A Day to Remember

A DAY TO REMEMBER

MAY 6, 2000

ANOTHER BANGUP WEEKEND. 13 NICE FISH AND SOME REAL BIG ONES CAUGHT ON RAPALA SHAD. TROLLING A BACK AND FORTH PATTERN BY THE QUARRY AGAIN. THE AMAZING THING TODAY WAS XINIA FISHED WITH ME AND CAUGHT 15. SHE BEAT ME TODAY. SHE USED A SIMILAR PLUG. INTERESTING NOTES 84 DEGREES, SLIGHTLY BREEZY COMING OUT OF THE SW, WATER WAS CLEAR. FISHED IN SOME DEEP WATER, 50-60 FT, AND AS DEEP AS 70-80 FT. CAUGHT FISH THERE TOO. FOUND ANOTHER SHALLOW SPOT IN THE LAKE OFF APULO CALLED “THE HILL”. (FROM MY PERSONAL FISHING JORNAL)

THIS WAS PROBABLY MY BEST DAY EVER ON ILOPANGO AS FAR AS THE SIZE OF THE FISH GOES. THESE WERE BIG FISH FOR THIS LAKE. THEY WERE ALL IN THE 1-2 LB RANGE AND HEAVY. THE SKY WAS SLIGHTLY OVERCAST BUT SUNNY. THE WEEK BEFORE I FISHED THIS SAME PLACE USING A RUBBER MINNOW AND CAUGHT 11 FISH, SO I FIGURED IT WAS A NO BRAINER TO TRY AGAIN. XINIA USUALLY TAGS ALONG BUT DOES NOT ALWAYS FISH THAT MUCH, BUT AFTER TELLING HER WHAT A GREAT WEEK I HAD BEFORE, I GUESS SHE FIGURED, SHE DIDN’T WANT TO BE LEFT OUT.

I WAS USING A DEEP RUNNING SHAD AND XINIA WAS USING A RAPALA MEDIUM DEPTH. THE FISH WERE DEFINITELY SUSPENDED IN SCHOOLS. ALL WE HAD TO DO WAS RUN BACK AND FORTH MAKING CIRCLES AROUND THE AREA WE WERE FISHING. WE WERE FISHING DEEP WATER AND CATCHING FISH IN THE 8-15 FEET DEPTH. THE WATER WAS CRYSTAL CLEAR AND IN THE MID 80’S ON THE SURFACE AND PROBABLY AT THE DEPTH WE WERE FISHING WAS IN THE MID TO HIGH 70’S. NEITHER ONE OF US EVER CHANGED LURE. THERE WAS NO NEED TO, WE WERE CATCHING FISH.

ALL IN ALL WE FISHED FOR ABOUT 3 HOURS AND BETWEEN US 28 FISH. LATER WE MOVED OFF THE SPOT AFTER THE FISH JUST QUIT BITING. WE STARTED SEARCHING FOR PLACES IN THE LAKE THAT RAPIDLY GO FROM VERY DEEP WATER TO VERY SHALLOW WATER. WHEN I SAY DEEP, I AM TALKING 250 FEET TO 15-20 FEET IN SECONDS. THIS IS ILOPANGO. UNDER WATER STRUCTURE YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW EXISTED IF YOU DID NOT HAVE THE ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT ON YOUR BOAT TO FIND IT. THERE WERE FISH ALL OVER THIS STRUCTURE, BUT NOT BITING. SO WE DECIDED TO GO BACK TO THE HOT SPOT, AND WE CAUGHT A COUPLE MORE FISH AND CALLED IT A DAY.

FISH ARE ACTIVE AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY AND WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH THIS DAY TO HIT THEM WHEN THEY WERE AT THEIR PEAK. MOST FISHERMEN WILL TELL YOU FISH ARE ONLY ACTIVE 10% OF THE TIME. THE REST OF THE TIME THEY ARE CASUAL EATERS. WHEN THEY ARE ACTIVE THEY WILL HIT A BOTTLE CAP IF YOU THROW IT AT THEM.

TROLLING PROVED TO BE A VERY EFFECTIVE WAY TO FISH AND UP UNTIL THE WEEK BEFORE, I HAD DONE LITTLE OR NO TROLLING IN ILOPANGO. I QUICKLY CHANGED THE WAY I FISHED FROM THAT DAY FORWARD. THE PICTURE IN THIS STORY IS EXACTLY THE AREA WE HAPPENED TO BE FISHING THAT DAY.

