Pacemaker Fishing Forum

I saw the weather for next week and looked at the water temps and decided to try a quick trip from shore.  Park opens at 7 and I got there a few minutes early, but gates were open.  Made it down to my spot and made a short cast behind a rock with my little popper.  Saw a big smallie take a lazy swipe at it and miss.  I pulled, but not much, so I let the popper float slowly out of the eddy.  It got taken under and I was hooked up.  Nice fight and felt heavy but just as it got in front of me it got off.  That was a rush!

I made another cast and had a swipe.  Let it sit and had one take it under, but when I set the hook, it came off.  Third cast I let it float with just tiny twitches every so often.  I got a take with the line out a ways.  I fought the fish, and it got into a stick or something as it was about in front of me.  The drag was pulling as I reeled before I realized it was snagged.  I got the popper unsnagged, but the fish was gone.  I realized that my drag was set a little loose and probably why i lost those fish.

I made a few more casts and let the popper drift further downstream.  I did get a very lazy swirl, but the fish missed.  That was it for topwater bites.  I tried a few other lures, but nada.  Super fun though and a beautiful morning.  Wind picked up and I decided that was it.