Willie trip on Sunday

bass
bass
I had not taken a solo trip since April so when the opportunity came up to get out the Hobie I really wanted to make sure I had a good day.
I got to Cedaroak on Sunday at about 6:40 and was fishing by 7:00. Looked like the perfect topwater morning, humid, cloudy, misting, slight breeze.
I was so stoked to be out fishing! I tied on my trusty baby torpedo and started working near the launch. Every couple of minutes a fish would
splash somewhere in the area getting me even more excited.

After 1/2 hour without a hit the stoke meter was starting to drop a bit. No problem I thought, maybe something quieter so I put on a zara puppy and
started walking the dog. After about 20 minutes it was clear that this was not the choice either. So I switched again. This time I put on a Sebile
magic swimmer that I picked up out of the bargain bit at Fisherman's sidewalk sale. It looked good in the water so I was pretty pumped figuring that
something near the surface but not on it must be the key. Half an hour later I think I understand why that bait was in the bargain bin :) Even in marked
down for clearance it was the most expensive lure I have ever bought.

Next I try burning a spinnerbait, no love. Crankbait, no love. Now I have been at the river for about 2.5 hours with nothing to show. I think about
what I have tried and I am trying to think of something different. So, even though the water was looking pretty clear I decided to go with something
loud. I pick up an ancient baby bass colored rattle trap and tie it on without feeling much hope, but I just can't leave an area where the fish are
continuing to break the surface while clearly feeding.

Second cast with the rattle trap and I feel a strong thump, probably just a log or rock. Third cast, thump, fish on! It was only a foot long bass, but it
felt so awesome to catch a fish after trying so hard. Ten minutes later I catch another foot long and I am starting to feel pretty dang good. So
I move over to where I know there are lots of logs and stuff on the bottom and start working that area. Bam, this is a better fish, woo hoo!
No monster, but a respectable 2lb 7oz - it was the first decent bass I had caught in 3 months, don't judge me for weighing it :)

M4Ki3LK.jpg

Maybe I should not have weighed that fish, because right after the fish activity seemed to die down and I could not get another bite in that area.
I kept tossing the rattle trap for about an hour without a hit as I tried several different areas. Finally, I realized that sticking with that bait was
probably not a good idea (kind of slow sometimes). So I came up to what looked like a good spot and shared some similarity to the first spot.
I started off using a deep diving crankbait thinking that maybe the fish were a bit deeper now. That seemed to do the job. I made 3 passes over the
spot and picked up 3 fish in the 1.5lb range.

Two more passes without a hit, but I was positive that there still must be fish there so I made another pass with a drop shot. I picked up two fish on that
pass. It took two more passes to pick up a third and then no more action on several more passes. Still pretty stoked about picking up 6 fish off of one spot.

I spent the rest of the day moving and fishing, picking up 5 more fish but never more than one fish off of any spot. Finally, well the
fishing just sort of, you know, died.

ZbB4F4W.jpg

So, I have had a great summer taking my son out panfishing, but every once in a while it is nice to get out there for some me time.
 
W
WillametteT
Great story! Any day fishing is a good day fishing in my book. Good looking bass too.:thumb:
 
brandon4455
brandon4455
they can be tough when feeding on pods of bass fry/juvenile bass. if you have a fly rod get a big chartreuse/white or olive/white clouser and toss that to the risers and just strip it back. Ive done very good on those this year when the adults are eating fry.


if you don't fly fish- a soft plastic baby bass swimbait will slay
 
M
minnowmagnet
Another killer report, John. You certainly know how to keep at it, adjust, keep at it, and get results.
I like your style and patience.
 
bass
bass
Thanks WillametteT, started out tough but ended up being a really good day. Felt especially good since the area I was fishing was getting a lot of attention from folks in bass boats. Made me change the spots I fished a bit, but it worked out in the end.

Thanks for the tip Brandon, I bet that would work well for those fish that were busting the surface. The lipless crankbait I got the first ones on was baby bass colored.

Brian, I had to keep at it. I could not end my first solo trip since April with a white stripe down my back :)
 
EOBOY
EOBOY
Hey T:

Good post never knew about that boat launch. When I first moved to Portland I bought a house in Milwa. Used to fish the area around Rock Is. Looks like a big area. Thanks for the post.

Dana
 

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