IN READING MAGAZINE LAST WEEK I FOUND SOME RATHER NEAT QUOTES THAT FISHERMEN USE; HERE IS ONE I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL.

“IT’S NOT THAT ALL FISHERMAN ARE LIARS, IT’S JUST THAT A LOT OF LIARS ARE FISHERMAN.”

WELL THAT’LL DO IT FOR THIS WEEK. KEEP READING AND TAKE A KID FISHING, HE WILL ENJOY IT.

GONE FISHIN’

From the Shore, or From a Boat

SOME PEOPLE THINK YOU HAVE TO CATCH FISH FROM A BOAT TO CATCH BIG FISH AND THAT JUST AIN’T TRUE. SOME OF MY BIGGEST FISH HAVE BEEN IN FARM PONDS, RESAVOIRS OR LAKE SHORES. THERE ARE ADVANTAGES TO FISHING FROM A BOAT, BECAUSE OF BEING ABLE TO GET OVER TOP, OR CLOSE TO AREAS THAT ARE NOT ACCESSABLE WALKING A SHORE LINE. OTHER ADVANTAGES INCLUDE THE ANGLE IN WHICH YOU CAN DELIVER A BAIT. BUT ALL IN ALL FISHING FROM THE SHORE CAN BE JUST AS EXCITING AS HAULING ONE IN FROM A BOAT.

WHEN I AM HOME IN MARYLAND I HAVE TO FISH FROM THE SHORE BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE A BOAT. WHEN I FISH A FARM POND FOR EXAMPLE I AM ALWAYS MOVING AROUND THE POND. I THROW IN ONE PLACE A COUPLE OF TIMES AND IF NOTHING, I MOVE ON. I JUST KEEP DOING THAT FOR HOURS. I REMEMBER ONE TIME IN A PERIOD OF ABOUT 3 HOURS I CAUGHT 20 LARGEMOUTH BASS ON 2 DIFFERENT LURES, JUST MOVING. THE POND WAS NOT THAT BIG EITHER. ON ANOTHER POND I CAUGHT MY BIGGEST BASS WHICH WAS ABOUT 7 LBS. SO FISHING A SHORELINE IS FUN AND VERY PRODUCTIVE. I ALSO LIKE FISHING FOR TROUT, WADING IN THE WATER. SO NEVER LET ANYONE TELL YOU FISHING WITHOUT A BOAT IS NOT FUN OR NOT VERY PRODUCTIVE.

FISHING FROM A BOAT ON THE OTHER HAND, REQUIRES MORE THAN JUST STARTING A MOTOR AND FINDING A PLACE WHERE YOU THINK THERE ARE FISH. IT IS CONTROLLING YOUR BOAT AND THE CONDITIONS YOU ARE FISHING IN. FOR EXAMPLE: IT IS VERY DIFFICULT FISHING IN A BOAT WHEN THE WEATHER IS WINDY. YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO KEEP THE POSISTION OF THE BOAT IN THE STRIKE ZONE AND THAT IS NOT SO EASY. WITH THE WIND PUSHING YOU AROUND LIKE A DUCK, IT CAN BE DOWN RIGHT FRUSTRATING TO THE POINT OF CALLING IT A SHORT DAY. NEVER THE LESS, IF YOU WANT FISH, YOU HAVE TO BE READY FOR ALL KINDS OF CONDITIONS. MY FAVORITE TIME BELIEVE IT OR NOT IS IN A LIGHT DRIZZLE OVERCAST DAY. THE FISH ARE AWESOME ON DAYS LIKE THAT TOO.

THERE ARE CERTAIN TIMES WHEN THE FISHING IS AT ITS BEST. THREE DAYS BEFORE AND AFTER A FULL MOON ARE GOOD TIMES. WHEN THERE IS 30 INCHES OR SLIGHTLY MORE OF BAROMETRIC PRESSURE. WHEN IT IS SLIGHTLY OVERCAST. FISHING IS NOT NORMALLY TOO PRODUCTIVE WHEN THERE IS A BLUEBIRD SKY (NO CLOUDS). WHEN WATER TEMPERATURES ARE 60º AND ABOVE. EITHER. FISH INTO THE WIND OR BREEZE, WHENEVER POSSIBLE, BECAUSE FISH ARE USUALLY POINTED IN THAT DIRECTION TO CATCH FOOD THAT IS PUSHED TOWARDS THEM. FISH ALSO LIKE COVER, LIKE WEEDS, ROCKS, FALLEN TREES, & SHADE IN HOT WEATHER.

GONE FISHIN’