Cape Fair Report

[Sam]

I put in at Cape Fair late this morning, about 8:30 a.m., and fished between there and Piney Creek until about 4. It was a bluebird day, high pressure and sunshine - great for the fisherman but tough for fishing. In spite of that, I think I had a real good day.

White Bass: Those are mostly what I fished for, I was trolling a big roostertail across the major cove mouths, across the points, and along the drop-offs from flats to the main channel. I finally got a limit of medium-size white bass but it was much, much slower than it was under the clouds last week. It took all day to get a limit, and I culled lots and lots of tiny (5") white bass to do it.

Kentucky Bass: These were the big surprise, they wouldn't hardly let me fish for white bass. I caught maybe 35 bass, all Kentuckies, while trolling the roostertail. Lots of them were only 9" or 10", but there were a lot 13" or 14" too. Much to my surprise with the weather conditions and the way I was fishing, I caught 4 keepers between 15" and 16". Especially along the bank just below Turkey Creek, out at the stump line in about 25', Kentuckies were feeding all day. They were spitting up 3" minnows while I was unhooking them. Bass fishermen ought to be having a ball right now, because if they'll bite a roostertail surely they'd bite a spinnerbait even better? I threw all the bass back, but I put a lot of holes in bass lips myself today. They were really slamming it, and time after time I'd think I had a good-size white bass on - until the first jump.

Crappie: I caught a few on a jighead and swimmin' minnow, and they're big, 13" or so, but I couldn't really get on to 'em. They're not up by the bank, though the water temp was 69 in coves and 67 in the main lake. The ones I caught were on stick-ups near major cove points in about 20' of water - but I never got any two in the same spot. I don't know what to think about the crappie this year. My other disappointment was that I tried to find goggleyes on nests, but couldn't. I fished lots of gravel points and cove banks near the bottom in about 18' with a swimmin' minnow and a 1/4 oz. jighead. It seems like it oughta be time for that right now, but I couldn't find any goggleyes.

Catfish: I'd say the catfish bite is still on, because that was my big excitement for the day though I only caught one. I was going along a steep chunk-rock bank throwing a white 1 1/2" swimmin' minnow right up to the bank catching Black Perch. We want to try the "Poor Man's Shrimp" recipe that was in Missouri Conservation magazine and some of the guys here said was good. I threw that up by the bank by a dead cedar tree, and I got a FISH on. I was using my lightest crappie pole and the fish stripped off about 5 yards of line, headed right into the cedar, and got me hung up on a limb. Fortunately I could still feel the fish on and I gave it slack and it came loose - then it ripped off about 10 more yards of line heading for more brush.

I tightened the drag as much as I dared, and used the trolling motor to move out toward deep water. I was able to lead the fish out into 30' water where it couldn't reach brush, then fought it pretty much straight down. It would take some line, I'd gain a little bit back, and that went on for awhile. It kept going to the other side of the boat, and I kept having to guide my line around the trolling motor. Finally I wore it down and got it in the net - a 28" channel cat that I'd say weighs 5 or 6 lbs. That was fun, especially on a light crappie rig, and I'll remember catching that fish.

A long report, but that's everything I know. I had fun and I wanted to share it, maybe it'll help somebody.

[tippett7]

Nice report. Did you keep the catfish?

[Sam]

Nice report. Did you keep the catfish?

You betcha. My wife tells me that's supper tomorrow.

[Jason Essary]

Great job same. Did u try any jigging spoons on the whites? Ive been killing them deep on it when the suns out bright.

[Sam]

Great job same. Did u try any jigging spoons on the whites? Ive been killing them deep on it when the suns out bright.

I didn't try a jigging spoon yesterday, and I know that's what I needed to do. All day I was scoping bunches of whites 'way down deep, and just once in awhile one would come up shallow to hit a roostertail.

A few trips back one of the guys I took fishing said something I've been thinking about. He said he's noticed I only fish a few different ways with a few lures. That's right - I've fished for a lot of years and I know some ways that often work, but I'm in a rut. I'd sure like to watch you guys catch 'em on jigging spoons so I could learn how - that's something I seldom try and I don't catch anything when I do.

Old dog, new tricks.