Chillin' on Pineview

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Another solo shot at Da Pine. Shoulda stood in bed. Woulda been warmer and wouldn't have missed much.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Launched at the bottom of the hill, near the dam, just before 10 AM. Air temp 31...and never got much warmer down on the lake. Water temp 43...and only warmed a half degree all day.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Saw lots of fish, but could not find many active ones. Lots of bait schools so they are probably well fed. Saw small perch floating on the surface (see pic) and clouds of them near the bottom in water over 45 feet deep (see sonar pic).[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I fished a lot of lake...both north and south sides of the narrows channel. I usually do better on the north side, but today the only active fish I could find were off the south bank. There was about a 30 foot stretch or shoreline that I could get some of the marked fish to bite. Outside of that I only got an occasional bite or small perch.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In that one small area I landed 3 crappies, from 10 to 12 inches, and about a dozen perch from 5" to 8". I also got a 17 inch stick and an 18" largie (see pic). Actually, I got several of those small largemouth again...averaging about 6 inches. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]While most of the fish I saw on sonar were in deeper water, the active ones were in 43 to 45 feet. Couldn't find active fish shallower or deeper. Did mark some "crappie-looking" fish in shallower water but they definitely had lockjaw.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Wouldn't ya know it. I was the only tuber on the lake, and there was only one boater. The guy in the boat had two dogs with him and was fishing on the other side from where I was. But, when he saw me pull up a fish he motored over almost on top of me. He pretended I wasn't there until I had enough and moved. You would think that the only two anglers on a lake would be able to avoid fishing so close.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That was "my spot", and I didn't go back. That last fish I got about 2 PM and I couldn't find any anywhere else. When the briefly shining sun disappeared back behind the hills the temperature dropped again and the cold breeze came back up. [/#0000ff]
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=42525"][#212126]10 AM LAUNCH.jpg[/#212126][/url] (366 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=42526"][#212126]CHILLY EAST BREEZE.jpg[/#212126][/url] (216 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=42527"][#212126]FORAGE.jpg[/#212126][/url] (104 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=42528"][#212126]LOTSA BAIT.jpg[/#212126][/url] (196 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=42529"][#212126]MANTUA OR PINEVIEW.jpg[/#212126][/url] (233 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=42530"][#212126]17 INCHER.jpg[/#212126][/url] (188 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=42531"][#212126]18 INCH LARGIE.jpg[/#212126][/url] (222 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=42532"][#212126]SMALLEST CRAPPIE.jpg[/#212126][/url] (244 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=42533"][#212126]BIGGEST TODAY.jpg[/#212126][/url] (222 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=42534"][#63626b]LONELY ONLY BOATER.jpg[/#63626b][/url] (259 KB)
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[idahopanfish]

nice crappie's. I really like the 17"er did it fight hard? Mine like that I usually get to the net and the last surge they shake off and some times keep my lure for the memory book or something.

I am also amazed at the early sunrise shot you got this time. I think they feed latter now too or at least thats my thinking when the alarm goes off.

Have a great day
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]The 17 incher was hard to get off the bottom, but once I had it coming in there was not much of a fight. I did release it unharmed. It was a bit thin and probably would not have produced much of a fillet. Tough too. I have also donated lures to the larger relatives of that small "brush bass".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I generally prefer launching earlier, because it is typically calmer in the morning. But, as the water cools, the fishing sometimes DOES get better later in the day...especially if the sun warms it up a couple of degrees. In short, I am not fond of hitting the water too early, when I get ice in the guides and no fish on my line until later anyway. I admit that I am a masochist, but I try to be a smarter one in my old age.[/#0000ff]
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