Post by rgang4 on May 28, 2019 17:45:59 GMT -5
Sure looked like it was going to be a great weekend for fishing last Thursday with rain ending and temps warming.
Couldn’t wait to get out Saturday morning and was hoping the rain would hold off until late evening. Wanted to do my first marathon day of the year. Only made it to about 3:30 and ended up wet with a filthy boat. Pretty typical for 2019.
Plan was to fish north to Kirby and south to Chipmans just fishing what ever popped up. Tried Beadles Cove first. Have yet to catch a fish in there this year🤔
Fished the ledges on the way out. First cast with a crankbait a dozen or so alewives followed my crank bait. Had heard they were around but until then had yet to see any. Don’t know what surprised me more, me not seeing any yet or Brian D telling me they were everywhere!
Thought I figured something out when I got a bite immediately after changing color to a more alewife like pattern.
Should have done a belly photo too, this guy was full of them by the looks of his gut. Turns out first one meant nothing. Don’t think any more came from rock until much later. The dark spot is a tail sticking out it’s throat, likely an alewife. As Brian D said they were indeed everywhere 👍
Moved towards a bay but a boat was where I usually start, some guy in a Basscat. Peeled off a little disappointed but not for long😁
Got a nice one on a swim jig, then soon another. Lots of spots for a bass to be so I put the pole down and got my jig rod out and kept it out. Bites on the jig were more like bluegill bites than bass bites and I missed a few unless I let them chew on it a bit. Some actually swam off with it a bit making me think maybe they were moving it off a bed.
Worked back and forth for sometime until the bites stopped and then continued on down the bank picking one off here and there on the jig.
Not too much else worked until later in the day but had a flurry late which started by “dragging a jig around” on a spot where “dragging a jig around” worked for BD 👍
Probably my best of the day, maybe a bit over 4. Caught the rest of the bunch on a swim jig as I moved along the bank. Might have messed up by not trying to find some new weed emerging a bit farther off shore but it’s hard to go looking when you are catching.
Wish I had not made the last two stops because had I not I may have gotten off dry and home with a clean boat. Should have been smarter. Knew it was coming 😏
Sunday was beautiful but windier than predicted 😡 of course. Wife wanted to go to Sunset Lake and then go pick ramps. I told her Sunset was bad plan but she wanted to try.
Fortunately Sunrise is just across the street and more protected and as I found out has some very nice bass.
Plan was to go for crappie but they were small so when I spotted a nice bass on a bed I rigged a heavier rod I had a brought along just for that reason. Didn’t bring much bass tackle but just bought some light jig heads for Ned rigs. Worked great on bedded fish. Entered the water quietly and when they saw it most would eat it immediately or at worst on the second or third cast. Haven’t bed fished in years for LM. Used to a lot but figured out it messed me up when they weren’t on beds anymore. Seemed like I’d forget how to fish once the spawn was over.
We stayed most of the day, maybe too long because by the time we got done foraging for ramps there was not time left to head to the lake. I knew better anyway, the north wind had to be hammering on Champlain Sunday. I was just hoping to get the wife in the new boat for the first time this year, get a few good fish and see the sunset on the warmest day of the year. I know way too much to hope for!
Well I should have known better Monday too and though I contemplated other plans I hoped we might see the 5 in the 5-15 NW wind. Nah. Lots of 15, some 20 and a little 5 for about 5 minutes.
Launched from Lapham. Seemed many out there smarter than me as the lot was empty at 7 and empty at 4.
My best spots were blown out and or the wind was just too bad to try and force it. Had some good fish early on the jig fishing where flooded trees met chunk rock. With the sun beating down good and the bank protected you’d think they would be tight to the bank but they were not. Bites would come once jig passed the rocks and hit soft bottom. Bites were soft and the fishing was slow but it produced. Ended the day with a dozen or so and the jig got most of them. Never had a good hard hit on a jig. What the heck? The bites on a square bill were hard and they swallowed it. Same with the swim jig. Had a couple hard hits on a SB too. Wish I knew what was wrong with my Chatterbait 😢
Tough day but did finally get my wife out😎 and she was even there for three of the five minutes of 5 mph wind. Of course she was there when it was blowing 20 too but I got us back safe and sound.
