Fall arrives early with a Big Fall Bite Round Lake 8-24-2017

[djkimmel]

I'm not sure what to actually call this day of fishing at little Round Lake Lansing on Thursday, August 24, 2017?? Day of the Eagle because the Bald Eagle pair spent much of the day around the south end of the lake. Lots of squeaking and squawking. Even some fishing though I didn't see them land any...

Could be the day fall came early?? Huge cold front had me wearing my warm long sleeve shirt until mid-afternoon. Could be the end of the dog days since I actually smashed the big bass - best day of the year for me on Round outside of the strongest part of the spawn. Probably my biggest 5 bass limit of the year so far on Round at over 19 pounds! Could also be day of the Whopper Plopper since the big 130 Plopper was suddenly getting popped with reckless abandon!?!

I guess I will just say it was a darn good day of bass fishing!!

It was actually a last minute change of plans that put me unexpectedly back on Round Lake again this morning. Was originally going to a different lake with someone else but he had to change his plans with me due to an unexpected non-emergency family situation.

To be different, I started my early morning topwater attempts going the opposite direction I usually go around the lake near the outside edge of all the pads. Had a couple weak strikes on a buzzbait. Saw one really nice bass smashing minnows just outside the pads but couldn't get it to bite anything I threw.


I was also serenaded by a Great Horned Owl before dawn and now 1 of the 2 Bald Eagles that have been fishing the south end of the lake is squeaking at me! Not a great picture - max zoom on my phone and I can't hold it very steady. I was actually quite a ways off yet from the big hunter when it flew off farther down the south shore to join its partner in another clump of trees.


My kind of bass! Not afraid to take on the big Whopper Plopper 130!! This is when things started happening to me! I turned from the south shore out onto the hump that has been less than so-so pretty much all year but there are some bass hanging around it.


The pike are on me early on this morning. Two early already. Had 3 good bites so far on the big Whopper Plopper 130. The 1 bass, lost another bass somehow and this pike. Previously I couldn't buy a bite on Round Lake on any day on the big 130 Plopper?!?

After those few vicious strikes on the big Plopper I headed across the deep water towards the end of the big point and that's when the day really turned around!! (Unfortunately, due to the extreme humidity and moisture in the air on this very chilly drop in temps, my remote shutter button wouldn't work so I was back to 'arm-length' selfies only for the day.)

Just short of the very tip of the big point lands my big 130 Whopper Plopper. I start a steady retrieve and a huge fish bulges the water behind it ripping away trying to kill the big Plopper!! It misses and luckily I keep reeling steady without more than a slight twitch as the big fish comes up from below it and knocks the big plug up into the air.


As the Plopper crashed back down the huge bass rolls back on the surface and this time smashes the Whopper Plopper in a crushing assault!! Maybe the most exciting bass strike of my 2017 season!! Time slows way down for me as I realize the vicious fish is a huge bass!! I want her bad!!! And I hook up! Rod bows double and the bass surges for the bottom, then turns and tail-walks across the surface, big mouth wide, gills rattling as only a big old largemouth bass can do!! I land the bass after several awesome jumps and its over 5 pounds!! Actually bent the heavy wire treble hook on the front almost straight!! That's a hard pull considering the flexible rod I use for this type of thing...

As I'm landing the big bass and getting my phone for a quick picture, I also automatically drop my anchor so I stay exactly where I was when I hooked the big ole bass!! I don't know exactly yet where I am in relation to the end of the point and I don't want to end up on top of a possible group of big, aggressive bass!

I straighten out the big treble and make a couple more casts with no more strikes in that direction. I don't believe ever that there's only one bass there... so I decide a change in technique needs to be tried before I do anything else. I pick up a large swimbait rigged Texposed with visions of more giant bass bouncing around in my fishing brain!

I make 7 or 8 casts at least right through the same spot with different countdowns including right to the bottom. Slow, steady retrieve back. I make a few more casts with the big swimbait at angles to the left and right through the area. It looks like something I would flat out wallop if it were up to me, but obviously, the bass don't agree... I do remember that I tried 2 other lures for a few casts also without any bites. Don't recall what I tried?

So I have 2 deep diving crankbaits rigged up on 2 different rods - 1 Bomber mid-sized bright, flashy blue chartreuse Fat Free Fry knock off on 12 pound green mono and 1 'pike killer' (Green Gizzard Shad) Strike King 5XD on 10 pound P-Line Halo Fluorocarbon. Because I can't believe after a bass strike like the one I just had doesn't indicate aggressive bass, because Round Lake has very dark brown-black water and I don't think the bass are sitting real deep I pick up the bright blue/chartreuse glittery crankbait first.

Though I haven't really had a deep crankbait bite all year so far on Round Lake for some unknown reason it seems like the right next thing to try in this situation. That little 5-pounder I caught on the Whopper Plopper wasn't lonely... No more plopper bites. I tried 3 other lures. Then I picked up the deep crankbait. Haven't had a deep crank bite here all year.


