Tried a new lake today - could not believe how easy it was to cactch fish!
It's not often that I find a lake that, though more like a pond than a lake, I hook so many fish in such a short period of time.
Once the car top boat was launched, the first three casts produced a perch, a pickerel and a sunfish. Not knowing the bottom, I cast to open water and along parallel shorelines that have mostly overhanging brush. In the last few days, the area has gotten 3" of rain and maybe raised the water level higher, important considering the deepest area was only 7' (9' according to a depth map.) The water was clear down to 5' with weed beds 3' beneath the surface and many large rocks strewn in different areas.
Though a permit-only lake , locals probably left the bobbers I saw stuck in trees, seeing as there was few areas to fish from shore.
When I find a pond like this one, I start experimenting with lures I've lost confidence in to see how well they work under ideal conditions. The bass jig with trailer didn't get a sniff, but the Zoom Fluke on a weighted hook did get a few. Zip on the suspending crankbait or bent spoon tipped with plastic worm, but a 3.5" fat tube did get bit by a few bass.
The lures I knew would work were my own hand poured minnow-grubs rigged on 1/16 or 1/8 oz ball jigs. Color wasn't important as all colors worked for large perch and sunfish and medium size bass and pickerel; only one small crappie. A 2" tube worked well also and much better than a double tail grub.
The biggest surprise was the quality of pan fish in a lake with many pickerel. Genetics? All I know is that the hits were strong and obvious and at times a sunfish felt like a bass on the line.
I'll be returning soon and fish until the ice forms, though I can assume the lake is incredible for ice fishing and one I'll fish if cabin fever is bad enough.
