The bass were really biting on Saturday...

[pdxfisher]

... for my buddy.  I got my ears pinned back on Saturday as my regular fishing partner caught about 25 bass and 3 huge pikieminnows. I managed to scratch out a meager 8 bass. 

 

My buddy quickly figured out that the bass were out a little deeper. I stubbornly (nice way to say stupidly) kept insisting that the bass were going to move up shallow any minute. I watched him catch fish after fish on soft plastics while I stubbornly stuck with moving baits. 

 

He was quickly had 10 fish to my none.  I finally gave in and started fishing slow and deep but my heart was not really in it.  From that point on he still outfished me 2:1. Nothing over 2lbs for me and nothing over 3lbs for my buddy.  I did eventually catch a small fish on a vibrating jig but that was my only fish caught on a moving bait.

 

The only redeeming aspect of the day was that I finally caught some fish on a wobblehead jig. That is one of my buddy's favorite lures but I never fished one long enough to get a feel for it or catch a fish on one. In the past I would make a half dozen casts and then put it away. Lack of confidence and lack of success are joined at the hip in fishing.

 

On Saturday I just stuck with that lure starting midmorning. Probably fished with it 90% of the rest of the day. I caught 5 of my 8 bass on it so I would say that I am now a fan.  Definitely more interesting than fishing a drop shot or a Ned rig in my book - especially in the wind and/or current. I am still quite a novice with it but I stink at it less than I did at the start of the day. That is what you call progress 

 

I missed a lot of bites and almost even had my rod jerked rod out of my hand once. I am so used to fishing with an open hook where the fish do most of the work in hooking themselves.  Early on I set the hook on a lot of rocks and carefully jiggled my wobblehead free from some bass. Doh!

 

That improved as the day went on, although even at my "best" I still missed more than I should have. I will now fish that lure more often and hopefully improve my skill.

 

Just to round out the report I did not get a single bite on a crankbait, jerkbait, rattletrap or a swimbait even though I did spend a fair bit of time with each in my hand. Fish were out in 12 to 20' and seemed pretty tight to the bottom. Bite was great (for my buddy) early and then picked up again late in our day. The wind blew us off the water around 3pm. When there are hydrofoil windsurfers doing circles around you it is time to call it a day!

 

My buddy had a great day and I caught as few fish as I deserved 

[BigAngus752]

At least you know what you were (or weren't) doing.  There's a lot to be said for just fishing the way you like to fish and enjoying your day.  Heck, you were catching fish and you had success with a new technique!  I'm calling that a good day on the water!

[softwateronly]

6 hours ago, pdxfisher said:

... for my buddy.  I got my ears pinned back on Saturday as my regular fishing partner caught about 25 bass and 3 huge pikieminnows. I managed to scratch out a meager 8 bass. 

 

My buddy quickly figured out that the bass were out a little deeper. I stubbornly (nice way to say stupidly) kept insisting that the bass were going to move up shallow any minute. I watched him catch fish after fish on soft plastics while I stubbornly stuck with moving baits. 

 

He was quickly had 10 fish to my none.  I finally gave in and started fishing slow and deep but my heart was not really in it.  From that point on he still outfished me 2:1. Nothing over 2lbs for me and nothing over 3lbs for my buddy.  I did eventually catch a small fish on a vibrating jig but that was my only fish caught on a moving bait.

 

The only redeeming aspect of the day was that I finally caught some fish on a wobblehead jig. That is one of my buddy's favorite lures but I never fished one long enough to get a feel for it or catch a fish on one. In the past I would make a half dozen casts and then put it away. Lack of confidence and lack of success are joined at the hip in fishing.

 

On Saturday I just stuck with that lure starting midmorning. Probably fished with it 90% of the rest of the day. I caught 5 of my 8 bass on it so I would say that I am now a fan.  Definitely more interesting than fishing a drop shot or a Ned rig in my book - especially in the wind and/or current. I am still quite a novice with it but I stink at it less than I did at the start of the day. That is what you call progress 

 

I missed a lot of bites and almost even had my rod jerked rod out of my hand once. I am so used to fishing with an open hook where the fish do most of the work in hooking themselves.  Early on I set the hook on a lot of rocks and carefully jiggled my wobblehead free from some bass. Doh!

 

That improved as the day went on, although even at my "best" I still missed more than I should have. I will now fish that lure more often and hopefully improve my skill.

 

Just to round out the report I did not get a single bite on a crankbait, jerkbait, rattletrap or a swimbait even though I did spend a fair bit of time with each in my hand. Fish were out in 12 to 20' and seemed pretty tight to the bottom. Bite was great (for my buddy) early and then picked up again late in our day. The wind blew us off the water around 3pm. When there are hydrofoil windsurfers doing circles around you it is time to call it a day!

 

My buddy had a great day and I caught as few fish as I deserved 

 

Love the wobble head talk, I need to incorporate that more into my choices.  Thanks for the honest run down, they're my best teachers.  Just curious, were you swimming your swimbait mid column? Did you ever try dragging it or slow reeling with constant bottom contact?

 

scott

[pdxfisher]

1 hour ago, softwateronly said:

 

Love the wobble head talk, I need to incorporate that more into my choices.  Thanks for the honest run down, they're my best teachers.  Just curious, were you swimming your swimbait mid column? Did you ever try dragging it or slow reeling with constant bottom contact?

 

scott

 

Kept in costant contact with the bottom. Dragging it along. For mid column I would tend to throw a swimbait on a regular jighead. 

[softwateronly]

10 hours ago, pdxfisher said:

 

Kept in costant contact with the bottom. Dragging it along. For mid column I would tend to throw a swimbait on a regular jighead. 

 

Thanks, good info

 

scott