It pays to follow a hunch

[Rebbasser]

My next-door neighbor and I ran up to a lake just north of here for a couple of hours-had such a great day there last week I figured I'd try it again. Fished those areas that produced last week and nothing. Went to another spot behind a little island but nothing there, either. I kept looking at this gravel bank-no cover except a lot of rock ranging from gravel to basketball size, and had a hunch-red deep running crankbait. Moved over there, tied on a red Excalibur crawfish pattern and started chunking. Third or fourth cast my rod loaded up and from the pull I thought it was either a smallie or a pretty good largemouth. Turned out it was just a real strong fish-weighed about a pound and a half. Kept working the bank and caught 3 more, all about a pound, a small fresh water drum that was foul hooked, and a 5-inch bluegill that hit a 3-inch lure-go figure.

Anyway, the moral of my story is if you have a hunch about something, play it out-it just might pay off.

[bass kicker]

sounds like you had a good day

going to see if we have alittle better luck in the morning

[zooker]

huh? bare bank you don't say...

zooker

[PowerBass]

Good Tip Reb. I have had a few hunches like that also, and they payed off

[JB]

barebank+one tiny rock= great fishin tale by reb n zook!

REB,
isnt it typical that one day the pattern is strong, nothing weather wise really changes, but the next day its a whole dif. ballgame...
Tourney anglers, get used to it!

[Rebbasser]

Yep, and truth be told I figured that would be the case, so I wasn't surprised at all.

[dodgeguy]

we have a lake up here that has beaches on it with sand.sometimes that's the place to get a bite when nothing else works.bare banks can be productive.

[JB]

Carolina rig a lizards on those sandy beaches works well up here

[zooker]

jb just change to a french fry later in the day and get more bites.

zooker

[lovinfishin9]

I went fishing today, i didnt catch anything but they kept following the red craw crank i was using. I just couldnt get em to bite it

[bassguy2004]

Reb, I wonder if you ran the bank with your sonar what would you see? A bank which looks like a nothing bank above the surface, may hold a few secrets below the surface. So many fishermen go by a bank in a heart beat because it looks as though there isn't anything visible to hold fish. What is key is what you can't see. Good going on the hunch. I might have moved out a little farther, depending on what depth was there and what the water temp was. You may have found them stacked like cord wood, or maybe not.

[Rebbasser]

Bassguy, the electronics really didn't show anything-just a chunk rock bottom. Now that I think about it, though, you make a real valid point-the main river channel swings up real close to the bank-we crossed it and the depth change was very pronounced-and I didn't even think about checking where it comes closest to the bank. Thanks for the idea! I'll be sure to check it next time.