Post by djkimmel on Jun 30, 2005 0:07:01 GMT -5
Better late than never (I hope) – after a day of catching respectable, but not huge, smallies yesterday on Houghton Lake during the Top Bass tournament, I decided I was already too close to Mullett Lake not to zip up there for a day of fishing. With a fortunate infusion of gas money and my wife’s permission to stay out one more day, I helped Larry close out the cabin and get on the road, and then pointed my truck and Ranger Boat north towards Indian River.
I left Higgins Lake south in partly sunny skies, but drove into light, scattered rain and lots of gray clouds. By the time I got to Aloha State Park on Mullett Lake, there was a noticeable static to the air. I got out to unhook and noticed low rumbling to the west. Not a good thing to hear 4 hours north of home after an hour and a half of driving.
A couple bass boats had just come in saying they’d seen some scattered lightning, but it looked like it was clearing. By the time I was ready to launch, the clouds had brightened and there was no more rumbling. The other boats headed back out and I launched. I noticed 10 bass boat trailers in the parking lot – quite a few for this lake. I figured there was probably some kind of club event going on.
It stayed mostly cloudy, but reasonably bright as I headed to the northeast rock flats and points. I pulled in to a favorite point just before a small boat with 3 anglers pulled up just north of me. It appeared all the rest of the bass anglers were in the south end of the lake. What a great feeling to have so much quiet and beautiful water to myself!
I fished my way in from 11 feet hoping to trip over some prespawn/postspawn schools, but had not takers on a crankbait, suspending jerkbait or tube. As I crossed the tip of the actual point, I saw a familiar black shape sitting next to a small boulder in about 9 feet of water.
Tossed a marker out from it and did my little circle to point my Ranger back at the spot. A couple casts with the same Xtreme Bass tube I’d used the day before and I felt the weight of a nice fish not wanted to leave the comfort of its boulder.
A few short runs and some bulldogging, headshaking later, I landed a fine-looking smallies with shoulders that went over 4 pounds. Pretty good start! The other boat watched me fight and release the slab bass. They were fishing shallow up in the heavier rocks so I stayed out off the thick rock edge.
After a short time with no other takers other than a bunch of white bass that had taken over the one thick weed bed available, I jumped down to the next point south. The other boat moved too and we kept the shallow – deep positioning – fine with me.
On the inside bend of the rock point, one of those anglers hooked a respectable bass. I spotted one of my favorite large boulders at that time and whipped my tube out past it. I expected that most obvious rocks had been hit earlier by the other bass boats – two of which had just shut down on the next two points south of me.
I lifted my rod to ‘weigh’ my tube and felt tension, mush and weight. A quick snap of the All Star Tube Rod and I felt a repeat of the fierce headshake of a bass not wanting to leave its boulder. The other boat had just released their bass and watched me fight mine. A minute or two later, I landed another slab smallie that was probably a touch over 4 pounds.
The other boat continued southward as one of the bass boats fished towards them. I circled out across the actual point checking every boulder or rock patch. I hooked and landed another smallie of about 3 ½ pounds from a small boulder off the north side of the point. Up near the rock edge off the north side, I had one more ~3 pound smallie smack my all chartreuse War Eagle spinnerbait. This fish was just roaming, but didn’t seem to have any buddies with it.
With no other takers, I ran a few hundred yards south to a small, isolated hump that rises out of 12+ feet up to 8 ½. A couple more bass boats had showed up just south of me. A southerly breeze was kicking up and the clouds had gotten thicker making visibility for sightfishing spotty to almost none at these depths.
Since I could barely make out the bottom and saw nothing on top of the small hump, I started tossing a suspending jerkbait around the edge of the hump. After a few casts, a 4-pound class smallmouth followed my jerkbait from off the hump up to my boat. I was unable to get it to turn back. I made a number of casts with crankbaits, tubes and jerkbaits back out in the direction it came from with no luck. I saw no other action, so I hopscotched another boat running down to the next available long rock point.
I didn’t get any bites off the tip but had a good one drift up to eye my little jerkbait off the side of the point. The bass wouldn’t come up again so I trolled over and found a huge log with a bed on the deep end of it outside of the rocks in 10 to 11 feet. It took a few minutes to get the tube in the right spot without snagging, but I hooked and landed another bass slightly over 4 pounds. One of the bass boats had gotten close somehow without my notice and he caught a small keeper off a boulder on top of the point just as I hooked this ‘full grown’ bass. I noticed as I pulled away, the other angler came right over to see what I caught the bass off of.
