Sunday, July 29, 2012

MIRAMONTE to be “nuked” due to illegal fish stocking

MONTROSE, Colo. – Colorado Parks and Wildlife is planning to take action to eradicate smallmouth bass at Miramonte Reservoir where they've become established after being stocked illegally.
       
The agency will utilize an organic pesticide to kill all the fish in the reservoir and then rebuild this renowned trout fishery that attracts anglers from throughout the West. The operation is tentatively scheduled to occur in late summer or fall of 2013.
       
In the meantime, Parks and Wildlife is implementing an emergency order that removes all bag and possession limits on smallmouth bass at Miramonte Reservoir.
        
"Killing all the fish in the reservoir lake is something we wish we didn't have to do, but we know we must," said Renzo DelPiccolo, area wildlife manager in Montrose. "People who illegally move fish into lakes, ponds and rivers are not only committing a criminal act, they are endangering native species, stealing a resource and recreational opportunity from thousands of anglers and negatively impacting the local community."
       
Miramonte Reservoir is located in San Miguel County about 10 miles south of Norwood in western Colorado.  The reservoir is one of the most productive still-water trout fisheries in the state and people travel from throughout the West to catch the rainbow and brown trout that regularly grow to quality size.  The lake is also a popular destination for crayfish enthusiasts. Miramonte accounts for about 20,000 angler days every year which contribute $1.5 million to the economy of San Miguel County.
       
Miramonte is a very productive reservoir, allowing Parks and Wildlife to stock thousands of fingerling trout every year. The trout grow quickly and reach quality size within two years.
       
"This reservoir is managed as a put and grow trout fishery and that management strategy will not change," explained John Alves, senior aquatic biologist for the southwest region for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. "Under this management strategy we can provide an excellent angling opportunity at a low cost to anglers."
       
Smallmouth bass, which are a warm-water predator fish, were illegally stocked in the reservoir sometime before 2011 and reproduction has been documented. A recent survey showed that in one year smallmouth bass have increased in abundance from 5 percent to 44 percent of the fish in the reservoir.
       
"The bass are now a top predator in the lake. They compete with trout for food and space, and consume trout and crayfish," Alves said. "If left alone, the bass could eventually devastate Miramonte as a trout fishery. Furthermore the habitat, prey base and water temperature will not support a quality bass fishery in the long term. So, once an illegally stocked fish population has become established, the only recourse is to start over by using a fish pesticide to kill all the fish in a
lake."

Link to full press release:


For more information about Miramonte and Don Noble State Wildlife Area, check out the SWA website, select Don Noble SWA in the search field and select go.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Hot Buckets on the Shady Side

What a scorcher of a day. Air temps were showing a high of 103 degrees and here I was fishing in the middle of it. Sweat pouring into my eyes, the undershirt was removed and placed on the skullcap pirate-style. No luck with the spinnerbait in search cast mode I threw on the jig and moved towards pocket of shade. Work the heavy structure and finally get a heavy bite on the end of my line.

The fish tried to go back into the junk but I was able to turn the head with a soft pull of the rod and cupping the reel. This could cost me the fish if there was so much as a nick on the line or sloppy knot tied to the hook. In open water the largemouth bass is allowed to run and suck up a little drag.

“There ya go, buddy.” I almost joke a little letting out a fraction of the breath that usually gets held while battling a big fish. “Play out there a little bit.”

Ziiiiing, pause, ziiiiing sings out from the reel as the bubba fish makes a steady run. My hand rests on the reel and works to keep the line tight and void of any slack. This is textbook fish battlin’ on light line. My only hope is that the fish doesn’t breach the surface and do a head shake that spits the hook half the time. The other thing that could screw this all up is structure deeper in the water. Then the fish does something completely different and unexpected. It turns around and runs right back at me.

“Oh no. Don’t do that.” I mumble in utter terror.

My hand franticly spins the reel handle trying to spin up the advancing slack in the line. Thankfully the boat had drifted away from the structure giving me a few extra yards. In hindsight this saved me completely. I was able to slow the fish down after it had passed the boat and turn it once again from the network of tree branches. The second head turn defeated this fish in both strength and mind or so at least I thought. Pulling it towards the boat my hand reached out for the lip grab.

