thanks for the tip malibu. I don't use my x-rap often as i don't fish lakes where i don't have to worry about losing it often. Plus it's a perch color for up north(where i got it, and where i do real good on it).
This morning I was able to get an early start at 4am and do a little "night fishing" in the dark with my wooden Jitterbug. Caught two and missed none at the first pond, which is lucky since often the fish miss a topwater at night. In fact, the first fish actually struck twice after missing the first time.
First little fella:
Second one, 16 inches:
Then after the sun came up I headed to another pond and landed 3 while missing a bunch more even though it wasn't dark.
Then I switched to my new Koppers Live Target Pumpkinseed to try it out. This thing looks exactly like a small bluegill that I've actually seen in basses stomach/throats. Did pretty well with it, landing 8 nice ones.
Then I switched to my Spro Aruku Shad Jr. since I've been hearing that people are doing well with rattle traps. Only landed 2 though.
Switched again to my Castaic Catch-22 swimbait and landed two more before calling it a day. 17 bass total, not bad...
This morning I wanted to try the Flat Rap out at a pond with Big Bass. On my very first cast I landed this lunker:
And then I caught 5 more about the same size! AND 2 sunfish! WTH?!
But, on my last cast I hooked into this monster 3lb 9oz fish who should've weighed more judging by his length and head size, but I think it was a skinny male. If you look closely you can see some weird slime on him, I think he ejaculated his milt all over hisself after I hooked him!
nice blogspot! you are a great assett. I like all the info, hints, tips, &lure stuff. not just brag, blah, blah, blah brag like i see on many websites. Keep em comin!
Read the Zombie Fish Chronicles. You will learn things you thought you never knew.
Hey there, great fish. You're off to a good start. My girlfriend lives in Aurora and I will be moving there in the fall transferring to Aurora University. I make it out there almost every weekend, maybe we could hoook up and fish some time. I have some nice ponds up this way I would gladly show you in exchange.
Yesterday I had hoped to go to Starved Rock but it was way too cold and windy so I hit the Fox instead. But the wind made it unbearable so I only stayed for 10-15 minutes. That was long enough to catch a smallie on an X-Rap though. I guess it was easier to leave having caught something.
Today the weather was better, it actually looked beautiful, but still pretty cold. So, I went exploring some new areas I haven't been to on the Fox in St. Charles and wound up catching 6 smallies and miraculously not losing any (on an X-Rap and Pin's Minnow.) Biggest one was 15 inches:
Maliboo
How are you fishing that Live Target, and what water conditions? I have a bluegill pattern shallow dive 4ft. I think. I've been throwing it on clear water, because of its lifelike resembelance, without any success. Slow, fast, and varied retrieves. I think the gin clear water and bluebird skies is the issue.
Gotta love the Jitterbug!
Is "basstiality" the same as sleeping with the fishes?
joematousek wrote:Maliboo How are you fishing that Live Target, and what water conditions? I have a bluegill pattern shallow dive 4ft. I think. I've been throwing it on clear water, because of its lifelike resembelance, without any success. Slow, fast, and varied retrieves. I think the gin clear water and bluebird skies is the issue. Gotta love the Jitterbug!
I've only used the Live Target Pumpkinseed once, and that was on clear, skinny water. These things don't dive 4ft, like most crankbaits, the manufacturer seems to exaggerate. But it dived deep enough in this shallow pond to cause me to have to remove weeds and moss often, which I do not like to do especially when its cold. I retrieved it pretty quickly with an occasional *snap* then *pause* maybe twice per retrieve. Often I'd get the pickup right after the pause.
This morning I got an early start, hitting the water at 5am in the dark using the Jitterbug, but I had about 4 or 5 hits with only one hook up and I lost that as well. They weren't slamming it this morning.
So, I switched to a Mann's Baby Minus-1 that only dives to 1 foot and has a TON of rattle in it like a Rattle Trap, but can actually be fished in skinny ponds. When I use a rattling lipless crankbait in ponds I almost always have to remove moss and weeds.
Anyway, I had great success with the Baby Minus-1, getting my personal best 27 bass landed. I also lost a bunch when they jumped and shook the crankbait off. That's one thing I really like about Senkos and Rapalas, they don't get thrown as easily as crankbaits.
Saturday I went to Blackwell for the very first time and rented a boat with hookthis. He's a fun dude to fish with, but didn't get any decent action, just a few crappies on live minnows. hookthis did hook into something big that was ripping his drag, but I think it was a turtle...
Sunday I hit my best pond early in the morning and landed 20 bass.
3 on a Heddon Pop'n Image in the sunfish color. I caught them by fishing it kinda quick and walking the dog style. They wouldn't hit it fished slow.
5 on a Pin's Minnow, mostly fished with an occasional jerk-pause:
And 12 on a Dardevle fished with a very slow and steady retrieve:
This morning I hit the same pond and landed 13 on an X-Rap XR8, but left after the rain soaked me.
Been sick the last week so I haven't got out fishing until early this morning. Landed 11 bass.
Started off with 3 on a big Deps Buzzjet, a wake-type bait:
Then I tried a Castaic Jerky J in bluegill color. A co-worker gave me this and he swears by them, but I'm not much into finesse fishing, I like to smack 'em in the face. These things are fished very slowly, but they stay in the strike zone longer, so at certain times that must be beneficial. Landed 2:
Lastly I went old-school with a Mepps Aglia #4 and landed 6:
After that I hit a new spot on the Fox River at the Veteran's Memorial on Illinois Ave. but there was no action. The water was pretty muddy. So, I headed to Bass Pro Shop and bought some new lures...
I know that Memorial Day is the "unofficial" beginning of Summer, and the official first day of Summer is June 21st, the solstice, but I think we can all agree that Summer is HERE starting today.
Saw thousands of bluegills doing the spawning dance on the shorelines this morning and thought about wrecking their day with a fly, but really wanted a big bass so I kept chucking the 6" Senko. Big Black Snake.
Caught 2 big ones, a 3 pounder and this 4lb 7oz bigmouth:
Nice job Mali...quite the honey holes you have found.
Judging by the hook in the Pig's mouth, were you fishing the 6" senko wacky rigged?
Have you tried a neko rig? Been using it the past few times and have been pretty successful. Similar to shakey head, but subtle differences in presentation.
I never even heard of a neko rig, what's that all about? I really prefer not to finesse fish though, wacky worming a Senko is about as slow as I like to go.
I wasn't going to go fishing today cos I usually like to take it easy after my first day back to work, but a co-worker said he was going to East Branch next door after work and by the time work was over it seemed like a nice morning so I figured I'd hit the lake with him for maybe half an hour.
Since I was only going for a quickie I didn't bring my backpack, just one lure, my #1 best lure: shallow shad rap in bluegill. The lure I caught my first muskie on, my first pike on, 63 largemouth last year, a quillback carp sucker, a mirror carp, some crappie, some bluegill... this thing catches 'em all!
About 10 minutes in I was doing the *twitch-twitch-pause-float to the top*, when the water EXPLODED!!
I did not snag this monster, it attacked the lure! Light power 6' St. Croix spooled with Stren 6lb test. Screaming drag. This thing was a beast!
Unfortunately because I didn't bring my backpack I didn't have my scale so I have no idea how heavy it was, at least 30lbs maybe?
Afterwards we caught some green carp (bass), my co-worker got 4 and I got 2.
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