Summer Shorts

[rps]

I've been out twice this week, Sunday and Wednesday. Met redraider on the Sunday trip. Both trips were without troll motor and did not include early morning topwater fishing. On both days I encountered post front winds and cooler temps. Yesterday's early day water temp was below 80 degrees. On both days I trolled known productive locations and tried new places. Over the two days I caught maybe 35 bass and three walleyes. Not one keeper among them all. Two of the walleye and two of the bass were close, but none were legal. Most of the fish I caught were 20 to 22 feet deep. When I tried deeper for better size I just came up empty. I scoped huge schools of shad, mostly suspended over dropoffs and other breaks, and the shorts I caught were under these schools.

On Wednesday, I watched Chuck, a good walleye fisherman, catch 5 walleye on a crawler harness rig. One was legal. He was barely moving the rig on a brushy flat in 24 feet of water. I could not copy him without the troll motor. I eventually left that area to try another. I do not know his final tally.

The corps announcement of intent to draw down Beaver starting Friday will soon affect the upper end. Millions of gallons of much colder water - not well oxygenated - will be coming down stream. In the past large outputs have tended to drive the bass back into coves out of the flow, but this will be a much larger, longer, and stronger flow. I don't know what it will do to the bass or walleye. It will also have an effect on the pleasure boaters. With my luck, it will draw the crowd for the novelty of cooler water. As I learn more about the flow's results I will report.

[RogueAgent]

My uncle and I went yesterday evening out of Aunt's Creek. We stayed near the launch fishing points while getting buzzed by jet skis and pleasure boaters. Had one 17" keeper largemouth on top (tiny torpedo of all things) right at dusk. From 6pm till dusk we caught a dozen or more short fish with the majority smallmouth. We caught them on a light colored Norman DD 14 (kind of a pale sexy shad color) using a stop and go retrieve. As the sun got lower we switched to top water and only had the one keeper. I caught one short kentucky on a spook before we left. You would not believe the bluegill we were catching on that big crankbait. Lots of fun.

On another note, my uncle showed me pictures of his catch from this past Monday. After the rains stopped, he and my cousin went out in the Indian Point area. Using the same crankbait, they had two 4lb smallmouth, one 3lb smj, and a 5lb lm. Same stop and go retrieve, boat in 20 feet of water throwing toward the bank and just digging the crank on the bottom. He said the largemouth was right on the bank and hit as soon as his plug hit the water.

[RedRaider n EagleRock]

RPS,

Great to meet you on Sunday and thanks for the dressed up spook you gave me. Looking forward to throwin it next time I get down to the cabin. Went out Saturday morning early. Caught 5 or 6 10 inch whites in a shallow brushy cove on spook jrs. Went out Saturday night to the same area for a short trip...My son caught a monster K on a jr right after I told him it was too far away from the brush he was throwin at. Did not hear the end of it for the rest of the night, but what does Dad know. Went out Sunday morning with my wife caught several whites in the mouth of a cove just waiting for them to bust some shad on the surface. Moved to leatherwood creek after dropping my wife off at the dock and worked the pilons both top, mid, and bottom caught a couple of Ks around 10:00am.

Got out Tuesday and Wednesday - Wednesday was the best with my friend catching a 4lb K on a C rigged 11 inch worm working a bluff in about 25 ft of water, course I was throwning a spook and had to move to a cove where they were busted the surface, caught one 2lb k and that was it, should have stuck it out on the bluff more hits and better fish.

Heading to Idaho ( McCall area ) on Saturday for our yearly week of trout fishing.

Thanks again Randy and hope to see you out there again, maybe you can teach me how to catch those eyes on a consistent basis.

[rps]

Redraider:

I will teach what I know, but I don't pretend to have it mastered. Anytime you are headed this way, PM me and we can try to set up a time.

The invite extends to other forum contributors as well.

[RedRaider n EagleRock]

thanks rps, now I'll have to root for the sooners in more than just the red river shoot out... ok I will root for them when they play a&m

[techo]

Redraider:

I will teach what I know, but I don't pretend to have it mastered. Anytime you are headed this way, PM me and we can try to set up a time.

The invite extends to other forum contributors as well.

A brother indeed. I missed how many people you helped and towed this summer. I think you might be below quota!

[rps]

techo:

Last year was unusual. Seemed like a good deed a week. This year I've been so busy grumping around with my boat adventures, I haven't really had time to put on my super suit.

Picked up the troll motor from Marine Repair Center in Springfield late yesterday. They had the repair complete the day after the part came in. The really good news was Minn Kota replaced the shaft for free. They stood behind their unbreakable claim. Two good things to say about companies in the same post! I'm feeling giddy.

On Monday I'll reinstall the motor on the boat. With the new this year hole in the inner deck and the bolt through system now in place, this is something I can do. I am going to the hardware store first to buy extra nuts and washers to replace those I drop in the bilge.

Tuesday morning, barring a lightning storm, I'll be back out. I will look for a good deed to do.

[powerdive]

rps, next time out I plan to supersize my trolling baits. No lie--musky and saltwater stuff. Will let you know how it goes.

[rps]

Powerdive:

While I was in Springfield I bought some discontinued Bandit 700 series on sale. They will run in the Norman Deep Little N and DD22 range. I think I haven't gone deep enough in the last two weeks. I will report what I find.

Let me know how you do.

rps