Absurd

[Cindyjo]

Out again Sunday 10/16.  4:15pm - 6:00pm.  Absurd fishing.  Boated 25-30 fish.  Best 5 would have easily exceeded 20lbs.  Spoon, in 10 - 15 fow.  Whites are starting to bite.  I always kid my friend that fishing should be illegal when you can catch this many fish in less than 2 hrs.   They are starting to fatten up.  Much more girth compared to August.  Attached is a sonar pic of ACTIVE fish.  Active meaning ready to feed.  I don't have a FEEDING pic but they are much more dispersed in the water column.  INACTIVE meaning laying tightly on the bottom.  Caught 3 whites exceeding 3 lbs each.  Several smaller. (wont let me download pics ?)   I am disappointed.  I cannot be the only one catching fish like this but don't see posts from other fisherman with similar experiences.  How about sharing similar experiences so fisherman can learn from our experiences?  Additional info.  Caught 2 walleye.  One was the smallest walleye I ever caught at 8", the other was 13".  This suggests to me that the population of walleye are healthy and reproducing.  Out again Tuesday for about 1.5 hrs.  Fascinating, shad on the surface everywhere.  Not the same as in the summer, but everywhere.  Bass where going crazy.  Similar catch story, I believe they would have hit a sewing needle if I tossed one.  Several 3 consecutive casts with fish.

As in my last posting unless you know where to go to catch fish you need to take time to locate them first.  Once you find them on the graph like the pics below, stay there.  I have a couple of dozen gps coordinates that I use so finding them is usually easy in the fall.  I rarely fish the shoreline.  I fish for schools on old river channels and dropoffs. To keep this in perspective, I cant hardly catch a fish in July/August. 

All were safely returned to the water.

Good luck to all

Till next time

 

 

 

 

[Shifty]

Great images! Thanks for the report!

[merc1997 Bo]

yep, that is what it looks like when you find them.  just takes some looking, and it will get better as the water cools.  fun fishing isn't it?

bo

[Bill Babler]

I'm going to have to get up the James..   Thanks, great screen shot.  Take the sensitivity off auto and run it thru your manual mode and you will make that so clear you can see every fish in that school and you won't have all that clutter or echo's Start at 65% and work up as needed.   You are doing very well.

[Champ188]

Hey, I can't pick on Bo all the time and no one else. No fish pics? Four-pound average is pretty stout. Let's see some of them.

[merc1997 Bo]

when you are busy catching bass, you're just too busy to take pics.  got to keep those type of bass fired up and that means getting right back in there not 5 minutes later.  got to factor the time it takes to get the boat back to where the bass were.

for me, I would rather catch bass than take pics.

bo

[Cindyjo]

Champ I hear you on the pics.  I was happy to supply the sonar pics.  But to keep taking pics to convince the naysayers is not what this is about.  I write these posts to inspire and teach and share with those who are just learning how to fish and use their new sonar.  Not to teach or convince well established fishermen, they already know.  Lets just say I caught a lot of fish that day and the best 5 were 10 pounds.  That would be a lie but some folks may feel better with that explanation.  But let me continue to help those who perhaps just bought a new sonar and are not sure what to look for, like the guy who just emailed me and asked if I guide.  I said no I do not.  He commented that he has a HDS unit and no one will help him.  He asked if I could help.  I said I would, and suggested he look at my posts.  I will continue to post because I know their are others who appreciate obtaining knowledge about fishing.

Im 65 and retired for 5 years.  Not interested in proving anything. Not interested in bragging or showing who caught the biggest.  I am interested in helping people like the email I just mentioned, in enjoying the sport.  I'm not a priest or clergy, or bleeding heart.  But I do want to give back a little in life since my wife and I have been so fortunate.   I do appreciate your comment and the opportunity to offer my perspective.  

Till next time

 

[merc1997 Bo]

just keep catching them and having fun.  i enjoy our posts and you are doing nearly the same thing that i do daytime fishing this time of the year.

you know what?  4 lb. bass all look about the same as they have as long as i have been fishing.  so, pics probably do not mean too much to either of us..

bo

[SplitG2]

Appreciate the info Cindyjo. 

[Champ188]

You two just keep on slaying them and talking about how absurdly easy it is. You have them figured out, no doubt.

Meanwhile, the rest of us dumbo's --- including the best full-time guides on the lake --- will keep hammering out what we can catch and putting up posts titled "Tough Bite for Me Today" and similar names. We are good-hearted folks, too. We just help others by telling them what NOT to do, I suppose.

We will learn how to catch them someday. Maybe. Or not.