The wind was starting to kick up with some actual waves and even a few white caps coming into the north area. I decided to head south before it got real rough so I could hopefully see better. I stopped on a deep bar that had some boulders. The waves were actually wrapping right into the spot so I could not see the deeper boulders over 9 feet.
I did find the one massive boulder, but didn’t see anything on it. I threw out past it and a shy bass over 3 pounds came from somewhere, but acted really nervous. Another cast and it swam away without appearing like it would come back. I fished around a while longer with nothing to show for it. I moved on farther south to a point that goes into a ridge waaaayyyy out into the lake.
I had a quality bass come in off the break and bump my little jerkbait, but then disappear. I had another bump in a different direction a few casts later, but no hookup. The waves were coming in better and I wanted to so some more sightfishing for bigger bass, so I drove over to the BIG sunken island.
I found a quality bass roaming around an indent, but it would not bite. It snuck away in the ripple and I lost sight. I moved to a spine that tapers off with scattered boulders and large rocks. I wasn’t seeing almost any beds – I was actually trying to figure out if they had spawned much yet. I did whack a bunch of 12 to16 inch bass of this spine on the all chartreuse spinnerbait. It was fun despite not producing any size.
The wind started to flip around out of the northeast so I ran back north along the west shore to Long Point. Way out on the tip in 9 to 10 feet, I saw a ‘stick’ between 3 large rocks. The ‘stick’ looked funny and then I thought I saw it move in relation to the rocks. I sat right over it, which was the only way I could really see the bass.
Amazingly, the large bass grabbed my tube that I vertically jigged in the bed. It didn’t put up a great fight. Kind of a in close tug of war. I noticed the bass had been caught a time or two before, but must not be today because it was pushing 5 pounds, so I figured someone would have kept it for weigh in. I admired the hog briefly and then watched it swim back to the nest.
I paralleled a sand drop with dark patches nearby and popped two 2 ¼ to 2 ½ smallies feeding on minnows that followed the sand drop. I tossed follow up tubes and a drop shot leech into the same stretch to land 2 more smallies closer to 3 pounds before that bite died.
It was getting late afternoon and with a 4 hour drive until home, I ran back towards the ramp. I did stop to fish a few sand drops on the way in. Despite seeing a few empty beds (and possibly one sneaky one), I didn’t get any bites or follows. In I went and homeward bound after a respectable day with about 19 pounds in my best 5. Fun no matter where you fish.
I left Higgins Lake south in partly sunny skies, but drove into light, scattered rain and lots of gray clouds. By the time I got to Aloha State Park on Mullett Lake, there was a noticeable static to the air. I got out to unhook and noticed low rumbling to the west. Not a good thing to hear 4 hours north of home after an hour and a half of driving.
A couple bass boats had just come in saying they’d seen some scattered lightning, but it looked like it was clearing. By the time I was ready to launch, the clouds had brightened and there was no more rumbling. The other boats headed back out and I launched. I noticed 10 bass boat trailers in the parking lot – quite a few for this lake. I figured there was probably some kind of club event going on.
It stayed mostly cloudy, but reasonably bright as I headed to the northeast rock flats and points. I pulled in to a favorite point just before a small boat with 3 anglers pulled up just north of me. It appeared all the rest of the bass anglers were in the south end of the lake. What a great feeling to have so much quiet and beautiful water to myself!
I fished my way in from 11 feet hoping to trip over some prespawn/postspawn schools, but had not takers on a crankbait, suspending jerkbait or tube. As I crossed the tip of the actual point, I saw a familiar black shape sitting next to a small boulder in about 9 feet of water.
Tossed a marker out from it and did my little circle to point my Ranger back at the spot. A couple casts with the same Xtreme Bass tube I’d used the day before and I felt the weight of a nice fish not wanted to leave the comfort of its boulder.
A few short runs and some bulldogging, headshaking later, I landed a fine-looking smallies with shoulders that went over 4 pounds. Pretty good start! The other boat watched me fight and release the slab bass. They were fishing shallow up in the heavier rocks so I stayed out off the thick rock edge.
After a short time with no other takers other than a bunch of white bass that had taken over the one thick weed bed available, I jumped down to the next point south. The other boat moved too and we kept the shallow – deep positioning – fine with me.
On the inside bend of the rock point, one of those anglers hooked a respectable bass. I spotted one of my favorite large boulders at that time and whipped my tube out past it. I expected that most obvious rocks had been hit earlier by the other bass boats – two of which had just shut down on the next two points south of me.
