So I started as usual at the dawn's early light. I ran into Betty and Becky looking but all I saw was some bait and some small fish marks on the sonar. There were a couple boats floating around the creek mouths but I saw nothing caught. I checked in front of the condos and across to the other side but still saw nothing. I gave that up quick and ran down to Walton's. I cruised around extensively but only saw the small echos, some bait and maybe a lone fish here and there. Nothing to get busy about.
So I ran down to the osprey nest and started trolling. I did begin marking fish but only singles and pairs. No big deal. I did see a bunch of fish toward the end of the point running off R16 but I couldn't get any to bite. So I trolled across the lake to head into SB. Right at R15 I heard one click from a reel and looked back to see the rod sort'a bobbing. I picked it up and felt a small wiggle so I fought the fish to the boat. This fish proved that stocking works cause it was an over eager 13". Yes, I said 13, one inch more that a foot. It also proved that all those small marks on the sonar were small fish. A good thing to know. There looked to be more of them there but I didn't bother. I trolled through and around the banks but saw and caught nothing.
On the way out I couldn't help but pass by R15 again. Sure 'nough I got another fish. I almost couldn't believe that it measured 12". Yes, that is only a foot, no extra inches. I kept trolling and made a pass all the way around the S curves looking. I did mark pairs of fish (looking bigger) here and there. Most were deeper, 30-40ft, and no bites. I pulled up lines and just started cruising down lake along the channel looking. I went past Carter's island and kept going to Rabbit island. Still wasn't seeing anything. Then since I was that far and hadn't done it before in the new boat, I ran all the way to the dam. I did look for fish there and along the mountain but still saw only ones and twos.
The cruise back to B&B wasn't bad even though I kept the speed down due to boat and wake traffic. I started trolling again at the condos because I remember in the past that some fish seem to show up at the creek mouths in late morning around noon. I was in fact marking some real fish but no numbers.I made a loop into Betty to the gazebo and was on the way out when a real fish hit. Easy to tell immediately that this was a good one. It didn't like the boat cause every time I got it close it took off again. This one was getting me tired! Finally got it in the net and dropped a very nice 32" into the boat. Time for a break. I made two more loops and passes in the area hoping for lightning to strike twice but it didn't happen. Fair enough, I called it a day. Going out tomorrow again.
Later Joel
So I ran down to the osprey nest and started trolling. I did begin marking fish but only singles and pairs. No big deal. I did see a bunch of fish toward the end of the point running off R16 but I couldn't get any to bite. So I trolled across the lake to head into SB. Right at R15 I heard one click from a reel and looked back to see the rod sort'a bobbing. I picked it up and felt a small wiggle so I fought the fish to the boat. This fish proved that stocking works cause it was an over eager 13". Yes, I said 13, one inch more that a foot. It also proved that all those small marks on the sonar were small fish. A good thing to know. There looked to be more of them there but I didn't bother. I trolled through and around the banks but saw and caught nothing.
On the way out I couldn't help but pass by R15 again. Sure 'nough I got another fish. I almost couldn't believe that it measured 12". Yes, that is only a foot, no extra inches. I kept trolling and made a pass all the way around the S curves looking. I did mark pairs of fish (looking bigger) here and there. Most were deeper, 30-40ft, and no bites. I pulled up lines and just started cruising down lake along the channel looking. I went past Carter's island and kept going to Rabbit island. Still wasn't seeing anything. Then since I was that far and hadn't done it before in the new boat, I ran all the way to the dam. I did look for fish there and along the mountain but still saw only ones and twos.
The cruise back to B&B wasn't bad even though I kept the speed down due to boat and wake traffic. I started trolling again at the condos because I remember in the past that some fish seem to show up at the creek mouths in late morning around noon. I was in fact marking some real fish but no numbers.I made a loop into Betty to the gazebo and was on the way out when a real fish hit. Easy to tell immediately that this was a good one. It didn't like the boat cause every time I got it close it took off again. This one was getting me tired! Finally got it in the net and dropped a very nice 32" into the boat. Time for a break. I made two more loops and passes in the area hoping for lightning to strike twice but it didn't happen. Fair enough, I called it a day. Going out tomorrow again.
Later Joel