Indian Point Bonanza - Suspended Fish in Spring

[Ben Gillispie]

For any lack of a better description....I caught the s*** out of them today, 4-26-2017. 

As I've mentioned before, I've gotten to know the vertical fishing game after fishing the docks at Indian Point for a few years, and today, my training paid off. 

I've been out on the boat 4 trips over the last 10 days and we've cleaned house with a watermelon red gitzit on pea gravel main lake points. Sitting in 30', casting to the point, and the smallmouth and kentuckies would hit it before it hit the bottom. An 1/8 oz tube insert did better than a 1/4 oz, since it fell more slowly. 

But today was at the dock was different. Bass of all types had the threadfin shad cornered underneath the dock. I suspected this to be the case due to all the rain - a rainy, cloudy, windy day. And was I right...

I caught no less than 40 fish in the span of about 3 hours. One after the other. 

I was pitching a 1/4oz Kastmaster flutter spoon, silver with a white feather, and letting it fall either 25 seconds or until they hit it...the later was typically the case. Many fish spit up shad when I got them to the dock. See my picture to see why I was catching fish....

This was also the first time I caught smallmouth on the spoon. This was also the first time I've caught any fish on the spoon under the dock this late in the spring, 3 years running. This is typically a winter or late winter pattern I've found - so it was definitely a ton of fun! Closer to dark, I put on the watermelon red gitzit and went closer to shore, and what do you know, caught smallmouth there, too.

All I can say is get out there, use your instincts, and you'll find them. Every female smallmouth I caught had eggs. About half of the kentuckies I caught, still had eggs. I caught zero largemouth. This is interesting to me because 10 days ago I caught a big Kentucky that was spawned out - so it goes to show you that the spawn happens over a period of time - every fish doesn't rush to the bank to spawn all at once.

Water temps on the gauges show 63 at 10' and 62 at surface - I caught all these fish not much further than a cast distance from my gauge. The gar are thick, but the bass didn't seem to mind.

 

[Ben Gillispie]

Also, as an update, Big C checked in on the teenagers down at Indian Point. I think they got the jist of things - seemed to back down pretty easily when questioned. 

[Champ188]

Lots of information there Ben that can be extended way beyond the Indian Point docks. Thanks for being forthcoming with it and keep catching them.

Just go easy on the color descriptions, especially where watermelon-red is concerned. Vernon is pretty sensitive on that topic, since he contracted with Waste Management recently to haul off all of his wm-red soft plastics after Dastardly Dave told him they were no good.

Although not yet confirmed, sources have reported that a Waste Management truck visited Dave's house very recently under the cover of darkness.

[vernon]

42 minutes ago, Champ188 said:

Lots of information there Ben that can be extended way beyond the Indian Point docks. Thanks for being forthcoming with it and keep catching them.

Just go easy on the color descriptions, especially where watermelon-red is concerned. Vernon is pretty sensitive on that topic, since he contracted with Waste Management recently to haul off all of his wm-red soft plastics after Dastardly Dave told him they were no good.

Although not yet confirmed, sources have reported that a Waste Management truck visited Dave's house very recently under the cover of darkness.

I KNEW IT!!  Talk about conspiracies!!

Ben, you da man. Way to go and thanks for the HONEST information.

Dave, not so much now that I know I've been played like a two dollar banjo!

I bet you currently have a watermelon red Ozark Finesse head in the works as we speak!

Champ, your new nickname might be Deep Throat for exposing this scam. 

What a stupid I am. 

[Ben Gillispie]

1 hour ago, Champ188 said:

Lots of information there Ben that can be extended way beyond the Indian Point docks. Thanks for being forthcoming with it and keep catching them.

Just go easy on the color descriptions, especially where watermelon-red is concerned. Vernon is pretty sensitive on that topic, since he contracted with Waste Management recently to haul off all of his wm-red soft plastics after Dastardly Dave told him they were no good.

Although not yet confirmed, sources have reported that a Waste Management truck visited Dave's house very recently under the cover of darkness.

This is just too good! Funny stuff. 

 

[Nitro 750]

Really good info Ben, thanks for the report.

[96 CHAMP]

Way to go Ben!

[merc1997 Bo]

very nice ben.  you are learning quickly that most of the time the bass are not either shallow or on the bank.  very great job.

 

bo

[buckwhisperer]

Great report and pics Ben, it's a lot of fun when you catch them chasing shad like that!