Post by djkimmel on Jul 3, 2005 23:26:07 GMT -5
Well - me and Lake Erie still aren't getting along for whatever reason (probably all in my head). Spent from about 7:30 AM unitl 4 PM on the lake and not much to show for it. In fact, my normal catch rate of a sheephead every 5th cast was way down. I think I only landed 2.
We had the major cold front and then a following east wind. I'd like to blame it all on that - and the muddying water, but it's probably all my fault.
It wasn't too rough - a little bouncy across the Detroit River mouth and then some lazy rollers at about Colchester and beyond. I was with Phil Conley in his boat. We made it as far as 2/3 the way to Leamington before fishing our way back.
We hit numerous rock piles and bars, mostly 13 to 25 feet with 16+ most common. We dragged tubes, cast tubes, different sizes and colors, Carolina rigs and drop shots.
We had some bites that felt like gobies and maybe a few bass. I caught one sheephead on a great-looking bar. I will say I had 3 heavy fish on throughout the day because I felt them, they felt me and let go. It was very difficult to feel many of the bites. The bass were biting very soft and would let go easy.
I actually think we had more bites, but didn't know it because the bass let go when we put any pressure on the bait. Phil did finally hook a quality bass pushing 4 pounds. It came off right at the boat. We didn't get the net out, but it would have been in the net. (I told Phil it didn't count because he never actually touched the lip - I was jealous.) Phil also caught a small channel catfish in 16 feet of water on a tube.
We finally made it to the Colchester Reef and I landed 2 small keeper bass on a Carolina rigged stick worm. One grab the bait and practically set the hook for me in 20+ and the other jerked on the worm in ~10 feet so know real revelations there.
The water kept getting cloudier and cloudier towards the Detroit River and along shore. We saw a zillion minnows on the graphs, It was slow enouth that I broke out the blade knowing I would get harrassed by sheepies. I got one right away.
Phil fought back by pulling out a jigging spoon and proceeded to whack half a dozen sheeps, but he lost 3 fish that really put serious bend in his rod. I'm thinking mega-sheephead, but who knows.
I'd have to say the highlight of our day may have been (besides ole 'Ben Trodder' coming out to fake asking us general questions while seeing what we were fishing...) had to be when Phil WHACKED a DOUBLE on the jigging spoon late in the day. Teensy gobies on two hook points. I made him let me take a picture - not easy since Phil is definitely camera shy. Here's the permanent record of the rare goby-double:
I believe I pounded out another 4 dinks on tubes for a total of 5 smallies with 2 keepers. Another day, another series of scratching my head out there. Phil is getting ready for the EverStart, so I told him I'm pretty sure the bass are on his spots, just not biting well that day. Who knows, but I guess we'll find out in a couple weeks.
We had the major cold front and then a following east wind. I'd like to blame it all on that - and the muddying water, but it's probably all my fault.
It wasn't too rough - a little bouncy across the Detroit River mouth and then some lazy rollers at about Colchester and beyond. I was with Phil Conley in his boat. We made it as far as 2/3 the way to Leamington before fishing our way back.
We hit numerous rock piles and bars, mostly 13 to 25 feet with 16+ most common. We dragged tubes, cast tubes, different sizes and colors, Carolina rigs and drop shots.
We had some bites that felt like gobies and maybe a few bass. I caught one sheephead on a great-looking bar. I will say I had 3 heavy fish on throughout the day because I felt them, they felt me and let go. It was very difficult to feel many of the bites. The bass were biting very soft and would let go easy.
I actually think we had more bites, but didn't know it because the bass let go when we put any pressure on the bait. Phil did finally hook a quality bass pushing 4 pounds. It came off right at the boat. We didn't get the net out, but it would have been in the net. (I told Phil it didn't count because he never actually touched the lip - I was jealous.) Phil also caught a small channel catfish in 16 feet of water on a tube.
We finally made it to the Colchester Reef and I landed 2 small keeper bass on a Carolina rigged stick worm. One grab the bait and practically set the hook for me in 20+ and the other jerked on the worm in ~10 feet so know real revelations there.
The water kept getting cloudier and cloudier towards the Detroit River and along shore. We saw a zillion minnows on the graphs, It was slow enouth that I broke out the blade knowing I would get harrassed by sheepies. I got one right away.
Phil fought back by pulling out a jigging spoon and proceeded to whack half a dozen sheeps, but he lost 3 fish that really put serious bend in his rod. I'm thinking mega-sheephead, but who knows.
I'd have to say the highlight of our day may have been (besides ole 'Ben Trodder' coming out to fake asking us general questions while seeing what we were fishing...) had to be when Phil WHACKED a DOUBLE on the jigging spoon late in the day. Teensy gobies on two hook points. I made him let me take a picture - not easy since Phil is definitely camera shy. Here's the permanent record of the rare goby-double:
I believe I pounded out another 4 dinks on tubes for a total of 5 smallies with 2 keepers. Another day, another series of scratching my head out there. Phil is getting ready for the EverStart, so I told him I'm pretty sure the bass are on his spots, just not biting well that day. Who knows, but I guess we'll find out in a couple weeks.