Broad Lake 6/3
Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2018 1:17 pm
Finally had a weekend day where the forecast wasn't 20mph winds and got back out to the big lake. After a month of inland lake fishing during my favorite champlain fishing of the year, I was happy to get back to the Big Lake. Headed out with 802fishtail with a planned launch at 7am from shelburne. After some delays we actually hit water at 7:30.
In the parking lot I had pulled the boat cover off (first time ever trailering on the interstate with the new cover) to find that one of my DR pulleys had a swivel break, Luckily I had a spare rigger with me. We headed out to the buoy in shelburne that I always start at, and started working on gear, quickly found that the other rigger was also out of order, apparently the cover had bounced everything around enough that the bolts that hold the pulley together had all come out and the cable (braid) had tangled to crap. A quick cut retie and salvage from the other broken rigger for bolts had that rigger back up. set lines on that and 2 planers, and started to work on the remaining rigger. Got the pulley from the spare swapped onto that rigger, and then went to set a line, accidentally hit the down instead of up to pull tension on the cable, and 30ft of suddenly freed from tension figures out that it can go crazy and spin and cause more chaos. After some swearing and a minor 4 year old temper tantrum I got it sorted out and we were fishing.
Didn;t find fish in the bay, pulled gear and headed for the outside of the bay where we had luck this time last year. We didnt find any in the deeper water (all kinds of bait and marks but nothing cooperating) decided to head up the ridge that I always have luck on. as we crossed the ridge in 70ft we had a rod fire. Landed a decent laker, circled back and watched a boat that was anchored hook up jigging. got 5 more fish over the next hour in that area on top of the ridge. down 50 on a chartruese black dot speedy shiner back 15 over 65-100. with one on a tuxedo black UV mich stinger 2.75 inch and a couple missed then it died.
We trolled across towards juniper, then trolled up the ridge north or juniper. my lucky setup (green clown mylar wing spin n glo with 00 luhr jenson dodger) hadn't had a release all day and had been pulled right before we stopped getting bites. I went with my instincts that even though it wasnt getting hit it was bringing fish in. Put it back on, and had a release on it almost immediately. We didnt connect on that one and couldnt get any other action there.
George mentioned the hump we fished so much late last year, and I said lets try it. We trolled north to the hump, crossed it and on the back side had a release. Landed another laker, the next 1.5 hours were action like we had been hoping for all day. 7 fish boated biggest just over 10, hits were on a mix of lures, slide diver (ultimate dive kit) out 100 with 50 back with a black and white UV hammered datillios special landed the biggest (and didnt trip, george enjoyed that fight), but the spin n glo, speedy shiner also had action.
We ended the day with 13 fish boated, 12 swam free, and one was bleeding and went on the grill. All and all a good day on the water! We had another dozen or so releases that didn't come in the boat, and had one break off.
In the parking lot I had pulled the boat cover off (first time ever trailering on the interstate with the new cover) to find that one of my DR pulleys had a swivel break, Luckily I had a spare rigger with me. We headed out to the buoy in shelburne that I always start at, and started working on gear, quickly found that the other rigger was also out of order, apparently the cover had bounced everything around enough that the bolts that hold the pulley together had all come out and the cable (braid) had tangled to crap. A quick cut retie and salvage from the other broken rigger for bolts had that rigger back up. set lines on that and 2 planers, and started to work on the remaining rigger. Got the pulley from the spare swapped onto that rigger, and then went to set a line, accidentally hit the down instead of up to pull tension on the cable, and 30ft of suddenly freed from tension figures out that it can go crazy and spin and cause more chaos. After some swearing and a minor 4 year old temper tantrum I got it sorted out and we were fishing.
Didn;t find fish in the bay, pulled gear and headed for the outside of the bay where we had luck this time last year. We didnt find any in the deeper water (all kinds of bait and marks but nothing cooperating) decided to head up the ridge that I always have luck on. as we crossed the ridge in 70ft we had a rod fire. Landed a decent laker, circled back and watched a boat that was anchored hook up jigging. got 5 more fish over the next hour in that area on top of the ridge. down 50 on a chartruese black dot speedy shiner back 15 over 65-100. with one on a tuxedo black UV mich stinger 2.75 inch and a couple missed then it died.
We trolled across towards juniper, then trolled up the ridge north or juniper. my lucky setup (green clown mylar wing spin n glo with 00 luhr jenson dodger) hadn't had a release all day and had been pulled right before we stopped getting bites. I went with my instincts that even though it wasnt getting hit it was bringing fish in. Put it back on, and had a release on it almost immediately. We didnt connect on that one and couldnt get any other action there.
George mentioned the hump we fished so much late last year, and I said lets try it. We trolled north to the hump, crossed it and on the back side had a release. Landed another laker, the next 1.5 hours were action like we had been hoping for all day. 7 fish boated biggest just over 10, hits were on a mix of lures, slide diver (ultimate dive kit) out 100 with 50 back with a black and white UV hammered datillios special landed the biggest (and didnt trip, george enjoyed that fight), but the spin n glo, speedy shiner also had action.
We ended the day with 13 fish boated, 12 swam free, and one was bleeding and went on the grill. All and all a good day on the water! We had another dozen or so releases that didn't come in the boat, and had one break off.
