Dam end June 17

[Quillback]

I launched out of Indian, but I liked Devan's title of his last trip, fishing the dam end which is what I did, I did not go back in Indian.

I launched at 0515 and spent a couple of hours checking different places for top water striper action, still not much going on that I could find, a few here and there but no schools going nuts on shad.  Did not get a single striper bite, but caught a few small bass on top.

Switched out to a c-rig with a Zoom Speed Craw and found some fish on windy, gravelly banks.  Decent bite for a while, caught my last one at 0930 and was outta there at 1030.

Ended up with a dozen bass, all smallies except for one spot.  Had one of those rare days where I caught a limit of keeper sized smallmouth.

Surface temp 82.

 

[Johnsfolly]

2 hours ago, Quillback said:

I launched out of Indian, but I liked Devan's title of his last trip, fishing the dam end which is what I did, I did not go back in Indian.

I launched at 0515 and spent a couple of hours checking different places for top water striper action, still not much going on that I could find, a few here and there but no schools going nuts on shad.  Did not get a single striper bite, but caught a few small bass on top.

Switched out to a c-rig with a Zoom Speed Craw and found some fish on windy, gravelly banks.  Decent bite for a while, caught my last one at 0930 and was outta there at 1030.

Ended up with a dozen bass, all smallies except for one spot.  Had one of those rare days where I caught a limit of keeper sized smallmouth.

Surface temp 82.

 

Jeff nice bunch of healthy smallies. Congrats Buddy!

[Devan S.]

I fished this morning....I'm still seeing some topwater but its really spread out. Did get a small little bit of close activity for a couple minutes but couldn't get anything to commit. 

2 striper and 1 smallie was my tally. Both stripers combined wouldn't have weighed 8lbs and the smallie wasn't over 15" so no pictures. If I had a second person in the boat I think I'd catch more. If I just start blind casting 90% of the time I'll have activity nearby but you have to get right on it. No time to reel in 50 yards of line and cast at a swirl 15 seconds late. If you have a second person in the boat and they get a half cast offset then you have a better chance of getting on those active fish. 

Once the sun got up I spent about an hour trolling a big umbrella rig. No luck but have zero idea what I am doing there. 

 

[Quillback]

I hear you on getting that lure on the right away.  I did have a striper blow up Friday that I made a cast at and when the lure hit the water, he blew up again maybe 3 feet in front of it, I thought for sure he'd hit my lure, but walked it right through the swirl and nothing.

The best is when they are wolf packing a shad school and the water is so churned up you can't see your lure when it hits the water.  If one doesn't grab it when immediately when it hits the water, you just gotta twitch it and they'll grab it.  Since you can't see the lure or know when one grabs it visually, you have to feel it.  Sometimes they'll just about rip the rod out of your hands.  

Haven't seen them doing that this year and I'm beginning to doubt I will.