Ziiiiing, pause, ziiiiing the fish takes off for another run and nearly breaks the line for sure this time. A decent drag set is what saved me this time. Normally a Mattsabasser is not this lucky so at any moment I expect to lose this fish, a fish that I had barely seen more than a flash of in the water. To lose this fish would cause night terrors for several nights to come. Thankfully the fish did a big circle around the boat with the wind pushing me closer and closer to the middle of the lake. Ziiiiing, pause, click, click, click sounds the drag. Checkmate. I bring the fish in while it continues to give many a defiant tug. Finally pull off the lip grab and do a quick photo op. Dip the bucketmouth towards the bow of the boat and it explodes into the water.

Moving to another stretch I see a large poplar tree section that had fallen into the water over winter. Underneath the log I imagined a large bank of shade moving across the submerged inline from shallow to deeper water. Cast the lure at the shoreline and then run it as close to the edge of the log while hopping it along the bottom. Halfway through the run I get a bump and a miss. Throw back and do the same thing but a little slower. Bam! This time I get a solid enough bite for the hookset and the dance is on. The fish is not as big as the last so the workout seems light in comparison. A freshly tied hook and checked line offers a lot of confidence on this smaller fish. I powered down on the reel and did the lip grab thing.

“Suffering succotash!” I barked in confused jubilance. “Looks like you got some wood-noodle action while you were down there.”

The bark was waterlogged and separating into strands near the bottom. It was difficult to tell how thick this wood-noodle really was. A few more casts at the log produced varying amounts of wood-noodle but not another fish. Finishing the lap I caught a few more buckets here and there but the two pictured in this post were the only ones worth bragging about.

Water quality was poor. My guess is that heavy rains mixed with algae content are taking a toll on visibility. Evaporation and moving water in nearby irrigation is also a factor. Some of the coves are becoming “soupy” and stagnant. Didn’t bother with the electronics on this trip expecting much clearer conditions. This turned out to be a considerable error not so much in deducing water temperature (guessing temps have to be around 75-80 degrees on this 40-surface acre lake) but locating fish that move to deeper water in hot conditions. If I would have gotten a lot of blips in the deep end of the pool, I might have stayed there longer as opposed to beating up the shady side of things. Now I will never know for sure. Two decent buckets, mixed numbers and some heat exhaustion.

My name is Matt and I’m a fishaholic

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Shark rips boarder in half off Australia Coast

A tourist on a bodyboard was killed in a horrific attack by what was believed to have been a great white shark near a beach on Australia's west coast. The 21-year-old was dead before fellow surfers could drag him ashore at a popular surfing spot called Boneyards, near Bunker Bay, about 3.5 hours south of Perth, the West Australian reports. 


The shark had pulled the man below the surface and ripped his legs off, horrifying those watching from the crowded beach, the Daily Mail reports. The paper quoted Kurt Morris, a diner at the nearby Bunker Bay Cafe — reportedly packed at the time of the attack — as saying he'd been told by the man's friends that he had been torn apart.

"They were saying they were just two meters away from him," he said. "From the waist down, it was all gone."



Matt’s Rant: These Nature Strikes Back posts were some of my favorite early on in my blogger career but I shied away from them in lieu of more original content. This one was so extreme that I felt compelled to post it. Condolences to family and friends of this person who was taken very early in life. A warning to others...water can be very dangerous and in the ocean you are not on the top of the food chain.

Good luck and safe fishing.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Fashion Angler Update: What the COOL kids are wearing this summer

Summer fishing can be as good as it gets. School is out and you can fish most of the day in nothing but a pair of shorts. Spending time in these sunshine filled days also comes at a price over time. When conditions get intense, Don likes to do a full cover up on features that get long-term sun exposure.
The mask and gloves get a lot of use from Don in bright conditions. Heavy SPF sunscreen is just going to wear off after a few hours of fishing. To help ventilate and keep from overheating, Don may also deploy “hybrid pants” that have breakaway leg sections.

The sun is pretty awesome and this planet wouldn’t be much more than a cold rock in space without it. The reality is that we have to endure a certain amount of radiation as a result of living next to such a hot neighbor. I asked the graphics team to come up with something that would add visual impact but it looks like they may have had one of their kids submit something instead.
Oh brother, I can hear my follow list shrinking right at this moment. Maybe I can salvage this article by posting some affordable product links below from Basspro’s Technical Clothing section.

Mangrove Sun Mask: $17.95



Glacier Glove Sun Hood: $21.99



Worldwide Sportsman Hybrid Angler Pants: 29.99-34.99


In closing I want to suggest that the sun is our best friend that we have to keep a close eye on. For good measure, please review my “Sun Factor” article posted way back in the day on my website that I rarely maintain since finding blogger.


