Tough Afternoon at Thompson Ranch

Sep 13 2016

Robert Scheidemann

Slot Fish

Member Since :
2016
Number of Posts :
232

Conditions: slightly overcast, calm, stained water at 89F. Big weed growth on most of the onshore bank and most of the fringing water. Significant activity in the dense, fringing, water weeds all afternoon. Unfortunately I didn't have the right gear to punch weeds. Tried everything in my tackle box else, as near the weed line, as the bank conditions would allow with no success! Open water bite slightly turned on late afternoon between 4:30 - 7PM. Landed 4 bass between 15-16" and culled a small one. Limited open water success achieved with shallow crank bait, green chatter bait, white inline spinner bait and 4" chartreuse swim bait. As dusk approached I tried both a buzz bait and a sara spook jr….a couple of blowups but no fish. 

Posted By: Robert Scheidemann

Sep 14 2016

Robert Cauthen

Fry

Member Since :
2016
Number of Posts :
17

I fished there on the afternoon of the 1th, and had a bit of a frustrating time, but as a new member I still caught more fish than I would have.  I fished around the "Damn side", the area that slopes way down to the Lake with  very little success.  Most of my fisch came in the coves on watermelon senkos or brush hogs weighted with a small weight texas rigged.  I culled around four like that, and released one 2 pounder.  The real action started on the left side where the most weed growth was when I started trowing a plastic.  I missed a few, but landed about three, the largest being 3.8lbs.  going back this weekend with my son.  How do you "punch" the Weed beds?

Sep 14 2016

steve carpenter

Keeper

Member Since :
2015
Number of Posts :
406

Robert:

Look at the July 4th posting under Best place for Punching. There are about 15 entries.

Good luck and hope this helps.

Steve Carpenter

Sep 16 2016

John Shepard

Slot Fish

Member Since :
2015
Number of Posts :
199

I fished Thompson a few weeks ago and the conditions were very similar to what Bob described.  The submerged to slightly emergent vegetation fringing much of the shoreline has gotten much denser in the last 8 weeks or so.  A greater issue for the bank fisherman is the tall, heavy growth on land (or in boggy soil) around much of the pond.  I couldn't get to the old dock & beaver dam due to waist high vegetation and several snakes on my last trip.  Other areas have a wide rind of thick weeds on land or tall clumps that make bank-parallel casting difficult.  Cattle seem to have been grazing the area infrequently since early summer and they don't appear to have an appetite for these plants.