I headed off in the dark (it gets lighter earlier now) to Indian Creek. I cruised around the mouth and then into the back. I was marking fish so started casting, jigging and fluking. I never heard or saw anything on top and didn't get a bite.
Once it was light I ran up to Moorman's. I started looking around R74 and soon was marking fish so I started trolling. Near the middle of Moorman's I saw a fishin' buddy, Steve, so I eased over to say hello and chat. He was parked outside a small cove on the Franklin side. As I eased past him at barely an idle I marked a lot of fish and then had a big, smashing strike. I could feel that it was a good fish but as I was clearing the other lines he got off. When I got the lure in I noticed straightened hooks. Only big fish do that. So I looped around back to where Steve was and marked even more fish. So then I pulled in my lines and started casting and jigging. Then Steve said he heard a couple fish break behind him in the small cove. When I looked there the water was boiling. I clipped on a 4" Storm WSS and started casting. Boom!!!!!!!! Got a good one. Finally boated a nice 29". I quickly dumped it back and cast again. Boom!!!!!! Another one. This one was 31". I quickly dumped it back and cast some more. Boom!!!!!!!!! Third fish was a fat 30". All three of these fish were big around like a tuna. Then they were gone. Three fish in ten minutes. I was still marking them toward the bottom but couldn't jig a single one. Just like that they disappeared.
I trolled a few laps around Moorman's looking but couldn't find them again. I did mark some few fish but got no bites. So I headed up river still looking and got all the way to Hardy and a little beyond the bridge. I did see a few small groups of fish in the center channel but couldn't buy a bite. So since sundown now comes earlier I thought I'd try the "afternoon" bite. I cruised back down lake checking spots along the way and ended back in Indian Creek. Way back at the condo point I trolled up a 24" fish. I thought I might be onto something. So dutiful guy that I am, I ran back to Hales Ford Bridge to take the water temps and then ran back to Indian Creek to hit the afternoon bite. So I got back there and cast and jigged all kinds of stuff and got nothing even though I did mark occasional fish on the sonar. The sun was going down quick so I quit around 4:00. Probably should have stayed longer. Maybe next time.
Later, Joel
Once it was light I ran up to Moorman's. I started looking around R74 and soon was marking fish so I started trolling. Near the middle of Moorman's I saw a fishin' buddy, Steve, so I eased over to say hello and chat. He was parked outside a small cove on the Franklin side. As I eased past him at barely an idle I marked a lot of fish and then had a big, smashing strike. I could feel that it was a good fish but as I was clearing the other lines he got off. When I got the lure in I noticed straightened hooks. Only big fish do that. So I looped around back to where Steve was and marked even more fish. So then I pulled in my lines and started casting and jigging. Then Steve said he heard a couple fish break behind him in the small cove. When I looked there the water was boiling. I clipped on a 4" Storm WSS and started casting. Boom!!!!!!!! Got a good one. Finally boated a nice 29". I quickly dumped it back and cast again. Boom!!!!!! Another one. This one was 31". I quickly dumped it back and cast some more. Boom!!!!!!!!! Third fish was a fat 30". All three of these fish were big around like a tuna. Then they were gone. Three fish in ten minutes. I was still marking them toward the bottom but couldn't jig a single one. Just like that they disappeared.
I trolled a few laps around Moorman's looking but couldn't find them again. I did mark some few fish but got no bites. So I headed up river still looking and got all the way to Hardy and a little beyond the bridge. I did see a few small groups of fish in the center channel but couldn't buy a bite. So since sundown now comes earlier I thought I'd try the "afternoon" bite. I cruised back down lake checking spots along the way and ended back in Indian Creek. Way back at the condo point I trolled up a 24" fish. I thought I might be onto something. So dutiful guy that I am, I ran back to Hales Ford Bridge to take the water temps and then ran back to Indian Creek to hit the afternoon bite. So I got back there and cast and jigged all kinds of stuff and got nothing even though I did mark occasional fish on the sonar. The sun was going down quick so I quit around 4:00. Probably should have stayed longer. Maybe next time.
Later, Joel