Memorial Day Weekend

Morning with Darrin

Date: May 28, 2011
Location: Lake Bloomington
Weather: Overcast mid 50's (Stormy afternoon high in the low 70's)
Time: 5:45-9:45 AM
Water Temp: Mid 60's
Results: 1 runt largemouth (White Swim Jig) 1 runt smallmouth (SK Series 3 crankbait sexy shad color)

Runt Smallmouth on
SK Series 3 Crankbait

Runt Largemouth on
White Swim Jig

It was nice to get to spend a morning with Darrin I don't get to see my friends very often with all of my family and work responsibilities.  There was not a whole lot of serious fishing going on but that can always wait for another morning.  Darrin was nice enough to bring whole package of deersticks.  I am pretty sure I ate to many of them.  I started off throwing crankbaits  along the seawall across from the boat launch.  I was trying to catch a quick walleye for Darrin to take home for lunch.  No such luck.  I missed numerous fish before I finally hooked up with a runt largemouth on a swim jig, followed by a smallmouth on a crankbait.  I also missed a few fish on a shaky head worm fished along the boat docks on the east side of the lake.  Will finish updating tomorrow.

All told I probably missed four fish but nothing to large.

Memorial Day

Date: May 30, 2011

Location: Lake Bloomington

Weather: Sunny high 70's to mid 80's very windy (High of 90 for the day)

Time: 6:-10:00 AM

Results: 3 largemouth (13" and 2 runts on 1/8 Oz shaky head w/ KVD finesse worm)  2 smallmouth (10.5 on SK Bitsy Jig Blue/Black with Berkley Havoc Deuce Trailer and a runt on the shaky head worm)  14.5" Walleye on SK Series 3 crankbait sexy shad color)

Very windy day focused on Shaky head most of the day by boat docks and seawall across from the boat launch.  Large catfish probably 8 or 9 lbs broke my line fishing with the shaky head.  Lost a sure keeper size largemouth  on the shaky head, but did not get a look at it.   All fish were caught around docks and seawall across from boat launch. 

Will update with more details and pictures tomorrow

Disappointment

I decided to take the afternoon off on Thursday in order to get out on the water.  There was a chance of storms but storms had been call for all week and none of them came to fruition.  Without going into the whole story I managed to only be on the water for an hour and a half before I got off the water and it ended up not even raining at the lake.  In the end better safe than sorry.

In addition to the abbreviated trip I also did some dumb things on the water.  First of all I did not have a plan that I stuck to this causes me to be unfocused and to waste time.  I got the great idea I would try to catch a few crappie to take home before I got serious about fishing.  I ended up catching 2 runt bass a runt walleye and a 15" hybrid striped bass off of a fallen log in the midsection of the lake, I did not bother to take any pictures.  I finally came to my senses and decided I need to get bass fishing.    My problem was I did not know what to do.  I decided to throw my new KVD 1.5  however I went to the shallow flat at the beginning of the back end and ended up hauling in weeds for 15 minutes, I decided to change course and try to throw a shaky head at some docks and seawalls, right when I got in position to start the wind picked up and I noticed a storm was on its way so I started making phone calls.   After numerous phone calls with my dad and wife it was suggested that I get off the water.  I decided to throw the 1.5 at my favorite seawall a couple of times before I left and hooked into a nice walleye,  I was so paranoid about the storm that after I landed the walleye I through my pliers back into the water instead of the fish.  I was so disgusted with myself that I did not bother with a picture of the walleye.  The walleye was about 16".  In summary

Location: Lake Bloomington
Date: 5/12/11
Time: 2PM-3:15 PM
Water Temp: 74F
Weather: Mid 80's and sunny with a small thunderstorm in the area
Fish: 2 runt bass, 1 hybrid striper 15" 2 walleye (runt and 16")  all fish were caught on a 1/16 ounce jig   and a 1 1/2 inch white grub.  the 16" walleye was caught on the KVD 1.5 crankbait

Goal:  80 hours on the water, 50 bass, 10 legal bass
Year to date: 9 hours on the water, 9 bass, 1 legal bass

LAKE BLOOMINGTON PIG !

Date: May 6, 2011
Time: 6:30-11:45 AM
Location: Lake Bloomington
Water Temp: 55-60 F
Weather: Sunny, High 40's-Mid 60's
Fish: 5 Bass (18", 13", 13", 12", 10.5")
Lures: ((2 SK Bitsy Jig) (2 Spro Little John Crankbait)(1 T-Rig Rage Tail Lizard)




Notes:  I was excited Thursday night in anticipation of my first full fishing excursion of the year, however I still have not organized  and performed maintenance on all of my gear yet for the year.  I did have a solid game plan for the trip, the only thing I was going to try for sure was the Texas Rigged lizard in super shallow water.  I have used this technique a few times in early May with some good success, nothing real big but always decent action.  I woke up early ate my breakfast and read the newspaper, I made it to the garage about 5:30 and had the boat hooked up and ready to go by ten till six.  The weather was quite brisk and it had rained the night before.  As usual the day started off slow for me.  I managed to hang lures in trees and I eventually broke the lip off of my favorite silver shallow shad rap.  It was seven by this time and I decided that I needed to get serious about catching fish.  I decided to fish the strike king bitsy jig exclusively until I started catching fish.

