Low wind forecast, the wind shifted somewhat in direction and intensity, medium riffle to dead calm, offshore to up or down current. I adjusted tactics and spots to exploit what the weather was doing. No schools of white bass busting bait. The hex hatch was on going but hard to tell if it was ramping up or fading out. I saw no fish feeding on them but got 2 small bass on a #2 Hexy Mop Popper
Mostly I was drifting out in the current, casting flashy 3/0 Marabou Bangers straight out across the currrent over 6 to 10 feet of water. I used a brisk retrieve of steady medium pops trying to throw a little water up in the air so the surface disturbance would bring up smallmouth from the fairly deep water. It was all kind of a blur, many drifts over that flat, brought one or more hits. Most hits came in the last 25 to 15 feet of the retrieve so they were following it in. Many hits were on the final dead stick pause 15 to 20 feet out. Many fish missed the hook, Many more or got off a few seconds after seeming to be solidly hooked. I only landed 2. The first one measured 19 inches and was some what scarred and scrawny. He came just after a missed hit early in the first drift. Lots of the fish I saw were buttes, around 20 inches. The second one landed was a very robust 16 inches and very strong like all the others I hooked briefly.
One fish was a mystery. It hit very violently close to the kayak and broke(?) off. The last 3/4 inch of tippet was abraded. I thought it was a smallmouth, but I thought I saw a bit of orange like in the tail fin of a pike or musky. This popper fishing pattern was easiest when the wind was light and more productive with a smooth or only lightly riffled surface.
I continued my first drift of the day down stream to mostly new water. There was new growth of scattered Phragmites a few feet outside the solid high Phragmite grass wall. A cast there brought a violent Pike strike, I reflexively set the hook, Oh crap I've hooked him. He was about 18 inches and hooked on the outside of the gill plate in to his gills which were bleeding. The broken barb hook was easily removed by hand. Pike are tough to kill, I have seen healthy pike who have healed from having some gills ripped loose. About the next cast, not far away a second pike blasted the fly but was not hooked. I sat there, should I tie on a bite leader? Then a bigger pike ate the fly as it sat there about 6 feet out. I pulled up gently hoping he would spit out the fly. I played him gently and got him on the lip grip tool. He measured 27 inches. He was hooked deep, I could only reach the eye of the popper hook with the foreceps. There was damage to the top 4 inches of my 10 pound leader. I tied on a 25 pound fluorocarbon bite leader and promptly hooked a good pike. On not too heavy tension, the line parted above the 9 inch bite leader, I must have missed a nick in the 10lb.
The rest of the pike fought with powerful runs and high leaps. That action packed pattern I used early that day, fishing to "shore", the phragmites edges with scattered new growth popping up in slightly deeper water. I landed 4 pike,measured 27, 26, and estimated 25 & 18 inches. That one bite off and several more pulled off the hook along with many missed hits. Coming back to those same hot spots still got some more pike bites. I also had some hits that looked like bass and got one 15 & 1/2 inch largemouth.
Usually my most productive pattern is to fish weedy dredged deeper holes out of the current for largemouth. I only found one good bass that hit and missed once, came back and was well hooked until he pulled off.
The 3 white bass out of 4 hooked came while trying for smallmouth out in the current, mainly on the 3/0 Marabou Bangers. One came on a flashy bead head white bucktail. That was hard to fish and mostly not productive. The white bass were good size as loner white bass seem to be. A 16 and a 15 incher along with one a bit smaller.
No CAMERA so a similar North Channel Fish fish stouter and not scarred.
One fish was a mystery. It hit very violently close to the kayak and broke(?) off. The last 3/4 inch of tippet was abraded. I thought it was a smallmouth, but I thought I saw a bit of orange like in the tail fin of a pike or musky. This pattern was easiest when the wind was light and more productive with a smooth or only lightly riffled surface.
I continued my first drift of the day down stream to mostly new water. There was new growth of scattered Phragmites a few feet outside the solid high Phragmite grass wall. A cast there brought a violent Pike strike, I reflexively set the hook, Oh crap I've hooked him. He was about 18 inches and hooked on the outside of the gill plate in to his gills which were bleeding. The broken barb hook was easily removed by hand. Pike are tough to kill, I have seen healthy pike who have healed from having some gills ripped loose. About the next cast, not far away a second pike blasted the fly but was not hooked. I sat there, should I tie on a bite leader? Then a bigger pike ate the fly as it sat there about 6 feet out from the kayak. I pulled up gently hoping he would release the fly. I played him gently and got him on the lip grip tool. He measured 27 inches. He was hooked deep, I could only reach the eye of the popper hook with the forceps. There was damage to the top 4 inches of my 10 pound leader. I tied on a 25 pound fluorocarbon bite leader and promptly hooked a good pike. On not too heavy tension, the line parted above the 9 inch bite leader, I must have missed a nick in the 10lb.
Similar tactics, windier day, bigger Banger.
The rest of the pike fought with powerful runs and high leaps. That action packed pattern I used early that day, fishing to "shore", the phragmites edges with scattered new growth popping up in slightly deeper water. I landed 4 pike,measured 27, 26, and estimated 25 & 18 inches. That one bite off and several more pulled off the hook along with many missed hits. Coming back to those same hot spots still got some more pike bites. I also had some hits that looked like bass and got one 15 & 1/2 inch largemouth. Similar North Channel Bass.
Usually my most productive Largemouth pattern is to fish flashy poppers in weedy dredged deeper holes out of the current. I only found one good bass that hit and missed once, came back and was well hooked until he pulled off.
I landed 3 white bass out of 4 hooked while trying for smallmouth out in the current, mainly on the 3/0 Marabou Bangers. One took a flashy bead head white bucktail. That was hard to fish and mostly not productive. The white bass were good size as loner white bass seem to be. A 16 and a 15 incher along with one a bit smaller.
The 3/0 flashy Marabou Bangers in White or Chartreuse are my best flys all summer here. The Rapala plastic lip grip tool holds fish securedly without damaging the fish like metal jawed tools will.