Next weekend I’m thinking I take her some place smaller and quieter but I don’t want to spoil her for Champlain 🤪
but maybe I need a break too. We’ll see.
Couldn’t wait to get out Saturday morning and was hoping the rain would hold off until late evening. Wanted to do my first marathon day of the year. Only made it to about 3:30 and ended up wet with a filthy boat. Pretty typical for 2019.
Plan was to fish north to Kirby and south to Chipmans just fishing what ever popped up. Tried Beadles Cove first. Have yet to catch a fish in there this year🤔
Fished the ledges on the way out. First cast with a crankbait a dozen or so alewives followed my crank bait. Had heard they were around but until then had yet to see any. Don’t know what surprised me more, me not seeing any yet or Brian D telling me they were everywhere!
Thought I figured something out when I got a bite immediately after changing color to a more alewife like pattern.
Should have done a belly photo too, this guy was full of them by the looks of his gut. Turns out first one meant nothing. Don’t think any more came from rock until much later. The dark spot is a tail sticking out it’s throat, likely an alewife. As Brian D said they were indeed everywhere 👍
Moved towards a bay but a boat was where I usually start, some guy in a Basscat. Peeled off a little disappointed but not for long😁
Got a nice one on a swim jig, then soon another. Lots of spots for a bass to be so I put the pole down and got my jig rod out and kept it out. Bites on the jig were more like bluegill bites than bass bites and I missed a few unless I let them chew on it a bit. Some actually swam off with it a bit making me think maybe they were moving it off a bed.
Worked back and forth for sometime until the bites stopped and then continued on down the bank picking one off here and there on the jig.
Not too much else worked until later in the day but had a flurry late which started by “dragging a jig around” on a spot where “dragging a jig around” worked for BD 👍
Probably my best of the day, maybe a bit over 4. Caught the rest of the bunch on a swim jig as I moved along the bank. Might have messed up by not trying to find some new weed emerging a bit farther off shore but it’s hard to go looking when you are catching.
Wish I had not made the last two stops because had I not I may have gotten off dry and home with a clean boat. Should have been smarter. Knew it was coming 😏
Sunday was beautiful but windier than predicted 😡 of course. Wife wanted to go to Sunset Lake and then go pick ramps. I told her Sunset was bad plan but she wanted to try.
Fortunately Sunrise is just across the street and more protected and as I found out has some very nice bass.
Plan was to go for crappie but they were small so when I spotted a nice bass on a bed I rigged a heavier rod I had a brought along just for that reason. Didn’t bring much bass tackle but just bought some light jig heads for Ned rigs. Worked great on bedded fish. Entered the water quietly and when they saw it most would eat it immediately or at worst on the second or third cast. Haven’t bed fished in years for LM. Used to a lot but figured out it messed me up when they weren’t on beds anymore. Seemed like I’d forget how to fish once the spawn was over.
We stayed most of the day, maybe too long because by the time we got done foraging for ramps there was not time left to head to the lake. I knew better anyway, the north wind had to be hammering on Champlain Sunday. I was just hoping to get the wife in the new boat for the first time this year, get a few good fish and see the sunset on the warmest day of the year. I know way too much to hope for!
Well I should have known better Monday too and though I contemplated other plans I hoped we might see the 5 in the 5-15 NW wind. Nah. Lots of 15, some 20 and a little 5 for about 5 minutes.
Launched from Lapham. Seemed many out there smarter than me as the lot was empty at 7 and empty at 4.
My best spots were blown out and or the wind was just too bad to try and force it. Had some good fish early on the jig fishing where flooded trees met chunk rock. With the sun beating down good and the bank protected you’d think they would be tight to the bank but they were not. Bites would come once jig passed the rocks and hit soft bottom. Bites were soft and the fishing was slow but it produced. Ended the day with a dozen or so and the jig got most of them. Never had a good hard hit on a jig. What the heck? The bites on a square bill were hard and they swallowed it. Same with the swim jig. Had a couple hard hits on a SB too. Wish I knew what was wrong with my Chatterbait 😢
Tough day but did finally get my wife out😎 and she was even there for three of the five minutes of 5 mph wind. Of course she was there when it was blowing 20 too but I got us back safe and sound.
Next weekend I’m thinking I take her some place smaller and quieter but I don’t want to spoil her for Champlain 🤪
but maybe I need a break too. We’ll see.