I lifted my rod to ‘weigh’ my tube and felt tension, mush and weight. A quick snap of the All Star Tube Rod and I felt a repeat of the fierce headshake of a bass not wanting to leave its boulder. The other boat had just released their bass and watched me fight mine. A minute or two later, I landed another slab smallie that was probably a touch over 4 pounds.
The other boat continued southward as one of the bass boats fished towards them. I circled out across the actual point checking every boulder or rock patch. I hooked and landed another smallie of about 3 ½ pounds from a small boulder off the north side of the point. Up near the rock edge off the north side, I had one more ~3 pound smallie smack my all chartreuse War Eagle spinnerbait. This fish was just roaming, but didn’t seem to have any buddies with it.
With no other takers, I ran a few hundred yards south to a small, isolated hump that rises out of 12+ feet up to 8 ½. A couple more bass boats had showed up just south of me. A southerly breeze was kicking up and the clouds had gotten thicker making visibility for sightfishing spotty to almost none at these depths.
Since I could barely make out the bottom and saw nothing on top of the small hump, I started tossing a suspending jerkbait around the edge of the hump. After a few casts, a 4-pound class smallmouth followed my jerkbait from off the hump up to my boat. I was unable to get it to turn back. I made a number of casts with crankbaits, tubes and jerkbaits back out in the direction it came from with no luck. I saw no other action, so I hopscotched another boat running down to the next available long rock point.
I didn’t get any bites off the tip but had a good one drift up to eye my little jerkbait off the side of the point. The bass wouldn’t come up again so I trolled over and found a huge log with a bed on the deep end of it outside of the rocks in 10 to 11 feet. It took a few minutes to get the tube in the right spot without snagging, but I hooked and landed another bass slightly over 4 pounds. One of the bass boats had gotten close somehow without my notice and he caught a small keeper off a boulder on top of the point just as I hooked this ‘full grown’ bass. I noticed as I pulled away, the other angler came right over to see what I caught the bass off of.
The wind was starting to kick up with some actual waves and even a few white caps coming into the north area. I decided to head south before it got real rough so I could hopefully see better. I stopped on a deep bar that had some boulders. The waves were actually wrapping right into the spot so I could not see the deeper boulders over 9 feet.
I did find the one massive boulder, but didn’t see anything on it. I threw out past it and a shy bass over 3 pounds came from somewhere, but acted really nervous. Another cast and it swam away without appearing like it would come back. I fished around a while longer with nothing to show for it. I moved on farther south to a point that goes into a ridge waaaayyyy out into the lake.
I had a quality bass come in off the break and bump my little jerkbait, but then disappear. I had another bump in a different direction a few casts later, but no hookup. The waves were coming in better and I wanted to so some more sightfishing for bigger bass, so I drove over to the BIG sunken island.
I found a quality bass roaming around an indent, but it would not bite. It snuck away in the ripple and I lost sight. I moved to a spine that tapers off with scattered boulders and large rocks. I wasn’t seeing almost any beds – I was actually trying to figure out if they had spawned much yet. I did whack a bunch of 12 to16 inch bass of this spine on the all chartreuse spinnerbait. It was fun despite not producing any size.
The wind started to flip around out of the northeast so I ran back north along the west shore to Long Point. Way out on the tip in 9 to 10 feet, I saw a ‘stick’ between 3 large rocks. The ‘stick’ looked funny and then I thought I saw it move in relation to the rocks. I sat right over it, which was the only way I could really see the bass.
Amazingly, the large bass grabbed my tube that I vertically jigged in the bed. It didn’t put up a great fight. Kind of a in close tug of war. I noticed the bass had been caught a time or two before, but must not be today because it was pushing 5 pounds, so I figured someone would have kept it for weigh in. I admired the hog briefly and then watched it swim back to the nest.
I paralleled a sand drop with dark patches nearby and popped two 2 ¼ to 2 ½ smallies feeding on minnows that followed the sand drop. I tossed follow up tubes and a drop shot leech into the same stretch to land 2 more smallies closer to 3 pounds before that bite died.
It was getting late afternoon and with a 4 hour drive until home, I ran back towards the ramp. I did stop to fish a few sand drops on the way in. Despite seeing a few empty beds (and possibly one sneaky one), I didn’t get any bites or follows. In I went and homeward bound after a respectable day with about 19 pounds in my best 5. Fun no matter where you fish.