Reeds Lake Sunday - Dog Days are Here

NumenOn the Water

Date: 8-7-16

Body of Water: Reeds Lake

Boat: Numenon

With: Alone

Target: Largemouth Bass

Time: 6 AM to Noon

Conditions:  Clear and bright; mild easterly winds; green water; water temperatures 78 to 81 degrees F

I got beat to the ramp by another ardent Reeds Lake fisherman, but it turned out there was no real rush to get out there.  I started on my big-fish secret hump with the Whopper Plopper and got only a single, small listless bass from my initial circuit around the structure.  Switching over to the DT10, I caught a small keeper bass (keeping the bait in contact with the weeds but not fouled is certainly the secret to cranking.)  A third lap produced a small keeper-sized pike on a DT14.

But these fish lacked the size and frequency I was looking for, so the rest of the morning was spent in Search and Learn Mode.  I got an additional, decent pike (DT20) and another small keeper-sized bass (drop-shot green pumpkin worm), both from deepwater spots, so perhaps I am refining what I know about this offshore region of Reeds Lake.  

I also introduced a couple of new tactics.  Neither produced for me this day, but I suspect they will.  And sometimes, just having not tried a rig or method is barrier enough to using it productively in the future; this time might have been an investment in future catches.

The first new rig is the "Neko Rig"; a tail-weighted, asymmetrically wacky-rigged Senko.  I was pleased to find how "heavy" this rig fished; I was maintaining easy contact with the bottom in 25 feet of water with only 1/16-ounce of weight.  I did a lot of shaking with this to no avail, but I suspect that hopping and/or dropping it into specific spots (beds, holes in weeds, pockets, docks, etc.) will definitely pay off.

Neko Rig

I also threw a Jigging Rapala long distances over deep flats.  I love these lures for ice fishing, but they've taken hold in open water the last few years.  I've used them vertically from the boat (with very limited success), but folks have learned the power of using these with long casts over hard bottom.  I could maintain easy contact with the bottom in 20 feet of water throughout the entire cast; it should be in the strike zone and provoke some strikes!  They've more of a reputation for walleyes (and to a lesser extent, smallies), but I see no reason why they shouldn't scare up some pike or largemouths in the right setting.  My old, 7-foot steelie spinner rod with 10-pound braid and a 20-pound leader seemed just right for this technique!

Open water Jigging Rap, but this pic is really about the FG Knot (lower left) joining my braid to fluoro leader.

And check out that FG Knot seamlessly joining my braid and fluoro!  What better use of a bit of recent convalescence than researching and mastering a new, useful knot?

What do I have to say about this?
The "Dog Days" of 2016 have certainly arrived.  If my best presentation for largemouths over the course of a weekend is drop-shotting; I'm probably struggling.  I'm not catching much, and there's not much size to the catch.  But perhaps I can be smarter with my time, by not catching much while simultaneously learning a bit for the future.

Meanwhile, it's worth noting that some large Kings have finally arrived in this neck of Lake Michigan, with at least some regularity.  Perhaps next year I can switch over to August Kings, let the local bass rest, and catch the best of both seasons.

Redirected to Clear Lake

NumenOn the Water

Date:  8-6-16

Body of Water:  Clear Lake, Mecosta County

Boat:  Numenon

With:  Alone

Target:  Largemouth Bass

Time: 1 - 3 PM

Conditions:  Clear and bright; a bit of wind, 85 degrees F and 84 degree water

I was hoping to find some quiet new water, preferably with smallmouth bass, and I thought Rogers Pond on the Muskegon River might fill that ticket.  With Croton and Hardy Ponds further downstream attracting all the attention, I thought this sleepy little reservoir might provide a chance at some brown bass while also offering a respite from the relentless development and boating activity of West Michigan's small, public waters.  

Arriving at the ramp at the Crack of Noon, I was greeted by a fiasco.  I didn't stick around to find out what was going on, but the Sheriff and an ambulance were busy, and the ramp was otherwise clogged.  I quickly changed gears and headed towards Clear Lake, perhaps 15 miles to the east.  I'd never been there, and I doubted it had smallmouths; but I suspected it would be quiet and offer a new challenge.

The Sheriff, an ambulance, and a full parking lot... not what I was looking for when I sought new, quiet waters.

