First trip of the year

[Javelin_Venom]

Took the boat out for the first fishing trip of '07 on Tuesday. Most of the lakes around here had ice on them 3 weeks ago. Re-lined all my reels and organized some tackle while I waited for my dad to get off work so we could head to the lake. It was 80 degrees and sunny almost all day. Went to a small city lake, about 30 acres are so. Once we got on the water the clouds moved in, the wind really picked up and it started sprinkling. Found water as warm as 59 degrees in the cove on the windblown side. Other side was 52 or so. Crazy that there is 7 degrees difference in a lake this small. We ended up catching 15 or so largemouth. No big ones but all fun to catch. Caught 11 or so in the 59 degree cove where the wind was blown. Caught 2 more off a point right outside the cove, suprised there weren't more on the point. They were mainly caught in 2-4 feet of water. I caught all of mine off a small floating rapala jerkbait after I had no luck with a jig and spinnerbait.  Never really fished the jerkbait before but have always heard it's a good pre-spawn bait.  I'm convinced now.  Used a jerk, jerk, pause kind of method but couldn't pause too long since it was a floating lure.  Almost all of my strikes came on the pause. My dad caught his off of a spinnerbait and a couple off a t-rigged worm in crawdad color thrown in the shallows out of the wind. Like I said, didn't catch any big ones but at least got out and put the boat in the water for the first time this year and also tested my new console graph. Works excellent so I'm happy about that. Cold front came through 2 days ago, dropping temps back into the 40's for highs > but next week is looking good again.

[T-rig]

Well done! I hope you'll get some big one's on your next trip!