First outting of the year

keithdog · 04-06-10, 12:33 AM

This past friday I finally got out to do a little bass fishing. The ice has been off the water for 3 weeks now. The water was very cold up here in northern Indiana. While the temps friday were pleasant, the wind was fierce. I spent as much time with boat control as I did casting, or so it seemed. Fishing out of a 12 foot jon boat with an electric motor in 35 mph winds is no picnick. The bass were all caught in the northern portions of the lake where the strong south wind was really creating a hard chop. All the fish were taken on a black/blue Stanley Pro jig tipped with a black Peca chunk. The slow crawl with small short hops on occation was the ticket to success. I couldn't buy a hit on a suspending Lucky Craft SP100 jerk bait, Strike King Red Eye Shad, or a chatterbait, nor a Rapala DT10. But they sure liked that jig. The bass all averaged around 2 pounds. I think it's a good week or so before more bass start moving into the shallows. I've include a photo of a small mouth bass I caught. Not because of it's size, as it's a nice one but nothing to brag about. But because the lake I fished, Loomis Lake in Valparaiso, is not supposed to have small mouth. In the 45 years I have fished this lake, I have never seen nor heard of anyone EVER catching a small mouth in Loomis lake. The DNR does not list the small mouth as a species that lives in the lake. So you can imagine my suprise when I cranked it up to boatside. Just where this guy came from is beyond me. I quickly released him in hopes there must be more around to make baby smallies!!! If so, it will be a pleasant addition to the lake. He hit that jig like a freight train. Much harder than the large mouths did. Buy the way, the outfit I was using was my new pitchin outfit. A 6'10' heavy, extra fast Shimano Crucial casting rod paired with a Garcia Revo STX. The line was 17 pound Trilene 100% flourocarbin. I gotta tell ya, thats a sweet outfit!

MallenManson · 04-06-10, 06:59 AM

Nice to see you got out Keith! Sounds like a solid first trip.
I gotta say, that is one beautiful smallie! Love the coloring!

rrw4258 · 04-06-10, 07:11 AM

Good deal Keith! Glad you got in the beautiful weather we have been having. That smallie really has some great color to it. I hope this is a good start to a successful year for you!

Ryan

BigBassin144 · 04-06-10, 08:35 AM

Nice first day on the water! That smallie is very beautiful. If there's one in there, there is probably more too.

BB

Bubba_Bruiser · 04-06-10, 09:39 AM

Sounds like a good day Keith. I know what you mean about being beat to a pulp by wind in a 12'er too. It can be very testing at times to say the least hahahaha.

Cavs1123 · 04-06-10, 10:17 AM

Wow Keith what a great smallie!

lilmule · 04-06-10, 10:28 AM

Sometimes while it may be against the law actually,anglers will fish in the morning and catch fish,trailer then release the their wanted species elsewhere.
And at times their population is extremely minimal,Yatesville lake in ky has but a few,have caught shorts twice never a keeper,in ten years of fishing it.
Ky dnr does not list the smallie as being in that lake either.
Other possible releases are in or from a crappie minnow bucket,as odd species are sometimes mixed in.
Nature herself does odd things birds pick up vegetation and spread it.
That was a nice smallmouth .

MIbasser · 04-06-10, 11:12 AM

Nice job Keith! Glad you like your new set-up as well.

WatterBoy · 04-06-10, 12:57 PM

Thanks for the report and congrats on your first outing and on catching some fish, especially the surprise smallie!

WaffleJaw · 04-06-10, 06:09 PM

Man Keith thats a pretty fish!...Nice catch!!

bamabassman · 04-06-10, 06:49 PM

Daddgumit! EVERYBODY IS CATCHING FISH CEPT ME! Hahahaa, great job keith. That is a beautiful fish, i just love the bright colors.

Jim80 · 04-06-10, 06:51 PM

nice keith sounds like ya had a blast

jim

Bassboss · 04-06-10, 06:52 PM

Nice job keith! That's a beautiful small mouth too!

Congrats man!!

