All ready to go!

keithdog · 07-04-12, 08:11 PM

The company I work for decided to close their doors for this thursday and friday. So I decided to take advantage of it even though the air temps are going to be nearing 100 degrees. Planning on hitting the lake early tomorrow and friday. I should be on the water around 3:45AM. I have 7 rods rigged ready to go. Topwater is almost always productive early on in this lake. Here is what I am starting out with. Heddon Rattlin Spook, a 5/8 oz Jitterbug, 3" Xcalber popper, Buzzbait, Strike King Caffeine Shad jerk bait, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait, and a Strike King t-rigged Game Hog which is like a Brush Hog. Trying something different with the Game Hog. I have a floating black wooden bullet shaped float pegged up tight to the Game Hog. Planning to pitch it on top of floating vegitation and around other cover and use it as a floating weedless topwater. I figure the portion near the head will float while the body will be beneith the waters surface. I'm betting this will get some attention.

At least I hope. I'm also hoping the shad bite will have started by now. So far I havn't seen any evidence of it untill now. Thats what the popper is for. I really nail'em on that popper when the bass are busting shad on top! As the morning passes, I'll start cutting back on the topwater baits and replacing them with a couple crankbaits. And the Game Hog will be replaced with a 3-3/4 inch Craw Papi rigged to probe the bottom beneith the weed canopy. That has worked really well for me once the sun comes out strong and the surface bite dies. If the spinnerbait bite fails on me, I'm going to try working a soft body swimbait rigged on a swim bait jighead around the deeper edges of the weedbeds. I'm betting by the time I leave tomorrow, I'll know exactly what I will need for friday mornings outting and I'll be able to cut the number of rods in half. Thats the plan.

lilmule · 07-04-12, 09:55 PM

Plan on sunscreen fluids and coming in early,goodluck

bamabassman · 07-04-12, 10:47 PM

you go dawg!!!!! i'll be waiting on the text pics buddy!!

Tavery5 · 07-04-12, 10:53 PM

Good luck Keith, let us know how you do.

keithdog · 07-04-12, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilmule

Plan on sunscreen fluids and coming in early,goodluck

You got it! They say 98 and sunny tomorrow. Probably be back home by lunch time.

Bassboss · 07-05-12, 12:19 AM

GOOD LUCK!! Sounds like you got a great game plan worked out! I might just wake up early and go fishin too. Not sure how the fish will react to the fireworks, but hell, it's better than not fishing at all. Not much of a morning person, but I oughta do it a couple times this summer!

keithdog · 07-06-12, 05:05 PM

Well, it was a very tough day. Full sun, vertually no wind and HOT at 102 degrees. I was on the water by 4:15 and home by 12:30. Caught about 5 all together. I am sure it would have been a better day had the DNR not treated the lake with a herbacide. All the beautiful lucious weedbeds I fish in were gone. The lake looked like a vegitation graveyard. Nothing left but brown dead stems and of course lilly pads along shore, which were not holding anything. There was some activity early on but once that sun came up, everything died off fast. This lake has had a healthy population of shad the last few years, but I see no sign of them this year. The bass are not nearly as thick and full bellied as usual either. Not sure whats going on there. Last time I was out there 4 weeks ago, I was pitchin a Craw Papi into the pockets of the weedbeds and having a great time. Now.......I don't even know where to begin to locate the bass. All the cover is gone for the most part. About all thats left is some pads and piers, neither of which seem to be holding anything. I caught most of my bass on a spinnerbait worked near the dying weedbeds, and one on a crankbait. It got 3 good slaps at topwaters early on, but that was it, just slaps. They were not taking the baits. Very strange. Actually, I did catch one when it hit my Rattlin Spook, but both trebles were impaled on the outside of the body of the bass, not the mouth.

bassboogieman · 07-06-12, 06:55 PM

It's a well known fact if you kill the weeds, you kill the fishing. Sorry to hear your DNR is dumping herbicide, are there homeowners on the lake? Sometimes homeowners get on the DNR to kill the weeds in "their" precious lake so it "looks pretty" and have no clue the effect it has on the aquatic population of "their" waters. I hate to see it happen, when "selective" weed removal can be done by cutting or raking. Herbicide kills it all, darm shame.

