Calm morning trip

Weather has been tough in these parts for the last couple of weeks but today was calm and cool and I loaded up for a long overdue fishing jaunt. At 8:35 I had 3 rods rigged and out as I started my trip up along one of my favorite contours. Air temp at 64, water temp at 80 under cloudless, sunny bluebird skies and best of all, no significant wind to deal with. While the action was not fast, I had a great time being out on the water again after a long layoff.
I kept close to the weed line and drop off at 12-15' of water and was rewarded with some good fish to get things going.


Here is that same fish on the ruler:



I wouldn't catch a lot of our favorite fish but the half dozen I did catch were nice, all better than 11". Good fighting, too.







That Roadrunner with the chartreuse tail was the preferred lure today; probably 90% of my total catch would come on it. It would bring in crappie, perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed and a couple of rock bass.



Trolling worked well to start but I found my self single pole casting and retrieving quite a bit today and that technique would run the total score up, with bluegill and perch the main catch from the shallower water behind the drop off.


That would be the big 'gill of the day, right at 9" but lots of hard fighting 8 inchers would come over the side as well.





My last crappie would come while trolling up by the point of the contour, on a minnow tube, the only fish on that lure.



The wind would come to life about 10:45 and I headed back to the launch, arriving there at 11:30 and calling it a day. I'd get 2 nice perch and another good 'gill on the troll back, bringing the total to 25 for the morning.