Spring / Early Summer Bass, Etc
Posted: Mon May 18, 2020 1:59 pm
Figured I would start a thread to keep up with for the seasons like I did last year.
Saturday 5/19
Water: 46- 50° F
Wind: Very slight breeze from north
Conditions: Partly cloudy
I caught two pike in the 6AM hour, my first open-water pike this year. The way it happened was a little funny. I was long-lining again and had no hit for a long while, so I decided to stop to check the lines for weeds. A minute after I stopped and was bringing in the first line I had a pike hit on the other lure while it was paused-- that was a happy accident!
Got going again and caught another pike of about the same size, this time on the troll with no stopping. I decided to keep this one because I figured it wasn't spawning if it was hitting lures out a little deeper, 20ft. of water. No eggs found so I think I was correct.
Both pike were in about 20 FOW at about 48-50°. First hit the Shad Rap on the pause and the second a Challenger minnow while trolling. Lures were natural/shad/silver patterns and I found a large minnow in the keeper's stomach, about 5" long, so I think I had the right lures going.
Still chasing lakers too but very little success there. I saw lots caught ice-fishing in the Outer Bay but nothing for me there in open water. I heard they are catching a lot off the causeway on the lake side so I think I will need to break out onto the broad lake when it's not too choppy out there.
Thanks for reading, tight lines everyone.
Saturday 5/19
Water: 46- 50° F
Wind: Very slight breeze from north
Conditions: Partly cloudy
I caught two pike in the 6AM hour, my first open-water pike this year. The way it happened was a little funny. I was long-lining again and had no hit for a long while, so I decided to stop to check the lines for weeds. A minute after I stopped and was bringing in the first line I had a pike hit on the other lure while it was paused-- that was a happy accident!
Got going again and caught another pike of about the same size, this time on the troll with no stopping. I decided to keep this one because I figured it wasn't spawning if it was hitting lures out a little deeper, 20ft. of water. No eggs found so I think I was correct.
Both pike were in about 20 FOW at about 48-50°. First hit the Shad Rap on the pause and the second a Challenger minnow while trolling. Lures were natural/shad/silver patterns and I found a large minnow in the keeper's stomach, about 5" long, so I think I had the right lures going.
Still chasing lakers too but very little success there. I saw lots caught ice-fishing in the Outer Bay but nothing for me there in open water. I heard they are catching a lot off the causeway on the lake side so I think I will need to break out onto the broad lake when it's not too choppy out there.
Thanks for reading, tight lines everyone.