bamabassman · 07-06-12, 07:09 PM

sad to hear about the weeds keith. but hey...you did get 5 fish! better than i did today.

keithdog · 07-06-12, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassboogieman

It's a well known fact if you kill the weeds, you kill the fishing. Sorry to hear your DNR is dumping herbicide, are there homeowners on the lake? Sometimes homeowners get on the DNR to kill the weeds in "their" precious lake so it "looks pretty" and have no clue the effect it has on the aquatic population of "their" waters. I hate to see it happen, when "selective" weed removal can be done by cutting or raking. Herbicide kills it all, darm shame.

Yeah Bruce, it is surounded by homes. Plus there is a conservancy district that manages the whole area. I bet they had something to do with it. They do this every few years. I know weed control needs to be done, but it really ticks me off how they manage it.

Bassboss · 07-06-12, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keithdog

Well, it was a very tough day. Full sun, vertually no wind and HOT at 102 degrees. I was on the water by 4:15 and home by 12:30. Caught about 5 all together. I am sure it would have been a better day had the DNR not treated the lake with a herbacide. All the beautiful lucious weedbeds I fish in were gone. The lake looked like a vegitation graveyard. Nothing left but brown dead stems and of course lilly pads along shore, which were not holding anything. There was some activity early on but once that sun came up, everything died off fast. This lake has had a healthy population of shad the last few years, but I see no sign of them this year. The bass are not nearly as thick and full bellied as usual either. Not sure whats going on there. Last time I was out there 4 weeks ago, I was pitchin a Craw Papi into the pockets of the weedbeds and having a great time. Now.......I don't even know where to begin to locate the bass. All the cover is gone for the most part. About all thats left is some pads and piers, neither of which seem to be holding anything. I caught most of my bass on a spinnerbait worked near the dying weedbeds, and one on a crankbait. It got 3 good slaps at topwaters early on, but that was it, just slaps. They were not taking the baits. Very strange. Actually, I did catch one when it hit my Rattlin Spook, but both trebles were impaled on the outside of the body of the bass, not the mouth.

COMPLAIN!! Make as big of stink as you feel comfortable keith. They did something similar to pond I fished a Florida, and made some of my favorite techniques much less effective.

Sorry to hear your day was such a bust, hope you can get the lake back to normal.

rrw4258 · 07-07-12, 06:23 AM

They kill the weeds around here in our reservoirs and ponds the same way. Like you said, it seems to mess up the fishing at first, but after a while, when the reamins of the old weeds are gone, the fishing gets much better. At least a bad day fishing is better than sitting in ice cold A/C, relaxing and enjoying fishing shows.... or is it??

Ryan

07-04-12, 08:11 PM	#1
keithdog BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: IN Posts: 8,308	All ready to go! The company I work for decided to close their doors for this thursday and friday. So I decided to take advantage of it even though the air temps are going to be nearing 100 degrees. Planning on hitting the lake early tomorrow and friday. I should be on the water around 3:45AM. I have 7 rods rigged ready to go. Topwater is almost always productive early on in this lake. Here is what I am starting out with. Heddon Rattlin Spook, a 5/8 oz Jitterbug, 3" Xcalber popper, Buzzbait, Strike King Caffeine Shad jerk bait, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait, and a Strike King t-rigged Game Hog which is like a Brush Hog. Trying something different with the Game Hog. I have a floating black wooden bullet shaped float pegged up tight to the Game Hog. Planning to pitch it on top of floating vegitation and around other cover and use it as a floating weedless topwater. I figure the portion near the head will float while the body will be beneith the waters surface. I'm betting this will get some attention. At least I hope. I'm also hoping the shad bite will have started by now. So far I havn't seen any evidence of it untill now. Thats what the popper is for. I really nail'em on that popper when the bass are busting shad on top! As the morning passes, I'll start cutting back on the topwater baits and replacing them with a couple crankbaits. And the Game Hog will be replaced with a 3-3/4 inch Craw Papi rigged to probe the bottom beneith the weed canopy. That has worked really well for me once the sun comes out strong and the surface bite dies. If the spinnerbait bite fails on me, I'm going to try working a soft body swimbait rigged on a swim bait jighead around the deeper edges of the weedbeds. I'm betting by the time I leave tomorrow, I'll know exactly what I will need for friday mornings outting and I'll be able to cut the number of rods in half. Thats the plan. __________________ Just one more cast, and then some!

