Finally Got Out!

[BigBassin144]

Let me just start by saying it was great to finally get back on the water after not being able to go for over a month (Yeah, I know, that's the typical beginning of a story that ends with no bass)

Anyways, we were on the water by 8:30 this morning (Ramp is in a state park, you need a permit, and the offices don't open til 8). This is a new lake to us, so we didn't really know where to go. The lake is fairly shallow (5-7') around the edges and for quite a ways out. Then it drops off to about 10-13'. Water temp was 57* and it was mostly sunny with a light breeze.

Right where the drop, we found the weeds growing, some almost to the surface. I started with a White X-rap, and about my fourth cast, I hooked into a keeper largemouth while I was messin with the TM. Anyways, after one jump, he got off halfway back to the boat... We fished the spot some more with jerkbaits, crankbaits, and spinnerbaits to no avail.

We checked the map, and headed across the lake to a sandy flat looking for spawners. We slowly crept up to the sand, and didn't see any fish, or even any distinct beds (although that doesn't mean they weren't there).

We moved off the flat into the weeds and fished for a while. As we moved down the shore, we discovered another dropoff that went from about 6-7" down to about 12-14'. I put on a sexy shad Fat Free Shad, and after a couple casts hooked into a small pike (my first pike actually). Now I know why they call em Hammer Handles, lol. He was about a foot long, and couldn't have been much more than 1.5" in diameter. He shook off right at the side of the boat.

We fished some more, and I hooked another small pike, a little bigger than the last. I wish this one would've have shook off at the boat... He was hooked, by all three points of the treble underneath his head on bottom of both gills (I just wanted to know how, lol ) After bleeding all over me, the boat, the carpet, and one of my tackle boxes, we got him off and he swam away ok.

We continued fishing and my dad hooked another pike, bigger than either of mine, on a baby bass colored Fat Free Shad.

We fished some more, and decided to pack up for the day around 1:30.

I'll post the picture of his pike later. I gotta get it off my phone.

BB

[BigBassin144]

[Cavs1123]

Dang Anthony thats a purty pike!

[Bassboss]

Nice pike! Should kept it!

To bad about the bass though.

[BassinNC]

Glad you were able to get out.
Hate you lost the bass.
At least you caught fish.

[bamabassman]

Glad ya'll got out anthony! ya know i was kidding in the text message. Pretty looking snakehead, BWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[keithdog]

Now if that pike was a few pounds bigger you'd get some nice fillets off him. They hit and fight hard. Better luck next time on the bass.

[MIbasser]

Glad you were able to get out on the water BB. Nice little pike ya got there....

Originally Posted by Bassboss

Nice pike! Should kept it!

To bad about the bass though.

Pike have to be 24" to keep.... that looks a little short.

[rrw4258]

Thats a pretty good pike.... nice job!! What lake were ya'll on?

Ryan

[nofearengineer]

Sounds like you had a good time anyway, Anthony. That pike is indeed a handsome critter. I was home sick Saturday, and had to work on Sunday....so count yourself lucky, my friend!!!

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by MIbasser

Glad you were able to get out on the water BB. Nice little pike ya got there....



Pike have to be 24" to keep.... that looks a little short.

Yep, none of them we hooked or caught were 24.

Originally Posted by rrw4258

Thats a pretty good pike.... nice job!! What lake were ya'll on?

Ryan

We were on Wampler's Lake.

As we were putting the boat back on the trailer, we were talking to another guying loading his boat. He told us he lives on the lake, right where we found some awesome places for bass to spawn, and he confirmed our suspicions. He said he can see the fish up in the shallows when they spawn from his house. So at least we were in the right place. I was getting the truck, and my dad didn't bother to ask if they'd moved up yet, lol...

BB

[islandbass]

Nice pike! We don't have a chance to catch pike in the Seattle area.

[tim4081]

Glad to hear you got out. The old saying still rings true about a bad day fishing still being a great day. We occasionally pick up a pike or two around my neck of the woods as well. Earlier this year I landed a nine pounder while last fall my son boated one that maxed out our fifteen pound scale. Amazingly both came on a four inch Yum dinger.