Deceiver
03-07-2011, 09:07 AM
Got to the lake about 10 minutes before they opened and found four lanes of cars waiting...I was in the front half of the 4th line. Traffic cleared quickly. Went in the shop to rent a boat...no line at all, just right to the counter so I guess most were shore fisherman. Grabbed my gear and headed to the dock to get my boat. Had my choice of several that were already idling and ready to go. I told them was planning to troll and the guy offered me a Honda powered skiff. Turned out to be perfect...quiet and a good trolling speed at idle. Clamped on two rod holders and the fish finder and pointed it towards the West Shore. It was really foggy in the morning, so I decided to run along the West Shore for a visual reference. Dropped back a Firetiger CD5 and a pink Cultiva. Motored past the mouth of Woody's Cove and got my first fish on the CD5 just past Woody's Point along the West Shore. Not a huge fish, but a strong fighting 18" model. Good start. Kept moving down the West Shore and metered quite a few fish deep and a few up near the surface. Trolled the entire West Shore for nada. Turned along the dam and trolled the buoy line. Got a fish on the Cultiva near the far end of the dam...near Sierra Cove. Another 18" or so fish. Kept trolling through Sierra Cove, around Rocky Point, down the Red Clay Cliffs, across the back end of Santiago Flats, and around Trout Island back into the boat dock area for nothing. Trolled into Woody's Cove and hooked my third fish. Again, about 18 inches on the CD5. Switched out the Cultiva to a fiertiger CD7. Headed back down the West Shore and hooked my 4th fish in the same area that I hooked my first fish...another cookie cutter fish on the CD5. Kept heading down the West Shore an hooked my 5th fish on the CD7. This was a bigger model, a good three or four inches longer than the others. Got it to the boat, netted it, pulled the hooks out and went to put it on the stringer...and...dropped it in the water!?!??!? DOH!!! Slapped my forehead and said a few words I can't type here...got a few good laughs out of the surrounding boats after the collective "OOOHHHH!" from the crowd...oh well, onward we troll. Kept moving down the West Shore, across the dam and decided to work my way down mid-lake. Got a double right about at dead center of the lake. Got both to the boat and decided to release both as I wanted to keep fishing. By this time, the sun was out a little and the fish were not hitting the jigs as hard...as such, they were just barely hooked so release was easy. OK, before you all flame me, it was at this time that a staff member from the lake who had come out to wet a line "reminded" me that I am not to release catfish or trout under 20 pounds...ooops! He was cool about it and I apologized for my oversight. Well, my outlaw ways shut down fishing for me and I ddn't get another fish to the boat so I called t a day. No monsters, but four nice fish in the cooler. I had a total of about 15 strikes (not all stuck), 7 fish to the boat, and 4 in the cooler...fish cleaned and headed or home by 1:30.
As a side note, I was using "Bite-On" garlic attractant. I really can't say for sure if this helped, but I did notice that all the fish that hit and stuck came shortly after an application of the attractant. Seems the fish hit the jigs a little more aggressively when the attractant is applied.
Sorry, no picts.
As a side note, I was using "Bite-On" garlic attractant. I really can't say for sure if this helped, but I did notice that all the fish that hit and stuck came shortly after an application of the attractant. Seems the fish hit the jigs a little more aggressively when the attractant is applied.
Sorry, no picts.