8/11

[Revtro]

I got out today because I wanted to keep my promise to take someone out and we caught fish ok, but I am way too sick.  I should have stayed home.  My daughter gave me a little summer cold as a gift.  Ain't she sweet?  Anyway...

Got out at 7, launched in Algonac in the North Channel.  On our first drift in the North Channel we only got one keeper, about 3lbs.  I moved into the South Channel and wanted to stop at San Souci, but there were two other boats on it, so I kept going.

I moved down to a seawall spot that's been good to me as of late and started catching them right away.  I probably got one about every other drift.  The best was about 5.5lbs.  She was a beauty.  Probably go a half dozen there.  Moved a little South to a shipwreck and got a couple, then decided to put my cameral down to see if there were much going on.  Here's where it got real interesting.

I watched the camera and saw a sandy bottom, with no fish activity.  Then I started to see the wood of the wreck and there was a big school of smallmouth all over the wood, holding tightly to it.  I counted 14 just on the one pass.  I'm sure the whole wreck was loaded with bass.  But I had a very hard time getting them to bite.  For some reason, they were real finicky.  But I knew they were there so I made several drifts and caught a few.  Only one was a solid keeper though, but I saw some good ones on the camera.  So kind of frustrated, we made another move.

There is a bridge I like to fish under but it has to have good current.  Today it didn't and the bass just weren't there.  I caught one short fish and moved on.  Figuring it was close to the time the moon would fully set, I went back to the seawalls to see if the fish would start biting.  On the first drift I got a 3lb Smallie.  Not bad.  But I really wanted my partner who had been struggling to get some fish.  He was really having a hard time with the deep stuff, so we went looking for easier fish to catch. 

I took him to a classic largemouth area in the North Channel and the bass were there in good numbers and easy to catch.  We probably boated an additional half dozen largemouth with the best going just under 3.  Lots of 2s and 2.5s and a few dinks. 

I was starting to really feel like crap so we headed home about 1.  All in all, we managed about a 17lb bag with about 20 total fish caught.  It wasn't a stellar day, but at least it was way better than Monday when the fish wouldn't bite at all.  It was good to see the channels start to turn on again.  I can't wait to get up in the river around Marine City and North very soon. 

My only regret today was being so sick and not figuring out how to get the bass on that wreck to bite.  Still lots to learn.  Time for Nyquil.

[mikballa]

Very nice job tom hope we can get out next week i would love to have a day like you had today get weeeeeeell soon.... mike.. 

[Skulley]

Hope you're feeling better Tom. I know the wreck you're talking about. I'll be up there in the channels tomorrow. I'll let you know if they get hungary.


BD.                      

[MSURoss]

17lb is a stellar day in all the lakes I fish lol

[fiker]

Yeah, but on Clair, it's not even close to in the money.  That lake can really spoil you. 

If you don't catch over 20#'s and around 50 fish it's just not all that great of a day.

I'm not saying I do, but that guys that really know the lake do.

[djkimmel]

Too bad fishing isn't a cure for a cold. I like the camera for showing me I'm actually fishing where there are fish. Not so much when it shows me how many fish are there that I'm not catching. Before I got a camera, I was suspicious that was the case quite often though.

Love the channels fishing. Haven't done much of it for a couple years. Hope I can change that a little later this summer/fall. So... I guess it is good you anglers aren't catching all the bass. There should be a few left for me later!!