DT10

I was coming off a bit of a rusty rusty performance last time out, and I got off to an unusual start; I didn't prep the night before as I hemmed and hawed over whether to go bass or muskie fishing.  Eventually watching the Red Sox and sleep won out, so I found myself launching on Reeds Lake at the odd (for me) time of 9:30 AM.  Usually I am thinking about getting off the water by that time!

I'd committed myself to working on new patterns and locations, but I hedged my chances for success by starting with a Rapala DT10 crank bait along deep weed edges.  After all, I'd gotten hit a few times with this last week; I just hadn't executed any of these chances.

Green craw DT10

A solid 2.5-pounder ate the bait on my second cast.  Sometimes having such quick success 

is a Kiss of Death for the rest of the day, but occasionally it's just an indication of good things to come.  I continued to work offshore weed edges in about 8 to 12 feet of water, but it took a relocation to a smaller, less conspicuous hump to generate any more strikes.

This particular hump is often good for a single, large fish.  Sometimes nobody's home, but every so often this location coughs up a four to six-pounder.  Working the windward edge of this hump, I caught another solid fish, but what really got me juiced was the Mega-Bass that was excitedly swimming in with my hooked fish.  This was easily the largest bass I've ever seen in this lake; it was a true Michigan Giant.  I netted the 2+-pounder and noted the location of the lunker on the GPS.

Working my way around the hump, I caught a thick 3-pounder on the opposite side.  All the fish were hitting in the same type of water; offshore weed edges dropping from about 8 to 12 feet of water (and beyond.)  I was starting to get a solid pattern going!

Deep cranking provided a few more fatties to just over three pounds.

I couldn't leave this hump until I'd circled through the spot where I'd seen my lunker.   I ran into a short and fat, yet acrobatic, 4.84-pounder on the deep windward edge, but the fish I really wanted did not show herself again.  That was the only disappointment of the day.

4.84 pounds on the scale; but still not the bass I was looking for.  But this is a great anchor fish, any day on the water!

At this point I'd pretty much run out of weed-fringed humps, but I knew that a conspicuous submerged point dropping off into deep water might provide similar options for the bass.  It took a bit for me to find Bass Number 5 for the day, but when I found him (a barely legal keeper), I found a whole school of them.  I was able to barely cull once, but there wasn't much size to these guys.  Regardless, I had my limit before Noon, despite the late start.

After a photo session and releasing the bass, I moved to a new offshore area.  This seems to be an area of subtly raised hard bottom.  There's no obvious or dramatic relief, but there's a fairly extensive area between 13 and 17 feet of water, surrounded by the lake's basin of 20-23 feet of water.  I switched to a DT20 (this particular lure has taken both my largest bass and pike from this lake!), and it felt good to be grinding bottom and pulling up the occasional zebra mussel.  In a fairly short time, I missed a strike and then I caught a nice, bonus, approximate 30-inch deepwater pike.  This guy hit in 16 or 17 feet of water near the feature's edge.

GoPro Action!

A solid, bonus deep-water pike.

Not a bad day!  The rust is off!

Bucktail Bass -or- Hair Jig Payoff II

It took me over 30 years to catch my first striper, and it took almost another 20 for me to score one on the greatest, simplest and most versatile striper lure of all time; the humble, yet productive, bucktail.

4:30 AM EDT and all is well!

Of course, I just threw one for the first time while targeting stripers, and it really only took a few dozen casts for me to get bit.  I wish I could say this personally momentous event took place on one of the hair jigs I had crafted over the winter; but instead, I have to admit that I was throwing a nicely tied custom jig from The Tackle Shop in Portland, Maine.

This particular bass will forever remain etched in my memory for the cool, visual strike it provided.  I am accustomed to watching for my lure in the water during the retrieve, and soon after my slowly swimming jig came into view in the low morning light, this bass flashed up from the bottom and annihilated the bait.  She was probably within a rod's length when we connected, and I got to watch the entire strike and fight sequence unfold.  This healthy 26-incher was a perfect match for my gear in hand, too, and it was a pleasure to catch such a fish on a beautiful Maine morning!

5 AM and all is even better!

She might have thought it was a peanut bunker, or perhaps a finger-sized mackerel.  She hit hard, right at my feet.  All of the weekend's bass were thick and adorned with sea lice.

