Thread: Not a great day but 45 fish kept us busy

The first thing we noticed was the surface action in front of the launch and in different areas. Turned out small white perch were in schools playing around near the surface, proven by the dozen we caught casting light jigs and plastics. Keeping an eye on the sonar, some fish were caught over rocks and near underwater rock walls built in over 100 yrs. ago before the dam was put in. We caught more fish there than near pads.

All in all we caught yellow and white perch, crappie, nice sunfish and a 1lb catfish on small soft plastics. I would have stayed out later but the lightning bolt we saw and heard in the distance gave us a reason to get off the lake ASAP!

Maybe tomorrow....if the rain holds off.

Yesterday the same friend asked if I could discover a pattern or two for him and his nephew who are fishing today.The same schools of white perch hit in open water early as before but the sunfish, crappie and yellow perch were in different areas (near walls and pads over hard bottoms near shore).

But what was most astounding was the thin diameter, 2 1/2" steel wire leader with clip that I made to attach the line to light jigheads. Ever so often I get bit off by pickerel and leaders are the only preventitve.

At first I figured the leader might be a negative when it comes to using 1/24 or 1/32 oz jigs with 2" soft plastics. Man was I wrong! In fact it seemed the leader added to the attraction of thesmall slowly-worked 2" lures. I even had a fish attack in shallow water vertical jigging!

All told, 48 fish were caught under a bright sun/ no clouds in shallow areas no more than 5' deep. Species caught: yellow & whiter perch, sunfish (3 different kinds), crappie, small bass and believe it not - another channel catfish!

Only two soft plastic shapes were used: a spike tail and a straight, flat, thin tail.- neither had to be replaced.

I will make up some more leaders which makes things easier not having to tie lures on using the clip instead. Makes you wonder about the line-shy belief for using f/c. Maybe the shiny leader actually adds to the attraction. It sure a heck didn't prevent the strong strikes I got as well as repeat strikes on 2nd and 3rd casts !!! I lost no snagged lures from breaks in the line at the jig line tie.

Pickerel watch out!

(note: the last photo shows the spike tail but not the leader. Lure shape example only).