Cannot Find A Decent Bite Shallow

[Bill Babler]

Thru the fishing and the guide trips this last week, I have had in the back of my mind fishing the Heartland Derby this weekend, but I just cannot find the right kind of bite that would make me plunk down that kind of money.

Keep reading about the boys, getting bit early on the banks, in the dam area by quality Jaws, up to 3.5, but have not found it or for that matter, any of the guys I run with are not finding it. We have put hours in at trying to get a shallow bite and a few squeekers are whats coming up.

Deep bite, however is just about as good as I have seen it. Trees, deep docks, gravel rolloffs, long points and bluffends, are all holding very nice K's from keeper size to just lots of fun fish.

If I work it I have timed myself and It takes me about 2.5 hrs. to catch a limit of K's. One day I caught 3 limits and I cannot get over 12.5 to 13 pounds for the best 5. That won't do it, as someone will come up with a couple of nice kicker blacks, or figure out something. I could get lucky, and spoon a biggin out of a deep tree, but I'm not on them right now.

Great on guide fish, probably as good as you will see, outside of the early grub and drag bite, but very short on any biggins, for me.

Our Alltel Phones are being changed over to Verizon, so I am without cell phone. You can either get me at the Lodge or email. Said I should be back up and running in the next couple of days, so thats why my cell is not working.

Thanks Bb

[CaptainJoe]

Bill,

A little off topic.

You may want to make sure that Verizon sets up your phones to work off of the Alltel antennas vs. Verizon antennas. Contrary to popular belief, the antennas are not integrated. I changed over and had no service just about everywhere I needed service, like my house! I called and they had to reprogram my phones over the air to receive the Alltel antennas. Or, you can have the phones "flashed" at the Verizon store (not a franchise store) on the 248.

Good luck,

[Bill Babler]

I was hoping you were going to tell me where you guys are catching all these Big Jaw's I keep reading about.

These cell phone deals are just a mess. There are different phones and programs all over the place. Our contract ran out with Alltel the 26th. and when they changed something for a reprogram, Becky's Phone stopped working and they said her phone would not work on the new network.

Now mine went out, and we are totally without cell service.

She ordered us the verizon package from CelularDeals.com. THis was a week ago, and we are still out of service. Went to the new Alltel/Verizon office on 248, and there are really no deals, you just pay the bucks, if you want the service.

I have really tried hard to find a bigger bite, as I have had sometime during the past couple of weeks either on open days or after guide trips, and will get on a pattern and have it just fall on its face.

Denjac, had a pattern, and had been keeping it to himself, in hopes of helping me. Beck, Denjac, Myself, and about 4 others of us were using it and catching very quality fish up to 7 pounds, and then it just flat died. Nothing at all if you fish it lake wide all day. From talking to Beck, who has fished that pattern before in August, he says its not unusual for it to come on and then totally dry up to the extent you will not get bit. Usually when the water goes from 80 plus to the mid-70's and that is what happened. Said it will come on again later in the year.

bb

[CaptainJoe]

I was hoping you were going to tell me where you guys are catching all these Big Jaw's I keep reading about.

These cell phone deals are just a mess. There are different phones and programs all over the place. Our contract ran out with Alltel the 26th. and when they changed something for a reprogram, Becky's Phone stopped working and they said her phone would not work on the new network.

Now mine went out, and we are totally without cell service.

She ordered us the verizon package from CelularDeals.com. THis was a week ago, and we are still out of service. Went to the new Alltel/Verizon office on 248, and there are really no deals, you just pay the bucks, if you want the service.

I have really tried hard to find a bigger bite, as I have had sometime during the past couple of weeks either on open days or after guide trips, and will get on a pattern and have it just fall on its face.

Alltel said everything would remain the same......BS. My monthly bill went up $20 a month for the same service and minutes. I lost one My Circle number. We had Verizon in CA and we were glad to get away from them. Alltel was the best service and rates I ever had. I guess that is why Verizon bought them, so they could take a good system, raise the rates, and screw the people that live here like they do in CA and other places.

I am not on the BIG bite, either. Been experimenting with new techniques to find something (like the Swimbait thread I started) the fish have not seen. Still a work in progress.

Good luck!

[hoglaw]

Joe, if you're stuck on a service contract, a material change in the rates you're charged for the same service may provide enough room for termination without a fee. Just an idea as I am (was) an Alltel customer for years but I'm about to switch over to AT&T for the iphone. The GPS feature integrated into Google Earth was enough to sell me. That thing is absolutely awesome.

[denjac]

Joe, if you're stuck on a service contract, a material change in the rates you're charged for the same service may provide enough room for termination without a fee. Just an idea as I am (was) an Alltel customer for years but I'm about to switch over to AT&T for the iphone. The GPS feature integrated into Google Earth was enough to sell me. That thing is absolutely awesome.

I too use AT@T . Have good service all over the lake.

[Bill Babler]

Joe that swimmer, has a place here, but it is EXTREMELY SEASONAL. If you watch the big play for pay boys, they are not continusly fishing it on every pond they have a derby on, it is only at best fished for a certain season.

It is also a bait that is thrown almost exclusively for LM preferably Large Ones, Most often Florida Strains or crosses.

Not at all saying that our K's or big Jaw's won't gobble it from time to time, but Gizzard Shad for the most part is not what they eat on a day to day basis. Yes the Gizzards are Kentucky and Smallmouth fodder from time to time, but I believe they prefer the threadfin and the crawpappies.

With LM being the 3rd party on our party line, and the other guys taking center stage, it is pretty easy to see why we have trouble with it here.

Then, when you cut the body mass of the lure into the proper perportion, of a threadfin shad, you come up with swimming a grub here, which is very similar works like a charm. You can throw from a 3 to 5 inch and have great results, even now to some extent. Tie on that big in depth and body mass swimbait, and the picture changes, it is just not as good on the Rock.

I will be the first to tell you, I have caught short K's and Jaw's on it. I have caught Whites that are 10 inches on a 8 inch swimbait, and even caught a gill or two on that big bait. For the most part here however, there are as you know, better mouse traps.

We have all thrown it to pieces, I have thrown them for Hours in every LM place on this lake, and I have caught some very nice fish. I have also gone days, without hooking any on a swimmer. You will get bumped like crazy on it most anywhere you throw it, but getting it into the mouth of a Jaw or a K, is the problem. They just have to be a good-ole-goodin, to eat that bait.

Continue with your research, it is fun gathering the data.

Good Luck BB

[gitnby]

Not thinking this is any kind of pattern, but I hooked 2 nice LM this morning at about 9:30. Both were over 4, I'm guessing? First one might have been closer to 5.

Just got my BPS order yesterday. Needed some spoons, and also got a few X-Raps. They're back-ordered on the Olive Green (my favorite), but they had the Gold, which is what I ended up with.

Thought I'd screw around with the new jerkbaits just to see the action, depth, etc.

Never even cranked up the big motor. Just trolled about 50 ' from dock and started throwing it.

Second cast, got the bigger of the two and the other one 2-3 casts later.

Made about a dozen more casts, that was it.

It was just inside a main lake point with chunk rock. Sitting in 18-20' throwing just short of bank.

Had some honey-do's, so had to go back up to the house.

Jerkbait in August? Who'd a thunk it?

[denjac]

[

Jerkbait in August? Who'd a thunk it?

I would say way to cool !!!! Way to go!!

[motoman]

Jerkbait in August? Who'd a thunk it?

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Agreed, very cool! I'm hearing more and more about jerkbaits not just being a cold water bait. (as I've always assumed)