July 5, 2007

[Cheetam]

WOW!  Without a doubt, yesterday was the best day of bass fishing I have ever had on St. Clair.  Met Eric at the ramp at 6am and got off the water around 6:30pm.  Since the BFL and TBF State tourney is Sunday, I promised Eric I wouldn't state specifics since he is practicing for the State tourney, but I can say the fish are in BIG schools and very active.  We threw everything in the box and caught fish on pretty much everything from topwater to dragging the bottom and everywhere in between. 

After launching and making a short run, we hit a way point Eric had on the Lowrance and were disappointed to find no one home.  15 minutes later we head to way point number 2.  We found a huge school of active fish...many of them between 4.5 and 5 pounds!  It was non-stop action, with each of us boating (and this is no lie) a 22+ pound limit in under an hour!  And Eric had a MONSTER fish on a spinnerbait that ended up shaking off (SET THE HOOK ERIC!) that was a 6+ pound class fish.

Now, that would be a banner day in anyone's book.  But, we ended up duplicating the same pattern with almost identicle results in two more areas!  I have never caught a 20+ pound sack of fish in my life, but to do it twice in the same day?!  Amazing!

I know this isn't much of a report, but I swore to secrecy and signed my name in blood I wouldn't give specifics until after this weekend.  I just hope this pattern holds up for Eric on Sunday...A big shout out and Thank You to Eric for letting me tag along for the day!  Here's a couple pics of the "cookie cutter" fish we scrapped with during the day:

[Revtro]

That'll work!  Who says you can't get a 20lb+ bag in St. Clair?  I had a similar day practicing with a buddy of mine for the BFL on Monday, but like you, can't divulge under penalty of certain death.  They are out there though.  Great pics!

[dashaver63]

Thanks for the report guy's. That is why I've been looking forward to this BFL tourney since last winter.

[Cheetam]

There are definitely 20+ pound limits on the main lake.  I have a feeling there will be some REALLY big limits brought in the next couple of weeks...

[Eric]

How come even though mine was bigger, yours look a lot bigger.  No fish I hold up looks very big, but every fish you hold up looks big.  Shrimp!

I knew the pattern wouldn't hold up, and it didn't.  Well, it may have, but I never found the pattern again.  We were fishing mayflys that were (I think) just hatched.  Great big areas of white mayflys floating (I think) dead on the surface.  Watch for a swirl, tail, fin, or whatever, throw whatever you had on your line, and catch 4.5 pounder.  Simple as that.  Worked every time, all day.  They would show themselves when they would come up to slurp flys and the ate whatever you threw at them every time.  See a fish, throw your bait to it, let it sink for 1 second and set the hook, reel in 4.5 ponder.  We caught over 20 fish over 4 pounds.  And most of them were well over 4.  Lots of 4-6, 4-7 type fish.  We only caught them (the big ones) in the flys.  We tried some other spots, no luck.  Go find the mayflys again (the wind was blowing them around), and catch them again.  We made one drift like 2 miles, without catching any big ones.  As soonas we got back to the flys, bingo.  So we weren't fishing spots, but the pattern.  I think it was just coincidence that the flys were on my one spot when we got there.  By far the best day of fishing I've ever had.  Thanks for going Jeff.

[dartag]

i think Jeff has every Roland Martin show ever taped.  he knows how to shoot fish photos. 

so how did you do.   have not seen any results yet.  one thing about the BFL is the results were on there site about 7:00 pm saturday night

[Cheetam]

Gotta love running the "Dead Mayfly Slick" pattern!  It was amazing watching schools of fish breaking in the middle of a bunch of dead bugs.  Every big fish we caught coughed up huge wads of half-digested mayflies.  I doubt I will ever live to fish another day like that.  Catch fish on topwater, tubes, spinnerbaits, senkos...didn't matter.  Hook a fish, see a follower, drop a tube down, boom, double-header.  Awesome, awesome day...

And Eric, It's all in how you hold the fish (didn't Roland teach you anything?)...Without the trick photography, Eric's fish looked more like this:

[Langer]

i think Jeff has every Roland Martin show ever taped.  he knows how to shoot fish photos. 

so how did you do.   have not seen any results yet.  one thing about the BFL is the results were on there site about 7:00 pm saturday night

Just over 20 took 1st. I think it took 15 to make the state team.

[Cheetam]

One thing I forgot to add Eric, the scale I used doesn't weigh in ounces (it only reads .1 thru .9) so a 4.8 on the scale translates to 4 pounds 12.8 ounces, a 4.7 translates to 4 pounds 11.2 ounces, etc....