August 30, 2006

Fishing at Shabbona

With the kids all back in school, I was able to sneak out by myself this morning.

Water temp was 72 degrees, clarity about a foot or less with a brown colored stain.

I started out in the NE Bay with the Blue-Black Chatterbait, what a Shock !!!!

Again, my nicer bass were very tight to the weeds (in the weeds). Best bass was the 19 incher pictured above. I am casting these things in the slop where you should be fishing something like a top-water frog, but you have to give them what they want I guess. Bring it in fast, just in inch or two under the surface, give it a hard snap to pop it free from the weeds when it grabs them. I need a new pattern. This one works, but is not nice easy fishing.

By mid-morning, the nice overcast sky got bright and sunny and the North-East wind started to howl. I went out in the middle of the NE bay in 8-9 feet of water and tried to come up with a good crankbait pattern. I know there are some nice bass holding out there, if I could just figure them out. No Dice. I only found a school of 12-14 inchers and caught about a dozen of them, but none of the Big Boys.

I spent the next few hours dragging and chucking muskie lures around the lake. No action. Off the lake by 2 PM.

The Official Muskie Month is almost here.

Good Luck Everybody.

See you on the water.