3-29-2020 Pontiac Fishing Report

[Ham]

I launched about 0830 at Pontiac. Ramp wasn’t easy, but was doable. The courtesy dock was a little deep, but you could jump to it. Water level was approximately 676. As Fish 24/7 suggested, Spring Creek ramp (off HH) would have been the better choice. Lots of boats launched there and the parking was easier and better.

mainlake water temps were 56. Water at ramp was pretty, but pretty stained above the confluence with Spring Creek. I saw water temp in the wind blown coves over 58 and as high as 62.5 in the way back of Spring Creek.

I tried for Crappie and got no love at all. I did find some Nice LMB on spinnerbaits. Fish seemed to be suspended in brush. The bait had to be out of sight to get a bite. I tried flipping Jigs and beaver style baits into the bush, but I got absolutely no bites.

I tried various crank baits on transition areas and got no bites at all.

fish were so scattered. Fish I got absolutely freight trained my baits. I was in stained, but not dirty water. I had 10 inches of visibility or so in the areas where I got my 5 bites.

pics to follow. 

 

[Ham]

First fish. It will hit the grill soon. 

[Ham]

Meanie (I think)

[Ham]

Didn’t measure, but much larger and heavier than the 18 inch meanie

[Ham]

I failed to mention that I was surprised by how little floating debris there was. I'm guessing that wind had pushed most of it to the wind blown side. You still need to keep you eyes open, but I honestly did not have to dodge very much of it at all. 

 

[Quillback]

Nice!  I didn't get a whole lot of bites on Beaver today, but they whacked it pretty good when they did, as you experienced.  Keitech for me.

[mixermarkb]

trying to get down this week- hoping to just get out alone, but the wife isn't sold on me not taking the boys. Don't get me wrong, I love taking the boys, but id like a day or so of real hard fishing, and I cant do that with a five year old lol

[Rob P]

13 hours ago, mixermarkb said:

trying to get down this week- hoping to just get out alone, but the wife isn't sold on me not taking the boys. Don't get me wrong, I love taking the boys, but id like a day or so of real hard fishing, and I cant do that with a five year old lol

Thursday nice then rain coming Friday and Saturday.
The good part is the nite temps are staying in the 50s..

[Fish24/7]

On 3/31/2020 at 7:24 PM, mixermarkb said:

trying to get down this week- hoping to just get out alone, but the wife isn't sold on me not taking the boys. Don't get me wrong, I love taking the boys, but id like a day or so of real hard fishing, and I cant do that with a five year old lol

When I was around that age Dad would get home from work around 6, load up the boat, and we would get to the Theodosia park around 11,11:30pm. Depending on what time of year it was we would either sleep in the bed of the truck in the camper shell in the ramp parking lot, or launch in the dark and fish till daylight ,go get breakfast at Gigs in Isabella,and then go back out. We would stay a couple,maybe 3 days, usually a weekend trip. When I got tired I just slept on the bench seat of the boat ,or if it was cold, on the floor of the boat wrapped in a blanket. I remember waking up  in the middle of the night soaking wet from dew many times, or from the sound of Dad yelling "GET THE NET BOY!"  

5 years old is a little young to stay out so long like I had too. But it made me a better fisherman, especially at night  Sometimes we would fish for 12-16 hours straight. Cooler stocked up on food and drinks. 

By the time I got home I was burned out! 😆 We only made a 3 or 4 trips each year back then. But I still remember many of them. That's what you want your kids to have too is lifelong childhood memories  of fishing with Dad.👍 

 

[Bill Babler]

Tried that with my son 247 and it DIDN'T work.  He is 35 now and a very good fisherman, but he has a 2/3 hr. limit regardless of how the're biting.  I have guided very few boys under 12 that can stay out for an entire 4 hr. trip regardless of how the fishing is.  Just not the same as when we were kids.  The harder at first it is the better the boys do.  If you pull  out and get right on fish, it's a "Been there and Done That scenario."  They really get board in a hurry.  You can put a fish in the well and that will entertain them to a point but that point is usually about 10 minutes.

Girls on the other hand if you can get them out there and they want to be are fantastic.  As soon as they catch one they want to catch another and really display lots of patients.  When you tell a girl something she looks you right in the eye and most often says, " Can I try it."

Most boys have Stevie Wonder syndrome looking off into space and shaking their heads.  Not all, and my wife is a retired school teacher and she scolds me on this but it is a boy girl thing.

5 yr. old needs to go for an hour and then back in have some success and call it good.  Marathon sections now with the current corp of youngsters and everything they have available to them is just not the ticket.

My son also remembers those trips to Shell Knob and said that is one memory he wants to forget.  Said the only good part was me taking him to the Steak Inn