Clear Lake, Mecosta County

As I motored out, I was pleased to see that this Clear Lake was appropriately named.  I was surprised to find that my Humminbird GPS mapping system provided a fairly detailed map; I motored over to a subtle point that dropped off into some of the lake's deepest water.

My second flip with a drop-shot got intercepted by a small keeper bass in about 14 feet of water.  That was just good luck, though, because I could only muster one additional bite from a similar-sized largemouth in the next couple of hours.  One boat was doing well on numbers of panfish in over 20 feet of water, and another fishing boat reported a slow bite "since they'd sprayed the weeds."  

What do I have to say about this?
Oh well, it was pleasant enough.  The lake might have some potential under different conditions; this was a tough test!  And I heard some chatter about crappies and pike, too, so I might have to revisit this lake again, some day.

Whitefish Dinner

NumenOn the Water

Date:  7-30-16

Body of Water:  Whitefish Lake

Boat:  DC's Lund

With:  DC

Target:  Largemouth Bass

Time: 4 - 5:30 PM and 9 - 10:30 PM

Conditions:  Post rain, mild NE winds, overcast and 78 degree F water

The lake was surprisingly quiet for a Saturday afternoon, but that quickly changed as folks realized the rain and gloom were over.  Our first few casts were into our own private lake, but that didn't last for long.

When I am fishing out of the back of the boat, I typically defer to the methods of choice for my partner; and then do something different from the stern.  D started with a green tube, so I went for a big bite with a slow-rolled swim bait.  After several casts that just didn't feel right to me, I switched to cranking the weed edge with a bluegill-colored DT10, and my first cast was greeted by a decent pike.  When a small keeper-sized bass followed  just a couple of casts later, it was difficult for me to put this rig down.  At this point we were killing time and just catching up on each other's summers.  A steady parade of small bass came aboard until it was time to go in for dinner.

We turned left from the dock after dinner and covered some new water.  D stuck mostly with the tube while I chose to throw my Whopper Plopper, which is becoming a summertime favorite.  I caught a virtual limit of small bass and missed a few others (I was retrieving the bait about as slowly as I could while still seeing or hearing the bait), and D got a couple on spinnerbaits.  This included the biggest of the night (maybe 2.5 pounds), and he lost a much bigger bass at the boat's side in the dark.

The offshore hump spinnerbait bite never materialized.  It could have been the northeast wind, all the chopped weed, or simply another mystery of fishing.  Maybe next time!

What do I have to say about this?

Thank you, D and J, for the spontaneous invitation, pleasant evening, pontoon ride, good food and easy access to a better-than-decent fishery!  I might not have made it out to the water all weekend except for this opportunity, and D and I are so compatible in the boat that things always work out well.  You are our longest-tenured friends here in Michigan, and I am pleased to have standing offers for reciprocation.  Looking forward to more of the same!

Cranky

NumenOn the Water

Date: 7-23-16

Body of Water: Reeds Lake

Boat: Numenon

With: Alone

Target: Largemouth Bass

Time: 5:45 AM - 10:45 AM

Conditions: Hazy, hot, humid and greasy calm.  Hottest day of year to date.  Water temperatures were 80.3 degrees F at 5:45 AM.

I have several reasons to be cranky.

• It's very hot and has been for several days.  It's about as hot as it gets around here.
• My only two "keepers" of the day (totaling maybe 3.5 pounds) were in the boat by 6:15 AM.  These both ate a Whopper Plopper, offshore.
• My last bass of the day came at about 7 AM.  This little guy ate a swim bait along a deep, offshore weed edge.
• But why not rely on deep cranking to catch some bass?  It worked well last time!  Unfortunately, not today.  I covered a lot of water with the DT10 and DT20 without touching a bass.
• A small pike took my green crawdad DT10.  The fish was subdued and at hand, but somehow twisted away with my (current) favorite crank.
• Wake boarders.  Water skiers.  Boats on plane within 25 feet.
• I still enjoyed cranking some offshore hard bottom.  My DT20 got slammed by a decent pike, but despite all the fish I was seeing on the electronics, I didn't catch anything else out there. I offered a swim bait scratching bottom, a hula grub and a drop shot; none of these got hit.

What do I have to say about this?

