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After a week delay because of the winds here last week, this year's adventure begins. After I checked in, Kevin (owner and guide) told me that the bass guides in the area are reporting that the largemouth in the area are very active and hungry. Apparently they're not that bothered about the shad that are in the Bay. I'll get the boat in the water probably tomorrow after the wind dies a bit and get after them. The walleye are just starting to take lures because the shad are starting to migrate back into the main lake. I just may have to target them at least once before i leave on Thursday.
Group: Members
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Member No.: 11890
Joined: May 16, 2016
Well, this has been one of the toughest fishing trips I've ever been on. I got here on Sunday with high winds so I didn't even bother to launch the boat. I got up Monday morning to 25-30mph winds and decided this is my golf day. The wind died down around 7pm so I launched the boat and hit some of my previous spots with no luck. This morning was bright, sunny and dead calm. OK, this is the day. Well, the wiQs stayed down all day but we had t-storms around starting a little before noon. Didn't get a drop of rain, but there were lightning strikes and thunder most of the afternoon until 5:30. I made a bee-line down to the dock and headed to several likely locations.....still nothing. I have used just about every soft plastic and hard-bodied baits that I have with no success. It wasn't until I was heading in just now that I noticed something very strange that I should have been paying attention to....the water temp in the BoQ is 54-56°. That's pretty cold for this time of year. Now I'm thinking that the bass are still in a post-spawn funk and are not interested in eating anything!! I'm not giving up dammit. Tomorrow is another day. If the bass aren't interested, I'll try for walleye, even though they're so focus on the shad in the Bay that I'll have some stiff competition. Look out fish, I'm coming after ya!!
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QUOTE (Goshawk @ Jun 29, 2021 - 07:23 pm)
Well, this has been one of the toughest fishing trips I've ever been on. I got here on Sunday with high winds so I didn't even bother to launch the boat. I got up Monday morning to 25-30mph winds and decided this is my golf day. The wind died down around 7pm so I launched the boat and hit some of my previous spots with no luck. This morning was bright, sunny and dead calm. OK, this is the day. Well, the wiQs stayed down all day but we had t-storms around starting a little before noon. Didn't get a drop of rain, but there were lightning strikes and thunder most of the afternoon until 5:30. I made a bee-line down to the dock and headed to several likely locations.....still nothing. I have used just about every soft plastic and hard-bodied baits that I have with no success. It wasn't until I was heading in just now that I noticed something very strange that I should have been paying attention to....the water temp in the BoQ is 54-56°. That's pretty cold for this time of year. Now I'm thinking that the bass are still in a post-spawn funk and are not interested in eating anything!! I'm not giving up dammit. Tomorrow is another day. If the bass aren't interested, I'll try for walleye, even though they're so focus on the shad in the Bay that I'll have some stiff competition. Look out fish, I'm coming after ya!!
I think your temp sensor on your graph is broken. The water is definitely warmer than that in the bay. Either way, keep at it, cover new water and you’ll run into fish eventually. Once you get a couple of bites use them to put together a pattern. Good luck out there.
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I found the little buggers!!!!
I spoke with a gentleman yesterday afternoon who has been there since last Wednesday. He said that he's looked all over the area where I normally go and couldn't find a single fish, walleye or bass. On Tuesday afternoon he took the 1.5 hour drive in his 14' tinny (15HP) to a different area and has been bringing home walleye every day since. He said that the bass are likely in there too because the water was warmer and there were no shad in that area. I got up early this morning with the intention of going for a boat ride and maybe catching a couple of walleye. 20 minutes I pulled up to an isolated grass flat in Hay Bay, dropped the trolling motor and started pitching a topwater plug around. 2nd cast a largemouth crashed it. It's on!!! Over the next 2 hours 10 minutes, I boated 33 largemouth (small males)....all on topwater. I've never seen such explosions from so many bass in one day. Every single one was a vicious strike and they fought like crazy. I'm a happy camper now. I didn't take the time to take any pics....one because they were all 12-15" males, and two I didn't want to miss the next one!! I left thinking that if I had gone to a drop shot or maybe a crank bait I may have found the larger fish, but who cares!!!
Group: Members
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Member No.: 11890
Joined: May 16, 2016
QUOTE (ROFF @ Jun 30, 2021 - 07:34 am)
QUOTE (Goshawk @ Jun 29, 2021 - 07:23 pm)
Well, this has been one of the toughest fishing trips I've ever been on. I got here on Sunday with high winds so I didn't even bother to launch the boat. I got up Monday morning to 25-30mph winds and decided this is my golf day. The wind died down around 7pm so I launched the boat and hit some of my previous spots with no luck. This morning was bright, sunny and dead calm. OK, this is the day. Well, the wiQs stayed down all day but we had t-storms around starting a little before noon. Didn't get a drop of rain, but there were lightning strikes and thunder most of the afternoon until 5:30. I made a bee-line down to the dock and headed to several likely locations.....still nothing. I have used just about every soft plastic and hard-bodied baits that I have with no success. It wasn't until I was heading in just now that I noticed something very strange that I should have been paying attention to....the water temp in the BoQ is 54-56°. That's pretty cold for this time of year. Now I'm thinking that the bass are still in a post-spawn funk and are not interested in eating anything!! I'm not giving up dammit. Tomorrow is another day. If the bass aren't interested, I'll try for walleye, even though they're so focus on the shad in the Bay that I'll have some stiff competition. Look out fish, I'm coming after ya!!
I think your temp sensor on your graph is broken. The water is definitely warmer than that in the bay. Either way, keep at it, cover new water and you’ll run into fish eventually. Once you get a couple of bites use them to put together a pattern. Good luck out there.
It wasn't the temp reading that was in error, it was my eyesight!! From as far away as I was trying to read it, it sure looked like 54-56°. I went through the same area this morning and got a good look at it....67°. My apologies for the error.
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