Glaize Arm

[MCrump]

Went yesterday morning and tried it. The initial goal was crappie but couldn't find them over brush (I think we managed two shorts after hiting multiple brush piles). Minnows and jigs with every presentation was unsuccessful. Then we went further away from the lake hoping to find whites or crappie. After we managed one white trolling we stayed in that area and managed 7 more with 2 shorts. Had to be trolling though....(I think we caught one by casting and reeling) Same bait with same presentation while casting would not yield fish. Why is that guys? Are the fish just following the lure that long before they agree to strike? I ran into that one time before on Stockton this time of year on the little sac and it was so frustrating that you HAD to be trolling. Pull start the old 6 horse... get a fish, kick it in neutral, half the time it died, restart it and kick it in drive, repeat.... We loved how consistent the whites were that day but so frustrated that we couldn't just cast for them and I never could understand why. Fishing yesterday wasn't nearly that good but the few we managed really only like the lure if we were trolling. Anyway, water temps started about 65 and were up to 69 when we left that afternoon. The friend I went with managed a hybrid as one of his fish but it wasn't any bigger than two of the best whites. We had fun and enjoyed the unseasonably warm weather. Wind was blowing harder as we left and I was tempted to return to the lake to find whites on wind blown banks that evening but since I had been gone since the early morning I figured the girls at home would want me there.

[nomolites]

You can get the same bait a lot deeper trolling than casting is my guess.  Glad you got out and caught some!

 

Mike

[fishinwrench]

It's a timing thing.  A few Whites will chase and swat at a bait when one comes by the school and sometimes you'll catch one or two, but until they decide to actively feed that's all you'll get.  That clues you to the area they are hanging out in though, so just come back and try again every few hours, or if conditions change at all.  Eventually you'll hit them at the right time and you will be catching one nearly every cast until they settle back down. 

I've found that it's counter productive to keep casting at Whites that aren't "ready yet".  By doing so you are just educating them, so when they DO turn on they won't fall for your tricks