Date: October 7, 2017
Body of Water: Reeds Lake
Boat: Numenon
With: KS
Target: Pike
Time: 8:30 AM - 2 PM
Conditions: Rain ending by 9 AM, SE wind at about 10 mph swinging to the SW and increasing to at least 20 mph with clearing skies; unseasonably warm (to 80 F); water brown and a few feet of visibility; water temperature 67-68 degrees F
We started with a simple program of time-established plugs trolled on hand-held rods with metered braided line, tracing select outside weedlines. I scored a 24-incher in about 17 feet of water on a Lemon/Lime DT16, but after a half hour we changed to trolling an entire 6-rod spread in the main lake basins.
We quickly got 4 more pike in the 23-25 inch range, three on gold/black minnow-baits about 30 feet behind downriggers down 11-15 feet; and another on two colors of lead with a purpledescent Rapala Tail Dancer 9. These were all caught between 22 and 30 feet of water.
We continued with a few more circuits through the basin without further success, despite marking lots of fish, both near the (reachable) bottom and suspended. We did have a couple of bumps, swings and misses and a small, hitch-hiking bass, but this wasn't the quality of fishing I'd hoped for.
We switched back to the controlled, handheld trolling closer to the weeds, and I picked up another small, legal pike (chartreuse Wiggle Wart), while KS caught a nice, 16-inch largemouth bass on another DT bait.
Between 1:30 and 2 PM, the wind really picked up, and we had no further action; it was time to call it quits, even if it had been a pleasant reunion for us.
We started with a simple program of time-established plugs trolled on hand-held rods with metered braided line, tracing select outside weedlines. I scored a 24-incher in about 17 feet of water on a Lemon/Lime DT16, but after a half hour we changed to trolling an entire 6-rod spread in the main lake basins.
We quickly got 4 more pike in the 23-25 inch range, three on gold/black minnow-baits about 30 feet behind downriggers down 11-15 feet; and another on two colors of lead with a purpledescent Rapala Tail Dancer 9. These were all caught between 22 and 30 feet of water.
We continued with a few more circuits through the basin without further success, despite marking lots of fish, both near the (reachable) bottom and suspended. We did have a couple of bumps, swings and misses and a small, hitch-hiking bass, but this wasn't the quality of fishing I'd hoped for.
We switched back to the controlled, handheld trolling closer to the weeds, and I picked up another small, legal pike (chartreuse Wiggle Wart), while KS caught a nice, 16-inch largemouth bass on another DT bait.
Between 1:30 and 2 PM, the wind really picked up, and we had no further action; it was time to call it quits, even if it had been a pleasant reunion for us.
What do I have to say about this?
Conditions certainly were not conducive to great fishing (rain, wind, heat, etc.), but inland trolling was the only game in town on such a day, and I can't think of a better way to have spent it than with KS on Reeds Lake. The pike fishing will only get better as the season progresses, and it's been about a year since we've shared some fishing time. Boards, riggers and lead core (all cornerstones of past fishing seasons) made their season debut (in October?!?!?) All in all, it was a great day despite the fishing results, and I look forward to trying this again!
Conditions certainly were not conducive to great fishing (rain, wind, heat, etc.), but inland trolling was the only game in town on such a day, and I can't think of a better way to have spent it than with KS on Reeds Lake. The pike fishing will only get better as the season progresses, and it's been about a year since we've shared some fishing time. Boards, riggers and lead core (all cornerstones of past fishing seasons) made their season debut (in October?!?!?) All in all, it was a great day despite the fishing results, and I look forward to trying this again!
No comments:
Post a Comment