously, but with no success (yet this season.)
I probably tend to fish too fast, and I love burning rattle baits. But the water temperatures dictated a slower presentation, and I forced myself to slow down and keep the bait in contact with the bottom, weeds, or other cover. Soon after switching to the Pig, I felt a slight hesitation in the lure's vibration, and I instinctively set the hook. The rod loaded (it wasn't weeds this time!), and soon the evening's first and only bass was swung aboard.
This fish was slightly shallower and more in the weeds than other bass I'd caught during the previous trip. I think she was in the weeds in about 4 or 5 feet of water.
 |
| This was the only bass of the evening; a solid Reeds Lake specimen. |
What do I have to say about this?
I didn't measure or weight this bass; but I'll give it a solid 2-1/2 pounds, and not even an average fish for Reeds Lake so far for me this season. I'm happy with that! Of course, I'd like more, but the easier fishing will come later. In the meantime, I'll settle for Quality over Quantity.
I didn't measure or weight this bass; but I'll give it a solid 2-1/2 pounds, and not even an average fish for Reeds Lake so far for me this season. I'm happy with that! Of course, I'd like more, but the easier fishing will come later. In the meantime, I'll settle for Quality over Quantity.
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