Quick Spin Baxter. 12-14-23

[Bill Babler]

Got to the H. Hwy. ramp at 0700 and was not the first kid on the block. 

There was a slight chop on the water so I threw a RK Crawler for about 30 minutes. Moss was so bad I gave it up and went to the  briny deep. 

Fish anywhere from 45’ to 65’  some on the bottom some suspended. I had to have a Wolf Pack to get bit. One’s and two’s didn’t want either the spoon or the Dimiki rig. 

Caught 15 with all being solid keeps. No monsters but really hard pullers. It was fun. 

Water temps stayed around 52/53. Fished till about 10:30. 

 

Good Luck out there. 

[Quillback]

Suh-weet!  Good day to be out on the water.

[Champ188]

Caught a similar bunch of fish but much shallower Tuesday. Sun was high and bright with no wind so I started out flipping docks and pretty much stuck with it the entire 6-7 hours I was there. Mostly spots but 80% or better keepers and a couple a little north of 3 pounds. Most of mine were sorta long and lean, like some of Bill's fish above, but the two bigger ones looked like lower-lake fish ... just total footballs.

Have to share this ... our late buddy Bo came to mind because, along with the smallmouth he caught when he ventured downlake on his night trips, he'd bring big spots back up the Kings and White rivers, too, as part of his "tournament restoration program." He figured --- and I agreed (yes, Bo and I sometimes agreed 😆🤣) --- that with all of the big derbies being out of Kim City and points even farther east, a lot of fish were getting hauled out of the river arms and never replaced. Bill knows this better than I, but no telling how many fish Bo brought back to the rivers over the years. It was a bunch and it wouldn't surprise me if it made a noticeable difference. Now just imagine how much MORE difference it could make if the MDC would just do an annual ... or semiannual ... supplemental stocking of SM and LM. I don't think spots really need any help with numbers, especially with a 15-inch min length limit.

My fish Wednesday came from 4-28 feet (almost ran outta line on that deep one 😂) on two things ... finesse worm (watermelon candy) on a drop shot and a 5/16 ballhead jig (jelly smoke) with green pumpkin craw trailer.

Yeah, I rambled. It's legal in the winter. 

[Bill Babler]

I also noticed that particularly the LM I  caught were very lean. Mostly caught them out of Shad schools so hard to understand. 

Couple of those LM were 18” so I have no idea why they were not fat, or for that matter had no belly. Just long and lean.  

They did however pull hard and a couple even tried to jump in 53 degree water. 

Maybe males but James is correct, sometimes the White River fish just don’t have as much bloom as up the James to Cricket Creek/ Longcreek LM. 

 

[Quillback]

8 hours ago, Champ188 said:

 

My fish Wednesday came from 4-28 feet (almost ran outta line on that deep one 😂) on two things ... finesse worm (watermelon candy) on a drop shot and a 5/16 ballhead jig (jelly smoke) with green pumpkin craw trailer.

Yeah, I rambled. It's legal in the winter. 

Whoa there Mr. Kingfish, I distinctly remember a few weeks back you giving me flak about fishing "dragging baits".   I did think (mistakenly) that you were a traditional bass fisherman that would never set down the moving baits,  and you would literally die on the front deck before tossing a FINESSE WORM!

I am sadly disappointed.  🥶

[Bill Babler]

Looks like Champ has been watching way too much MLF.  

But,  I learned something from his post.  That’s what it’s all about here. Why not drop shot docks?

I’m going to try it.   He might have let the cat out of the bag. 😁😁😁
 

[Quillback]

10 hours ago, Bill Babler said:

Looks like Champ has been watching way too much MLF.  

But,  I learned something from his post.  That’s what it’s all about here. Why not drop shot docks?

I’m going to try it.   He might have let the cat out of the bag. 😁😁😁
 

I'm wondering if he installed FFS on his boat and is using it to look under docks to see which ones hold fish.  He might even have one of those Damiki rig deals tied on.  Maybe even a Hover Rig.   Probably does not have a bait caster in the boat.  He's changed.  😃

[Bill Babler]

Them’s probably “Fighten Words.”

[Quillback]

6 hours ago, Bill Babler said:

Them’s probably “Fighten Words.”

I can outrun him.  

[snagged in outlet 3]

4 hours ago, Quillback said:

I can outrun him.  

I want to watch that race.  😆