I headed out in the dark and started checking the area around Hales Ford Bridge and in the creeks. Didn't see anything. I slowly cruised up to Indian Creek in the dark. Slowly because there's a lot of debris floating around and a lot of it is big stuff. I started trolling near R37 and went into Indian Creek all the way to the back. Nothing but some bait and that was less than last time. The birds weren't even up and fluttering.
As I got back to the main lake I started marking more fish but nothing was biting.Trolled around there and half way to Grimes but still nothing. And then the wind blew up. Wow, what a difference. I headed back toward R35 still marking scattered fish. I made a loop there and then kept going down lake. The first fish came at 9:30 half way between R35 and R34. Just a plump 23" but the first fish of the year. Ha-lay-lu-la. I looped around that area a couple times because I was marking fish in small loose groups. I did get a big hit but it pulled off near the boat after I cleared my lines. All I got were two scales on a hook. A couple more loops got no more. So I kept going and on the second loop at R33 got the second fish. A nicer 25.5". Nothing else happened so I kept going to R31. There I met Bob R. I think he was following me. He too had marked fish but no bites. He did mention he marked fish at Coast Guard point so I kept that in mind. I started heading down lake checking a few spots here and there. I set my lines again at Bridgewater and trolled to Coast Guard. As Bob said I started marking fish. I saw a group of about 6 fish on the side imaging and steered that way. Bango. Third fish was a very nice 25". I was finally feeling good.
I took a break at Captains Quarters and said hello to Dewayne. He showed me some nice pix from his time on the Bay. I got to do that some time soon. He confirmed for me that fish should still be up the creek near/around Campers so after the break I headed that way. I started casting at the first big right turn and working the bank with a Storm Kickin' Minnow 6" in gizzard shad color. Half way to the no wake buoys I got bumped. I thought I snagged something and then was shocked when the snag started swimming away! Wow, I actually got one casting the banks. Just a 22" but also nice. I had just taken the temps at the bridge and back here the water was 50 degrees. I didn't want to quit since the weather was so great but I did. I'm ready for Saturday.
Later Joel
As I got back to the main lake I started marking more fish but nothing was biting.Trolled around there and half way to Grimes but still nothing. And then the wind blew up. Wow, what a difference. I headed back toward R35 still marking scattered fish. I made a loop there and then kept going down lake. The first fish came at 9:30 half way between R35 and R34. Just a plump 23" but the first fish of the year. Ha-lay-lu-la. I looped around that area a couple times because I was marking fish in small loose groups. I did get a big hit but it pulled off near the boat after I cleared my lines. All I got were two scales on a hook. A couple more loops got no more. So I kept going and on the second loop at R33 got the second fish. A nicer 25.5". Nothing else happened so I kept going to R31. There I met Bob R. I think he was following me. He too had marked fish but no bites. He did mention he marked fish at Coast Guard point so I kept that in mind. I started heading down lake checking a few spots here and there. I set my lines again at Bridgewater and trolled to Coast Guard. As Bob said I started marking fish. I saw a group of about 6 fish on the side imaging and steered that way. Bango. Third fish was a very nice 25". I was finally feeling good.
I took a break at Captains Quarters and said hello to Dewayne. He showed me some nice pix from his time on the Bay. I got to do that some time soon. He confirmed for me that fish should still be up the creek near/around Campers so after the break I headed that way. I started casting at the first big right turn and working the bank with a Storm Kickin' Minnow 6" in gizzard shad color. Half way to the no wake buoys I got bumped. I thought I snagged something and then was shocked when the snag started swimming away! Wow, I actually got one casting the banks. Just a 22" but also nice. I had just taken the temps at the bridge and back here the water was 50 degrees. I didn't want to quit since the weather was so great but I did. I'm ready for Saturday.
Later Joel