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I hit the Columbia out of Stevenson on Sunday the 6th. After my last poor outing I was really hoping to have a good day. The wind first thing was out of the East and seemed a bit stronger than forecast. It was still fishable but I was getting bounced up and down pretty good. I started out throwing a popper (first time this year). I figured with the sloppy conditions I would need to throw a plopper or a popper so I though a popper would make an easier target in the waves. I really have no idea if that theory holds any water since i did not get so much as a sniff on topwater all day long (not that I threw it much after the initial attempt).
I figured, that's OK the fish must be kegged up out on the tip of the point in the rocks. Once again my instincts proved to be worthless and I did not get a sniff on a drop shot, Ned rig or wobblehead. I was starting to get a bad feeling, like the bad luck from the previous weekend was still stuck to me. The next two spost I hit also proved fruitless - and bass-less
The bad feeling was getting worse but I said to myself, "I just need to fish harder and more carefully". I made it to my fourth spot, which is usually always good for at least a fish or two. I started probing the deep rocks slowly with my wobblehead jig and Zoom Z-craw. Eventually as I was lifting the jig up to ease it along I felt a thump. I reeled down and swung back to nothing. I cast back out and felt that thump again and slammed the hook home. Oh man, this was a big fish. I leaned hard on that fish when the unimaginable happened. Pop! I broke that fish off. I could not believe it. I felt truly cursed. I had just replaced my line on that reel during the week with a supposedly abrasion resistant fluorocarbon line. When I reeled the end of my line was in tatters. After 2.5 hours I hook my first fish and it breaks my 12lb line. That was the low point of the day.
The line was badly scraped up and had little bits peeling off. I have never had that happen before. I was so mad!!! After I settled down I figured that if that was the case I was going to have to check my line often and retie constantly. So that is what I did. I am happy to say that I did not break off any more fish but I probably retied 20 or 30 times during the course of the day.
So after tying on a new wobblehead I went back to work. I missed the next two fish as well. I said to myself, "come on John, just catch a dang fish". Finally at the 3 hour mark I had yet another thump on the wobblehead and this one stuck! It was not a monster (maybe 14 or 15") but it felt as if a monster weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I was not going to get skunked!
I continued to fish that spot without any more action. The next spot also did not produce but I really felt like it was going to happen for me and that kept my focus razor sharp. I finally made it to one of my favorite spots and that is where the magic started to happen. I caught 3 bass on 4 casts including a nice 2lb 13oz fat girl. I knew I was going to be OK
I kept fishing around that same general area (there is a hump and point that almost kiss) and picked up a bunch more including my day's best fish, a 19" 3lb 10oz beauty. The only down side is that part way through fishing that spot my camera froze up (a bandaid appeared on the screen for a while and eventually cleared itself) and I missed filming several fish including another 18.5" 3lb 2oz chunk. I have to say that I did not mind that too much but this is the second time this year that has happened. Not sure what the issue is but I ordered a new SD card.
Anyway, after I eventually tired out that spot I went looking for more piles of fish. I was brimming with confidence and knew I was going to catch more. The next spot only producedd one fish but then I noticed a waypoint that I had not yet fished this year. It was a spot I had forgotten I had ever marked. Well, I may have forgotten but the bass sure did not. That spot was LOADED! I was getting bit on every cast. It was a long skinny point that topped off around 30' and fell off into 60' all around it. At the very tip it jumped up to about 17' and then fell off in a cliff like fashion into 60' of water. By this time of the day the earlier East wind had died and it was really calm. I was able to easily position myself and was just catching (or missing) fish after fish. The only thing that slowed me down was constantly retying after pretty much every fish. They weren't monsters but the were pound and a quarter to two pound fish and those are a blast to catch.
I ended the day with 19 bass but If the wind had not picked up suddenly and ferociously I think I could have caught 30 easily. Once the wind picked up I just could not hold myself on that spot and fish. After about 15 minutes of not being able to feel the rocks that were holding the fish I decided to call it a day. Every fish came on the wobblehead. I did periodically try a drop shot and a Ned rig but never had a bite on either of those (but I would quickly switch back to the wobblehead so maybe I did not give them a really fair shake). The water temp was 63 and the bass all came from 15-30' of water.
