Trip to the Promised Land recap!!!

[Alaskageek]

First off, I have to apologize for not updating here while our trip was happening, but was just too busy living the dream to jump online.  Would have also been worried about shorting out my laptop with all the rain.  Second, sorry no pics.  Used too much juice on my phone each trip, checking weather radar and fishing maps, always seemed to be dead when we got back in.  Before I get into the blow by blow, wanted to give huge shoutouts to Ranger520, MoPanFisher, OneShot, Navery and VJMAC for giving me all the great info, even after the monsoon came through and the water level went insane!!!

Sunday 4/28 - Started out the morning by hitting the docks below the dam on Truman.  Fishing was slow, on the docks and in the many boats spider rigging.  Wind was blowing pretty good. My buddy manged to pick up his first ever keeper crappie, but it was the only keeper of the morning.  Through back a few shorts.  The evening found us on Pomme and in the fish.  Caught a ton of shorts and managed about 20 keepers, about an even mix of M/F.  Fishing backs of coves near the Pomme dam. 3-5 fow.  Pretty much were hitting whatever we through at them, but minnows under floats seemed to work better once the sun went down.

Monday 4/29 - Hit Pomme about 8am, same coves as previous night.  Fish not as aggressive this morning, minnows working better than jigs.  15 keepers, and enough shorts to keep us busy in between.  Came off the water around 11am for lunch and cleaning.  Back out about 6pm, caught the remaining 15 keepers pretty quick.  Fish pretty much hitting whatever you threw at them.  Mostly males today, many very black and tails torn up.  

Tuesday 4/30 - MONSOON!!!  Knew it was gonna be a rough day so headed to Springfield for a trip to bass pro and eats at Lamberts.  Spend the evening in our tent, playing cards, drinking,  frequently checking to make sure our gear hadn't blown away and pumping water out of the boat every few hours!  Have to say, even with 30 years camping in AK, that was probably the worst single storm I've ever weathered in a tent.  

Wednesday 4/30 - Gear check.  Didn't lose anything to important, but did have to retrieve my tub of catfish jugs from the back of wheatland cove as well as move the boat to find a place to tie it off given the massive lake rising!  Went and ran some clothes and gear through the dryer at my step moms but we were back at it by 1pm.  Ton's of trash everywhere tried working our way down to the lightfoot launch to work coves around there, but even the main lake was chocolate milk with debris all over, to say nothing of the coves. Ran..... slowly... back to the coves near the dam.  Water cleared a bit and debris thinned some closer we got to the darn, but when you got in the coves, it was all back.  Slow day of catching, but the sun did come out for a few hours, giving us our only nice weather day of the trip. Tried jigs and minnows, didn't seem one was better than the other.  Tried finding some brush piles, closer to the mouths of coves, but tough to find them with my ancient fish finder.  Managed to pick up 10 keepers jigging the overflow brush, in coves just off main lake, but lost twice that amount of jigs, and spend alot of time retrieving others and re-tying as that type of fishing is new to me.  Now know I need to get some weedless jig heads to help from getting caught up so much.  

Thursday 5/1 - Been pushing pretty hard, so took the morning and slept in and had a good morning around camp.  Big breakfast of fresh never frozen crappie, fried eggs and taters!  Hit Pomme around noon, check out catfish jugs,..... no love.  Water still coming up, but clearing up a bit both in water color and debris.  Jigged the overflow brush around wheatland and galmey coves.  Managed 4 keepers.  Headed over to the Fairfield launch on Truman.  Wind was howling!!!  Raining on/off.  Found the white bass/hybrids right were Navery said they'd be.  Didn't have an anchor, and trying to use the trolling motor to keep us in place was way too much work with the wind (old style tiller handle), really need to get a foot pedal one to keep my heads free.  Ended up trolling back and forth using flick a shads, Sassy shads and jigs (chartruse) picked up our limits of WB, including one hybrid each, about 4-5 lbs, which was a great fight on the light crappie gear we had.  Tried heading down to bean cove for crappie, jigging standing timber in various depths, but never got a bite.  Not sure if it was me or the fish, but my guess was me.  Pulled out by 8, as I wanted to get back to launch before dark for sure!