Good luck and good fishing

Sunday, July 15, 2012

The FanMan goes to Florida

This is a story about a guy that has worked hard most of his adult life to put his two sons through college. After many years of sacrifice he finally reaches a point where he can take a deep breath and relax if even for only a moment. One day he steps into my office and says, “Matt, I am going to take a trip that I have always wanted to take. Next week I am off to Florida with my boys.”



Above is a shot of Tom wrestling with a large sand shark towards the end of the day. I threw this picture in at the top more or less to wet the appetite and draw folks into the article. Apologies for the out of sequence shot.
The plane touches down in Ft. Lauderdale and they all take in some of the sights.  There were a number of items on the “must do list” and getting in some saltwater fishing was about number 3 in the priority. A number of phone calls were made and they were put in touch with an excellent saltwater guide, Captain Tim Curtis of Commander Hawk. Commander Hawk has been guiding in this area for a while and knows the Southern Florida water very well. He offers fishing trips custom tailored to the customer’s desires. This trio decided to focus on the sport fishing side of the spectrum leaving the option open for a few table fish. While getting everything set up over the phone, our trio hung out with some of the locals. 


The next morning FanMan and his two sons are out on the water. The guide explains some of the basic rules of the boat and local restrictions. Then goes over how they plan to start at the bottom of the food chain by netting a few pinfish and working their way to the top. Weather and wind were blissful compared to just a few days earlier when that tropical storm ran through. The area was wet but not destroyed with partly cloudy skies. This is as good as it gets for a lot of reasons. Below is Matt with a keeper mackerel and one of the better table fish of the day.


After a few minutes in the shallows, they have enough pinfish to start casting for the bigger ones. In a few moments they run into sharks of various size and species. Below is the FanMan with one of the smaller reef sharks caught.


For the record FanMan caught the most fish, Tom caught the biggest fish and Matt caught the biggest keeper fish that was freshly cooked for them that night. Tasting the fish fresh can be an important part of the overall experience. At the same time the guide stayed within Florida regulations as well as helped conserve the sport overall that is his livelihood by releasing many fish and keeping only a select few. Most importantly this was an activity they all could participate in together to celebrate their journey through life thus far. These will be positive memories that will last a lifetime.


Above is Matt holding one of the nurse sharks caught. Below is a sand shark getting a quick hook removal at the edge of the boat. One mistake here and someone could be looking at a lot of painful stitches. Saltwater fishing is a prime example of a situation where it means so much to have a qualified guide. Captain Tim Curtis has nearly 30 years boating experience and has spent 10 of those years guiding in the Florida area.


Captain Tim Curtis
Pro Fishing Guide
3255 Duck Ave #8
Key West, Fl., 33040
305-923-4630 


Below is another photo of the large sand shark that was brought to the boat by Tom. Sand sharks get darker brown with age. The two photos show some of the contrast between younger and older of the same species.  This fish was approximately six foot in length and released at the side of the boat.  How cool is that? To catch a fish that could possibly eat you if it had the chance.



Later in the day the guide put the boat over an area and fished for grouper. Some explanation of technique, handling and great patience was expressed. They got into a couple and lost one really large one that just wouldn’t come off the bottom. Grouper are an amazing saltwater species that I am in immense of awe of by the way but then again I get that way about a lot of fish.

Checking out the seine

Doing a quick walk and cast on the creek and see someone running a seining net. This is a step taken by anglers and biologists alike to see smaller organisms in an aquatic environment. With my head in fish-brain mode the sight made my stomach grumble (maybe I could have had a bigger breakfast). Regardless my feet moved out of the water and down the path to check out the netted goodies.


Grubs were large and plentiful along with a small buffet of emerging larvae. Some of bugs were actually transforming in front of me. Rarely do I get to see the emerging process taking place. Most people think of these things as just bugs. But for the serious trout angler a seine will tell you a lot about what is on the menu. Seeing a heavy volume of these organisms means the creek is bouncing back from some of the problems from last year.

Huge kudos to Jay over at crtroutschool for letting me mob over the top of him that morning. Jay spends a bit of time on the creek and genuinely concerned with preservation as much as fishing. He covers quite a few places on his website which I highly encourage a visit. Link below.   


In closing I might want to throw out a small disclaimer stating that this material was compiled in June and then put on the backburner for no good reason. Flows and water volume are up and down on the creek depending on the day. For more info on flows on the creek and others I will post the following link below as well as add it to the sidebar section.


