Boating Report With A Little Fishing

[9LB]

Finally got up to the lake for the weekend. I have been traveling and allowing life to keep me off the lake !

Got out Saturday morning and headed to a nice steep bank, the water looked real high to me. (I have not been on lake in 4 weeks) Threw out my New favorite color Norman (sexy shad top - chartreuse green bottom) and caught a keeper on the 2nd cast. I was able to catch 2 off the steep bank on the crankbait and one more on a spook. The next 2 hours I cast my butt off for notta. I started trolling for eyes and caught 1 small walleye on Flickr Shad. The Flats were packed with boats but it did not look or sound like anyone was doing any good out there. Decided to head out to some deep coves with the kids to swim

and then.....I seen a huge school of bass surfacing. Dropped wife and 3 girls in their noodles and trolled back to them.

I was able to catch 3 nice bass, all keepers in about 7 casts and then they were gone. Sunday I cruised around just looking for schools at top and on fishfinder. Had one school breaking surface and was able to catch 1 on Spook. Found 2 more big schools and only caught one 15" on a ratl trap. I seemed to get one long cast at them with the Spook and then they were gone. If I could hit the spot it wsa fish on. Also caught the ugliest small mouth I have ever seen. Man these Stockton smallies are ugly representaions of a usualy sexy fish. I am confused why they are so black, they are nowhere near the nice bronze gold smallies you catch on the Rock and about everywhere else. The schools were out in 25-40 foot of water near humps and channel breaks. I was often chasing them in over 50 foot of water. The pros seem to be able to find them and stay on these schools. I have no idea how. After 2-3 casts they seemed to just vanish! Tough fishing but it was nice to get on the water and as a new bass fisherman it is always fun to learn a new technique or pattern. water was 81 degrees. Some guys said the whties have been coming up in the evenvings but it has been hit or miss. I did not see any sign of them on Saturday. Only fished Sunday morning.

PS - Why do powerboats and jet skis have the need to drive through the fishing flats on Stockton? When you see 10 fishing boats in the same general area MAYBE, JUST MAYBE you could drive around this area versus directly through it ??????

[Flysmallie]

PS - Why do powerboats and jet skis have the need to drive through the fishing flats on Stockton? When you see 10 fishing boats in the same general area MAYBE, JUST MAYBE you could drive around this area versus directly through it ??????

Because they don't fish and don't know any better.

[Walcrabass]

The sad part is that some of them just plain do it on purpose. Last year I had what appeared to be a Father/ Son duo on Jet Ski's run between my boat and the bank while looking at me and grinning. I was only about 50 feet from the bank. They started on the other side of the cove and ran their toys right next to the bank all the way around so I know they saw that I was fishing. It was fairly early in the morning and until that episode I was catching fish. Ruined the entire cove !!!! Very hard for me to understand why someone would want to ruin someone's day on the lake. By the same token I have had the Bay Liner Boats come right by me with their front ends up in the air throwing the biggest waves they could possibly make and not even have the courtesy to drop it down while they passed by. Maybe these things are alcohol induced ???? If so that is even worse.

Walcrabass

[Flysmallie]

The sad part is that some of them just plain do it on purpose.

Yeah you get those too. And it is very sad and annoying. But I've had other fisherman cut right in front of me on a bank or decide to share a point as well. I just don't get it. But if you look around at society common courtesy is a thing of the past.

[5bites]

Very true. One trip down I-44 is all it takes to prove that.

[charliehorsejigs]

Just a reminder. The season on inconsiderate jet skiers and pleasure boaters is still open through Labor Day. And the great thing is there is no limit. All you have to do when they get too close is to cast your biggest plug or a very large lead sinker right at them.

[powerdive]

Just a reminder. The season on inconsiderate jet skiers and pleasure boaters is still open through Labor Day. And the great thing is there is no limit. All you have to do when they get too close is to cast your biggest plug or a very large lead sinker right at them.

Yeah, let's hurt people when they don't use OUR lake the way WE think they should, even though most of them have no idea what fishing is all about or why we would expect them to keep their distance. Geez.

[blacknoseddace]

I usually put in early on the weekends and pull out before all the craziness begins. Most of the jet skiers aren't early risers thank goodness.

[Flysmallie]

Yeah, let's hurt people when they don't use OUR lake the way WE think they should, even though most of them have no idea what fishing is all about or why we would expect them to keep their distance. Geez.

Exactly. Why would we drop to their level of ignorance.

[sixstring531]

Ugly smallies? Yeah, we've caught a few darker ones as well. Here's my dad with a nice one. We're heading out tomorrow and Thursday.