Big M area, October 1

[Quillback]

First time out on the Rock since August 6.  Launched the boat just as it was getting light and headed down the lake.

Spent about the first hour tossing spoons, and top waters at scattered fish chasing shad on top.  Could not get a bite.  Switched up to jigs and shaky head off a steep bank and still nothing.  

I was starting to wonder if I was going to get skunked.  In desperation, I motored over to a gravel runout where I had caught some last time I was out almost two months ago, threw a c-rigged worm on the point, boat was sitting in 30 FOW, and I noticed some fish showing up on the graph under the boat.  I did not have a drop shot setup rigged as I was not planning on fishing the dang thing, but there were the fish and I had not boated one yet.  Got set up, dropped it down, and had a spotted bass in about 10 seconds.

Spend most of the rest of the morning drop shotting.  Caught several off the first spot, then the fish moved out.  Bounced around to a few other spots and would pick one up here and there, never was hot fishing, but I would get a bite or two at just about every spot I tried.  Didn't see them schooled either except at the first spot I found them.  Put  a dozen 13-15 inch spots in the boat.

There are a lot of shad scattered about and some bass are chasing them out in the channel.  I caught my biggest fish, a 2.5 lb. spot on a Whopper Plopper at 9:30 AM out in the channel, a couple of casts later hooked the only smallmouth I saw today on the WP only to see it jump 3 feet out of the water and toss the Plopper.  Might have been a 2 lb. fish.

They were just too scattered to get a good top water bite going, but maybe the up coming weather change will get them going.

 

A few swimming under the boat.

 

 

 

 

[96 CHAMP]

47 minutes ago, Quillback said:

First time out on the Rock since August 6.  Launched the boat just as it was getting light and headed down the lake.

Spent about the first hour tossing spoons, and top waters at scattered fish chasing shad on top.  Could not get a bite.  Switched up to jigs and shaky head off a steep bank and still nothing.  

I was starting to wonder if I was going to get skunked.  In desperation, I motored over to a gravel runout where I had caught some last time I was out almost two months ago, threw a c-rigged worm on the point, boat was sitting in 30 FOW, and I noticed some fish showing up on the graph under the boat.  I did not have a drop shot setup rigged as I was not planning on fishing the dang thing, but there were the fish and I had not boated one yet.  Got set up, dropped it down, and had a spotted bass in about 10 seconds.

Spend most of the rest of the morning drop shotting.  Caught several off the first spot, then the fish moved out.  Bounced around to a few other spots and would pick one up here and there, never was hot fishing, but I would get a bite or two at just about every spot I tried.  Didn't see them schooled either except at the first spot I found them.  Put  a dozen 13-15 inch spots in the boat.

There are a lot of shad scattered about and some bass are chasing them out in the channel.  I caught my biggest fish, a 2.5 lb. spot on a Whopper Plopper at 9:30 AM out in the channel, a couple of casts later hooked the only smallmouth I saw today on the WP only to see it jump 3 feet out of the water and toss the Plopper.  Might have been a 2 lb. fish.

They were just too scattered to get a good top water bite going, but maybe the up coming weather change will get them going.

 

A few swimming under the boat.

 

 

 

 

I was able to get down for a few days last week Quillback, I did find some on a football jig, was able to catch a few as they were really hard to hook up with, they were in 20-25 feet of water. Think I was lucky I found them,  My best luck was in the morning I believe it was Wednesday with top water and spoon as you say, I landed 3 non keepers and lost 2 keepers, I just changed out the hooks on the spoons earlier today, and had some good luck one night also. I struggled more so concerned about my knee and losing concentration while trying to land fish after dark but it sure was nice to get out for the first time in a year. I have new 10" birds on the boat and it's amazing what I can find out there now. Next stop will be LOZ in a few weeks for some crappie and whites. Good luck

[Devan S.]

Good to see you getting back out! I'm ready for the upcoming weather change. 

[Sore Thumbs]

Nice