Javelin_Venom Posted May 4, 2007 Posted May 4, 2007 You'll have to excuse the length of this post but I'm still pumped! Had a day off yesterday so I made arrangements to fish Patoka Lake (an almost 9,000 acre lake in southern Indiana) with my uncle after he got off work in his new (to him) Pro Craft. So while I had the whole day to myself I took my boat out to a little city lake and started chucking. I immediately found beds that were empty and water temp. was 72 so I figured they were spawned out. I checked some deeper water and caught a nice 3 lber just outside the weedline off a spinner bait. Got to a shallow corner of the lake that was covered with seaweed and decided to try out my new buzz frogs. I've never used a frog rigged on a hook like that...I usually use the pre-rigged scumfrog, but on about my 3rd cast I get hit by a short fish and land him on the frog. I continue fishing the frog until I get to some deeper water close to some beds and switch to a t-rigged lizard. I figured the big females that were spawned out might have moved deeper so I fished slow and on my 2nd cast with the lizard I nailed a 4 pounder...she sucked up the lizard and I never felt her...my line just started drifting. Caught her in about 10 feet of water. I keep throwing the lizard and in about 10 minutes I land 2 more short fish. By this time I've got 2 nice keepers in the boat and 3 short bass and I've been on the water only 45 minutes but the clouds are rolling in and it's thundering all around so I decide better safe than sorry and get off the lake (only to later watch it sprinkle and clear up with no sign of a storm). So since I put the boat away and it was almost time to head to Patoka I just waited it out and got my rods ready. We get to Patoka and the water temp. was 66 and it was a full moon yesterday so I figured they'd be spawning if they hadn't yet. We check on some pockets and immediately find beds and fish roaming around them. We threw some fast moving things only to scare them so we slowed down with t-rigged lizards and could really only get them to peck at it and move it out of the way. My uncle ended up catching 2 short fish and a huge catfish that just drilled the lizard on the fall...we thought it was a state record largemouth. So with about an hour left in the day and I'm getting skunked I start chucking the spinner around some weeds again and get absolutely nailed by a big fish and work her to the boat. My uncle nets her and she weighs a nice 4 pounds (fish on the right in the pic). She looked to be spawned out. 30 minutes later I'm throwing the spinner around more weeds and see something odd in the water. I couldn't tell what it was but it looked different than everything else so I casted past it and reeled past and WHAM, I get nailed again and land a 5.5 pounder on the spinner (fish on the left in the pic). She looks like she hadn't spawned yet. What a day, what a day!! A 3, two 4's, and a 5.5 not to mention some shorts. I haven't had a day like that in a long time. Spring is alive and well in Indiana!! Sorry about the quality of the pic, it was dark and rainy but you get the picture. Quote
Super User T-rig Posted May 4, 2007 Super User Posted May 4, 2007 Intersting report and very nice fish! Congrats on the great day! Quote
Low_Budget_Hooker Posted May 4, 2007 Posted May 4, 2007 Hell yea, we get the picture,...awesome Quote
langs15 Posted May 4, 2007 Posted May 4, 2007 Nice fish!!! I am jelous...I could use a nice catch like that one of these days.... Quote
Javelin_Venom Posted May 6, 2007 Author Posted May 6, 2007 Thanks all, it was definitely a good day. I don't usually have a whole lot of faith with a spinnerbait even though I know it can be a killer search bait and more, but I tend to stay away from it. Lately however, I've been using it a little more around grass and weeds and can't argue with the results. I might have to start throwing it more often. Quote
Javelin_Venom Posted May 11, 2007 Author Posted May 11, 2007 Posted by: Lightninrod Posted on: 05/08/07 at 9:04am Spinnerbaits work and so did you! I'm slowly starting to become a believer, especially around grass. I just think they get fished by everyone and fish grow used to them. Didn't matter this trip though. Being pre-spawn/spawn probably didn't hurt anything. Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted May 11, 2007 Super User Posted May 11, 2007 I have felt the same way for a long time. After reading too many posts from guys doing well with spinnerbaits in a variety of situations, I decided to give them a go again. This winter I replaced most of the skirts on 8-9 year old, brand new Terminators. : I am VERY surprised at how effective these lures have been. p.s. Glenn and his wife, Kerri, both caught PBs on HEAVILY pressured water at Lake Fork. That should tell you something. Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.