09-26-2008, 10:42 PM
[cool][#0000ff]Got blown off Scofield yesterday before using many of the minnows I had brought. Also had Kent's unused minnows. Couldn't just toss them and I know that if I refreeze them I never use them. Made perfect sense to me to take them up to Willard and offer them to the fishies in that lake.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Actually, I looked forward to this morning's trip as a "selfish day"...a solo trip to enjoy with only myself as company. Don't misunderstand. I always enjoy fishing with TubeBabe...when she is available. I also enjoy the company of my many tubin' buddies. But, sometimes it is necessary to get away and thoroughly focus on nothing but fishing. Nobody else to get packed, unpacked and launched before you can launch. No walkie talkie conversation in the middle of fighting a fish...or tieing a knot...or anything. QUIET.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]These days it is difficult to justify going fishing by yourself...with the price of gas and all. But, it is still cheaper than therapy or meds. And, for me, solo fishing has always been my number one "brain broom".[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]It was just getting light at 7 AM, at the Willard north marina ramp. 60 degree air temp was twice what it was at Scofield yesterday. A few mosquitoes were enjoying the "heat wave" too. DEET.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The water level was almost exactly the same as it was two weeks ago. The water temp at launch was 63 but warmed up to 68 about noon. Although it still had some "color", the clarity was much better than on my last trip. I could see my black fins through about 3 feet of water. So could the carp. As usual, they kept getting romantic with those fins. Also as usual there were a bajillion carp on the surface, wherever you looked. Later they stacked up in big groups near the shore. TWANG.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Got started fishing about 7:30. Coulda stood in bed for another hour. Didn't get my first hit until about 8:30...just as the sun came over the top of the mountain and broke through the clouds briefly. Then it was constant action for the next hour and a half.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I couldn't buy a hit on any of the hardware or plastic I tried. But, my minnow rod kept me busy. It seldom went more than a minute or two after sending out a new bait before the line would pop from the clip and start streaming off the reel. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I only missed hooking a few takers while bringing in about a dozen cookie cutter kitties and two lovely wipers. The wipers and the cats both hit the same way, but once the hook was in them there was no mistaking it when you had a wiper hooked. The cats mostly dogged it, with short runs and some head shaking. The wipers put the line over their shoulders and tried to clean off my reel. FUN FUN.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I only kept about 4 kitties and the two wipers. The largest wiper was 22 inches and 4.7 pounds. The smaller was 21 inches and 4.2 pounds. I remember thinking at one point in the long tussle with the second one that I would rather catch one feisty wiper than a whole grundle of wimpy slimers.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I shoulda tossed in an extra package of minnows. I was out of bait and out of action by 10. I hung around throwing hardbaits and plastics...even tipped with crawler...without more than a couple of light hits (carp bumps).[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There were several boats leaving the channel this morning but only talked to a couple coming back in. Only one wiper reported. All the boats ran to the other side of the lake so I could look out and not see anybody else. It was like I had the whole lake to myself. Add into that the fall colors and the flat calm weather and it was mighty fine fishy therapy. I actually don't feel a bit bad about my selfish day.[/#0000ff]
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[signature]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Actually, I looked forward to this morning's trip as a "selfish day"...a solo trip to enjoy with only myself as company. Don't misunderstand. I always enjoy fishing with TubeBabe...when she is available. I also enjoy the company of my many tubin' buddies. But, sometimes it is necessary to get away and thoroughly focus on nothing but fishing. Nobody else to get packed, unpacked and launched before you can launch. No walkie talkie conversation in the middle of fighting a fish...or tieing a knot...or anything. QUIET.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]These days it is difficult to justify going fishing by yourself...with the price of gas and all. But, it is still cheaper than therapy or meds. And, for me, solo fishing has always been my number one "brain broom".[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]It was just getting light at 7 AM, at the Willard north marina ramp. 60 degree air temp was twice what it was at Scofield yesterday. A few mosquitoes were enjoying the "heat wave" too. DEET.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The water level was almost exactly the same as it was two weeks ago. The water temp at launch was 63 but warmed up to 68 about noon. Although it still had some "color", the clarity was much better than on my last trip. I could see my black fins through about 3 feet of water. So could the carp. As usual, they kept getting romantic with those fins. Also as usual there were a bajillion carp on the surface, wherever you looked. Later they stacked up in big groups near the shore. TWANG.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Got started fishing about 7:30. Coulda stood in bed for another hour. Didn't get my first hit until about 8:30...just as the sun came over the top of the mountain and broke through the clouds briefly. Then it was constant action for the next hour and a half.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I couldn't buy a hit on any of the hardware or plastic I tried. But, my minnow rod kept me busy. It seldom went more than a minute or two after sending out a new bait before the line would pop from the clip and start streaming off the reel. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I only missed hooking a few takers while bringing in about a dozen cookie cutter kitties and two lovely wipers. The wipers and the cats both hit the same way, but once the hook was in them there was no mistaking it when you had a wiper hooked. The cats mostly dogged it, with short runs and some head shaking. The wipers put the line over their shoulders and tried to clean off my reel. FUN FUN.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I only kept about 4 kitties and the two wipers. The largest wiper was 22 inches and 4.7 pounds. The smaller was 21 inches and 4.2 pounds. I remember thinking at one point in the long tussle with the second one that I would rather catch one feisty wiper than a whole grundle of wimpy slimers.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I shoulda tossed in an extra package of minnows. I was out of bait and out of action by 10. I hung around throwing hardbaits and plastics...even tipped with crawler...without more than a couple of light hits (carp bumps).[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There were several boats leaving the channel this morning but only talked to a couple coming back in. Only one wiper reported. All the boats ran to the other side of the lake so I could look out and not see anybody else. It was like I had the whole lake to myself. Add into that the fall colors and the flat calm weather and it was mighty fine fishy therapy. I actually don't feel a bit bad about my selfish day.[/#0000ff]
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=40659"][#212126]EARLY TO LAUNCH.jpg[/#212126][/url] (175 KB) [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=40660"][#212126]BREAK THROUGH.jpg[/#212126][/url] (235 KB) [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=40661"][#212126]CHUBBY COOKIE.jpg[/#212126][/url] (153 KB) [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=40662"][#212126]DIET COOKIE.jpg[/#212126][/url] (168 KB) [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=40663"][#212126]4.2 POUNDS.jpg[/#212126][/url] (266 KB) [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=40664"][#212126]4.7 POUNDS.jpg[/#212126][/url] (171 KB) [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=40665"][#212126]AUTUMN ATTIRE.jpg[/#212126][/url] (227 KB) [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=40666"][#212126]CROWDED RAMP.jpg[/#212126][/url] (194 KB) [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=40667"][#212126]EMPTY GLASS.jpg[/#212126][/url] (128 KB) [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=40668"][#212126]DOUBLE FUN.jpg[/#212126][/url] (188 KB) [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=40669"][#212126]WIPER CHOW.jpg[/#212126][/url] (195 KB)[signature]