Eagle Mountain 3-15-11

Catching shad for tomorrows trip was tough today. The bait that was keep was in small balls and was hard to hit with the net and I never found anything but one inch shad in the shallows.
Drove along the ridge on the deep side shooting a side image with the Humminbird at the drop off and found what looked like scattered out sand bass. Tossed a marker out, dropped a slab, and bam, fish on! Called Johnny and told him I was on fish. I caught 42 in about an hour and then had to go throw for some more bait for Wednesdays trip.

Ray Roberts 3-16-11

Took repeat customers Dwight and Tim out today and they brought first time guests Katie and Gary to do a mixed trip sand bass and catfish. First stop was on a hump close to the mouth of a creek in 26-36 ft of water. We caught fish consistently for a couple of hours. The girls always make the guys look bad and Katie was no exception. She caught more and bigger fish.
This was nice surprise and gave Katie a good fight, but she is a good angler and won the battle. This is her biggest fish ever! This fish hit a white and chartreuse Ol' Ugly slab. Next we went out on some humps in 28-33ft and Tim and Gary finally got woken up and their line began to get tugged on more frequently, but Katie didn't let up either. I think Dwight was taken it easy eating most of this trip watching everybody else because I didn't have to take too many off his line
Next stop we saw Boston Bob and his clients having a good time. We enjoyed watching the kids catch as much or more as catching ourselves.
We ended the day with an ice chest full of sand bass and catfish releasing many also. All fish caught on Ol'Ugly slabs and Flies By Night flies. Looking forward to the next one with this group.

Eagle Mountain 3-17-11

Took repeat customer Clay out for a catfish and sand bass trip. We started the day fishing in 3 ft of water and got some action quick and boated two blues missing a few also. Then the bite just stopped. Tried another location and gar were biting our floats and taking off. Got to see one up close, but luckily he opened his jaw and let loose before I had to take him off. The wind kept getting stronger so we decided to try some sand bass on a wind blown ridge from 8-26ft. Marked the fish on side image, pulled out into the deeper water, set the I-pilot on anchor mode and tossed our Ol' Ugly slabs with Flies-By-Night flies up on the shallow flat and worked it down the ridge. The fish seemed to want the white and chartreuse slab and chartreuse fly more than others today. We caught 100ish fish, keeping around 20 good one's, and left them biting. It was a good catching trip with great conversation. Looking forward to the next one Clay. Thanks

Eagle Mountain 3-19-11

Took second time guest Larry out for a sand bass trip this morning. Larry had never been sand bass fishing and I believe he is now ruined on the catching side. We boated well over 200 fish today in two locations. Both spots were in 6-25 ft of water focusing on the drop offs. The fish are really liking the wind blown areas. Larry kept a dozen for his family a dinner and released the rest for next time. Ol' Ugly slabs in both white/chartreuse and my OSU orange/white that Johnny makes for me. Flies By Night flies were the ticket in chartreuse color. Fished 7 til noon with 25-30 mph south wind, 64 degree water temp and high 70's outside. Good times Larry, thanks!

The fishing is excellent and will continue. If you would like to bring your family or buddies for a fun day of fishing or like an instructional trip on patterns, techniques, locations, sonar reading, map reading, boat control, rigging, baits, ect. give me a call or email.

817-938-7890 or lancesguideservice@gmail.com

Observations:
It is hero time and if everyone plays nice catching is good. Today I had a guy leave his big motor running and drifted within a poles length of me before putting it in gear to move. I made the comment that if he would turn his motor off the fishing would be much better. He told me he had been fishing the lake for 20 years and it DOES NOT bother the fish. I told him I disagree. We were catching fish in one spot before he showed up and then they scattered and moved around the ridge. Once he left, they returned to the exact spot and we proceeded in catching them on every cast again. Big motors and dragging anchors through fish does bother them. It scatters the bait fish, which scatters the predators we are chasing.
On a separate note, side image has been a huge help with the fish I have been marking cutting my looking time way down. The I-pilot from MinnKota is a life saver. Get to your spot, push the anchor button and it keeps you there. No pulling anchors, dragging anchors through fish, fighting the trolling motor, or retieing/taking fish off to realize you are 200 yards from your marker. I have been asked how I like my trolling motor and graph and my answer is, I love them!

You should be an Ambassador for Minn-Kota and Humminbird...

Nice report thanks for all the info! I would like to get the I-pilot for those windy days etc.

Lancer I'm curious how do you tie your flies above the slab? I see there is a little bit of line after the flie? Everytime I try it seems to break off at the upper lure.

It is a dropper loop. I looked it up on animated knots, but that is not how I tie mine. I'll try and make time to shoot a a video and post it if nobody else has one.

Good report and nice pictures ,need to hire yourself out as A photographer. LOL
Johnny

Good job to both u and Sandjohnny

Karl, did you make it out since the boat repair?

Yep, I have been out three times, not haveing the luck ya'll have had. I have got one spot where I can pull a few out, but nothing near like ya'll have found.