Friday 5/2 - Last day to fish.  Spent the morning on Pomme.  Nothing on the jugs again....pulled them.  Worked down to lightfoot again, water and debris better, but still alot.  Picked up a few shorts jigging the overflow.  Worked over to coves near darn. Lot less debris and water cleaner.   Jigged the brush, but not much luck.  Started throwing jigs and sassy shad towards the "channels" in the middle of coves (not towards the bank) and managed to pick up 10 keepers.  Pulled the boat out about 2pm, cleaned it up and tarpped/parked it for storage until July.  Did some pre-packing at camp, then went to fish outlet park below the darn.  Picked up 2 keepers and two shorts.  Pretty slow, but they were running lots of water by then.

Overall, another great trip.  Weather could have been better, but if you wait for nice weather to fish, you'll never go!!!  Was a curse and a blessing with the massive lake level change.  Had to adjust want I was doing and try things I've never tried, which was cool, but would've loved another day or two of the "norm" crappie spawn fishing before the lake rise. Didn't get near as much exploring on new water as I wanted, but did find a good mix of fishing like a crazy man and relaxing for sure!   My buddy is now hooked on fishing.  More fish then he has ever caught and I fear his wife is gonna kill me as he as already started looking at buying a boat!  

Big Love to all those who are helping me become a Master MO fisherman!!!!

I'll be watching the forums, especially since I'll be back over in two months for the 4th of July, looking to find the Whites/Hybrids/Crappie/Catfish in the heat of the summer!!!

[Ranger520vx]

Glad you had a good trip despite the weather. Hopefully can get by to see you in July.  The week you were here was not a good week for visiting between the monsoon things I needed to get done and babysitting the grandson didn't get far from the house.

[MOPanfisher]

If you wouldn't mind leaving the torrential rain out of your trip in July, that would be great.  Glad you got some fishing done.

[Alaskageek]

14 hours ago, Ranger520vx said:

Glad you had a good trip despite the weather. Hopefully can get by to see you in July.  The week you were here was not a good week for visiting between the monsoon things I needed to get done and babysitting the grandson didn't get far from the house.

Would've been great to see you Ranger, but have to say if I lived there, and wasn't trying to make up for 9 months of lost fishing, I would have been hanging near the house working on things and spending time with the family during that monsoon!  In the words of Arnold...... I'll Be Back!!!  Hope to run into you on the 4th!

13 hours ago, MOPanfisher said:

If you wouldn't mind leaving the torrential rain out of your trip in July, that would be great.  Glad you got some fishing done.

Yeah... thought for sure I'd left that crap at home, but somehow it made it's way into my gear.  Will double check the bags before I head over in July MoPan!

 

[VJMAC]

All things considered it seems like ya had a good trip. Hope i helped if even a little bit. Wished i couldve got away from work to meet ya guys. See ya in July. Bring your sunscreen and skeeter spray !

[MrGiggles]

3 hours ago, Alaskageek said:

Would've been great to see you Ranger, but have to say if I lived there, and wasn't trying to make up for 9 months of lost fishing, I would have been hanging near the house working on things and spending time with the family during that monsoon!  In the words of Arnold...... I'll Be Back!!!  Hope to run into you on the 4th!

Yeah... thought for sure I'd left that crap at home, but somehow it made it's way into my gear.  Will double check the bags before I head over in July MoPan!

 

Don't know about you guys, but I usually welcome a little downpour in July.

[Alaskageek]

1 hour ago, VJMAC said:

All things considered it seems like ya had a good trip. Hope i helped if even a little bit. Wished i couldve got away from work to meet ya guys. See ya in July. Bring your sunscreen and skeeter spray !

You helped a ton!!!  Hope to meet face 2 face in July!  Sunscreen for sure, but being used to the prehistoric sized mega swarms of AK skeeters, bug dope will be for the kids!!!!

34 minutes ago, MrGiggles said:

Don't know about you guys, but I usually welcome a little downpour in July.

Very true,  a few showers in that heat is refreshing!