Overall, I was completely elated as I pedaled back to the ramp into the teeth of the now West wind. I did not mind paying the wind tax at all after a day like that. I think the best days are the ones that start off bad and end good. Nothing like overcomng adversity and a bad start to kick bass!
Here are some photos and the video from the day (including some tribulations at the beginning).
I figured, that's OK the fish must be kegged up out on the tip of the point in the rocks. Once again my instincts proved to be worthless and I did not get a sniff on a drop shot, Ned rig or wobblehead. I was starting to get a bad feeling, like the bad luck from the previous weekend was still stuck to me. The next two spost I hit also proved fruitless - and bass-less
The bad feeling was getting worse but I said to myself, "I just need to fish harder and more carefully". I made it to my fourth spot, which is usually always good for at least a fish or two. I started probing the deep rocks slowly with my wobblehead jig and Zoom Z-craw. Eventually as I was lifting the jig up to ease it along I felt a thump. I reeled down and swung back to nothing. I cast back out and felt that thump again and slammed the hook home. Oh man, this was a big fish. I leaned hard on that fish when the unimaginable happened. Pop! I broke that fish off. I could not believe it. I felt truly cursed. I had just replaced my line on that reel during the week with a supposedly abrasion resistant fluorocarbon line. When I reeled the end of my line was in tatters. After 2.5 hours I hook my first fish and it breaks my 12lb line. That was the low point of the day.
The line was badly scraped up and had little bits peeling off. I have never had that happen before. I was so mad!!! After I settled down I figured that if that was the case I was going to have to check my line often and retie constantly. So that is what I did. I am happy to say that I did not break off any more fish but I probably retied 20 or 30 times during the course of the day.
So after tying on a new wobblehead I went back to work. I missed the next two fish as well. I said to myself, "come on John, just catch a dang fish". Finally at the 3 hour mark I had yet another thump on the wobblehead and this one stuck! It was not a monster (maybe 14 or 15") but it felt as if a monster weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I was not going to get skunked!
I continued to fish that spot without any more action. The next spot also did not produce but I really felt like it was going to happen for me and that kept my focus razor sharp. I finally made it to one of my favorite spots and that is where the magic started to happen. I caught 3 bass on 4 casts including a nice 2lb 13oz fat girl. I knew I was going to be OK
I kept fishing around that same general area (there is a hump and point that almost kiss) and picked up a bunch more including my day's best fish, a 19" 3lb 10oz beauty. The only down side is that part way through fishing that spot my camera froze up (a bandaid appeared on the screen for a while and eventually cleared itself) and I missed filming several fish including another 18.5" 3lb 2oz chunk. I have to say that I did not mind that too much but this is the second time this year that has happened. Not sure what the issue is but I ordered a new SD card.
Anyway, after I eventually tired out that spot I went looking for more piles of fish. I was brimming with confidence and knew I was going to catch more. The next spot only producedd one fish but then I noticed a waypoint that I had not yet fished this year. It was a spot I had forgotten I had ever marked. Well, I may have forgotten but the bass sure did not. That spot was LOADED! I was getting bit on every cast. It was a long skinny point that topped off around 30' and fell off into 60' all around it. At the very tip it jumped up to about 17' and then fell off in a cliff like fashion into 60' of water. By this time of the day the earlier East wind had died and it was really calm. I was able to easily position myself and was just catching (or missing) fish after fish. The only thing that slowed me down was constantly retying after pretty much every fish. They weren't monsters but the were pound and a quarter to two pound fish and those are a blast to catch.
I ended the day with 19 bass but If the wind had not picked up suddenly and ferociously I think I could have caught 30 easily. Once the wind picked up I just could not hold myself on that spot and fish. After about 15 minutes of not being able to feel the rocks that were holding the fish I decided to call it a day. Every fish came on the wobblehead. I did periodically try a drop shot and a Ned rig but never had a bite on either of those (but I would quickly switch back to the wobblehead so maybe I did not give them a really fair shake). The water temp was 63 and the bass all came from 15-30' of water.
Overall, I was completely elated as I pedaled back to the ramp into the teeth of the now West wind. I did not mind paying the wind tax at all after a day like that. I think the best days are the ones that start off bad and end good. Nothing like overcomng adversity and a bad start to kick bass!
Here are some photos and the video from the day (including some tribulations at the beginning).