That changed in a hurry. First cast I had barely started to retrieve the bright crankbait through with my rod tip down - a medium-slow movement when my lure went dead and I set the hook with a long sideways sweep of my crankbait rod! I lost another toad right away that came straight to the surface on a wild, tail-slapping jump clean out of the water - easily over 4 pounds!! I quickly reeled in and shot another cast right back out there. Almost immediately this quality 3+ largemouth bass hammered it!

I'm still anchored. Haven't moved an inch. I know right where to cast now. Take my quick picture and shoot the gaudy crankbait right out there!


Next cast nothing, but the cast after, rod tip down, I start my steady moderately fast retrieve again. The blue-chartreuse crankbait doesn't make it very far. Maybe 6 feet into the retrieve the vibration of my crankbait vanishes as another 3 pounder inhales it!! Set the hook and the fight is on. They are all jumping like crazy!! Very exciting! Would probably be freaking out if I was in an actual tournament!!

Now, something has happened?!? I make several casts with the glittery crankbait without another strike...?? Not time to give up yet. I'm thinking they are on to me!?! I'm basically casting to a tiny path of deeper, green milfoil just off the tip of the point. I may have pulled some of the bass out a little ways? Though the way the bass are coming straight up and jumping like crazy that should be minimized somewhat. Maybe?

Regardless, it's obviously time for another change to see if I can keep the hot, quality bite going. I know for sure there's at least 1 more bass there - a 4+ that I lost on an earlier cast. When the feeding rage it turned up to this level bass will often hit again even if they were shortly hooked. Their brains are tiny after all, right?!?


I don't change much. I pick up the other crankbait rod with the 10 pound Fluoro (P-Line Halo) with the deeper diving crank - the Strike King 5XD pike killer (green gizzard shad). WHAMMO!! Another 3 1/2 pounder!! 1st cast back through the tiny hot window of action!! MAN!!! This is fun!!!


Two casts later slightly deeper, feels like I hook a little wad of weeds. Set the hook - 4-pounda Baby!!! It may have been the 4-pounder I lost on the earlier cast? Or maybe it was its twin?!? Then, with 19+ pounds 'in the boat' the bite finally soured for me on this spot. I threw a bunch of different casts with some big bass baits and some finesse baits but apparently the bass on this spot were done with me...

Caught a pike I saw earlier on a jig. Moved around looking for another hot spot. Lost another 3-pounder on the plopper. Didn't lose the pike.... Up to 6 snakes already... I think I ended up with 7, 8 or 9 total... not sure, I try to block it out!


Meanwhile, I take a short break to share these pictures and the story on social media (@greatlakesbass on Instagram, @GreatLakesBass on Twitter and facebook.com/greatlakesbass on Facebook) and to eat a sandwich. I didn't completely quit fishing. I caught this 2-pounder while deadsticking the 12 inch 'anaconda' (black grape Power Worm). I had tossed a small 'stealth' marker out where I had been sitting catching the bigger bass earlier. I was re-anchored out a little to the east and deeper from the spot having casted the worm to the right of where I thought the little weed patch had been. Darn bass tried to pull my rod out of the boat!! I ended my break early after that... Working slowly out deeper looking for the big ones again and any other deep weed patches.

I didn't find any though I looked hard (and I'm still looking every time I go out there).


It slowed way down after that. It was kind of hazy and got warm enough I even started thinking about taking off my warm, long sleeve shirt. Meanwhile, I kept picking the big 130 Whopper Plopper up, and every now and then another pike or bass would smash it!! This little flat-runner thought it would be a good idea to slap the Whopper Plopper 130! The Plopper looks huge compared to this skinny, almost keeper bass.

Overall, the rest of the bass seem to be on siesta now. The wind was weird this day too... No wind at times. Then a stiff breeze from a couple different directions. Then the wind just HOWLED for about a minute out of the west!! Freaky!!

Wind was dying down after freakishly howling for the 1 minute. Surface activity was picking back up minnow-wise as soon as it did. I'd been throwing a spybait but only hooked 1 fish. Whatever it was it was BIG, off an inside secondary point, but I lost it!?!


Meanwhile, I picked up the ole Sammy and took it for an evening walk. 2 dinks and 2 barely keepers pretty quick, this little chunker being one of them!


5th time is the charm though! Actually saw this bass swim along the surface off the break in 'the slot' gobbling minnows. Threw the Sammy right on top of it and he crunched it but good!! Nice way to end the day! A really nice day of bass fishing! Though the crankbait finally did some real damage, it was a pretty darn good topwater day - and very fun watching them smash the big Whopper Plopper! I actually want to go back soon!

[21XDC]

Awesome day..... Memories!

[djkimmel]

Yes! Lots of good memories on some days this year. Many days.