Jan 13 - Big M area

[Quillback]

Had to go back today after yesterday's good fishing.  Not as good today, wind had switched around to the north and it blew pretty good all morning, but really got going about 10 AM.  Fish were biting, but really light, missed the first 5 bites before I got a 10" LM to start the day.  Had several suspect bites that I never could determine if I was on a piece of wood or rock or it it was a fish, had a few other bites where the line would just kinda flex a bit in a weird way and dang if it wasn't a fish.  Just a weird day overall as far as bites.

Caught 17, with only 2 keepers.  No keeper largemouth today.  All on the Ned rig.  Fish seemed to be a little deeper today, 15-20 FOW.  Rocks and wood.

Got a couple of bags of Berkely Maxscent Lil' troopers.  Basically a 2.5" craw.  Whatever it is they are made of, seems to be very soft and flexible, might work pretty good on a shroom head with a #2 hook.  They are small, that 2.5" length includes the claws.

Speaking of small baits, a little craw claw came out of one of the spots I caught.  It was tiny, smaller than the little claws of these baits.

Saw a school of tiny shad swimming on top in front of the boat, those dudes might have been an inch long.  Happened to catch a 13" spotted bass right then, brought it back through the school, and those dudes disappeared in a flash.  Kinda funny, but then again, I am easily amused.

Came back to the ramp today, and a tow truck was backed down the ramp, one of those trucks with the flat bed that tilts down to the ground.  The guy was winching a wrecked pontoon onto the bed, it worked, first time I've seen that.