07-04-12, 10:47 PM	#3
bamabassman BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: cedar bluff, alabama Posts: 15,292	you go dawg!!!!! i'll be waiting on the text pics buddy!! __________________ so many lures, so little time.

07-04-12, 10:53 PM	#4
Tavery5 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Wichita, KS Posts: 2,427	Good luck Keith, let us know how you do. __________________ They call me Ishmael

07-05-12, 12:19 AM	#6
Bassboss BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Shawano, WI Posts: 7,761	GOOD LUCK!! Sounds like you got a great game plan worked out! I might just wake up early and go fishin too. Not sure how the fish will react to the fireworks, but hell, it's better than not fishing at all. Not much of a morning person, but I oughta do it a couple times this summer! __________________ If you can't fix it with heavy squats or fish oil, you're probably going to die.

07-06-12, 05:05 PM	#7
keithdog BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: IN Posts: 8,308	Well, it was a very tough day. Full sun, vertually no wind and HOT at 102 degrees. I was on the water by 4:15 and home by 12:30. Caught about 5 all together. I am sure it would have been a better day had the DNR not treated the lake with a herbacide. All the beautiful lucious weedbeds I fish in were gone. The lake looked like a vegitation graveyard. Nothing left but brown dead stems and of course lilly pads along shore, which were not holding anything. There was some activity early on but once that sun came up, everything died off fast. This lake has had a healthy population of shad the last few years, but I see no sign of them this year. The bass are not nearly as thick and full bellied as usual either. Not sure whats going on there. Last time I was out there 4 weeks ago, I was pitchin a Craw Papi into the pockets of the weedbeds and having a great time. Now.......I don't even know where to begin to locate the bass. All the cover is gone for the most part. About all thats left is some pads and piers, neither of which seem to be holding anything. I caught most of my bass on a spinnerbait worked near the dying weedbeds, and one on a crankbait. It got 3 good slaps at topwaters early on, but that was it, just slaps. They were not taking the baits. Very strange. Actually, I did catch one when it hit my Rattlin Spook, but both trebles were impaled on the outside of the body of the bass, not the mouth. __________________ Just one more cast, and then some!

07-04-12, 09:55 PM	#2
lilmule BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Buchanan,Tn Posts: 2,685	Plan on sunscreen fluids and coming in early,goodluck

07-06-12, 06:55 PM	#8
bassboogieman BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Parkesburg, Pa. Posts: 3,762	It's a well known fact if you kill the weeds, you kill the fishing. Sorry to hear your DNR is dumping herbicide, are there homeowners on the lake? Sometimes homeowners get on the DNR to kill the weeds in "their" precious lake so it "looks pretty" and have no clue the effect it has on the aquatic population of "their" waters. I hate to see it happen, when "selective" weed removal can be done by cutting or raking. Herbicide kills it all, darm shame.

07-06-12, 07:09 PM	#9
bamabassman BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: cedar bluff, alabama Posts: 15,292	sad to hear about the weeds keith. but hey...you did get 5 fish! better than i did today. __________________ so many lures, so little time.

07-07-12, 06:23 AM	#12
rrw4258 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bellevue, Ohio Posts: 2,338	They kill the weeds around here in our reservoirs and ponds the same way. Like you said, it seems to mess up the fishing at first, but after a while, when the reamins of the old weeds are gone, the fishing gets much better. At least a bad day fishing is better than sitting in ice cold A/C, relaxing and enjoying fishing shows.... or is it?? Ryan __________________ Never Give Up!

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