Pacemaker Fishing Forum

Got on the river solo today.  First time this year and last trip was November 3rd.  Launched sometime after 8am.  Morning was cold with heavy fog that I was not counting on.



I got out ok and stayed close until fog cleared.  It finally broke through around 9am but was still foggy upriver.



Water started out around 39 degrees.  It was a while before I got a bite.  I was happy to be out.  Lots of wildlife to entertain me.  Seagulls, different duck species, geese, bald eagles, king fishers and lots of squirrels.  Heard some owls and turkeys on the shore.

First bite came on a TRD Bugz.  Beautiful bronze smallie.



The fish do not like to close their mouth or stay flat, so I didn't fight it too much. 

Next bite came a while later on a tube. 



There was a really cool albino squirrel that was frolicking on the shore. 



I ate my lunch and floated out of that spot.  I tried casting a 2.8 keitech on a ball head jig I had used for crappies near the sunny shoreline.  I was working it slow and erratically when a fish grabbed it and was swimming toward me.  I did not get a good hookset, and the fish ran under the boat and popped off as I was trying to get it hooked.  I made another cast and did the same retrieve and got bit again.  This time I got the fish in. 



I tried a couple more spots as I was heading back, but no takers.  I was happy to get my first smallies of 2026!  Off the water a little after 2:30pm.  Beautiful afternoon.

Last edited by drxfish (Feb-28-26 12:13AM)