I'm not really cranky, I caught some topwater fish and I enjoyed the best part of the day (a quiet dawn.)  I even claimed a bonus, free marker buoy that somebody had left overnight.  Meanwhile, I'm learning a bit about the offshore scene; I'm getting more efficient out there!  

Deep Cranking

NumenOn the Water

Date:  7-16-16

Body of Water:  Reeds Lake

Boat:  Numenon

With:  Alone

Target:  Largemouth Bass

Time:  9:30 AM to 1:15 PM

Conditions:  Bright and clear; a bit of WNW wind at the tail end of another cold front; water temperatures were 76 to 79 degrees F



Once again I launched on Reeds Lake with tempered expectations (late start, cold front, mid-summer, etc.), but armed with a plan.  I was going to continue working on new(er) spots and techniques.  Perhaps I'd be forfeiting the opportunity to catch some average bass with familiar techniques, but perhaps I'd learn something truly useful, while having some fun in the meantime.

Quality mid-summer bassing can come down to crankbaits, jigs and topwaters.  This is a notoriously difficult lake for topwater success (IMHO), and I prefer the horizontal searching power of cranks to the tedium of jigs (unless I know I'm over fish.)  So I started with cranks; specifically with the green crawdad Rapala DT10 that had gotten bit a couple of times during my last outing.

I started on the northern, wind-blown edge of a prominent offshore hump.  It is fringed by weeds that taper off at about 8 or 10 feet deep, and plunges into depths over 25 feet.  I figured the DT10 would be right at the transition from weeds to abyss, at least when I could get the cast lined up correctly.

A fat 2-plus pounder ate the bait on my second cast, and this turned out to be a harbinger of pleasant things to come.  While I got no other bites on this feature, when I relocated to a smaller, more isolated and lesser known hump (one that is often good for the best fish of the day, if anybody's home), I got three more quality bites from fish between about 2.5 and almost five pounds (OK, 4.84 pounds on the scale.)  All came on this same bait, searching the edge from about 8 to 12 feet of water.  But the real excitement came from the huge largemouth (the largest I've ever seen on this lake) that followed my second fish in during the fight.  This location was duly recorded and revisited, but she did not show herself again, this day.

This Rapala DT10 crankbait did most of the day's damage.

Having worn this spot out, and with no other prominent humps to explore, I searched the tips of a couple of long, submerged points.  I concentrated once again on the deep weed edges dropping off into deeper water.  It took a bit to find the bass, but when I did (on an inside turn near where the point joined the main lake weed edge), there were quite a few there.  These fish weren't big, but they did let me fill out my temporary Michigan Limit, and allowed for a single cull worth a few ounces. 

Not much of a bass, but it did cull an even smaller (although legal-sized) bass.

Here's a nice fatty.

Another twin...

Just over three pounds...

Just shy of five pounds and the anchor of a 14.3-pound limit.

At this point, I was 7 for 9 or perhaps 8 for 10; my five fish limit weighed 14.3 pounds, with the biggest weighing in at 4.84 pounds.  Not bad for about 2-1/2 hours of late morning fishing with a single lure.  I figured it was now time to stretch my experience and look for something else to work.

I made a minor adjustment and switched from the DT10 to a DT20.  I relocated to a series of subtle hard-bottom mini-humps.  These top out gradually at about 13 feet and are surrounded by 17 to 19 feet of water.  With long casts I was able to easily bang bottom, and it didn't take long to get a bite.  I swung and missed, but a few casts later a nice, mid-summer deep-water pike provided a fun, welcome tussle.

What do I have to say about this?

One never knows when good things might happen.  It wasn't the greatest fishing of all time, but it was a quality bite, and I was tuned in and performed well.  It definitely increased my interest and confidence in cranking, a technique I've largely allowed to get away from me over the years.  

Fish and live; live and learn; fish and learn.

Additional cranking in even deeper water with a Rapala DT20 provided almost instant action.

A deep water, crankin' pike... not today's target, but always welcome!

