Lake Gaston and the Snow

[Sam]

On Saturday, April 7, we blasted off at 7 AM  from the Popular Creek ramp.  The the snow was falling and a light wind limited visability to about 1.4 mile.

We decided to remain in Popular Creek as the wind and snow picked up right after we left the ramp and it was too dangerous to go out in the lake. This was the best decision we made.

We fished the mouth of Popular and found the bass in about 5 to 7 feet of water where there were dropoffs and on points.  We decided to throw a crawfish Bandit 300 to get down to the fish and we made the right choice.

The snow and wind picked up and we could not see more than 100 feet.  So we stayed at the mouth of Popular, fishing both sides and in some of the coves.  My buddy caught four, one over 4.5 pounds, and I caught two.

We met two guys who were fishing another tourney and the one fishing the C-rig was doing nothing while the guy throwing his crankbait had four.  So it looked like they were holding at the mouth of the creek in about 7 feet of water and were starting to move and feed.

Around 1:30 we decided to go down the lake towards Gaston Dam and fish another creek mouth and we also changed to a shad color Bandit 300 just to see if they would hit it.

Yes, they hit it harder than they did the crawfish color.  I had already lost one at the boat and my friend lost one, too, on the crawfish color plus when we pulled them into the boat two of them fell off the crankbait and landed in the boat's bottom.

We found some grass along the shoreline of a creek mouth and my buddy caught his fifth keeper and I nailed two more.  I also lost two plus something took my shad crawfish and headed to deep watetr and never turned back.  It must have been a striper or a pickrel.  It was big and it was fast.  It hit the lure and ran right under the boat and popped my line.

We caught well over ten; with eight nice keepers.

My buddy won our club tourney with 16 pounds and I came in 7th. Had I not lost those fish I would have been third.

I really need to change out those hooks that come with crankbaits.  I think larger hooks would have allowed me to land the ones I missed.

Oh well, live and learn.

Overall, even with one inch of snow in the boat, it was a great day on the lake.

[lmb7]

congrats

[T-rig]

Well done!

[MattStrykul]

Sam, I was out there as well in the snow! I talked to some other boaters in the tourney, they were throwin lizards and we were in peahill creek. What you had was more than likely a striper, we caught 32 this past weekend on EVERYTHING. They were everywhere, had one about 9 pounds too on jerkbait. congrats to your partner and your 7th place, good job man!

[5bass]

Poplar Creek is a great place to fish. Lots of fish get weighed-in and released in Poplar Creek. What was the average water temp throughout the day?

Congratulations on your 7th place finish. Sounds like they were hitting the cranks but not eating them. Might want to try out some of those Sure Set trebles on the back ends of your cranks.

Thanks for the report.....I'm going to Gaston in 2 weeks to practice.

[MattStrykul]

Well comin from a week of spring break, I saw it all. When the cold front came through, the temp dropped 10 degree from what I had seen around creek pockets, which I found some all the way up to 72. Average was about 68 in peahill creek, not sure anywhere other than there.

[Sam]

Fivebasslimit,

The water temperature was between 51 and 56 degrees where ever we went.

Never got above 60.

But this was the third day of the cold front so they had accumulated to the water temperature and started to move and feed again.

They were mostly grey in color, not bright green, so they were coming up from their stageing areas.

I will take your advice and change out some of the treble hooks before we go to Lake Chesdin in May.

Thanks for the feedback.