MallenManson · 04-06-10, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bamabassman

Daddgumit! EVERYBODY IS CATCHING FISH CEPT ME! Hahahaa, great job keith. That is a beautiful fish, i just love the bright colors.

Not me! Season hasn't even started yet!

BassinNC · 04-06-10, 09:38 PM

Beautiful fish.... Glad ya had a good day.

keithdog · 04-06-10, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bamabassman

Daddgumit! EVERYBODY IS CATCHING FISH CEPT ME! Hahahaa, great job keith. That is a beautiful fish, i just love the bright colors.

Bama, now you just now your gonna be putting the rest of us to shame soon. I know you can fill a livewell in a hurry.

keithdog · 04-06-10, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilmule

Sometimes while it may be against the law actually,anglers will fish in the morning and catch fish,trailer then release the their wanted species elsewhere.
And at times their population is extremely minimal,Yatesville lake in ky has but a few,have caught shorts twice never a keeper,in ten years of fishing it.
Ky dnr does not list the smallie as being in that lake either.
Other possible releases are in or from a crappie minnow bucket,as odd species are sometimes mixed in.
Nature herself does odd things birds pick up vegetation and spread it.
That was a nice smallmouth .

Those are all good points. I'm sure one of them could be the answer to how smallies got in there.

MississippiBoy · 04-07-10, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keithdog

Bama, now you just now Lisa's gonna be putting the rest of us to shame soon. I know she can fill a livewell in a hurry.

Fixed it for ya...

BigBassin144 · 04-07-10, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MississippiBoy

Fixed it for ya...

I thought something was wrong with that... It makes MUCH more sense now, thanks MB.

BB

keithdog · 04-07-10, 10:32 PM

You gonna take that Bama???

MallenManson · 04-08-10, 05:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keithdog

You gonna take that Bama???

For now. He's too busy trying to wrestle his chew toy back from the dog

.
Lisa oughta throw em both outside

bcklash · 04-08-10, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MallenManson

For now. He's too busy trying to wrestle his chew toy back from the dog

.
Lisa oughta throw em both outside

She threw the chew toy outsde and thet both chased it.

MallenManson · 04-08-10, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcklash

She threw the chew toy outsde and thet both chased it.

LMAO! If he asks me to scratch his belly, he's gettin the shock collar

MississippiBoy · 04-09-10, 10:03 AM

Poor John...he's not even defending himself anymore...

MallenManson · 04-09-10, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MississippiBoy

Poor John...he's not even defending himself anymore...

I think he's grounded.

04-06-10, 12:33 AM	#1
keithdog BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: IN Posts: 8,308	First outting of the year This past friday I finally got out to do a little bass fishing. The ice has been off the water for 3 weeks now. The water was very cold up here in northern Indiana. While the temps friday were pleasant, the wind was fierce. I spent as much time with boat control as I did casting, or so it seemed. Fishing out of a 12 foot jon boat with an electric motor in 35 mph winds is no picnick. The bass were all caught in the northern portions of the lake where the strong south wind was really creating a hard chop. All the fish were taken on a black/blue Stanley Pro jig tipped with a black Peca chunk. The slow crawl with small short hops on occation was the ticket to success. I couldn't buy a hit on a suspending Lucky Craft SP100 jerk bait, Strike King Red Eye Shad, or a chatterbait, nor a Rapala DT10. But they sure liked that jig. The bass all averaged around 2 pounds. I think it's a good week or so before more bass start moving into the shallows. I've include a photo of a small mouth bass I caught. Not because of it's size, as it's a nice one but nothing to brag about. But because the lake I fished, Loomis Lake in Valparaiso, is not supposed to have small mouth. In the 45 years I have fished this lake, I have never seen nor heard of anyone EVER catching a small mouth in Loomis lake. The DNR does not list the small mouth as a species that lives in the lake. So you can imagine my suprise when I cranked it up to boatside. Just where this guy came from is beyond me. I quickly released him in hopes there must be more around to make baby smallies!!! If so, it will be a pleasant addition to the lake. He hit that jig like a freight train. Much harder than the large mouths did. Buy the way, the outfit I was using was my new pitchin outfit. A 6'10' heavy, extra fast Shimano Crucial casting rod paired with a Garcia Revo STX. The line was 17 pound Trilene 100% flourocarbin. I gotta tell ya, thats a sweet outfit! Attached Thumbnails

04-06-10, 06:59 AM	#2
MallenManson BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Beulah, Michigan Posts: 6,431	Nice to see you got out Keith! Sounds like a solid first trip. I gotta say, that is one beautiful smallie! Love the coloring! __________________ Bass fear me. Women pepperspray me.....

