gunny146
Well-known member
Got out on the lake that has beat me down the last few trips, Lake Oconee, and for a change I caught some fish to include personal best on 2 species.
Left the house around 0630 only to drive in some serious fog, I mean pea soup fog. Get to ramp and the fog is so bad I thought about heading back to house and getting back in bed. Put the boat in the water tie up to dock and park the truck. Did I mention that it was foggy. I couldn't see the boat from the parking lot even with the nav lights on. I started to worry, not about my navigation skills but the chance of getting run over by someone not so experienced on the lake. I sat in the boat at the dock contemplating my next move, stay or go. I fired up the motor, let her warm, she don't like cold to much, and idled into the fog. Visibility was zero. I eased over to the bank and got started.
I started out chunkin a buzz bait. I haven't had too much luck with the topwater bite this year, but I love fishing a buzz bait. Third cast and wham! she eats it. Get it to the boat, not huge but a keeper nonetheless. Could it be I might get five bites today. Of course I don't want to get ahead of myself given my record on Oconee. Fished a little further and bam! another one. The weird part about this one was it was the third cast to the same spot. I was letting some crappie fishermen cruise by and just casting around. This one was a little better than the first a soild keeper. The fog is still thick so I keep on fishing where I'm at, I really wanted to try another spot first but oh well. I'm catching fish so no big deal. Fish until about 0930 or 100 before heading to another spot. Just I decide to head off, I miss one at the boat lifting the bait outta the water.
I pull up to my next spot and 2 boats are already there. I needed to empty the "bilge" anyway so I shoot across to a uninhabited cove and do just that. I fish there until I hear the boats take off. I pull up and get to it. Nothing doing to start with. I see fish on the graph but no takers. The water had a pretty good stain to it so I switch baits. Good idea. Fish cast, one slaps it but didn't get the hooks. I slow down and pick up a short fish with a really fat belly. Maybe I'm on to somethin here. I turn and head up the other side. Lob the bait out and start crankin. Bump, bump, bump, stop. Dangit, I'm hung, so thought. The rod doubles over and the drag starts rippin out. What in the world!!!! I know it's not a bass so now I'm curious. I fight the thing for what seems like forever. It surfaces and it a big ol blue cat. He's a little upset cause he's foul hooked in the back. Get him to the boat and he's by far the biggest blue I've ever caught, not mention the only one. I guess he's around 10 or so. Got a crudy spring scale so not real acurate. Get him outta the net and he has crushed my bait. Bent the hooks on both ends, just put a hurtin on the thing. Back he goes. Well that was fun.
I straigten the bait out as best I can and put some new hooks on and get back at it. Bump, Bump, Bump, whack! Fight is on. Feels like a nice hybrid to start with but I soon realize a hybrid this is not. I get glimpes of a big ol tail but don't see the rest. Another blue cool! I get the fish to side of the boat and see yellow and brown, hey it's a flathead. Put him in the net and get him in the boat. Neat, neat, neat, first flathead ever about 5 lbs I'm guessing. Back he goes after destroying another set of hooks.
I did manage a nice keeper bass in addition to the 2 cats. I take off for another spot. I pull up and pick off keeper #4 for the day. I think I have a bait they will eat, I just hope I can find them in stores still. Didn't get 5 but I think I found something that may work next time, so I count it as a good day, the best I've had in a while on Oconee. Sorry so long and thanks for reading. I share with ya'll cause the wife won't listen.
Left the house around 0630 only to drive in some serious fog, I mean pea soup fog. Get to ramp and the fog is so bad I thought about heading back to house and getting back in bed. Put the boat in the water tie up to dock and park the truck. Did I mention that it was foggy. I couldn't see the boat from the parking lot even with the nav lights on. I started to worry, not about my navigation skills but the chance of getting run over by someone not so experienced on the lake. I sat in the boat at the dock contemplating my next move, stay or go. I fired up the motor, let her warm, she don't like cold to much, and idled into the fog. Visibility was zero. I eased over to the bank and got started.
I started out chunkin a buzz bait. I haven't had too much luck with the topwater bite this year, but I love fishing a buzz bait. Third cast and wham! she eats it. Get it to the boat, not huge but a keeper nonetheless. Could it be I might get five bites today. Of course I don't want to get ahead of myself given my record on Oconee. Fished a little further and bam! another one. The weird part about this one was it was the third cast to the same spot. I was letting some crappie fishermen cruise by and just casting around. This one was a little better than the first a soild keeper. The fog is still thick so I keep on fishing where I'm at, I really wanted to try another spot first but oh well. I'm catching fish so no big deal. Fish until about 0930 or 100 before heading to another spot. Just I decide to head off, I miss one at the boat lifting the bait outta the water.
I pull up to my next spot and 2 boats are already there. I needed to empty the "bilge" anyway so I shoot across to a uninhabited cove and do just that. I fish there until I hear the boats take off. I pull up and get to it. Nothing doing to start with. I see fish on the graph but no takers. The water had a pretty good stain to it so I switch baits. Good idea. Fish cast, one slaps it but didn't get the hooks. I slow down and pick up a short fish with a really fat belly. Maybe I'm on to somethin here. I turn and head up the other side. Lob the bait out and start crankin. Bump, bump, bump, stop. Dangit, I'm hung, so thought. The rod doubles over and the drag starts rippin out. What in the world!!!! I know it's not a bass so now I'm curious. I fight the thing for what seems like forever. It surfaces and it a big ol blue cat. He's a little upset cause he's foul hooked in the back. Get him to the boat and he's by far the biggest blue I've ever caught, not mention the only one. I guess he's around 10 or so. Got a crudy spring scale so not real acurate. Get him outta the net and he has crushed my bait. Bent the hooks on both ends, just put a hurtin on the thing. Back he goes. Well that was fun.
I straigten the bait out as best I can and put some new hooks on and get back at it. Bump, Bump, Bump, whack! Fight is on. Feels like a nice hybrid to start with but I soon realize a hybrid this is not. I get glimpes of a big ol tail but don't see the rest. Another blue cool! I get the fish to side of the boat and see yellow and brown, hey it's a flathead. Put him in the net and get him in the boat. Neat, neat, neat, first flathead ever about 5 lbs I'm guessing. Back he goes after destroying another set of hooks.
I did manage a nice keeper bass in addition to the 2 cats. I take off for another spot. I pull up and pick off keeper #4 for the day. I think I have a bait they will eat, I just hope I can find them in stores still. Didn't get 5 but I think I found something that may work next time, so I count it as a good day, the best I've had in a while on Oconee. Sorry so long and thanks for reading. I share with ya'll cause the wife won't listen.
