First Trip Of The Year

[BigBassin144]

Hey guys. I'm still around, but really busy. So after working to get out tractor up and running all Saturday, my dad and I were ready for a break. We headed out to the local reservoir for a couple hours despite it being a fairly windy day.

The game plan was to hopefully get some fish to hit some lipless cranks. We've had good luck with them here in early spring before.

My dad started with a red XCalibur lipless, I started with a sunfish colored one. My dad had a hit fairly quickly and landed a nice chunky fish for the reservoir.



Shortly thereafter, I switched up to a my favorite lipless bait, the XCalibur in Pearl Melon. Not too longer afterwards, I had my first fish of the year. It was a bit smaller than the one my dad got.



My dad caught another on the red crank.



Then we went for a while without so much as a hit. I tried slow rolling a spinnerbait, another technique I've had some early spring success with here. I didn't get anything on that and switched back to my lipless crank. I walked down to the furthest corner from the road that runs along one side of the reservoir. We've had success down in this corner before. On my way there, I found this big guy. I was surprised since this was one of the first nice days we've had.



I ended up catching 3 fish out of that corner, They were all about the same length, but one was a chunk and probably the biggest fish of the day.







My dad caught another on the lipless crank while I was fishing that corner, so no picture of it.

I was happy with the results for the first trip of the year and having spent only a couple hours there. He had three, I had four. And any day I out fish my dad is a good one.

BB

[MallenManson]

Wtg! Can't wait to get out there, myself!

[bassinbob]

Sounds like a great time.

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by MallenManson

Wtg! Can't wait to get out there, myself!

We're waiting for C&R to open in MI as well. Although our non-resident licenses are going up from $36 a year w/o trout stamp to $76 a year all inclusive... Kinda sucks that I have to buy a trout stamp, even though I won't use it.

Originally Posted by bassinbob

Sounds like a great time.

It was!

BB

[WatterBoy]

Well done, Anthony. Good report and pics. Great to see you and your dad got out there and got on the board for 2014!

[keithdog]

Way to go Anthony! I'm on vacation next week and hope to get out a couple times then. Just wish it would warm up for good. Next week is iffy and it's snowing again here tonight.

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by WatterBoy

Well done, Anthony. Good report and pics. Great to see you and your dad got out there and got on the board for 2014!

Thanks!

Originally Posted by keithdog

Way to go Anthony! I'm on vacation next week and hope to get out a couple times then. Just wish it would warm up for good. Next week is iffy and it's snowing again here tonight.

Let us know how it goes Keith. I don't understand this weather. Nearly 80 yesterday, snow forecasted for tonight... I'm disappointed to hear it actually is snowing over your way. I was hoping it was the usual weatherman "might do this, might not" but your weather will be heading my way.

[MallenManson]

Originally Posted by BigBassin144

We're waiting for C&R to open in MI as well. Although our non-resident licenses are going up from $36 a year w/o trout stamp to $76 a year all inclusive... Kinda sucks that I have to buy a trout stamp, even though I won't use it.



It was!

BB

76? Wow. 50 bucks more than mine ; )
If it makes you feel any better it's like 28 bucks, if I remember correctly for a 10 day license in TN ; )

[BigBassin144]

Quite a few years ago when my dad and I took a trip to eastern OH/western PA to fish for steelhead, it cost about $26 for a 3 day out of state license, lol.

Maybe I'll just have to drive up north and make use of that trout stamp they're forcing me to buy.

BB

[MallenManson]

Originally Posted by BigBassin144

Quite a few years ago when my dad and I took a trip to eastern OH/western PA to fish for steelhead, it cost about $26 for a 3 day out of state license, lol.

Maybe I'll just have to drive up north and make use of that trout stamp they're forcing me to buy.

BB

Make sure to grab a sturgeon and Musky too ; )

[mikechell]

I'm in California until Friday. Bought a 10 day non-resident sportsman license ... salt and fresh water fishing included ... $46.50.

I travel so much, I sure wish they'd come up with a national license ... but it'd be so expensive I couldn't afford it, I guess.

Anyway ... in two weeks, I'll be in Cape May, NJ. Looks like there's a lot of small ponds out there on Google Earth !!!

[mikechell]

Oh, sorry to hijack the thread ... Back on topic ... Nice fish, nice report and wonderful story of fishing with your father.

[nofearengineer]

Nice fish.

You're doing better than me, Anthony.

I just spent $17 on my Indiana Resi License and $83 on my Tennessee All Species Non-Resi.

As I have only boated one bass of about 7 inches, my return on investment has not been too great this year.

But next week should be good.

[Backwater Charlie]

Nice fish man. First time being on here in FOREVER..