04-06-10, 07:11 AM	#3
rrw4258 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bellevue, Ohio Posts: 2,338	Good deal Keith! Glad you got in the beautiful weather we have been having. That smallie really has some great color to it. I hope this is a good start to a successful year for you! Ryan __________________ Never Give Up!

04-06-10, 08:35 AM	#4
BigBassin144 BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Toledo, Ohio Posts: 9,463	Nice first day on the water! That smallie is very beautiful. If there's one in there, there is probably more too. BB __________________ As of June 14, 2014 the members of the BF.com forum have moved to basschat.yuku.com!

04-06-10, 09:39 AM	#5
Bubba_Bruiser BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: South MS Posts: 3,659	Sounds like a good day Keith. I know what you mean about being beat to a pulp by wind in a 12'er too. It can be very testing at times to say the least hahahaha. __________________ \,,,,/ ROCK ON! HRN4L!

04-06-10, 10:17 AM	#6
Cavs1123 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bellevue, Ohio Posts: 1,398	Wow Keith what a great smallie! __________________ Tom

04-06-10, 10:28 AM	#7
lilmule BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Buchanan,Tn Posts: 2,685	Sometimes while it may be against the law actually,anglers will fish in the morning and catch fish,trailer then release the their wanted species elsewhere. And at times their population is extremely minimal,Yatesville lake in ky has but a few,have caught shorts twice never a keeper,in ten years of fishing it. Ky dnr does not list the smallie as being in that lake either. Other possible releases are in or from a crappie minnow bucket,as odd species are sometimes mixed in. Nature herself does odd things birds pick up vegetation and spread it. That was a nice smallmouth .

04-06-10, 11:12 AM	#8
MIbasser BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Okemos, MI Posts: 1,447	Nice job Keith! Glad you like your new set-up as well.

04-06-10, 12:57 PM	#9
WatterBoy BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Owatonna, MN Posts: 2,280	Thanks for the report and congrats on your first outing and on catching some fish, especially the surprise smallie!

04-06-10, 06:09 PM	#10
WaffleJaw BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Dallas,TX (DFW) Posts: 2,212	Man Keith thats a pretty fish!...Nice catch!! __________________ [nelsoncustomrods.com]

04-06-10, 06:49 PM	#11
bamabassman BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: cedar bluff, alabama Posts: 15,292	Daddgumit! EVERYBODY IS CATCHING FISH CEPT ME! Hahahaa, great job keith. That is a beautiful fish, i just love the bright colors. __________________ so many lures, so little time.

04-06-10, 06:51 PM	#12
Jim80 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Thomaston CT Posts: 3,862	nice keith sounds like ya had a blast jim __________________ In memory of Zooker 1/11/73-7/2/2010. You will be sorely missed and never forgotten.

04-06-10, 06:52 PM	#13
Bassboss BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Shawano, WI Posts: 7,761	Nice job keith! That's a beautiful small mouth too! Congrats man!! __________________ If you can't fix it with heavy squats or fish oil, you're probably going to die.

04-06-10, 09:38 PM	#15
BassinNC BassFishin.Com Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: albemarle, NC Posts: 788	Beautiful fish.... Glad ya had a good day. __________________ 138 bass in 2K10. Biggest 4LBS 14oz.

04-07-10, 10:32 PM	#20
keithdog BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: IN Posts: 8,308	You gonna take that Bama???

04-09-10, 10:03 AM	#24
MississippiBoy BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: May 2007 Location: Ridgeland MS Posts: 3,923	Poor John...he's not even defending himself anymore... __________________ I smell smoke, and I hear sirens. Do you think that's a problem?

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