First trips in the boat for 2015

[bigben]

Got the boat out of its winter resting place finally. Friday we recieved a few inches of this white crap that wont get the hint and move on. It was the first day of spring after all. I wanted to have the boat out a few weekends ago even though it wasnt ready. Last weekends rain allowed me to get the new trolling motor installed as well as the battery moved. I also was able to get it all reorganized as well as reels cleaned and relubed. 

So sat morning comes and i told myself im getting it out no matter what. Temp was supposed to hit high 40's sat so that was good enough. I had it hooked up and heading the 15 min drive to the water by 9 am. I got a later start then i had wanted because my parents had asked me to go to breakfast with them.

Right out of the boat ramp


I had planned to fish till 2 in the afternoon. I had some other plans in the afternoon but would blow them off if the fish where biting well. I threw all i had at them and no hits at all. I tried jigs tubes and beaver baits. I decided to cut my losses and head home.

This morning i got up and figured the day would be a waste. They were calling for high winds. I wanted to go shoot a 3d course so i was out the door before sunrise. As i was heading to town there was a pretty sunrise so i snapped a few pics.



I shot my round then headed to my grandparents for sunday lunch. After lunch i noticed the weatherman had been wrong and the high winds was only a gust or so. I went home hooked up the boat and was on the water by 1:30. I figured the melting snow cooled the water down resulting in no bites. I tried a jerk bait for a while in some decent area but i figured the fish would be holed up in deep water still. I fired the 50 up and ran down stream a mile or so and started working ledges and rock piles with everything. Fishing brutally slow. Figuring that was a problem the day before.

I finally picked up my new rod that i had tied on a white spinnerbait with gold willows. The water had muddied up since the day prior but water temp was up 6 deg to the day prior as well. I started slow rolling that spinnerbait across the bottom. This new rod is sensitive as all get out i thought. I picked the rod tip up off the water when the spinnerbait was right beside the boat and i felt it.

"Thunk".

The drag wasnt even set on this reel and it took off like a rocket. I had thought i hooked a musky but once it came to the top after i tightened down on her i knew it was a Bronzeback. I quickly weighed it because it was pretty larger. My digital scale read 4lb 7oz. Not bad for the first of the year.



I left shortly after to meet the family for dinner. It was a good weekend. The new minn kota i picked up used pulls my boat upstream which is more then what the last one ever has done.  The johnson seahorse did not dissapoint either. Ran perfect without a hickup.

Thanks for reading.

[Okanagan]

That's a HUGE smallmouth isn't it?  I haven't caught one in at least 30 years and we though a two pounder was a monster. 

Humdinger of a dawn photo also.

[HaMeR]

That's a great smallie Ben!! Glad you've recovered & are feeling better & getting out again!!!!

[bigben]

Its a bit above average.

Here is a heck of a sunrise photo from a few weeks ago.

[Dale]

excellent sunrise photo's... sweet smallie, looks like she's filling out well... we used to use a lot of tubes loaded with crawfish stink in the spring time as they were feeding up for the spawn... had a couple rock piles and reed beds just off of deep water we'd fish on sunny days... the crawfish would get up on that mess to warm up in the sun and the big females would be on'em...

[FinsnFur]

Your already out in the boat. ok...thats it, were not friends anymore.

[bigben]

yea I am torn this Friday between going for catfish or bass

[JohnP]

Nice pictures and fish.  Have you ever tried putting your caller on the bank, boat, depending on width of creek, on the opposite side and calling? 

P.S.  Okay guys I don't need any smart remarks about calling for fish.  Ben knows what I mean...

[iahntr]

Always nice to get out the first time !
Cool pics !

[bigben]

Nice pictures and fish.  Have you ever tried putting your caller on the bank, boat, depending on width of creek, on the opposite side and calling? 

P.S.  Okay guys I don't need any smart remarks about calling for fish.  Ben knows what I mean...

actually john me and a bunch of friends went to raystown this past fall and tried it  out of two nights calling and only seen a grinner.  A lot of striper fisherman were out but I figured we would see something.  I would like to try a local electric only lake but it is commitment to try to call like this.  we actually just put the call right in the boat with us and floated offshore 50yds.  I would like to try in this creek here but this stretch has a lot of houses on the banks and we are in safety zones unless we use archery equipment. 

[Dave]

Wow - nice fish, Ben. Good to see you've recovered.

How's the water level - and is it clearing up at all?  I've been thinking about Brunner (I know it can be a circus, but the water's warm there and there's always plenty of fish).

[FinsnFur]

What sounds do you use for Smallies?

[bigben]

Dave i was down at gboro which is right above brunner on sat at a catfish weighin. Levels were high and muddy then. They should be lower now.  Even being high and muddy there were bass guys everywhere. Use something that rattles or thumps and you should be fine. Both of my biggest smallies came in dirty water.

Jim rattles calls em in nice. Lol

[nastygunz]

"Crawdad distress"

What sounds do you use for Smallies?

[coyote101]

That is a great smallie Ben. 

Pat