Just When I Was Getting Frustrated With My First Fall Of Bass Fishing...

[desmobob]

...things turned around!  I had a fantastic big fish day today.

 

The water temperature in southern Lake Champlain slowly dropped from 68* to 65* the week before last.  This week, it went from 64* on Wednesday to 60* on Thursday!  The weeds are dying off and the water is very low.  For the last few days, I was having a heck of a time figuring out the bass.  I think I only caught one on Thursday and two on Friday.  The water temperature was 58-59* today.

 

I finally "broke the code" and found lots of willing fish.  I had 12 fish between 3 lbs. 4 oz. and 5 lbs. 1 oz. along with just two dinks and several smallmouths.  I started the day by having a big northern pike eat one of my jigs, but only caught one more small one and two small pickerel the rest of the day.  I was happy to have not lost $10 or more of hardware to the toothy critters, as is what usually happens on a long day of fishing.

 

I got most of the fish on a wacky-rigged Senko fished up tight to rock and ledge near deep water.  The rest came on a jig fished around some pilings from an old railroad trestle.

 

It wasn't a whole lot of fish, but almost every one was a nice one!  And most of them were on the light spinning rod/light line.  I was happy, especially after suffering through a couple of really slow days.  I can't wait to try it again tomorrow (and Sunday. And Monday).  :-)

 

Tight lines,

Bob

 

 

[Mainebass1984]

Sweet ! Well done Bob. That is some amazing fishing. I have heard the bite has been red hot on southern champlain lately. Lots of big fish being caught including a 8.5 last week. There is atleaset 2 tourneys going on tomorrow. One is out of Larabees. If your on fish like that maybe you should enter one.

[Darren.]

Excellent, Bob! Gotta love the Senko rigged wacky!!

[desmobob]

Excellent, Bob! Gotta love the Senko rigged wacky!!

 

Before I ever used one, I wondered why anyone would pay so much for a rubber worm.  And the first time I ever saw a wacky-rigged worm hanging from a fisherman's rod, I figured he must have been some sort of clueless newb.  :-)

 

Now, I know better.  The darn things are effective and wacky-rigging really gets the bass.

 

 

Sweet ! Well done Bob. That is some amazing fishing. I have heard the bite has been red hot on southern champlain lately. Lots of big fish being caught including a 8.5 last week. There is atleaset 2 tourneys going on tomorrow. One is out of Larabees. If your on fish like that maybe you should enter one.

 

 

Thanks... it was either my best or second-best big fish day and I sure had a lot of fun.   As for the tournaments...  not for me:  

 

1) I fish to relax and have no desire to add performance pressure, time constraints, etc.

 

...and maybe more importantly,

2) I went out to the same area today; same weather conditions, time of day, etc., and caught just two dinks.  :-)

 

I'm just a greenhorn at this bass fishing business.  I guess even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while...

 

Tight lines,

Bob