Ducting In The Cold

[yolo]

Hit the duct this morning for a couple of hours with MarineMike. Freezing conditions with some wind. First spot I get hooked up after like 10 minutes. Land the first and only fish of the morning. We hit 2 other spots for nothing and on a last cast Mike hooks up as I am walking back from the other side across a bridge. I see him battling something and he pulls it in and it was an AqueDuck. :Big Grin: I don't know what kind of bird it is but they do go under water and swim. I have had them chase my lure before and hit it too. Anyway, the bird had his line wrapped around one leg and thankfully was not hooked. Safely unwound the line and after a quick pic sent it off to its home.

I did keep my fish for some fresh striper jerky. Well that's it for another quick duct adventure. Flow was crazy fast still.

My fish
http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo144/JetSkiJunkie118/Duct%2011-23-10/Duct11-23-10_1.jpg

Mike's AqueDuck
http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo144/JetSkiJunkie118/Duct%2011-23-10/MMAqueDuck.jpg

[RickyRick]

Yolo...I was out yesterday to with NO LUCK. Not surprised but was wondering. I have been catching them with a very slow troll on the lure. You finding them deeper in the colder weather? Not having allot of duct experience was wondering where most folks having luck are getting them at. Nice catch also.

[yolo]

RickyRick, Mine have not come from slow anything. I also use a 7:1 reel which speeds things up too. This is the first fish I got on the bottom in a long time. All the rest have been mostly mid but some upper water column. Just like last year, lots of fish on the fall in mid water. Today's fish was on a soft jerk bait and not the yolo tickler. Didn't get a chance to throw the tickler before I hooked up. I did after but no other biters in the short time we were out.

If slow is working for you then why mess with it? Keep doing what works. Post up some of those fine catches. Are you fishing AV or Bako?

[fishinone]

Wow Yolo,

Are you gonna leave any fish for the rest of us?

I have to come out there and take my buddy and his kids out to catch some mini's.

Aquaduck, LOL

[yolo]

Today's was the only one I kept and have been releasing them all prior, so yes I am leaving some for the rest of you. I have not tried to go for the minis since I was last out with you when I got a few. They were what I would call micros then. Maybe they have grown some in the past month and a half and could be called minis?

[Double A]

shweeeet !

nice fish Yolo.

way to go on the Aquaduck-t

[HaiTheMeister]

Great job! the results very consistent!

[RickyRick]

RickyRick, Mine have not come from slow anything. I also use a 7:1 reel which speeds things up too. This is the first fish I got on the bottom in a long time. All the rest have been mostly mid but some upper water column. Just like last year, lots of fish on the fall in mid water. Today's fish was on a soft jerk bait and not the yolo tickler. Didn't get a chance to throw the tickler before I hooked up. I did after but no other biters in the short time we were out.

If slow is working for you then why mess with it? Keep doing what works. Post up some of those fine catches. Are you fishing AV or Bako?

I am actually in Central Cali....off the HWY5 by a town called Coalinga is where I fish the duct. Mostly caught bass out there with my first striper a week ago. I been using cheap walmart lures to get my retrieve down and this weekend bought my first LC. Didnt have any luck with it but I think I need to work it more to see what works, if that makes sence. Anyways, thanks for the info Yolo, your a great help.

[yolo]

My neighbor nails them on the walmart lure. He gets that purple/chrome and yellow super spot in 3/4oz. I call it the laker lure, lol. They all work. Just keep throwing and if they are around, they will hit.

[RickyRick]

Too funny, I use those same ones, mine in the wounded shad...for 3 bucks they are great. That 14 dollar lucky craft has to earn its keep against it now.

[yolo]

I prefer the chrome with black back but if you put it in the right place they will chew on anything. Those lures are good in no flow to 1/2 flow but they drag too much for my liking in the 1/2 to full flows. Funny cause he threw it around May when the Lakers are usually in the play offs so we nicknamed it the Laker lure.

[RickyRick]

I will have to see if walmart has that chrome one and try it out. Not sure how much flow I am fishing in being new to it. I usually fish around bridges, standing 20 feet away or so and cast at an angle away from the bridge and the water carries the lure under and I actually hit the newest support beam to me during the retrieve. But like I said I have had better luck with bring them back slowly and usually catch moss so I think I am getting down deep....plus I do a 7-10 second count before I begin to reel to let it drop.

[smokehound]

Those are called grebes. Nice little birds. Fairly docile when they get caught on your line.

I like them because they arent big enough to kill trout, yet still hang around the schools. Good job on the striper.