Tough Day On The Rock

[troutgnat]

Gentlemen,

I wish I had good new for ya but my report stinks. I did not get on a pattern today. I put in at Gages about 11:30 and concentrated my efforts in Clevenger, Jakes and Big Cedar creeks; mainly Clevenger. I had the wind right and it looked good blowing into Clevenger. My original plan was to head back in the creeks about 1/2 way and to the shallow side and then look for the first main break (drop) off the the flats. I did this for the first hour or so working the larger pockets with flat sided cranks followed by a jig with no luck. I moved to the channel side where the wind was pounding the bank. I worked it hard with a craw colored wiggle wart paralelling the bank in about the 8-15' range. Nothing. I caught 1 largemouth on a spinnerbait in about 3' on a secondary creek point. I had a Kentucky off the end of wind blown dock right off the creek channel and my 3rd fish, a smallmouth came on a jig underneath the 86 bridge. There ya have it. I talked to a couple of chaps at the ramp who caught around 20 fish on a 4" green pumpkin hula grub, about 6 of those being keepers they said.

Just curious here but from a couple of other recent reports on here it seems the action has all been above Kimberling around Joe Bald to Baxter, should one be focusing their efforts at that end of the lake?

I know for the fall bite I've always known to look back in the creeks to find fish, somewhat similiar to the spring. For those with more "pro" experience what/where do we need to be focusing our efforts this month???

[Bill Babler]

Troutgnat, reading your post made my head spin. Take a deep breath, slow down and don't over think this. I know the top 3 finishers in the Heartland last weekend fished the exact same water you were on.

They however I know did not go back into the creeks or pockets, they were main lake fishermen. With the water dropping concentrate your efforts on the outside bushes, on any main lake or secondary points. Most guys fishing these bushes are using either a Chompers Tube or a 5/16 finess jig.

Stay back at a range where you can also use a 3/8th. or a 1/2 oz jig and hop or drag it from up close to probably 16 to 22 ft. I have been seeing some very nice LM coming from around that deeper number.

The guys you talked to at the Ramp..... Sounds like Good OLD SHCOOLERS. This time of the year with a huge percentage of the fish being on crawpappy's a Hula grub is never a bad choice and most always a great choice. Lots of guys are putting that hula grub on a 3/8th oz. football head and doing really well.

I would almost bet you though that the boys you spoke with had at least 3/4 of their polks before you hit the water at 11:30. It is not getting any easier later in the day. Fishing thru mid-day is pretty tough this time of the year. Especially on bright sunny days. The fish are feeding early and going to bed when the sun comes up, or at least staying in the deep cover or shade.

Fishing when you fished, on a high prussure day like yesterday, you probably did as good as most fishing the same time slot.

Good Luck

[troutgnat]

Wow Bill thanks for the information. Some of the knowledge you gave is as you said "old school". I should have screwed my thinking cap on a little tighter. I was doing what I have in the past that worked for me. I had been on the main lake points earlier back in Sep/ early Oct and doing well but I thought that bite was over. I know the fish will relate to the creek arms in the fall, have a missed this bite? With the tempature still dropping as you said will they move back the creeks any further? From what you said it seems were still on the main lake stuff. Funny you said that about the am bite. I actually debated that one and gave in to sleeping in banking on that the wind would give me the advantage. Wrong! However, the other guys actually ramped just shortly after I did.

Anyway, as always thanks for such great info!

[Bill Babler]

If those boys didn't put into till noon, and still had that kind of bag, they are the real deal. I or for that matter, as most of the Rockers I know, are not that good. Those boys are the Bomb.

They should be thinking about suplimenting their income with some derby rock fishing. With those results during the middle of the day they would have all he investments.

I'll practice and see if I can be so good.

It's never as easy as it sounds.

Good luck out there.

[troutgnat]

Bill,

I never saw the fish but I saw one of them fishing a pocket right by the ramp and fishing fairly shallow and he missed one while his partner was backing in the trailer. As they said they caught alot of shorts. Seems to me they could have been fishing quite shallow. Anyway never saw the proof but I agree it is never as easy as it sounds! Well I am going to go back to the same waters this SAT. am and hopefully do a little better. I will focus more on the main lake points. Any advice to get me a little better prepared?

[dtrs5kprs]

Darren...sounds like the same day I had that day. Improved things a bit later in the week up the White. Cell phone never did work right the whole trip, dropped you while I was leaving a vm telling you it would probably drop you . Will call you from the house about your wiggle warts this week.

Dave Reeves