Salt-water Rust

NumenOn the Water

Date:  7-10-16

Body of Water:  Reeds Lake

Boat:  Numenon

With:  Alone

Target:  Largemouth Bass

Time:  6 AM - 10:30 AM

Conditions:  Bright, clear and calm; a ripple of a cold front the previous day; water temperatures were 76-78 degrees F

Fresh off a taxing but satisfying weekend fishing the salt for stripers, I laid low and took advantage of Reeds Lake's proximity.   I'd not been there for a handful of weeks, so I didn't expect much, but you never know... I'd prepared the night before to Go Big! with an assortment of topwaters, jigs and deep cranks.

I deferred on trying for muskies based on the week's heat and reported local water temperatures exceeding 80 degrees F.  I was surprised to be greeted by 76 degree water; I need to keep mid-summer cold fronts in my back pocket for muskie opportunities!

I started with a topwater walking bait along the edge of a prominent offshore hump, but quickly moved into a pocket leading into my most productive pre-spawn/spawning area.  Conditions were well post-spawn, but a lot of big fish had shown themselves in this area earlier in the season; perhaps they were feeding nearby?  In the early calm, I couldn't help but notice the tremendous change in the weeds in this area.  The milfoil was gone, and the remaining scruffy weeds were bleached and scorched.

With nothing going on here except for a small bass from a dock using Ned, I moved to deeper water.  I worked various edges with cranks and a drop-shot (wacky Senko).  My only three hits came on a DT10 along hump edges, and these included a drive-by, a brief hookup, and a half-landing of a very nice bass.

I felt and executed like I was rusty!  I was seriously out of rhythm, so after losing this fish, I took a break to throw a Zoom Horney Toad frog along a shaded shoreline.  A small keeper bass zoomed up out of the shallow weeds; this was my First Reeds Lake Frog Fish and probably the highlight of the day.

I continued the morning with experimentation.  I flipped some pads (I very rarely flip!), I used my new marker buoy to target some deepwater humps and hard spots, and I cranked deeply and excessively.  I didn't catch anything else, but maybe one day one of these spots could turn on and produce for me.  They'd likely be fish I wouldn't have ordinarily been in contact with!

What do I have to say about this?

Recognizing that things weren't going well, but with no pressure to actually catch fish, I felt pretty comfortable investing the rest of my time in finding future spots and methods.  And I've waited way too long to acquire/utilize the humble marker buoy; they really do make staying oriented on a spot easy!

Maine 2016.1

NumenOn the Water

Date:  July 1-4, 2016

Body of Water:  Casco Bay, Maine

Boat:  None; all fishing from a landing float

With:  Generally alone, but joined by local neighbor DV and his son, MV, for a couple of sessions

Target:  Atlantic Mackerel and Striped Bass

Time:  Generally about 4:15 AM to about 8:15 AM, but with some additional effort in PM as available

Conditions:  Generally at the bottom half of the tide.  July 1 (PM) was gray, cool and windy, but otherwise conditions were very clear, calm and bright.  Afternoons were windy.  Water temps were about 71 degrees F upon arrival and recorded as low as 61 degrees F on the last morning.

Session 1:  July 1, 2016 from about 3:30 PM to 8 PM.  Low Tide was at 2:50 PM and High Tide was at 9:10 PM.  Lots of wind and weeds; water temperatures dropped from about 71 to about 67.  I was excited to be out there and went 3 for 4 with bass measuring about 15, 23 and 28 inches.  The best action was between 4:45 and 5:30 PM (low + 2, or so).  The two smaller fish ate sandworms; the largest of the day ate a live mackerel.  (The miss also came on a live mack.)  Mackerel were not thick, but they were abundant enough to keep at it.  Usually the decreasing light of evening is good for the fishing, but in this situation, I was losing my most productive tide, and by 8 PM, I was very chilled.  I wisely pulled the plug and saved my energy for the next morning.  It was, after all, almost time to get up by the time I went to sleep.

The first striper of the trip was a micro-schoolie that ate a suspended sandworm.  Size didn't matter to me; this meant there were fish here to be caught!

Session 2:  July 2, 2016 from about 4:15 AM until about 8 AM.  Low Tide was at 3:38 AM, and conditions were clear and bright, with mild wind.  Water temperatures were about 64-67 degrees F, and this was probably the most active fishing/catching session of the trip.  Mackerel and peanut bunker were evident, and I even caught a nice bass on the small Kastmaster spoon I was throwing for macks.  Local neighbor DV joined me a little after 5 AM and got in on the action; the first of the year for him.  We each landed three bass to 29+ inches or so, and each of us had at least a couple of other chances.  Three of the six landed bass were "keeper" size at 28 inches.  Fresh heads on the bottom, suspended sandworms and live mackerel all caught fish; once again, the largest fish ate a head, but the true secret to success on this day was to present a live mackerel of the preferred size.  Smaller mackerel did not last long!

