Chickamauga 1/23

[polo-dog]

Went out today initially thinking that I would catch some shad to freeze. Decided to fish for a short while and try to pick a pattern that would do well in the tournament this weekend. I still may be able to get there. Would anyone be interested in going with me? Anyway, figured out a good pattern that should put a bunch of fish and maybe some big ones in the boat, see pic. Also figured out two backup patterns that should work. The fish were shallow and near deep water. I will elaborate after the weekend if I get to fish and before that if I can't. I never left the Harrison bay state park area. I hate to be so secretive but I'm sure that everybody else would rather figure out their own "winning pattern". I mostly scouted today and fished very little. I think that there are lots of active fish right now. It may have been the weather today as it was cloudy and rainy all day long and it probably kept the fish active. I saw tons of what looked like active fish and lots of movement on the top out in Harrison bay. The water temp in Harrison bay was 49 degrees all day long and in Wolftever creek the temp was almost 54 degrees if you can believe it. I didn't fish any for bass in the creek but there may be some active fish there. Maybe in the next couple of days I'll get to check it out.

 

[DHaun]

Nice Bass! Whew...Definitely looks like you have figured something out there polo-dog! Since I have not been out in awhile (especially for bass), my pattern is just to fish hard, try to learn something from Jmax, and hope for the best. I figure if I can get out on the water and meet most of these fine folks on the forum then I'm happy. I saw in another post that Pointer78 has some space in his boat...

 

[jon the fisherman]

Nice wintertime bass. Looks like the water was a little muddy which is tough but you came through. I Believe You are on the right pattern, and as long as the weather is stable, you will catch a full bag. I hope to make the rodeo, so I can show you guys how to fish.emoBigsmile

 

[flip1up]

Nice fish Polo. Looks like that one has been at the buffet bar alot.

 

[JerDog]

That is a good one! Did you catch it on an artificial or live bait? Where you able to cast-net any bait?

I was watching a fishing show on ESPN 2 a few weeks back and did not know this. When guys are pre-tournment fishing, they will cut off the hooks to the lure. When the fish hits, they just pull the lure out of the mouth. This way when they scout and find fish, they can come back to the exact spot and get those fish. They say that if a fish gets hooked, it is a several days before they are interested in eating again...Has anyone tried that approach? Since you got a nice fish it would have been nice to catch that at tournment time.

 

[CouchTater]

Good looking fish Polo!!!! I can't wait till Saturday.

Tater

 

[jason]

Somebody be sure to check his livewell before launching SaturdayemoPoke. That is definitely a healthy largemouth.

 

[Fishheadspin]

Polo i like those docks over between island cove and waconda bay also! know them well! you should black out the back ground!! have caught a few smallies from that area also!! nice fish! i hope he i there when i get there friday!

 

[ChooChooSnakeMan]

Hey JerDog,

I'm sure I'm not the only one to have had this experience, but I've missed many fish fishing plastics where I've stuck them pretty good, but not good enough. Good enough that I felt them on and they got my worm. Then recast into the same brushpile or stump and catch the fish. I know it was the same fish because my first worm or hook, if I broke it off would be down its throat! Now I would also agree that many fish once hooked probably move on and won't bite for a time, but I think many more will bite again. Just my opinion! I do think the idea of just taking the hooks off the lures is a good one if you are prefishing just before an event.

Fish ON and ON and ON and ON!!!

 

[polo-dog]

There are some good docks over there near Waconda bay, I however don't fish them much. The docks are mine, that's where I let her go and so when she spawns she'll have lots of big babies right near my dock. I hope that she likes the area and sticks around. i didn't catch her near my dock or any other dock, probably over a quarter mile from any dock really. She was out in the middle of the lake and in the summer far from shore. I'm trying to give hints. I went out for a few minutes and looked for some shad to net but only had about a half hour before I had to come home and put some shoe mold on with a nail gun. It seems that many of the fish that I was on have moved and I saw fish somewhere within a half mile of where the fish that I caught Monday were that I had never seen them so thick before. I didn't have time to see what species they were but they were stacked up really thick, they however were over 11-16 feet of water. I am thinking that the fish are moving but I didn't fish today so I guess I'll have to check it out some day soon, maybe Sat. emoEvil

 

[Jmax]

I know polo's docks well and I will back him up, those are his docks in Wolftever, Fisheadspin that is a good try but I do not think we will know where he caught her until after the tourney.emoLaugh I wouldn't tell now myself if I were polo.emoCool Jmax

 

[CouchTater]

ChooChooSnakeMan - 1/24/2006 5:17 PM

Now I would also agree that many fish once hooked probably move on and won't bite for a time, but I think many more will bite again. Just my opinion!

CCSN, if that is your opinion, then I agree with you...OFF TOPIC, but bare with me. One afternoon me and a buddy was fishing in Scottsboro (Big G). There is a small "cove" were the highway runs right beside the back water. I had been catching a mess of 'gills for my grandfather when I felt a big hit on that 4lb line. Im fighting this fish with an ultralight and 4lb line...All the while my buddy was fishing a bubble gum trick worm right next to the bank. He has a good fish on, gets it half way to the boat, it takes off with his worm. 2-3 minutes goes by and I start casting a white trick worm in the general area he was fishing, boom...I had a good fish on, yet again about half way to the boat, she comes unbuttoned.

Anyone want to guess what came out when she spit my lure out? The bubble gum trick worm that my buddy was fishing...emoAngel

First time I had ever seen it happen, same fish "caught" (poor attempt at being caught I should say) 2-3 minutes apart, spitting a lure lostby my buddy then mine a short time later...

Tater

 

[2jigs]

Jerdog,This time of year alot of people say.Most of what you get are reaction strikes. The fish are not feeding for very lomg in the day. But If you put it rite in their face Bam! I'm no expert, but more than once I've sore mouthed fish the day or two befor a tournament an zero bites in the same place , same bait, same con. Bottom line If that's what you beleave in , thats what I'd do...2jigs... emoThumbsup

 

[polo-dog]

What time of year was that? If a fish is guarding a bed I know that it will hit many times. If it's really on the feed and hasn't had too many brushes with being caught, I would expect that one would hit multiple times. I think that different fish, just like humans, are very different in their agressiveness and some when stuck once will hunker down and not bite for a few days and some shake it off like it was nothing and bite again and again.

 

[hog daddy]

polo; what you said made sence to me ;and ive hade about the same experance as tator down on weiss!