The "I got skunked" photo/report thread...
- Thread starter Josh
- Start date
Headed out to a small local bass/trout lake looking for bass on Fri evening and was promptly chased off by a storm cell that rolled through. The lake went from mirror calm to kinda choppy in like 20 minutes. Went back for dawn patrol the next morning and spent 3 hours poking around. Was gorgeous, but the bass weren't doing their thing. Such a strange spring on the bass front. Everything around here is at least a month behind schedule.
Lots of trout activity on the surface and I saw some other folks catching them. I hadn't geared up for trout, though I did try trolling/tossing an olive bugger. No dice, just one crappie for my trouble. Which is fine, I'm not much of a lake trout fisherman. Practiced standing up and casting a bit on my kayak. Wasn't terrible, but this particular boat isn't the most stable (and I'm a smaller guy with generally good balance). Someday I'd like to try one of the larger/stable boats like what @Chadk has. The wind did remind me that I need to get an anchor trolley setup going.
Still, a beautiful morning on the lake.
Lots of trout activity on the surface and I saw some other folks catching them. I hadn't geared up for trout, though I did try trolling/tossing an olive bugger. No dice, just one crappie for my trouble. Which is fine, I'm not much of a lake trout fisherman. Practiced standing up and casting a bit on my kayak. Wasn't terrible, but this particular boat isn't the most stable (and I'm a smaller guy with generally good balance). Someday I'd like to try one of the larger/stable boats like what @Chadk has. The wind did remind me that I need to get an anchor trolley setup going.
Still, a beautiful morning on the lake.
I went out on Friday, got the 7130 MOD out for the first time this season. Tonic 525 and 15’ 9wt s6 versitip, love the feel of this rod, like pulling on a spring. Tied on an Olive Garden and went swinging for high water early steelhead.
Nothing here, but I found a few cutthroat in the next run. Coming out of the bottom corner I got “sounded”, a sensation I get when I believe a fish follows. It is a very faint springy feeling during the swing. I imagine a fish following and trying to suck in the fly repeatedly, but not mouthing it. Went back upstream about 15’, stepped about 2’ further out and swung back down and through. Went back to the top, swapped flies and went through again.
Top of the next section I get “sounded” again. Repeat same cast, more sounding, repeat, nothing, fish down a few steps. Go back up, switch flies, and get sounded again, keep fishing down and in the tailout I get sounded, followed by a light bump, and then the fly just stops for 1-2 seconds and nothing. Swap flies 3 more times with nothing, must have felt the hook…
Nothing here, but I found a few cutthroat in the next run. Coming out of the bottom corner I got “sounded”, a sensation I get when I believe a fish follows. It is a very faint springy feeling during the swing. I imagine a fish following and trying to suck in the fly repeatedly, but not mouthing it. Went back upstream about 15’, stepped about 2’ further out and swung back down and through. Went back to the top, swapped flies and went through again.
Top of the next section I get “sounded” again. Repeat same cast, more sounding, repeat, nothing, fish down a few steps. Go back up, switch flies, and get sounded again, keep fishing down and in the tailout I get sounded, followed by a light bump, and then the fly just stops for 1-2 seconds and nothing. Swap flies 3 more times with nothing, must have felt the hook…
@Josh looks like you are fishing the right water, funny how one day you can be fishing for nothing then the next day it turns on like a switch. I agree that bass have had a slow start this year. I did get a toddler on topwater a couple weeks ago, so something has to give soon.
Some people don't give bass enough credit. They can be as picky and fickle as any other fish.
Fishing the BAG? How do you like that setup?
Some people don't give bass enough credit. They can be as picky and fickle as any other fish.
Fishing the BAG? How do you like that setup?
The couple other bass guys I talked to hadn't had any better luck on this lake. I think it is just still a little cold.
Yeah, that was the maiden voyage for the BAG. As I talked about here, I couldn't track down a Bass Bug, so I threw a 6wt Outbound on there and it seemed to work well enough. That said, it also reminded me that I need a fair amount of work learning to shoot line without a bunch of backcasts.
Skunked on a double maiden voyage this morning. Got to test out my new-to-me pontoon (thanks @Wayne Kohan, it worked perfectly). Was also my first time using my new 7wt B.A.G. + SA bass bug outfit as well. It was an adjustment previously only fishing 5wt's and below, but I got comfortable with it quickly. Had a few bites and a tiny smallmouth got away from me.
Two first trips for some BAGs. Awesome! Now we just need more bass.
No kidding haha. I'm brand new to targeting bass though, so my expectations are still pretty low. I'm going to drop an order from Big Y soon with a little of everything and just keep at it, especially in the evenings after work, until I figure it out.
that could come in handy....I've been shitting the bed for bass this year...tigers too, but that's an entirely different situation....I don't want to talk about it.
Wayne Kohan
Life of the Party
Hey Cody, glad you like it!
BriGuy
Life of the Party
Fished an MA-13 beach on Friday that I visit occasionally. The weather was warm and sunny and the wind was calm. I was also there just before the afternoon low tide. Since it was a minus outgoing tide, I was able to get around some rocks and gain access to a long stretch of deserted beach, which I had all to myself! I walked and fished quite a way up the beach. It was super quiet and nice. Eerily so.
Of course, I didn't even get a nibble. I did not see a single fish, other than minnows, surface. Two seals came by and gave me the stink-eye. One got within 15 feet of me and then went under! That was quite unnerving especially since no one would hear me scream. I backed out of the water like a sissy.
It was a fabulous walk, though.
Of course, I didn't even get a nibble. I did not see a single fish, other than minnows, surface. Two seals came by and gave me the stink-eye. One got within 15 feet of me and then went under! That was quite unnerving especially since no one would hear me scream. I backed out of the water like a sissy.
It was a fabulous walk, though.
So this is essentially a DanielOcean thread? Cause all i got are skunk stories.
Triploidjunkie
Life of the Party
My first trip to Yellowstone and Bozeman.
I hadn't fished much in Montana, just some in the western side of the state. I had grown up reading about all the fabled waters in the eastern part of the state. When I showed up to Yellowstone, I couldn't believe the amount of fly fishermen. I didn't get skunked. I ended up catching a few fish, but my expectations were shattered.
I hadn't fished much in Montana, just some in the western side of the state. I had grown up reading about all the fabled waters in the eastern part of the state. When I showed up to Yellowstone, I couldn't believe the amount of fly fishermen. I didn't get skunked. I ended up catching a few fish, but my expectations were shattered.
Exactly. But with photos!
