I wen out for a few hours early Sunday morning… I wanted to catch the early schooling action and leave about 9:30… Turns out it was a "blue bird sky. with not a cloud or schooling fish to be found. I searched from Boy Scout Island down to the Dam and then up the North Ford to Tuke Bay. Nothing.
It was now almost 8:30… tried fly fishing along the shore and… Nothing.
Figured I'd slowly work back toward BSA Island looking for schooling fish…
I remembered a guy trawling a large crank bait and having some action, so I tied one on and started trawling. I was seeing lots of fish on the fish finder, but no action. The lure was running about 12 feet deep. I know this because I crossed a point and the lure scrapped the bottom. Hit. The fish ran pulling drag. I look back as a fish jumped and then got real heavy. Seems when it jumped, it hog tied itself. It was like reeling in a big wet beach towel.
Moving on down around Kemoo Island, still searching for some schooling action< I crossed another point and as the lure began to scrape the bottom, another hit. This one really put up a fight… Turns out it was a big red devil. 1 and ¼ pounds. One of the largest I've ever caught.
Just as I got up to BSA Island the clouds started to gather and the fish started to school. This was my first chance to try out Jeff's new lure.
Sorry, I don't remember exactly what name he gave it. If you visit the filthyfisherman.com web site I bet he has a picture. The soft plastic lure looks kind of like a Bass Assassin, but much smaller. These are clear with silver metal flake… and the schooling fish just loved them. This was on my first cast…
Every time a cloud covered the sun, the lake surface would boil with largemouth and peacock bass splashing and the shad jumping out of the water and scattering in all directions. Feeding frenzy.
Suddenly it was 10:00 AM and the clouds were gathering thicker and thicker. The fish were splashing the surface as far as I could see…
and it was time for me to go home.
