Post by djkimmel on Jul 4, 2005 19:48:35 GMT -5
Took Angie out a few hours this morning (not too early) to the Upper Grand River here in Lansing. She hasn't been out with me for a while, but she didn't want to fish today. Just sight-see and take some pictures (one of her specialties).
I got to fish about 3 hours though. Figured I might as well try to catch some bass. I found out at the ramp that the local guys had a tournament on Saturday and Sunday supposedly. That always make the bass nervous.
I ran up to one of my favorite set of bends and started cranking (my favorite river technique). I started with a Bomber 7A Fire River Minnow since the water was on the muddy side.
One thing Grand River smallies have taught me is they love to follow a crankbait and then grab it when it turns to come up to the boat near the end of your retrieve. This one little section seems to hold smallies that specialize in this and today was no different. That's exactly what my first 'Deja Vu' smallie of the day did today.
I say Deja Vu because I can't even begin to remember how many smallies have done that exact thing to me on that spot over the past 20 years. Unfortunately, this smallie was only about 10 inches long, not the solid keepers this post used to produce. Still, I give him (or her) extra credit for the effort.
Just up from that bass, I caught its sibling on the crank. I noticed this year, with the water much lower than it used to be, the river is getting weedy in spots so part of this spot was ruined by stringy, slimy brown weeds and grass. I made a few cast through lanes, but I never have caught much fish from these kinds of river weeds.
I thought with the increase in current I was seeing that some bass might have moved to the mouths of canals so I cast the crankbait towards an indent coming out of the deepest canal. Thought I was snagged, but then felt swimming.
I started thinking I'd snagged a carp, but the speed wasn't right. After a minute, the fight wasn't quite as stiff and I saw a possibly keeper pike swimming by with my crankbait on its nose. I haven't been catching too many pike the past few seasons their and no big ones like the past.
I'm not a huge pike fan, but I do enjoy any fish that's nice enough to hit my lure even if it does have lots of teeth and may take away a nice crankbait. So I had Angie snap a shot anyway (especially since I got my nice Bomber 7A back):
I made about 20 more casts around that point and trough. I did pop another 11 inch (but fat) smallie that actually came off the bank to chase down my crankbait. I think it was glad to see the pike go...
I proceeded to crank the next bend - one I've caught a lot of fish off of over the years - and had something slam the crankbait. I couldn't get it to take it again, but I saw something long and maybe toothy turn just before the boat. I guess it could have been a mean bass, but...
Just past that I caught my first largemouth - all of 12 inches, but he had heart and a big mouth. I switched to a white on white spinnerbait for a stretch then with no takers. Then I started pitching a compact cinnamon creature bait. I quickly caught a 13 inch chunky smallie from the edge of an overhanging bush.
I decided since I was still dealing with the post cold front funk I'd stick with the slow bait for a bit. Along a deep sea wall, I caught another tiny smallie. I thought it was a dink, but he wouldn't let go. I could have been wrong.
I checked one last sand flat with brush because I thought it was different. Angie was getting pretty warm and we thought the storms might be coming. I managed to pop one more 12-13 inch largemouth on the same spinnerbait - he knocked it sideways up shallow and then got it several feet further out on an admirable second effort.
There were a few more tiny smallies that whacked my crankbait in between the bass (and pike) above, but no keeper bass. We zipped back to the ramp and headed home for the rest of the day.
Good thing because shortly after I started unhooking and putting everything away, the first rumbles of thunder came right overhead and not too long after that down came the rain. I got the cover on the boat before it got too wet although I got wet. It ended up being a heck of a storm for about an hour with some wicked lightning. They even talked about it on the weather channel. I guess a short day plan was the right thing to do.
I got to fish about 3 hours though. Figured I might as well try to catch some bass. I found out at the ramp that the local guys had a tournament on Saturday and Sunday supposedly. That always make the bass nervous.
I ran up to one of my favorite set of bends and started cranking (my favorite river technique). I started with a Bomber 7A Fire River Minnow since the water was on the muddy side.
One thing Grand River smallies have taught me is they love to follow a crankbait and then grab it when it turns to come up to the boat near the end of your retrieve. This one little section seems to hold smallies that specialize in this and today was no different. That's exactly what my first 'Deja Vu' smallie of the day did today.
I say Deja Vu because I can't even begin to remember how many smallies have done that exact thing to me on that spot over the past 20 years. Unfortunately, this smallie was only about 10 inches long, not the solid keepers this post used to produce. Still, I give him (or her) extra credit for the effort.
Just up from that bass, I caught its sibling on the crank. I noticed this year, with the water much lower than it used to be, the river is getting weedy in spots so part of this spot was ruined by stringy, slimy brown weeds and grass. I made a few cast through lanes, but I never have caught much fish from these kinds of river weeds.
I thought with the increase in current I was seeing that some bass might have moved to the mouths of canals so I cast the crankbait towards an indent coming out of the deepest canal. Thought I was snagged, but then felt swimming.
I started thinking I'd snagged a carp, but the speed wasn't right. After a minute, the fight wasn't quite as stiff and I saw a possibly keeper pike swimming by with my crankbait on its nose. I haven't been catching too many pike the past few seasons their and no big ones like the past.
I'm not a huge pike fan, but I do enjoy any fish that's nice enough to hit my lure even if it does have lots of teeth and may take away a nice crankbait. So I had Angie snap a shot anyway (especially since I got my nice Bomber 7A back):
I made about 20 more casts around that point and trough. I did pop another 11 inch (but fat) smallie that actually came off the bank to chase down my crankbait. I think it was glad to see the pike go...
I proceeded to crank the next bend - one I've caught a lot of fish off of over the years - and had something slam the crankbait. I couldn't get it to take it again, but I saw something long and maybe toothy turn just before the boat. I guess it could have been a mean bass, but...
Just past that I caught my first largemouth - all of 12 inches, but he had heart and a big mouth. I switched to a white on white spinnerbait for a stretch then with no takers. Then I started pitching a compact cinnamon creature bait. I quickly caught a 13 inch chunky smallie from the edge of an overhanging bush.
I decided since I was still dealing with the post cold front funk I'd stick with the slow bait for a bit. Along a deep sea wall, I caught another tiny smallie. I thought it was a dink, but he wouldn't let go. I could have been wrong.
I checked one last sand flat with brush because I thought it was different. Angie was getting pretty warm and we thought the storms might be coming. I managed to pop one more 12-13 inch largemouth on the same spinnerbait - he knocked it sideways up shallow and then got it several feet further out on an admirable second effort.
There were a few more tiny smallies that whacked my crankbait in between the bass (and pike) above, but no keeper bass. We zipped back to the ramp and headed home for the rest of the day.
Good thing because shortly after I started unhooking and putting everything away, the first rumbles of thunder came right overhead and not too long after that down came the rain. I got the cover on the boat before it got too wet although I got wet. It ended up being a heck of a storm for about an hour with some wicked lightning. They even talked about it on the weather channel. I guess a short day plan was the right thing to do.