First Fish of the day 10.5" on Jig

I started pitching visual wood cover on the south side of the short creek arm.  I managed to get a short fish within fifteen minutes.  I managed to put a monster hook set up on him, and yanked him halfway back to the boat on the hook set  It always loosens things up after the skunk is out of the boat.  After getting things settled back down I continued pitching to the wood.  My bait was pretty messed up when I thought about putting a new Yum Wooly Hawg Craw on, but before I did I pitched to the base of a laydown in a foot of water.  I saw her swirl at the bait right when it hit the water and managed to only get a one handed hookset on her, but it was enough to get this sow to the boat.

Fish of the year so far 18" bloated bass ready to spawn caught on strike king bitsy flip jig

13" on Texas Rigged
 Rage Tail Lizard

Needless to say my heart was racing.  After a few pictures she was back in the water to finish spawning.  I always struggle after I catch a nice fish.  For some reason I loose focus and motivation.  It is like i am satisfied, if I ever want to start tournament fishing I need to maintain focus even after I catch a nice fish.  I stayed with the jig and subsequently missed a fish and finally snagged it and had to break the line.  At his point I decided it was time to start throwing the Rage Tail Lizard which was the lure I planned to use for the day.  I managed one fish on the lizard and missed another.  I fished the lizard in super shallow water along the bank at the back end of the bay on the short creek arm.  I went back to pitching to timber, but had no additional bites by 10 AM and decided it was time to try something different.   I finished the day throwing a Spro Little John Crankbait  and a Spinnerbait on the large flat at the beginning of the back creek arm and around the corner from the flat.  I caught 2 bass on the Crankbait, one on the flat and the other around the corner.  I missed an additional fish on the spinnerbait on the flat.



12" Caught on Spro
 Little John Crankbait

13" Caught on Spro
Little John Crankbait

I ended the day around 11:45 after a 15 minute fight trying to recover an $11 Spro crankbait.  This ended in futility, and I lost the lure.  I decided I need to get a better lure retriever, I can't afford to loose expensive baits.  All in all it was a beautiful day and very relaxing morning.

Goal: 80 hours on the water, 50 bass, 10 legal bass

Results: 7.75 hours on the water, 7 bass,  1 legal bass



FINALLY ON THE WATER !

Finally on April 29, 2011 the boat escaped the garage for the year.  After a long tax season and what seemed like weeks of cold rainy weather I got to take off Friday afternoon to get the boat out.  The weather was sunny with temperatures in the high 60s.  As is usually the case my first trip of the year I give boat rides to my parents and the kids.  Candi stayed on the bank with the baby.  Before they came out I was able to get a couple hours of fishing in.  I was a little rusty after not having been out since the first week of November.  I was able to catch to short bass, however I did not get a picture.  I took the camera and did not realize that the battery was not in it.  Candi brought the battery out to me so I did get a couple of pictures of the lake afterwards.

My mom Cathy

My dad Roger

As you can see it was still kind of chilly on the water.  

Date: April 29, 2011

Time: 1:30-3:45 PM

Location: Lake Bloomington

Water Temp: 60-65 F

Weather: Sunny high 60's light breeze

Fish: 2 Bass (11.5" on SK Jig, and 10" on Swim Jig)

Lures: SK Bitsy Flip Jig(Black and Blue)  with Yum Woolly Craw(Black w/Red fleck), John Graham Swim Jig (Silver) with Yum Woolly Grub (Black and Blue)

Notes:  The water was extremely dirty with all of the rain that has occurred over the last few weeks.  A large amount of junk from the bottom of the lake seemed to be floating on the surface.  I always seem to struggle to get into a rhythm  my first couple of times out.  I ended up catching a fish by flipping the SK jig to visible shoreline cover in less than 2 feet of water halfway down the short creek arm.  The other shorter bass was caught on the swim jig along the shore of the little inlet across the lake from the boat ramp in approximately 4 feet of water.

Strike King Jig with Yum Woolly Craw Trailer

John Graham Swim Jig with Yum Woolly Grub

My next time out it will be time to get down to business in trying to accomplish my fishing goals for the year.

Goals for the Year: 80 Hours on the water, 60 Bass, 10 Legal size Bass

Status: 2.5 Hours, 2 Bass, 0 Legal Bass

Until Next Time,

Ben