Feb 12 2017
Bruce Bernard
Keeper
Every since the report of the recent fish kill I have been curious as to the condition of Rock Chimney. I took the afternoon on February 11th to find out. The wind was howling all afternoon making fishing a little difficult, but I don't think it hindered getting a pretty good feel for the condition of this bass fishery.
in 6 hours of fishing I boated right at 40 fish. The average fish size (very informal survey) was about 13 inches. I caught 7 over 2 pounds with 2 over 3 pounds. 13 fish were smaller than 12 inches. with 20 being 12-14 inches. The fish that I did catch were very health and look like they had been eating well and they all fought well for their size. All in all it looks like the lake is recovering nicely from the late summer die off.
Best locations were the cove by the big chain and directly in front of the covered pavilion. Most effective lures (consistent with other reports) were lipless crankbaits and other chase baits.
I did get to visit with the owner for a bit which I always enjoy. I also got to visit with one of the grandkids and a friend.
Feb 13 2017
John Shepard
Slot Fish
Member Since :
2015
Number of Posts :
190
Bruce,
You sure caught a lot more than Bob and I did last week but your size data agrees very well with ours. Your observation that the bass were healthy is also spot on. The two largest ( 16-17") bass that I caught were fat, pre-spawn females.
John