July 11 Report

[rps]

The wife and I have driven 3300 miles since my last report - Savannah, Georgia; Summit, New Jersey; Pawtucket, Rhode Island; and home through Virginia/Kentucky/Tennessee. Both daughters and her mother are now visited for the year. I rested Friday and went out early this morning.

Topwater bite for bass was slow for me. Four total and no keepers. Caught 15? white bass when they decided to chop shad within casting distance of my in line spinner. They weren't really that big, but it was fun.

Caught four more bass on a shakey head rig - bluff end points around 15-20 feet deep. No keepers.

Started trolling for walleye. Two of those, one 19 inches and one nearly 22 inches - bluff end points 20 feet deep on chartreuse/orange reef runner at 2.1 mph. As a bonus I also caught a 21 inch largemouth that my Boga said weighed 5 pounds. When I brought it to the boat an identical fish was trying to take the bait from its mouth. I let the hooked one swim for a bit to see if it would happen. Then I realized that wasn't real smart. They might break off and die trying to lose the lure that bound them.

All but the walleye are still swimming.

Later today, after my nap, I will edit this post to add pictures.

[motoman]

Good report rps, welcome back. Can't wait to see some pix.

[rps]

Pictures. I hope:

[motoman]

Nice pix rps! After a roadtrip like the one you went on, catching those boys had to be a nice reward to getting back home!

[powerdive]

Attaboy, rps! Been away myself...glad to see someone's keeping the eyes on their toes! Great job.

[Trolling For Walleye]

but what did you have for breakfast the day you caught these... this is pretty crucial

[rps]

breakfast? breakfast? I don't need no stinking breakfast!

[motoman]

but what did you have for breakfast the day you caught these... this is pretty crucial

-

That gave me a good chuckle this monring!

[rps]

powerdive:

I guess you could say I was keeping a sharp eye on them?

In reality, the summer TR walleye bite appears to have begun while I was gone July 1 - 10. I have been told several nice fish were landed up here. All I've caught have been 18 to 22 inch males, so far. For a week or two, I will be trolling with big motor only. The old in gear, out of gear routine. I hope the trolling motor doesn't take too long. I will miss topwater fishing and the in gear/out of gear gets old.