Session 2: This bonus goldie ate my Kastmaster spoon intended for mackerel and provided an awesome fight on pretty light tackle!

Session 2: This bass plucked a fresh mackerel head off the bottom.

Session 3:  July 2, 2016 from about  3 to 8 PM.  Low Tide was at 3:38 PM, and this the slowest session of the trip.  Water temps were firm at 67 degrees F, and a very strong wind developed.  Virtually no mackerel were available, and no bunker were noted.  I caught two mid-sized bass (one on a floated worm, one on a head on bottom), but the most notable occurrence was handing the rod to a local sunbather and watching her enjoy the battle of the biggest fish of her life.  She was stunned when the bass came to hand!  Recognizing that I had lost my tide and conceding to the slow conditions, I quit early, before my daylight ran out.

Session 4:  July 3, 2016 from about 4:15 AM to about 8:15 AM. Low Tide was at 4:35 AM.  Water temperatures continued to slide and ranged from 64 to 67 degrees F.  The first fish came early; it was the tiniest striper I'd ever encountered; it ate a suspended sandworm.  A second (on a live mackerel; thankfully they had returned!) came soon, and shortly thereafter I was joined by DV and his son, MV.  

MV has embraced fishing, but had not yet caught his first striper of 2016.  As the morning unfolded, we maintained and presented a steady supply of appropriately-sized macks, and I caught three more bass, with one being "keeper" sized.  MV had a couple of chances, too, and was reasonably disappointed when his first chance came unbuttoned after a pretty long fight.  Equipped with a slightly larger circle hook, he scored on his second chance, though, and all failures were forgotten.   Sharing this moment of youthful success was a highlight of my fishing season!

MV put in a good effort and is rightfully proud of his catch.  This bass ate a live mackerel suspended under a float, the weekend's most productive technique.

Session 5:  July 4, 2016 from about 4:15 AM to about 8:15 AM.  Low Tide was at 5:29 AM, and conditions were calm, clear and bright.  Water temperatures were the coldest yet, ranging from 61 to 63 degrees F.  Mackerel were modestly abundant; peanut bunker were thick.    I had two bass before 5 AM; not a bad way to start any day.  The first ate a head, the second a custom hair jig from my local tackle store of choice.  This second fish was notable because it was my first bucktail striper; and the bucktail is probably The King of Striper Lures.  It was also notable simply as a lure-caught striper, something that doesn't happen from The Landing all that often.  Best of all, though, it smashed the bucktail at my feet, while I was watching and in very clear water.  I got to see it all; and that just enhanced a very nice experience.  My last bass of the trip (28 inches or so) came a couple of hours later, having eaten my last mackerel of an appropriate size.  Overall for the morning, I was 3-for-4 chances, having also missed a fish on a too-large mack.

This is my first-ever bucktail bass.  The bait is courtesy of The Tackle Shop, a favorite place of mine.

She was fat and fresh from the sea.  Check out the sea lice!  These adorned

most of the weekend's bass.

What do I have to say about this?

4:30 AM EDT, and the day is wasting away!

This is a wonderful place, and I thrive on the simple approach to successful fishing I can employ here.  The fishing was never hot and heavy like I've sometimes experienced in the past, but it was good enough to satisfy my current needs; and more than good enough to keep me out there!  My records indicate that I caught 15 stripers; probably more than I've caught in the last couple of years combined.  I also assisted on four others and shared good times with friends, family and neighbors.  The fish were fat and healthy, I caught them on fine gear and with a variety of presentations.  I didn't have a single fishing failure (broken line, frazzled knot, lost hooked fish, etc.), but I was particularly pleased to have shared this fishing and some actual catching success with a budding young fisherman.  I remember being 14 or 15 pretty well, and I am blessed to have found this lifelong, giving activity by that age.  I enjoy sharing what little I know with those who can appreciate it.