Breakfast Time Bassin' (with pics)

[Maliboo]

Saturday I went to Pickerel Lake in the afternoon because I heard that pike bite better in the afternoon. Threw a Dardevle until I snagged it up, then chucked a big white spinnerbait. No action. I even fished a different part of the lake that's closed from May through September so some fancy birds can mate there or something. The water over there is pretty shallow, and a guy I met there and was fishing with caught a small bass. Maybe next year when Mallard opens...

So, I didn't really want to end the year on back-to-back skunkings, and when I got off work this morning it didn't seem that cold and it was totally overcast, good fishing weather...

Threw a 3" WildEye Swim Shad and had this 16" bass engulf it right at my feet! I guess this time of year they follow for a long time before committing, so it might be best to reel all the way to shore.



So this may be the last fish of the year, maybe not...

I've kept complete track of every fish I've caught on which lures, so maybe later I'll post a report on how I caught over 600 bass this year. Mostly Senkos and Rapalas...

[uplandk9]

Great thread!

Glad you popped your "smallie" cherry this summer, and keep up the reports.

[Tikimahn]

thatd be real cool Maliboo, I have a hard enough time remembering if they hit it on the drop, the pickup, slow rolling, burning, twitch n pause...

[hookthis]

That wildeye keeps killing for you, I'll have to pick some up in the off season.

[FishinMatt]

Hopefully you can get out this morning too. Weather is supposed to turn but this morning the temps and wind are still pretty nice considering the time of year.

[bassedhard]

I finally got out for some breakfast time bassin.
I hit a local neighborhood retention pond. Not much action I pulled two dinks on a small suspending rapala. I had two nice sized bass follow up right to shore but they didn't commit. I had to leave my hands were freezing, too bad seemed they were getting a little bit aggressive by 9:30.
I'm going back out tomorrow, I think I may wait til 9 or so before I head out.

[Maliboo]

So here's the totals for last years lure production:

63 Rapala SSR7 (Bluegill) +2 Smallmouth Bass +1 Muskie +1 Pike +1 Quillback +1 Mirror Carp +2 Bluegill +3 Crappie
8 Rapala F7 (Silver) +1 Bluegill
21 Rapala F7 (Gold) +3 Smallmouth Bass +1 Crappie +4 Bluegill
21 Rapala F7 (Vampire) +1 Bluegill
12 Rapala F9 (Silver) +2 Crappie
5 Rapala F9 (Gold) +1 Crappie
11 Rapala F11 (Silver) +3 Crappie +1 Blugill
3 Rapala J7 (Perch) +1 Crappie +1 Bluegill
10 Rapala XR8 (Silver) +1 Crappie
27 Rapala XR6 (Purple Gold) +4 Smallmouth Bass +1 Carp +2 Quillback +1 Bluegill
3 Rapala XRSH6 (Yellow Perch) +1 Shad
1 Rapala SPR7 (Frog)

10 Senko 6" (Black w/Blue Flake)

59 Senko 5" (Clear w/Gold,Silver & Black Flake) +2 Crappie +1 Bluegill
37 Senko 5" (Cinnamon w/Black & Purple Flake)
20 Senko 5" (Cinnamon w/Black & Purple Flake + Fire Tip) +1 Bullhead
6 Senko 5" (Daquiri w/Black & Hologram Flake)
10 Senko 5" (Bubblegum)
3 Senko 5" (Smoke Laminate w/Purple & Hologram Flake)

24 Senko 4" (Bubblegum)
55 Senko 4" (Cinnamon w/Black & Purple Flake) +1 Bluegill
30 Senko 4" (Chartreuse w/Green & Chartreuse Flake)
4 Senko 4" (Clear w/Gold,Silver & Black Flake)

26 Yum Dinger 5" (Junebug)
1 Yum Crawbug 3.25" (Red Shad/Green Flake)
1 Yum Baby Dancin' Eel (Foxy Shad)

3 Mr Twister 3" Meeny Tail (Chartreuse w/Silver Flake) +1 Crappie
44 Mr Twister Sassy Shad (Firetiger) +3 Smallmouth Bass +1 Channel Catfish +1 Green Sunfish

4 Storm 3" WildEye Swim Shad (Pearl) +3 Smallmouth Bass
8 Storm 3" WildEye Swim Shad (Bluegill) +1 Crappie
4 Storm 3" WildEye Swim Shad (Baby Bass)

10 Berkley Powerbait 4" Hollow Belly Swimbait (Blueback Herring)

7 Reaction Innovations Little Dipper (Bullfrog)

5 Castaic 4" Catch-22 (Rainbow Trout)

1 Tru-Tungsten 4" Swimbait (Bass)

14 Rebel Wee Crawfish (Green Crawfish) +20 Smallmouth Bass +3 Walleye +1 White Bass +1 Channel Catfish +1 Quillback
1 Rebel Pop-R (Tennessee Shad)
1 Rebel Bumble Bug (Bumble Bee)

14 Beetle Spin 1/8 oz (Green w/Black Stripe) +4 Smallmouth Bass +1 Shad +1 Green Sunfish +1 Bluegill

2 Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver (Fried Watermelon)

6 Deps Realiser Jr (Bluegill)

6 Lucky Craft Pointer 78SP (Pineapple Shad)
2 Lucky Craft Rick Clunn Wake Action (MS American Shad)

9 Eppinger Dardevle Imp (Red & White) +1 Smallmouth Bass

5 Heddon Tiny Torpedo (Black)

3 Arbogast Jitterbug (Black)

1 Smithwick Devil's Horse (Bullfrog)

1 War Eagle Spinnerbait 3/8oz (Nickel Sexy Shad Col/Ind Gld/Slv)

[Kingfisher]

impressive
Do you remember this after each adventure to the water or do you chart it somewhere as you fish?

[Tikimahn]

Very good year for you. Thanks for putting the info up, I know it took a good amount of time.

[CHIDJM]

Kinda Curious: There are some numbers that stick out, such as senkos with 50+ fish, and rapalas with 20+, in those particular colors over the same lure, different colors.

Is that because you had more success with those lures, or because you only threw the successful ones once or twice, while the lesser numbers were only used on occasion?

btw, Great summer of fishing! Loved the blog, and you sure did a number on the fish! thnks for the info.

[Maliboo]

I count how many fish I'm catching while I'm fishing, then when I get home I type it into notepad and post here. I also carry a little notebook in my backpack/tackle bag for those occasions when I'm getting lots of fish on different lures so I don't forget. Sometimes its easy to forget...

As for the colors, I generally try to use gold Rapalas when its cloudy or dim water, and silver when its bright or clear water. So the sky and water conditions effect my choices most of all.

Same with the Senkos. I used the clear in clear conditions and the cinnamon in darker situations. I also used bubblegum and chartreuse which both kind of glow in very murky water.

I personally don't put too much faith in lure color. I believe there are more important factors such as:

#1 - Retrieve method/speed. Whether its a twitch, pause or steady retrieve and the speed.

#2 - Size. Sometimes you have to downsize, and on good occasions you have to upsize!

#3 - Depth. Not that big of a factor for me since I mainly fish shallow ponds and the shallow Fox River. Although sometimes a topwater or Senko on the bottom works best.