36 Hour TR Trip - Dam Area + Intruder in MY Cove

[abkeenan]

Brother and I were able to get away and come down for a short weekend trip. Saturday morning tried a little of everything (plopper, spook, jig, ned, 10" worm, 10XD, spoon) with very little success. Spent a good amount of time trying to spoon docks but they weren't having it. Not even one bite on the spoon thus Saturday morning/day was a bust. I have a habit of trying to force feed fish on what I WANT them to eat...not what THEY want to eat. 

However, Sat night the flip switched around 9pm and ran into a pretty good jig bite. Our fish were in 18-26 feet of water and on mostly ledge rock locations. Gravel points and run-outs didn't yield much and I never did see much on the graph at those locations when snooping around on the big motor during the day. Fish were all very healthy (especially the Kentucky's sponsored by Butterball). Big girl bit at 11:30 in 26 FOT and was released swimming to fight another day. She went 5 and I believe 22" maybe 23. Need to get one of those hog trough measuring boards. Was a good night on the water with a million stars and saw a few meteors as well. Very pleasant night.

Thermocline looked to be setting up in spots as you could see a definitive line but it isn't solid or locked in yet I don't believe. Was wavering around 28 feet + or - in most locations from what I could tell. Surface temps around the dam were 85.3 to almost touching 87 degrees.

Water patrol was out pulling plenty of people over in the early evening for being morons. Was good to see their presence. Had a guy go between myself and the bank on plane over that shallow drop-off point coming out of Jake's Branch across from 86 while pulling two little girls on a tube. It was the worst case I've ever experienced as far as passing between myself and the bank. Lower unit must have been inches from it's demise. Guy literally cut that point maybe 10 yards from the bank. I made a motion to go around me before he got to us but he returned the signal as if I was supposed around him at speed while on the troller and my line out. Glad the two girls weren't hurt.....at that point...as he made his way towards State Park.

I also finally caught Alex Heitman red handed dredging my cove with a crank and had a brief visit. Good to see another forum member even if he made like Greg Hackney and was fishing an off-limits area.....MY COVE.

My advice would be to get out early, get off early and get out at night. Tight lines and stay safe.

 

Some pics of the better/dumb ones:

 

[Mitch f]

very nice fish!

[Quillback]

Very nice chunky largemouth!

So, Alex water skied between you and the bank and then came back and jumped in front of you (on your private cove no less) and started throwing a crank?  The nerve of some people!

[abkeenan]

21 minutes ago, Quillback said:

Very nice chunky largemouth!

So, Alex water skied between you and the bank and then came back and jumped in front of you (on your private cove no less) and started throwing a crank?  The nerve of some people!

The gall right?! Although he seemed to have lost his tan from the evening before and probably his green card as well.

[m&m]

ABK, nice pictures coming from someone else's cove.  lol  Do you and Alex keep moving them back and forth from cove to cove?  Just wondering.  This coming weekend it looks like cooler temps with some rain.  I think I will venture out Saturday morning.  Maybe the rain will keep the wake boats and jet skis off the water until 9am.

Mike

[96 CHAMP]

Nice fish, way to getting them after dark, isn't nothing any better than Fishin under the stars. Are the skeeters bad at night or was is tolerable?

[176champion]

Nice ABK!! Night fishing is the way to go for sure...

[Nitro 750]

Nice fish!!!!

[abkeenan]

2 hours ago, 96 CHAMP said:

Nice fish, way to getting them after dark, isn't nothing any better than Fishin under the stars. Are the skeeters bad at night or was is tolerable?

Skeeters and other flying pesky critters were not a problem. Not sure how long that will last but like I said it was very pleasant on Sat night. Just enough breeze to keep the bugs at bay and also keep you somewhat cool. 

[magicwormman]

Great report and great fish.....................................but you need to smile once in a while. If I had caught those fish I would have a smile indefinitely.