Short day on Monticello Saturday.. didn't get to lake until after 1:00, slept late as usual. Stayed at big bridge for a good hour and nothing, water temps 47 to 50. There was bait around but not a lot and didn't see any active fish under them. Gave up and went to the railroad bridge. Downsized my bait and started catching. Caught 4 between 17 and 21 then started throwing 10xd again. Nothing. Should have gone back to smaller bait but was looking for something big. Never fished shallow, only threw deep diving crank baits in water from 4 to 25 feet. Stayed too late and fog moved back in. Took forever to load kayak in the dark, but no broken bones.










It got a little foggy on the way back in. Could not have found way back without gps.

Sounds like a decent short day!

Nice post and fish. Good job.

Nice pics, I would have been creeped out in that fog. Sounds like you had it under control.

When I was headed out from the big bridge to the railroad bridge Saturday, I thought back to my first experience in getting lost in the fog at night without gps. It was 8 years ago and the very reason I got a fish finder with gps. The fog was so thick that morning on Monticello and covered the lake all the way to the ramp in the park. Usually it didn't get real bad until you went under the big bridge. I had practiced several times during daylight hours and good visibility, timing how long it should take to paddle to bridge and then timed it from big bridge to railroad bridge at a leisurely pace.. around an hour to go 3 miles. That morning it took me half an hour to find the opening to the big bridge, then another hour and a half to find the railroad bridge. I was all over that lake. Couldn't find shore in any direction until well after daylight and I tried. Paddled to what I thought was the sound of mining bucket, only to find myself back at the big bridge and noticing it was sound of cars. Couldn't even see the car lights going over bridge from a 100 yards.

Anyway I started out with good visibility Saturday and a slight breeze. Tried to paddle on correct heading without looking at horizon, as if I were in a fog, and soon realized what the problem was. There was enough wind and current shooting through the big bridge and taking me off course quick. If you stopped paddling altogether, weather cocking would have you pointed nearly 180 degrees in opposite direction, shortly thereafter. Anyway, I was looking at my map and course trail all the way back and didn't have any problems other than keeping my balance. Something about not being able to see a horizon or any reference point makes paddling in complete darkness or fog a little "creepy", but I enjoy it.. a little.



Before it got totally dark.