Slow Opening Day

[MallenManson]

Cloudy, rainy, cold and breezy.
Hit 3 lakes, Dubonnet, Bass and Otter.
Caught 3 bass, 2 on Otter from shore and 1 on Dubonnet from the boat.
Only 1 keeper and it was a short fat bugger.
All 3 came on the Aruku Shad. Otter Lake claimed it.
I started crying and came home


IT'S BASS SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MIbasser]

Nice job Mallen. Opening day went pretty good down state. My boat only boated 10 bass (about the same number of pike) and my partner and I both missed nice fish as well. Two other boats that we fished with each had 20+ fish each. It was a new body of water for me..... Hope you get more next time!!

[MallenManson]

Originally Posted by MIbasser

Nice job Mallen. Opening day went pretty good down state. My boat only boated 10 bass (about the same number of pike) and my partner and I both missed nice fish as well. Two other boats that we fished with each had 20+ fish each. It was a new body of water for me..... Hope you get more next time!!

Way to go MIB! I about wet my drawers when I saw a big ol Pike open his mouth after my bait right up near the boat.
He had to be 3' if he was an inch. That's a monster in that lake. So many small pike in there, there's no size restriction on keeper pike.
Glad he missed the bait though. No way I would have landed him on 8# mono in the lilys I was fishing.
Next time, it's on like Donkey Kong

[bamabassman]

3 fish in your first day out is GREAT in my opion. Keep at it, the bigguns are out there pal.

[BassinNC]

Well I'm glad cabin fever is finally over for you mallen.
Congtars on the 2k10 fish.

[bcklash]

Sounds like bof of yas had fun today. Mallon your right its on like donkey kong.

[BigBassin144]

I'm just glad the season's open now! And a slow opening day is better than not being on the water.

BB

[Bender]

Great job to get 3 fish up there. I bet the water temps are close to what they are here and it is tough since the fish aren't even staging to spawn yet. Give it a few weeks and it should get a lot better. From my experience in northern Lower Penn. the bass don't spawn until mid May at the earliest and through June.

[catch2288]

Aye caramba.......so I probably shouldn't bother launching the boat until August here in the U.P. eh?.......sigh.

[MallenManson]

Thanks guys! Chris, from what I could tell, looks like they're making their beds now, so it's gettin closer.
Caught 2 more on Otter the 2nd day. Both on the Aruku Shad again.
Nearby Bass Lake has me totally skunked though. Not so much as a nibble. Went both days and nuthin.
My buddy went with me to Bass Lake sunday evening. He caught 3 Welfare Bass on live crawlers so he's up 3-0 on me.
Both lakes are motor prohibited. Gonna hit Otter with a kayak Friday and see if I can get back the 2 lures I lost

[Bender]

Originally Posted by catch2288

Aye caramba.......so I probably shouldn't bother launching the boat until August here in the U.P. eh?.......sigh.

I'm not saying that at all! I go fishing anytime I can. It just may be a little more tough if the water is still really cold and you may have to slow down a bit.

[catch2288]

Hi Bender......that was just my Yooper humor. Catch and release opens in the U.P. on May 15th and I'll be out regardless of weather. I'll be in heaven just being on the water regardless of the bite.

[Cavs1123]

Sounds like a pretty good day Mallen!

[nova385]

Mallen -the opener kinda sucked for me - not one fish in the boat - 48deg and a 20+ wind / was nice to get out and use some of the new gear. Spent most of the time messing with the new graph. Thursday is giong to be 70deg, Im heading out hope to have better luck.

[MallenManson]

It should definitely be picking up, nova. The cold spell we had a week of so back, really messed everything up.
I'm hopin to get out this weekend, if it isn't rainin

[MallenManson]

Fishin is still slow right now, but add 2 more bass on the Aruku.
Aruku-7
Everything but the kitchen sink-nuthin.
And I STILL can't get a strike on Bass Lake, while my buddy nabbed 2 more welfare fish

[tim4081]

On the west side fish are moving shallow....got out sunday on a couple of the bayous off the Grand....first one only produced two fish. Took a lunch break and hit another....fished a couple of points but nothing then moved into shallow water and all that changed. Put about 15-20 in boat in about 90 minutes between my son and I....most were small but a couple of 2-3 lbers. All were caught on 4" dingers in june bug or green pumpkin. My son also managed to snag a 20lb or so snapping turtle....boy was that something to get it up to the boat and the hook out....luckily it was on the tail.

Good luck and tight lines!

[MallenManson]

Originally Posted by tim4081

On the west side fish are moving shallow....got out sunday on a couple of the bayous off the Grand....first one only produced two fish. Took a lunch break and hit another....fished a couple of points but nothing then moved into shallow water and all that changed. Put about 15-20 in boat in about 90 minutes between my son and I....most were small but a couple of 2-3 lbers. All were caught on 4" dingers in june bug or green pumpkin. My son also managed to snag a 20lb or so snapping turtle....boy was that something to get it up to the boat and the hook out....luckily it was on the tail.

Good luck and tight lines!

Nice job Tim! If I hooked a turtle, he's keepin my bait lol

[tim4081]

Fish are definitely in shallow now....had some free time this morning before having to fly to Chicago so went down to nearest bayou....caught half a dozen....mostly dinks and again all on dingers except one on a jig.....all came from water less than 4'....luckily no snappers this time

[MallenManson]

Originally Posted by tim4081

Fish are definitely in shallow now....had some free time this morning before having to fly to Chicago so went down to nearest bayou....caught half a dozen....mostly dinks and again all on dingers except one on a jig.....all came from water less than 4'....luckily no snappers this time

Nice! Dinks beat heck out of a skunk any day! A fact I know well lol.

[nova385]

Got out last weekend with a friend, Got 5 bass in the boat lost 2. One 32 in pike called it a good day. Went out with my kid Thursday after work -SKUNKED again, but the water temp jumped almost 10degs this week. It is now Sat. morn. and it is 35degs 25 mph winds -MI weather sucks

[MallenManson]

Originally Posted by nova385

Got out last weekend with a friend, Got 5 bass in the boat lost 2. One 32 in pike called it a good day. Went out with my kid Thursday after work -SKUNKED again, but the water temp jumped almost 10degs this week. It is now Sat. morn. and it is 35degs 25 mph winds -MI weather sucks

Ain't that the truth! Although I must say, the rain that was forecast to last on into night, is apparently gone.
Windy as heck right now, but the sun's found it's way out.
Might hafta head out in a bit

[tim4081]

Originally Posted by MallenManson

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Ain't that the truth! Although I must say, the rain that was forecast to last on into night, is apparently gone.
Windy as heck right now, but the sun's found it's way out.
Might hafta head out in a bit

My son and I will be heading out at first light tomorrow....winds have already gone down but it going to be COLD....temps of 30 or below here on the west side. Since the fish were very shallow earlier in the week I don't think they'll be moving too far. We'll try some deeper structure off some point first thing and then as temps warm (supposed to be 50 by noon) we'll move shallow if not getting bit.

Good luck if you're on the water tomorrow.

[nova385]

32 degs this morning- I will head out later in the day.

[tim4081]

Temp was 29 this a.m. Got out around 7 but as expected the bite was tough. We did get 6 in the boat but nothing of any size. A couple came from shallow but all the others were holding just off the shallows buried tight in thick weeds.