Started Out Slooooooow!

Date: 14 April 2012
Air Temp: 40-60
Water Temp: 55-60 degrees
Wind: NNW 10-14 mph
Sky: Clear
Tide: HIGH @ 2:06 pm

Aquia Creek

Started out cold and windy.  Picked one fish up early off plastic pitched under a dock (8 o'clockish).  Next few fish wouldn't come for hours later on windy lay downs on plastic.  Changed to the opposite bank, out of the wind and picked up a few more on plastics.  Picked up a few more under and around docks and rock walls out of wind. Plastics again.  Around 6pm the Trap bite was on.  Picked up two off a boat house and 10 off grass flat.  Maybe late outgoing tide was the key???  What ever it was, they were ready to eat.  Gonna hit it later tomorrow.  Heat is supposed to be in the upper 80s.

Things were kind of crazy.  I can't guess the number of fished we missed and had come off during the fight (on both plastics and Traps).  I learned a few things today.

First, turns out I had a malfunction drag on my 8 year old Pfluger President.  As soon as I switched reels, I did not miss another fish on my pitching rig.

Secondly, Rat L Trap is more than a name.  Turn out if it doesn't rattle, it doesn't work.  I noticed I was no longer getting bit during the "hot bite" and my friend was steady giving them hell.  I then noticed my Trap was no longer rattling and his was.  I inspected my Trap and it was split along the seam and full of water.  I switched to a new Trap and immediately it was on again.

                                                       Dave's 5lb 13oz Bruiser

What a difference a day makes

Date: 13 April 2012
Air Temp: 60
Water Temp: 63 degrees
Wind: NNW 7-12 mph
Sky: Clear
Tide: HIGH @ 1pm

Aquia Creek

Fished the slack water at the top of the tide.  Picked up two off shallow water structure (duck blind and concrete chunks).  There was a good breeze, but nothing like the last few days.

Around 3:30, something happened.  I picked up 5 good keepers in 30 minutes without moving the boat 20 yards (Traps in the grass tight to lay downs).  I caught two more in the half hour after that (7 fish in an hour, 9 total).

I fished 20 more minutes without a bite, so I called it a day.  I plan on being out a good part of the day tomorrow, so I figured I could cut this one short.  Hope I don't regret it.  Fish watch was going off 6:30pm and I was on the couch.

Wow! Talk about rough.

Date: 12 April 2012
Air Temp: 40-57
Water Temp: 53-55 degrees
Wind: NNW 16-23 mph
Tide: HIGH @ 1154 am

Aquia Creek

The was wind howling again for the most part and the water temp was down 12 degrees on average.  I managed 1 2lb keeper slow rolling a Rat L Trap through the grass on the incoming tide.  It had a big gash on its side like it had been bitten.  I'm thinking snakehead? I threw several different lures (swimbait, swimming jig, plastics)  in and out of the wind for the next 3 hours with no takers. I decided to run to some known structure and brush up on my electronics skills for about an hour and a half.  I'm a super novice at trying to determine what I'm seeing on those displays, especially the Lowrance Side Scan.  I did learn a thing or two though. I think.

More of the Bitter, Sweet

Date: 10 April 2012
Time: 3pm-8pm
Air Temp: 73-64
Water Temp: 65 degrees
Wind: NW-N 14-20
Tide: Low @ 4:30PM

Caught a few nice keepers throughout the day.  Moving lures over grass near structure.  Threw a buzzbait over grass at different times of day and sky conditions (just to see).  No takers.

                                     

                                 Now for the "Bitter, Sweet" - 4 Snakeheads in a week

                             My friend and I hooked up on a couple of these "Lure Busters"

                                                             31.5" - 18lbs

                                  Head like a Rottweiler :-)  That's no small cutting board

                                    17" fillets cleaned up (could have easily gotten 19"+)

This wind "BLOWS!!!" (Literally)

35 knot winds kept me off the water.  Looks like the same for tomorrow.  We'll see.

A Little Game Film

I promise to make it more interesting as I get my process all worked out. LOL

Random Pre-Blog Photos 2

                                                                   Deer Jerky

                                                                   Deer Jerky

                                                               Mmmm Mmmm!!!

                                                           Ground Venison

                                                                Deer Steak

                                                             Venison Chili