JAG107
10-01-2011, 04:02 PM
Took the Trophy up to the Loop last week for some troll action. Got a few thumbs up but mostly got asked "where the hell do you launch THAT big thing?" I tell ya, it was no problem getting into any of the Loop lakes (didn't try Gull though) or Convict. 17'-7" ain't so big, is it? :)
Anyway, after setting up camp at Silver Lake CG (pretty nice, BTW and right there along Rush), launched into Silver for a couple hours Thurs eve. Whacked one on a red/gold speedy shiner downrigged 40', then another on Seps mini flashers/ gulp pinched crawler. Let me say right now that 90% or so of my fish came on this combo, I ran through 2 jars. Stuff's awesome.
Overall, bite was fair to slow pretty much everywhere. Granted I started late (9am) every day (had the wife & 2 year old in tow), but most people thought it was slow too. Saw a couple Alpers caught from shore at Silver, but everyone else's stringers had sub-13 inchers on them.
Friday was Grant day. Love that lake! Only boat on the water most of the day. I trolled the main body pretty much north and east of the dock, and found huge schools suspended at 45-50' in over 70' of water. Surface temp was 60-61.
Managed a limit in 5 hours, all fish on the seps combo. Had LOTS of line out to offset the racket from the motor, and these fish were so small they wouldn't release from the clip! I spent a lot of time messing with the adjustment, but too loose and it would pop out on the drop, so I had to find a happy medium.
Saturday went to June. OK, I was NOT expecting to pay FIFTEEN BUCKS to launch at ANY lake up there (cept Crowley, I know about their $20 fee). I bit the bullet and away we went. SO MANY FISH located in 120 feet of water, all mostly suspended below 70'. Took me a couple hours to get the first one, but it was worth it--my first Cutt! All 11 inches of it. Got 4 more bows, and called it a day after the winds got crazy and got a classic thundershower (Biminis are nice for those!). Took a nap and went to Silver for a little over an hour in the evening, and that bite got pretty good. Nailed 5 in an hour, by far the best action of the trip. Got a beautiful 9" brown on the flasher combo, then got 2 on the frog pattern buyant spoon toplined.
Sunday we packed up and spent a couple hours at Convict. White cap conditions for the first 90 mins, was such a strong headwind I had to leave the trolling plate up on the motor. Only a few people fishing the south inlets, I was the only active boat on the lake. Got 3 here at the end of the 2 hrs, let em go and hit the road. Thanks for reading, and CPR those exotics everybody!
Anyway, after setting up camp at Silver Lake CG (pretty nice, BTW and right there along Rush), launched into Silver for a couple hours Thurs eve. Whacked one on a red/gold speedy shiner downrigged 40', then another on Seps mini flashers/ gulp pinched crawler. Let me say right now that 90% or so of my fish came on this combo, I ran through 2 jars. Stuff's awesome.
Overall, bite was fair to slow pretty much everywhere. Granted I started late (9am) every day (had the wife & 2 year old in tow), but most people thought it was slow too. Saw a couple Alpers caught from shore at Silver, but everyone else's stringers had sub-13 inchers on them.
Friday was Grant day. Love that lake! Only boat on the water most of the day. I trolled the main body pretty much north and east of the dock, and found huge schools suspended at 45-50' in over 70' of water. Surface temp was 60-61.
Managed a limit in 5 hours, all fish on the seps combo. Had LOTS of line out to offset the racket from the motor, and these fish were so small they wouldn't release from the clip! I spent a lot of time messing with the adjustment, but too loose and it would pop out on the drop, so I had to find a happy medium.
Saturday went to June. OK, I was NOT expecting to pay FIFTEEN BUCKS to launch at ANY lake up there (cept Crowley, I know about their $20 fee). I bit the bullet and away we went. SO MANY FISH located in 120 feet of water, all mostly suspended below 70'. Took me a couple hours to get the first one, but it was worth it--my first Cutt! All 11 inches of it. Got 4 more bows, and called it a day after the winds got crazy and got a classic thundershower (Biminis are nice for those!). Took a nap and went to Silver for a little over an hour in the evening, and that bite got pretty good. Nailed 5 in an hour, by far the best action of the trip. Got a beautiful 9" brown on the flasher combo, then got 2 on the frog pattern buyant spoon toplined.
Sunday we packed up and spent a couple hours at Convict. White cap conditions for the first 90 mins, was such a strong headwind I had to leave the trolling plate up on the motor. Only a few people fishing the south inlets, I was the only active boat on the lake. Got 3 here at the end of the 2 hrs, let em go and hit the road. Thanks for reading, and CPR those exotics everybody!