Pacemaker Fishing Forum

Got out with Jimmy for a morning trip after getting my replacement trolling motor from Newport.  Water was low (about 1.5 feet at Point of Rocks).  I was not sure what to expect.  I was anticipating the river to be grass choked and not being able to run the big motor much.  I had topwater lures (buzzer, torpedo and popper on and my frog box in the boat.  Beautiful sunrise.



What we found was not much grass and none really growing to the surface.  The depth was better than expected as well.  We started with the topwater baits.

Jimmy was throwing a tiny torpedo and I was throwing my little buzzer.  We each got bit near an island, but mine got off.  Jimmy caught a little guy.  After about 15 minutes of trying that, we moved.

I was happy to see I could run upriver carefully.  We tried a couple spots, and I did contact a rock or two throughout the day.  I was trying different lures (wakebait, hand tied jig, tiny swimbait, flatworm).  There was surface activity from carp periodically.  None looked like bass.  Jimmy was using a cut down 4" Big TRD in coppertreuse and he was picking off small fish here and there.  After he was up about 8-0, I put on a trick shotz in the same color.  Within a few minutes, I had my first smallie.  Not a big one, but no skunk.

We watched 2 Bald Eagles chase an Osprey and the eagles were out in force.  It started to sprinkle and then rain a little harder.  I made a run to get out of the rain.  We almost called it at 10:30am with Jimmy up 10-1 and no large fish.  We got to where the rain was lighter and I decided to fish a bit more.

I caught another one and Jimmy hooked a nice one mid-river near some rocks.  This one was picture worthy.





We both lost or missed a few throughout the morning.  I had something big on that I could hardly move for a minute.  I never saw it, so not sure if it was a smallie or a catfish.  We decided to try an area near shore.  I cast to a little dropoff in shallow water and immediately got blasted.  It was a nice chunk.





We fished for a little longer until the rain started up again.  I was up to 4 smallies, but Jimmy had 14 (all but one on that single bait).  The key was that chartreuse color today.  There was a lot of the hair-like muck on the rocks and very little real grass.  We got off the water at 12:00pm with light but steady rain.