Good luck and good fishing.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Photos from the field

Through my adventures photos are taken that never seem to make it into specific fish posts. So much of my fishing goes unseen or heard. Even though these pictures may not be ready for prime time fishing posts, I have found a way to fit them in an excerpt called “Photos from the field.”

Ready for takeoff

(Above: As a child I called these insects “helicopter bugs” because that is what they looked like to me. My guess is they named this bug way before helicopters were invented.)

Trail Conceded

(Above: What can you do about a bunch of hoofed trespassers guarding the shortcut? A Mattsabasser might take way too many unnecessary chances a lot of the time but in this case I chose to concede the trail. Pick your battles.)

Rally for the cure?

(Above: Few things make the world an ugly place such as breast cancer. Humans rally around this important cause on many levels. At least that is where I think these folks are going with this.)

What’s up, ketchup?

(Above: Some of the places that I go to lunch can be entertaining to say the least. A new place opened up near my work and for some reason a lot of my fellow associates like to go here. Great atmosphere and some crazy ketchup.)

The ol Red Lobster

(Above: Well they tore down the ol Red Lobster by my work and put up one of these trendy eat, drink and view places. I have wanted to do a Howard Cofisher interview for some time now. Maybe this would be the place to make that happen. The food isn’t half bad either.)

Let me take a moment to apologize for this PFTF post starting out really good and then taking a downhill slide towards the end. That is kind of how the last few weeks have gone for me. And maybe a little eye candy will kick some of the dust off of my hit counter.

Thank you so much for your views, comments and rates. This blog is fueled by your support. 

Good luck and good fishing.

Monday, July 9, 2012

Careful what you wish for

The monsoon pattern is overhead bringing much needed moisture to Colorado. Unfortunately it more or less muffed up my plans for Saturday. Not afraid of any water, I gave it a go in a few sections with slack water that would hopefully hold a few eager fish. In these conditions I run dark colors. Creature patterns like a black or brown wooly bugger are a good choice and I like to oversize things in a stained water situation. For the spin setup I like a black spin pattern or the black\gray countdown Rapala that they call “silver minnow”. The fish didn’t cooperate for me on this day so take this information for what it is worth.

Stained water situations are not the end of the day for anglers and in many cases, a little extra runoff can create a good bite. A lot of anglers back off the high water situation and otherwise scoff at ugly water. For me this signals an opportunity to fish certain areas that may get crowded on “good days”. Had I known this storm was going to drop so much moisture I would have set the alarm a lot earlier and made a run for “The Stream”.

My name is Matt and I’m a fishaholic

Friday, July 6, 2012

Need filler? Do a beer review “Cutthroat Porter”

Actually starting to catch some fish worth posting up. This usually means that I have to mix the blogilicious up with some filler posts. People actually start to yawn in the background over my never ending ho-hum fish posts and even my shameless bragging starts to collect dust in the blogger stats bin. Filler posts kinda mix things up and occasionally add a five or six point bump in my view count that at times I swear is going backwards.



To make these beer review filler posts tie into fishing I often subject myself to beer with some type of fishing theme. This time I am going with Cutthroat Porter from Odell Brewing Company. These folks are located in Fort Collins and make a few flavors that I am familiar with. This one however had slipped my attention.

Cutthroat Porter is a dark malted brew that proclaims to be not quite a stout but no lightweight either. True to their word I found the first few drinks not as brutal to my palette as some of the heavier stouts or darker beers. It also packs a decent punch at 5.0% alcohol by volume with a unique flavor. I did not taste the coffee or chocolate that the label hints at but did have to fight a slight aftertaste, which I assume is coming from the roasted malt. The price for six was $9.99. This may seem steep compared to some import and domestic brews but the norm for premium brews. 

Not having sampled any of the original Porter’s from London (or a lot of dark beers for that matter) my assessment is a bit novice. I have had Guinness along with a few others and view Cutthroat Porter as comparable in the field. Cutthroat Porter may also make a great intro to the dark side of beers for folks that have never dabbled in the darker stout brews.

Palette disclaimer: Realize that my beer palette is classified as “Yank or Yankee”. This means that I prefer lighter beers with less body and a more watered down flavor. I blame this on folks back in the olden days that watered down barrels of product as it made the trip east to west. However, as an adventurer and Olympic style beer drinker at times (ok, I made that last part up. Sort of) I work to broaden my horizons.

