A Mini-Report

[dtrs5kprs]

Down for the summer family trip last Sunday thru this morning. Out of that I managed four fairly short days on the lake, fishing a few miles either way of 13. Temps were low 80's on bow graph, high 70's on console...will call it 80 deg avg.

Topwater bite was consistent for us, but not much in the way of size. Bluff ends, pockets at the ends of bluffs or swings, and chasers up and down the channel. Boat in anything from 25-85' depending on location, fish just as scattered. Lots of K's in the middle of some of the pockets close to deep water.

Tried the drag bite (C-rig and FB jigs) on my favorite flat gravel places but mostly found shorts in 15-25'. Rig was better than the jig, anything 4" and green.

Best thing I found started Wed for me, continued thru Friday morning, flipping spoons in the bigger docks close to deep water (as in bluff end coves and deep pockets). Fish in 20-40', 1/2oz white spoon, fished "briskly" through and just outside the slips. First time I could make that bite consistently work for me, tough fishing but rewarding. Wed I had trouble keeping them on the spoon--1 keeper on board, Friday they all made the boat--3 solid keepers (2 black, 1 K) and 1 squeaker black. Stick one and you can watch several chase it trying to get the bait away, did not seem like a bite that was going to fall apart. If I was headed back next week that would be the first thing I would look for b/c it gave me a better percentage of keepers.

For shallow guys...there are quite a few good blacks up shallow in the backs of the same coves. Look to be after the various sunfish up there, but could not make them go. Closest I came was my kids almost losing hooked sunfish to several good fish. Thought of starting with a senko, buzzbait, or old school prop bait too late.

All in all a good trip...daughter caught her first TR TW fish, I earned my "hooked on smallmouth" merit badge when a keeper brownie linked our fates using a small yellow magic .

1st TW fish

One of the spoon fish. Maybe it will inspire a game of name that dock. Had kids and Wife in boat that morning, not a bite for them. Inspired boredom made me give it up about 9-930 and chase bluegill with them.

[dtrs5kprs]

Holy duplicate images! Sorry all.