So, I somewhat successfully deployed a "new-to-me-in-this-place" tactic in a truly peaceful setting.  I had carefully selected, quality gear *** in hand, and I even caught a few other fish on this morning.  Some were larger, but none were quite as interesting or as satisfying as this particular bass.  What else could one ask for from a given morning, a long weekend road trip, or a winter spent daydreaming of (and preparing for) such things?


*** One of the pleasures (and potential frustrations) of fishing this spot is matching my tackle to the available bass.  While they have probably averaged about 24 or 25 inches (probably about six pounds) over the years, on any given day, the bites can come from micro-schoolies weighing in at a pound, or from unstoppable freight trains of unconfirmed size.  Moreover, my available tackle in Maine has always been a little limited and make-shift.  But with my increased saltwater fishing interests and participation over the last few years, I have purchased some high-quality saltwater reels and a couple of travel rods.  This day's set-up: the newest version of Shimano's Stradic 4000, spooled with 30-pound Momoi Diamond Braid; a heavy action, 7-foot Cabela's Fish Eagle 50 rod; 25-pound Seagar fluorocarbon leader;  and the 3/8-ounce sparse bucktail tipped with a 3-inch Lunker City shad body.  This was a fine delivery system that just felt good, at least to me!

Hair Jig Payoff

I spent a good portion of my free time this winter tying hair jigs.  These had been inspired (mostly)  by my daydreams of finicky smallmouths in shallow, cold water.  I've thrown them in a variety of situations so far this season, but other than a single set of flared walleye gills, I've not had any action on my jigs.

When I found myself struggling on Lake St. Clair the other day, targeting pre-spawn smallmouths in relatively cold, shallow water, I remembered those jigs!  Just a few casts into my newly-focused effort, I saw a flash in the vicinity of my bucktail.  The rod loaded, and for a moment I thought I'd hooked the bass of my dreams.  But this fish was lethargic and the clear water soon allowed me to identify it as a drum.  A big "bass drum" if you will, and a very acceptable by-catch, but not exactly the bass of my dreams.  

And the first fish to eat my custom hair jig is... a drum!

I didn't stick with the jig for long, however, because skies were starting to clear and the air temperature was finally higher than the water temperature.  I thought that, perhaps, the bass would start waking up, and to really excite them, I chose a bright pink jerk bait.  A few casts later I got my first bass bite, and a half hour or so later, I completed my virtual 5-bass limit with the biggest of the day, a very solid 5-pounder.

The bass preferred jerk baits.

I allowed myself to get distracted by the allure of finding productive, new water and didn't catch much for the rest of the day.  The quality bass and their dogged pulling were clearly the highlights of the day, but I'll also remember this day for the Hair Jig Payoff.  The Hair showed that there were, indeed, fish in the lake and got me started on a fine day's catch.

Regression to the Mean

Things always average out appropriately in the end, and last weekend's much-better-than-average fishing was subject, and vulnerable, to correction.  I just didn't think the correction would necessarily be this immediate.

I had blocked off a few dates on my calendar to accommodate (a) trip(s) to Lake St. Clair.  But with such good fishing so close to home, my thoughts had shifted to Reeds Lake and the local advantage I'd been enjoying.  I had pretty much decided to sacrifice a trip to St. Clair and take Friday off to fish Reeds Lake again!

Imagine my thoughts when I drove by the lake this afternoon and saw multiple, prominent, yellow posted warnings.  I recognized these from afar as public notices for aquatic weed treatment; but I stopped to confirm my thoughts.  (There was always the possibility that these were notices for a future event.  I am, after all, an optimist!)  I've never had good fishing coincide with these treatments on any lake, and given a choice, I'll avoid a treated lake for a couple of weeks.  

Chemical weed control took place today!  This is a temporary game changer for my bass fishing.  Just in time for the pike opener, too!

Just in case one hadn't noticed the conspicuously posted warnings...

There are plenty of other lakes and many other options for my time away from work.  I will still go to Lake St. Clair, hopefully repeatedly, and maybe even on Friday.  But suddenly, my short-term bass options don't seem as easy or as promising.   Fortunately, Muskie Season opens on Saturday; maybe I'll use that as a distraction from this unwelcome development.