My name is Matt and I had to milk a beer filler post.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Quick trout grab

Looking for a quick trout grab I decided to sling a few casts on the creek. The fish aren’t very big but one a good day you can get a number of fin slappers to the hand. With volunteer fishing bans and low water at some of my favorite places this year, I was glad to see some sustainable depth on Bad Luck Creek.


Flows are decent on this slip of water right now but that could change quickly. Morning and evening are the most common angling shifts available due to the high volume of tubers, kayaks and folks looking to escape the summer heat. Even sections higher up have moderate to heavy rafting traffic. There is always something to contend with in regards to Colorado fishing that adds to the challenge.


Gold patterns worked for the spin situation and I was also able to get a few to hit the ant pattern on the fly gear (yes, I do fly fish sometimes). Fish on the edge of the bank were eager to hit but the larger, deeper fish barely gave me a look. Maybe I could have run a few smaller nymph presentations. Guess I was too lazy to do the switch on the setup. As long as the fish keep coming I tend to spend less time with the experimentation. This is poor mentality as when the fish are biting it is the perfect time to experiment. Frankly there is never a wrong time to try something new.


Most of the fish were very small and under eight inches. A few fish above that slot decided to grace me with their presence. Once caught the fish were almost downright cordial during the photo op, which almost never happens. I didn’t see any rainbow trout and all fish caught were brown trout. A few years back cutbows seemed to rule this stretch but now it appears the brown trout have taken over once again. Of course now that the fish are rebounding there will be some form of disaster. This disaster could be a diesel tanker spilling its load into the water or another treatment plant mishap. Hence the name “bad Luck Creek”.


Male brown trout tend to be darker in color with larger dots further spaced apart. The female brown trout is often more drab in color and I find the dots to be more of an orange tint than red. The jaw is more rounded and less prominent on the female compared to the male as well. Above is a female brown trout with a male pictured above that.


Water levels are a far cry from where they could be here for June but better than some places. Flows are decent now but dwindling fast. Hopefully water managers can regulate the CFS enough to hold through the summer and we receive some additional moisture. Without it we could obviously be in some trouble.

My name is Matt and I’m a fishaholic.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Voluntary Fishing Closure for Bear Creek in Jefferson County

DENVER -- Colorado Parks and Wildlife is asking for cooperation from anglers in a voluntary fishing closure on Bear Creek upstream of Bear Creek Reservoir.

Due to critically low flows and high water temperature, anglers are strongly encouraged to seek fishing opportunities elsewhere in the Denver Metro Area or in the South Platte Basin.  By removing the additional stress associated with angling, it is hoped the trout fishery can be sustained through the current adverse conditions.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife will continue to monitor river flow, temperature and dissolved oxygen levels and will lift the voluntary restriction when conditions improve.

An official closure is not currently planned for Bear Creek but is still a consideration. Wildlife managers hope to avoid an official closure by asking for voluntary cooperation from local anglers.

"Most anglers understand that handling stressed fish can result in unnecessary mortalities," said Reid DeWalt, Area Wildlife Manager in Jefferson County. "Now would be an opportune time to try fishing waters less impacted by the drought so that we can protect Bear Creek's fishery for the future."

Anglers are encouraged to visit other area creeks and streams in Jefferson County. For more information about fishing in places not affected by low flows, please visit:


To learn more about Colorado's state parks, please see: http://www.parks.state.co.us/

Tough go in the Land of Orcs

Knowing the river situation is going to be very dire The MAD Show made a run into the Land of Orcs a week or two ago as opposed to waiting for fall. Typically you expect to see runoff winding down or still blown-out conditions. Reach the edge of the cliff, look down and see the water conditions are moderate and clear. Great for fishing today but spell complete doom in later months. Nothing you can do but take a deep breath and plunge in.


The cliff dive is nothing compared to wading through the jungle that waits at the bottom. Once there you smell a foul odor and get the feeling of being watched. Orcs cannot tolerate intense sunlight and generally move about during the evening hours. Clear skies and bright conditions up top are consumed in the thick canopy. This allows dark creatures plenty of shadows to lurk in. Moving through the thick foliage that surrounds remnants of a walking trail. Here is where I expect to be ambushed at any moment. Anglers should not venture into this section alone and staying close together is always a good rule of thumb. My rod catches on one of the many thorn bushes and I lose sight of Don on the trail. (You can barely see him up ahead of me in the photo below)

Staying fast on my feet I quickly catch up at the edge of the river. Earlier we nearly stumbled into the water traps formed from an irrigation ditch that coincidentally overflowed into the shallow tree structure guarding large sections of the shoreline. Signs of cartage with chained wheels on the main lower trail were an ominous sight as well. Orcs could be moving large amounts of cargo in the area or simply passing through. These tracks looked fairly recent which is never a good sign. Images of crudely made catapults or even a ballista crept into my already overworked mind. 


