I decided to stay on my home lake, Athens, dropped in around 7:30 AM with the intention of getting off the water before the heat built up. I was off by around 10 AM. Other than me paddling over really fast to a nearby boathouse where two men were prepping a large pontoon boat and I heard a big thud, then a crash into the water where one of them went in, I fished the whole time in pleasant temps. The man was okay . . . I was afraid he might have hit his head on the way in but they got a ladder out and he was able to climb out.
I carried two rods out in my Meyers Sportspal canoe, never had a chance to get the second one wet as I just floated across in front of my boat house to one across from me and had two 2 lbs. bass within my first 5 casts. I almost always start out with a drop shot. So, I always want to cover water, soak up the views when I am in my kayaks or canoe but I fought the temptation, "don't leave fish" as they say and never strayed much beyond a couple of hundred yards from my home.
Fishing "hairy" lakes with lots of green stuff? I have learned to use a longer leader, say 18" down to the "drop shot." This ensures that the worm is floating above the grass and hasn't been pulled down and out of sight. I floated a bit farther down the edge of a lily pad field, caught a couple more. I crossed back over to the other side and worked the pads for a few more including my largest of the day, something just over 4 lbs. with a mouth on her that I could almost put my fist inside. She was likely feeding on bluegills would be my guess as many bass likely have moved back deeper. I am fishing in 5 or 6 feet of water back up in this cove.
I am completely sold on Roboworm Rebarb hooks for drop shots preferring them over nose hooking on Gamakatsu swivel hooks. By T-rigging Roboworm worms on them, I can make it very weed resistant and my hook up ratio is really much improved. The hook, if you put a bias on it, can be situated at about a 45 degree angle and when you give it a light yank on a bite, it really drives the hook into their mouths.
I ended up with 7 or 8 bass and I had two or three more pull off in the lotus stems which are thick as little fingers down here on Lake Athens. But, I have learned that more often than not, the bass will kind of unwind themselves if you play it right.
I was using my 5'6" M powered rod/ spinning gear. Braid to an 8 lbs. leader.
Pics though I can't find the one of my 4+ pounder. Brad