Goals Accomplished

Not that any of this matters in the least, but I've actually reached several of my stated/written fishing goals for the 2016 season!  Local bass fishing has been solid so far, and the trip to Florida provided lots of fish and several new species (snook and sea-trout, as well as "lesser" others.)  It's kind of fun to dream, act and accomplish!  As for myself, I'm not necessarily used to such straightforward results.

I reached two goals in one day recently, when I caught both a 6-pound bass and a 20-pound "bag" (i.e., the combined virtual weight of my five biggest "keepers" of the day; all fish were immediately released.)  These are stretch goals for me, here, and while I recognize that these outcomes are a bit correlated, having occurred on the same day, I still enjoyed reaching them.  Now, I will simply have to build on this success by stretching and reaching again.

Three of the bass contributing to my 20-pound "bag"; the largest was captured on video instead of stills.  Oops!

I've plenty of other goals for my version of a successful season.  I'll keep you posted on my progress (or lack there-of.)  Enjoy!

Captiva 2016

I recently had the pleasure to share a week in Captiva, Florida with my girls and three other families.  It was a planned break from our Michigan Winter in celebration of our pending high school graduates.  The parents had met about a year ago to pick an appropriate location for this trip, and I'd have to say, we decided well.

The kids were safe, the pace was relaxed, and the accommodations were a known commodity.  Of course, I wanted to fish, and fish I did!  The fishing details are available here, but in this post, I just want to acknowledge some of the better developments of the week.  These include:

***We picked a perfect week to be gone.  The weather in Michigan was miserable during our stay in the sunshine state.

This April Fool's snow storm in Michigan was no joke.  That's my buddy's Dog Day in the background.  He launched her for the season into the teeth of this storm.

***We enjoyed easy access to a beautiful beach and a fish-filled bay.  The days were sunny and the water was warm.  Regardless of weather (by which I mean wind intensity and direction), I could productively fish.  Meanwhile, the girls were happy with the condo's pool and beach, and we could all walk to wherever our interests were at the moment.  Captiva is pretty much the end of the road, so while it was busy and crowded, it wasn't overly so.

***I just love being outside, and there was always something to watch!  As a bonus, this was usually in comfort!  I experienced a full week of sunrises and sunsets.  On the water, I was always watching bait, rays, birds, dolphins, manatees, sharks or sea turtles.  The ocean's constant motion and the bay's diurnal replenishment provided unique tides, waves, currents and color lines.  On the beach, every low tide featured a deep trough right along shore, with currents passing by like a river.  Occasionally I could identify a rip or cut in there sandbar, and all of these features let me think about fish and fishing (almost) to my contentment.  

***I am often tempted to conclude that saltwater fishing is just plain superior to freshwater fishing.  After all, It's not too much to ask The Salt for 40 fish a day, or for a few drag- screaming runs.  The fish just pull harder in saltwater!  They don't even have to be that big to do so!  Plus, you never know what might swim by and take your bait or what you might witness while out there.

***I had the opportunity to fish hard with some fine new equipment.  I was especially impressed by the new Stradic FK 4000 reel and by various Gulp! baits.  Both Momoi Blue Diamond braid (30-pound) and Spiderwire Stealth braid (10-pound) handled conditions well, and the Tsunami Gotcha plugs became my new, go-to presentation.

***I had travelled to a new area in search of new species, and I executed well!   While I didn't catch anything monstrous, necessarily worth bragging about, or life-changing,  I did catch a couple of new, targeted game fish species (snook and sea trout), and my rod was bent and my drags were slipping all week!  

My first snook

Here's a nice keeper sea trout.  Most were 14 inches or so, this 19-incher got harvested for a group dinner.

***Moreover, I had prepared well.  I used just about everything I had brought, and I had to purchase very little on-site. Each trip prepares me for the next!  

***As a rare bonus, I did not have a knot fail all week.  I did experience one Spanish cutoff, and a surf snook (of course, the fish of the trip!) sliced an undersized leader with its operculum, but otherwise I made the most of my opportunities and suffered no lost gear or fish.


***I may have revised my ultimate plans for a saltwater boat.  I'd love to have a sea-worthy 23-foot center console, but after a couple of days of fishing from a comfy but cumbersome, gas-sucking pontoon, the simplicity and economy of the 18-foot skiff shined through.  There wasn't much to fail; and there wasn't much to pay for at the end of the day, either.