Fished the river and I got one fish to the hand. No follows, bumps, flashes or the common scoff from fish that I normally get in this stretch. It was one of those days when you knew something wasn’t right. Either the fish were hunkered down or we were in the wrong section. This is something I had never seen before and can clock at least a handful of fish this size here on a bad day.


In closing, about all I can say is brace for impact and keep an eye on members of your party while on the trail. This is a good rule of thumb whether you are in orc country or not. Other places are fishing a little better and some places folks aren’t fishing at all due to low flows. Here we had decent flows but no fish. Go figure.

My name is Matt and once again survived the Land of Orcs

Monday, July 2, 2012

Fish in White River Stressed by Low Flows

MEEKER, Colo. -

 
Due to low flows in the White River, Colorado Parks and Wildlife managers are requesting that anglers fish only during the cooler, early morning hours, or to look for alternative fishing locations that are not as significantly affected by the current climate conditions.

An official, voluntary closure like the one implemented on the Yampa River in Steamboat Springs last week is not currently planned for the White River. Wildlife managers hope to avoid an official closure by asking for voluntary cooperation from local anglers.

"The current situation is very stressful for fish," said Bill de Vergie, Area Wildlife Manager in Meeker. "We ask the public to help us protect this fishery by honoring our request and avoid it during the hottest part of the day, or perhaps find a cooler, higher-altitude fishery."

Wildlife officials have observed water temperatures approaching dangerous levels for cold-water fish in the White River during the early afternoon and evening. Although water temperatures dip into the 50s overnight, the high daytime temperatures are a source of concern. Under these stressful conditions, hooked fish may experience mortality even if released quickly back into the water.

It could take several years for an affected fishery to fully recover if a significant number of fish die due to the drought-like conditions

Like many rivers and streams in western Colorado, the White River offers world-class fishing and attracts thousands of anglers each year, providing a source of income to hotels, outfitters and many other local businesses that depend on outdoor recreation.

"Because of the importance of the river to our community, we believe that most anglers will cooperate," said de Vergie. "As soon as we see a shift in the weather pattern, people will once again enjoy the great fishing in the White River."

For more information about fishing in places not affected by low flows, please visit: http://wildlife.state.co.us/Fishing/Pages/Fishing.aspx

Another late Bass Post

Air temp: Low-54, High 88 degrees
Water temp: 72 degrees
Water Clarity: clear-mild algae stain
Wind: Calm for the first few hours and then land hurricane by noon

It was the first week in June and the conditions were heating up. Post spawn had worn off of most Front Range ponds by the end of May with bluegill coming in by the hundreds. Big bass hovered on the inline looking to put on a feedbag. With rushing charges into the shallows a small bluegill or sunfish would get picked off. Casting into the shallows with just about anything would result in a good clobber from some bully bass. I might even give the frog pattern a toss or two.

Edges of cattails or moss lines may hold quality fish if there is surrounding water with adequate depth. The cattails will provide oxygen along with cover and the moss provides food for the lower end of the food chain. These areas combined with the emerging weed structure can produce a large part of the largemouth bass’ menu and you can consider them “money” through most of the summer unless they get pressured.

Rod: 7’ Medium Power Fast Action, Pflueger Trion GX reel, 6lb Hi-Seas Grand Slam mono. There were three other rods on the boat as well but that is the rundown of the one I used most. This is just was I use but not the best source for gear advice.

Deeper water also produced fish. In fact the larger fish seemed to be hanging off the deepest structure that I could find such as sunken rocks and at the end of points or contours. To limit my search I would look for the structure and focus on areas where schools of baitfish were visible. Cast something with the same color pattern and hold on

Lures used: Senko 6” black w/blue flake fished weightless on 2/0 Owner hook, 3/8oz Booyah Counter Strike chrome\shad.

Fish spend a bit more time cruising and chasing lures in early summer. Largemouth bass are more aggressive as well and will launch out of ambush spots in June. The real trick for me is a quiet toss for the shallow fish with lightweight plastics and locating the deep fish with search baits.

My name is Matt and sometimes I fall behind in regards to the posting material.