After I Quit Fishing, I Found Them

[rps]

TR humbled me today. No top water for me, couldn't find a bite on the Ned rig, and when I switched to walleye fishing, I couldn't even find baitfish to troll under.

However:

Because KVD Big Bass is over and because my marina is commercial (and therefore off limits), I will reveal that while I was tying up, I looked down and saw a female around five pounds suspended about six feet under my slip. I started walking the dock. There was an easy limit of keepers. All looked to be female, and the first one was not the largest.

Water temp up here is 66 to 70. Water is not crystal but is green clear.

Hope the information helps someone.

[Wayne SW/MO]

So what are you saying, that the fish are smarter then the fishermen and beat it to the no fishing zone? :lol:

[johnboy2bfishin]

She done the same to me had a friends come over from west plains and we fished for a 2 days pretty tuff

[Jim-to-fish]

I caught a 6.45 on Thursday so left area go until Saturday. Fishing was hard as only bhad one spot about 15 and a half. Went to some other area by Schooner Creek and tried topwater again with no luck. Partner had small one hit his popper. Changed my topwater to this Buck Lure I believe a wake bait in bone color, picked up 2 keepers in 17 and a 17 and a half. Bunch of almost fish, then sun came out and killed that for while. Then with 30 left was in another area thru that bait by a stickup and got another 15. So turned in 4. Would have done better, but all partners fish were short.

[Jim-to-fish]

Sorry for my lure chice in previous post of Buck lure, it was a Buckeye topwater lure in bone color. I was fishing a Mickey from Jackel lures the shorter one, and did catch my bigger fish Thursday, but no luck on Saturday with it. Changed to Buckeye and had some fun. Goes to show you to change and find out what fish wants.

[dtrs5kprs]

TR humbled me today. No top water for me, couldn't find a bite on the Ned rig, and when I switched to walleye fishing, I couldn't even find baitfish to troll under.

However:

Because KVD Big Bass is over and because my marina is commercial (and therefore off limits), I will reveal that while I was tying up, I looked down and saw a female around five pounds suspended about six feet under my slip. I started walking the dock. There was an easy limit of keepers. All looked to be female, and the first one was not the largest.

Water temp up here is 66 to 70. Water is not crystal but is green clear.

Hope the information helps someone.

Sounds like they were either just coming in or heading back out. Start to see a lot of them in the docks, especially the deeper ones when they stage. Usually earlier, like when the water threatens 60-62 in April, but who can tell this spring.

[BiteMeBaits]

Over the past two weeks I have had a lot of luck with flukes around the docks. I have caught a ton of fish up shallow in the brush on them but most are 13 inch males. While fishing a tournament out of Cape Fair a few weeks ago I noticed that some of the bigger fish we caught came from around docks. Ever since then I always have a fluke tied on and try to hit the docks when the sun gets high. I skip the fluke into every little nook and cranny I can find and usually end up with a couple fish per dock. However, most are right around the 15 inch mark but I have had a few good ones take it. For me it seems better when its a clear day and the sun is out. Usually I try to skip the fluke all the way under the walkways and out the other side, then when it flutters into the shadow from the walkway I get nervous! I found also that they were short striking the 5 inch fluke so I went to the 3.5 inch and had a lot more hook ups.

[dtrs5kprs]

Over the past two weeks I have had a lot of luck with flukes around the docks. I have caught a ton of fish up shallow in the brush on them but most are 13 inch males. While fishing a tournament out of Cape Fair a few weeks ago I noticed that some of the bigger fish we caught came from around docks. Ever since then I always have a fluke tied on and try to hit the docks when the sun gets high. I skip the fluke into every little nook and cranny I can find and usually end up with a couple fish per dock. However, most are right around the 15 inch mark but I have had a few good ones take it. For me it seems better when its a clear day and the sun is out. Usually I try to skip the fluke all the way under the walkways and out the other side, then when it flutters into the shadow from the walkway I get nervous! I found also that they were short striking the 5 inch fluke so I went to the 3.5 inch and had a lot more hook ups.

Might be about time to start flipping the white spoon into those slips.

[abkeenan]

Might be about time to start flipping the white spoon into those slips.

Tried that this past weekend with no luck. Just one butterball 13" kentucky off the end of dock in about 70ft of water and he hit it at about 25ft (probably came off the deep cables) is all I had to show for my efforts. Might be a few weeks before that bite comes along. Water temps are still pretty cool and they don't necessarily have to go hide under the docks to keep cool when the summer weather hits. Shouldn't be long though. This was in the dam area in the Beardsley Branch and I could see my 4" white flutter spoon sitting on the bottom at 30 feet just as clear as day.

[dtrs5kprs]

Brett...they will definitely get on that spoon earlier than you expect. Might have to run a bunch of docks to find them, and really get the spoon way back in there. Obviously sun and wind help. There are some folks who taught me about it, and they start doing it in pre-spawn and will do it until December or so. Looking for good ones staging suspended under the docks starting about the time everyone is getting worked up over TW. Like RPS noted, a lot of times you can see them and know it is time. With that clarity you should be able to slowly snoop around some of the slips and just watch for them back in the corners and under the lifts, walkway corners, etc.Try it with the regular 1/2oz white spoon so they don't have time to think about it going by, or even a 3/4oz FB jig.

Might just be too clear for it down there by the dam, or fish might just be positioned differently right now. Places I like for it are between 13 and Baxter, and just up the James a bit. Takes a little more running around than I prefer, and is more aggressive in style than my usual finesse ways. Sounds like you were on the right kind of dock though, based on the depth.