***I made some new friends, or at least positively reinforced my relationship with existing acquaintances.  I really like all the folks we went with, and I'm proud that my daughter has chosen to associate with such a nice group of kids.

***Physically, I felt better than I have in about 8 years.  I partially recognized this at the time, but it has been more obvious as familiar aches, pains and stiffness have crept back upon me since our return.  Warm, salt water might just be my fountain of youth.

***I am proud to be able to do this with and for my family, and I recognize that I am fortunate to have a job from which I can truly take time off.  I hadn't a single professional care while I was gone; I was able to be present and focus on the matters at hand, without distraction or guilt.

***I spent a fine day with A.  

***I am filled with love for my girls.  I am pleased to contribute to, and share their happiness.

***I really am better at dealing with things.  I've been practicing what I've been preaching, and I know that negative emotions and reactions, and not necessarily unexpected developments, are my bane.  I have harnessed much of their former power, and I can occasionally direct that energy towards a productive end.  It's made a difference for me.  I think this has made a difference for those around me, too.

Surf fishing for snook; a fine way to spend your time!

Frenemy***

(This one has been sitting for a while, unfinished, but when I encountered another TED talk from Mr. Ricard today, I decided to just share this.  In the time since I first drafted this, I think I have become better at controlling my reactions to situations, as opposed to trying to control the situation itself.  I know I am better for those efforts.  And I like Mr. Ricard's ultimate message; we are all likely better people than we give ourselves credit for.)

***


“We deal with our mind from morning till evening, and it can be our best friend or our worst enemy.”  A Buddhist thought from Matthieu Ricard

Disregarding the grammatical issues with the quote as presented, and noting that I don’t want to get too deep or alarm anybody, here’s a Daily Chart* I produced earlier this year: 

This was generated on a particularly “bad” day, when a series of ultimately insignificant threads of my work life weaved into one giant (but thankfully, ephemeral) tangle.  It’s a bit daunting that my chart depicts four “dark” categories only, but I’m sure it just reflects my feelings at work at that moment, as I firmly recognize that there’s always lots of good in my life.    Interestingly, my work calendar indicates that I was contemporaneously killing it; field, office, independent and collaborative work; it all got done, and got done well, too.  

I alone reside in my body, with my brain.  I can’t do much about that.  I have some darkness in my life, but even I can feel kind of optimistic when I see that I have some control over the majority of my life, even as depicted above.  The dizziness was temporary and the physical pain is generally manageable and being controlled.  On that particular “bad” day, more than half of my issues in the chart are “mental”, and so are mine alone.  As referred to at the start, I can either be friend or foe to myself.  I can choose to accept (manage? defeat?; or not) the depression and the negative emotions.  Little did I know that this too was actually a Buddhist way of thinking:

“Enlightenment is eliminating mental confusion (and a litany of bad characteristics and emotions)…That’s very simple and straightforward.”   (Pico Iyer; another quoted Buddhist)

OK, here’s a formula to my liking; acknowledgement, acceptance, identification, management, learning; these can can all lead to clarification. And because the quote says eliminating the mental confusion (not eliminating the problem or bad thing itself) is the goal; I know I can work on this. I'm not asking myself to tackle the impossible, but rather simply to not get distracted by other aspects of these issues. I can co-exist with these dark elements, I just can't let them confuse my thinking of what is important.

Unfortunately the quote continues:

“Whether you can do it or not is another matter.”

So, like everything worthwhile, “it” probably won’t be easy.  But at least I feel that I have a map for the path ahead.  That is comforting.  I know that certain things are under my control.  That’s empowering.  I’m not even sure I know what “it” is, but I suspect I have some choice; and some clarity of thought with which to address these choices.  These are powerful tools.  I should be able to do it.  Heck, my chart could just as well be portrayed as this:

I could be OK with this.



***Fonts are apparently the enemy with respect to this entry.  Sorry.

*As part of my Individual Development Plan at work this past year (a good thing), I chose (in part) to pursue some PowerPoint and Presentation Skills. To help cement some of what I’d learned, I started honing my PowerPoint abilities by developing a new slide every work day, either for use or just for practice. Many of these have become a “Chart of the Day!” such as this one. These are usually timely and topical for the workday, but sometimes they are simply light-hearted conveyances of my fishing endeavors, time budgets, etc. Strangely, I’ve completely very few of these since the one first depicted here appeared…