The day started out with a calm lake under overcast sky, as per the forecast. I was thinking that the weather folk had hit it right for a change. The water temp was 74.7, with visibility a consistent 6-8 feet.  I pushed the boat off the trailer at 7:15, and boated my first bass, a 2-15, at 7:18. That fish fell for an old, 1975-vintage Mister Twister Lunker Buzz II with a purple skirt. The fish hit between the brush pile where we launch and the fence toward the dam. That old buzzer ended up being the only lure I could catch a bass on when it was either windy, overcast, or both. As the sky began to clear, I started throwing frogs. I caught nothing on a Bull Ribbit, but a solid white Top Toad proved effective for my next 3 fish. The fish wanted a constant-speed retrieve, with no stopping and starting.  I then caught my smallest fish of the day, a dink, on a Zara Spook. Go figure! That was my only harvested fish; all the others were well over 14".

As the sky continued to clear, I went to my regular go-to bait, a weightless, wacky-rigged Senko in Black/blue flake or watermelon/red flake. Those accounted for 3 more bass in the boat.  The fish hit the worms in from  1 to 9 feet of water. Around 1:00, it clouded up again and the wind started blowing, so I started tossing the purple buzz bait again. I missed as many hits as I connected with, but still managed to land 6 nice fish on that old lure. It rained on me hard enough to make me lament that my rain suit was in the car, and I was deep in the south end pads (They’re starting to look very healthy). After about an hour, I could see another rain storm coming, so I put the 40 lb TM on max speed and ran north to the car. Murphy’s Law definitely applied…no rain suit (It was in the boat the entire day, hidden in what SALEX probably thinks of as “Tom’s Tackle Shop.”) Anyway, my clothes dried out as the clouds started to dissipate around 3:00, and I picked up a 3-04 under the dock on a watermelon/red Senko. Finally, at 4:55 and 5:00, I caught two 3-pounders on a bone, ½ oz. Yellow Magic. Those two were at the east end of the dam, inside the grass line, next to the short reeds. That accounts for all of my 17 bass, 13 of which fell for topwater lures. All were either males or spawned-out females: long and thin.

Other lures that didn't produce were a white single-spin, my "go-to" chatter bait, Ribbit frogs, Original #11 floating balsa Rapala (gold), a Ned rig, brush hog, and a Pit Boss.

I’m thinking that I must be “snakebit” this year, because I have yet to catch a 4-pound or better bass in 2017.  Still, there’s always that next cast, and I had a good day.

Tight lines, y'all.

Tom

Posted By: Tom Dillon