smalljaw  04/20/2005 - 20:53  Trip Reports  Potomac   

Mike and I fished the Potomac after work last Friday evening and had a pretty decent outing. The water temps down are way were in the high 50's. Took about 6 fish over about 3 hours. I took a 17"+ fish but the picture didn't really come out. I have get to get a better camera from somewhere. Oh yeah, and a new anchor too!!

ShawnLittle  04/11/2005 - 07:48  Trip Reports  Impoundments    Had already went out 4 times before yesterday with nothing to show for it and was starting to doubt myself and my gear. Went to Loch Raven Resovoir to fish , which is my favorite impoundment to fish early in the year. My fishing buddy and I arrive at 6:00 am in the water and 6:15 we are on the way to our Loch Raven pattern. about halfway to the first spot I look back and I see my buddy fiddling with the trolling motor and the battery. I knew he had to rewire the trolling motor because of some reverse polarization or something like that. Not real sure because I'm not a trolling motor mechanic. Didn't think anything of it until I look again and I see a shower of sparks everytime he tries to connect the cables back to the battery.

smalljaw  04/09/2005 - 21:27  Trip Reports  Impoundments    spent most of the day fixing stuff around the house. I started putting up the net around the kids trampoline and the batteries in my cordless drill died. While they were recharging I took to repairing the trolling motor that we damaged last week at Black Hills. The fix, while time consuming, turned out to be pretty easy. I broke the whole thing down, straightened the shaft using the side of the trailer hitch on the truck, re-did the wiring, cleaned up and greased the bearings, and put it back together. As you can probably tell I am quite proud of my forced trolling motor overhaul. Back to the trampoline. Non-trivial task that included sewing the doggone thing to the base. Once that was done I was just standing there looking at the warden and she said "Go ahead". Called Muskalungee...no answer, called Coop...committed for the day...I was going alone. Hitched up the jon boat and headed for Black Hills.

muskalungee  04/07/2005 - 09:31  Trip Reports  Impoundments    Jeff and I hit the pond after work yesterday. I was there about an hour before him, so I had a pretty good chance to scout the place out. The water was still really stained, but I was able to see a lot of Bream (I've watching too much Sat morning fishing TV), and some even jumping out of the water as if they were being chased. This makes sense b/c I later found out that the water temp was 62 degrees.

I got a tiny hit early on the Florida rigged (w/ rattle) lizard and quite a few follows on the rat-l trap. I ended up moving around the pond slowly and eventually found a good spot with yet another bream jumping out of the water. I tossed my lizard out and fished it parallel to the shore about 10 ft out or so. I was slowly dragging along the bottom for a while with no takers. With about 10 ft to go I started ripping it in for a recast and BAM a nice little largemouth came up and hit right at the surface. Of course he didn't take it all the way.

muskalungee  04/03/2005 - 15:47  Trip Reports  Impoundments    Smalljaw and I got out yesterday afterall. We almost threw in the towel after some AM lightening blew thru in the morning, but we decided to give a shot around 1PM. That timing ended up working out just right b/c the weather broke about the time we headed out.

When we arrived at Black Hills we had the place to ourselves. The water was getting real muddy around the put in so we headed to back of the lake. We found some more muddy water but the water temps were about 51 degrees, so we tossed some spinners for a few minutes....and then it happened. As I casted into this nice little spot between some logs my spinnerbait struck something in the boat. Then as my reflex kicked in, I jerked my rod and it smacked jeff (or his seat). I don't know what exactly happened next but before I could react my customized (shortened) rod and shimano curado went KER-PLUNK! I was powerless as I watched it decend into the muddy water. I was kind of in shock. I fished around for it for a couple of minutes and then I just gave up and considered it a donation.

smalljaw  04/01/2005 - 21:37  Trip Reports  Impoundments    Muskalungee and I hit Black Hills after work today for about an hour. Water temp 51 degrees and the lake was fairly clear. Mike was there when I got there and was fishing a point where we know there is a deep channel nearby and is probably a staging point for the green bass as they head towards the bedding areas. I fished a tube (2 colors), my $15 Lucky Craft, and a white spinnerbait. The white spinnerbait yielded a chunky but sluggish 12 incher which turned out to be the only fish of the outing. Got the LC stuck on a big log and I had Mike wondering if I was going to wade out there and get the thing. I was glad I put that 2/100 Power Pro line on that setup when I winched the log and the bait about 30 feet through the grass to get it back. All in all another nice day.

muskalungee  03/31/2005 - 10:50  Trip Reports    Well, I went down to the pond again yesterday. It's still real high and muddy but I expected to at least get a hit or two.....but nothing. Still looking for that first fish of the year. Got a chance to wet a line and talk to smalljaw, so it wasn't a total waste of time. :)

smalljaw  03/18/2005 - 22:45  Trip Reports  Monocacy   
I am on the board for 2005! Great day to be off work and ON the water. Finally broke free and cast off from shore about 2:30 this afternoon. Within a half hour I was reaching down to lip a chunky 14 incher. Fought like a cat, she stayed down and I was sure that was what it was. I am somewhat famous for pulling cats out of smallie waters. Anyway I was happy to see that little beauty come to hand and get its picture took. Water temps were around 46 degrees everywhere I checked. Turtles were out sunning on the logs, beavers doing their thing, ducks everywhere. Just amazing. I continued to fish for another couple of hours with no more luck.

oppiey  03/14/2005 - 22:32  Trip Reports  Impoundments    Well guys I could not take it anymore, I had to wet a line.
A couple weeks ago I did my yearly spring deed. I loaded a rod into the truck that will stay there till deer season comes back around.
The rod and real have been just sitting there for two weeks now, so I had to do it. On the way home I stopped at a pond near the house. I was driving the truck knowing I only had about 15 minutes to fish. Upon arrival I ran the line through the eyelets, tied on a bleeding red hook, and toped it all off with a pumpkin looking senko. The fishing stunk, but I was like a kid in a candy store as I let that first cast fly. landing the cast with in a foot of my target, a submerged tree with a limb sticking out of the water about six inches.

smalljaw  03/11/2005 - 22:31  Trip Reports  Monocacy    to get out on the river today. First time this year I have fished in the river AND from the yak. I threw tubes, jerk baits, and grubs with no takers. I fished the feeder creeks thinking that they would be just a little bit warmer than the main stem. I didn't carry a thermometer so I can't tell you anything about the water temps other than both the main stem and the feeders were COLD. The new Curado performed excellently!!! I am very happy with it but I still think my Pflueger is better. The water was up a little and moving pretty fast. I was out for about 2 hours before I packed it in and headed home.