The Big M 06/11/2014

[Quillback]

I don't have much positive to say, fished hard to put a dozen bass in the boat. I never did really figure anything out, caught a couple of topwater, a couple on jigs in the buck brush, a couple on various plastics on a wobble head, and one early on a c-rigged Ol Monster. Nothing consistent on depth either, some shallow some deep, some were over some really deep water.

Saw some fish chasing surface bait out in the main channel in front of some docks, rolled over there, water was 60 feet deep, first cast got a 2 lb. LM right to the boat that got off, next cast had one on for a bit and it got off. Couldn't get any more bites on the Ned, so switched to the Mikey, ended up catching a nice spot and a keeper LM on the Mikey, but the frustrating thing was I had at least 15 blow ups on that thing, they could not hit that lure, lots of short strikes. Wish I had brought a Redfin with me, maybe that's what they wanted.

Got a nice 2.5 lb. smallie on the Ned off a gravel point, he was a bulldog fighter, stayed down, never jumped, I was convinced it was either a 5 lb. LM or a big walleye. Lots of fun on a light spinning set up. Very dark fish, tail was as black as the net cord.

Water temp 74-75.

[Champ188]

Pretty smallmouth. Sounds like they are in their summer pattern already --- some're here, some're there. Glad you hammered out a few.

Donna and I are fishing the Everett derby Saturday at Beaver. Got a feeling it ain't exactly gonna be a barrel of monkeys.

[Bill Babler]

Had 3 wonderful guys today out of a resort at Baxter. I could not put anything together at-tall. We had 14 total fish with 5 really nice ones and a couple hop off. Started on a fin and had 3 toads just crashing around chasing, but they would not hit it for the world. Tried to swim a grub and fish Ned a little bit, grub because of the wind and Ned cause it is just the right thing to do. NaDa!!

Went to a wobble head and a shaky head and caught the fish, but just like Bull they are moving out. It was hard today. Wobble head was the best by far. I put a zman orange/green pumpkin worm cut in half just like the Ned but on a 3/16 shaky head cause of the wind and it worked some. Not like the Wibbler however.

Talked to a couple of other guides today and Mike Webb was catching some 55' on the bottom on a crawler and he also had some suspended at 28' to 35' on the same bait. All 3 kinds of bass.

Beck told me they moved yesterday to the ends of the long points in 22 to 35 on the wobblehead. Yesterday Phil Stone had everything under 15' but we talked today and he was out in that 25+ range, this was an overnight deal. Bill thinks it was time and when the rain fill came and they started running all this water, it pulled them out into their Summer Pattern.

Just hope this topwater deals gets going, as it is as slow as I have ever seen for this time of the year.

[dtrs5kprs]

There are still lots of Ned fish in the creeks. Just maybe shallower than some might think. We had somewhere north of 12 keepers today, probably 60 fish total. No big fish, keepers were mostly just 15-17" fish. Actually finished on some places closer to the main lake. Lots of fish, but not much size out there.

Lots of fish are in some of the shallower brush piles, maybe 20' with 10' over the top. Have not caught any on natural wood, not including out in front of bushes.

Fished the 1/8 head all day, not much difference between PBJ and the gp/orange.

Also a few big gills.

Don't even remember what a topwater fish looks like. Will probably put them up, and just go straight finesse or shakey/fb jigs the rest of the way.

[Quillback]

You did good Dave, I didn't even think of going back in the creeks, but it makes sense with the rain.

[dtrs5kprs]

You did good Dave, I didn't even think of going back in the creeks, but it makes sense with the rain.

I don't think they are in any hurry to leave. Still a lot of skinny brownies and blacks, looks like they may have come off beds in the last little bit. Water is only 74 after all is said and done. Fish have not really been back where the run in would be in play, although there is certainly bait there.

[dtrs5kprs]

Other thing is sort of the first principle of the Midwest Finesse deal. It is designed to fish shallow first, with the premise that some fish never go deeper than about 20', regardless of season. That is a hard one for those of us who have learned the conventional wisdom of the White River lakes.

Think a lot of folks are using it place of a shakey head, and it works that way, but that is more of an offshoot.

[fishingaddiction]

Good reports guys. The topwater bite is certainly a mystery, maybe one of these days.

[abkeenan]

Wow that is a pig gill Dave. Nice report. A little disappointed no pic of said Bass Slap to the face.

[Pepe]

I think it is very decent of the bass to hold back on the top water bite until they see my offering next week.