Needed to get out. Every time I go through the garage, my kayaks look at me making me feel guilty...HAH. Well, that and the weather looked great.
Lake O, off Grimsby...my usual spring spot on Lake O. On water about 0700hrs. Plan was to do something new. I've been seeing the odd report over the years about browns in close in the spring. Did some google-izing...and see different FBs and YouTubes posts about this...so...thought I'd try...but I was skeptical.
Plan was to flatline bodybaits in "as close to the shoreline as you dare"..."fish shallow, 5-15' if you can"...as one YouTuber said. When I hit the water...old habits and all....set my lines at 10dpw....then I headed straight out to 30dpw...but turned back in as that was not the plan. Can't learn if you don't try new things....and I wanted to focus on browns in tight.
And literally, as soon as I hit 10dpw...and turned parallel to shore to run north, one line goes off hard. Minutes later, huge Laker comes to net! WHAT? Ran all the way down to 50pt marina...taking a few hours to do so...and back to launch. Fished 8-12'dpw only running 2.4-2.7mph flatlinning ripplin' redfins (finally had a use for them...I suck using them for walleye on Erie); 1 at 130' back and the other, 150'. Off water and loaded to leave by 2:00pm.
LANDED 5 big lakers, the smallest about 8#s and the biggest (the first) pushing 15#s. Landed also...a monster brown easily over 10#....and my personal best! Snapped off on a huge not-a-laker (fight was toooo strong and fast) on a blue/silver RRF. Lost 2 others in fight...likely lakers or browns. ALL fish were caught on a wonderbread-ish coloured with a pink head RRF which now looks like its been through a blender from teeth cuts down the body.
An absolutely awesome start to the season....and I will be back to do that shallow run again. It was fun...and way easier than paddling/peddling my ass out to 30-60dpw to START fishing.
King Joe Outa Here!
Lake O, off Grimsby...my usual spring spot on Lake O. On water about 0700hrs. Plan was to do something new. I've been seeing the odd report over the years about browns in close in the spring. Did some google-izing...and see different FBs and YouTubes posts about this...so...thought I'd try...but I was skeptical.
Plan was to flatline bodybaits in "as close to the shoreline as you dare"..."fish shallow, 5-15' if you can"...as one YouTuber said. When I hit the water...old habits and all....set my lines at 10dpw....then I headed straight out to 30dpw...but turned back in as that was not the plan. Can't learn if you don't try new things....and I wanted to focus on browns in tight.
And literally, as soon as I hit 10dpw...and turned parallel to shore to run north, one line goes off hard. Minutes later, huge Laker comes to net! WHAT? Ran all the way down to 50pt marina...taking a few hours to do so...and back to launch. Fished 8-12'dpw only running 2.4-2.7mph flatlinning ripplin' redfins (finally had a use for them...I suck using them for walleye on Erie); 1 at 130' back and the other, 150'. Off water and loaded to leave by 2:00pm.
LANDED 5 big lakers, the smallest about 8#s and the biggest (the first) pushing 15#s. Landed also...a monster brown easily over 10#....and my personal best! Snapped off on a huge not-a-laker (fight was toooo strong and fast) on a blue/silver RRF. Lost 2 others in fight...likely lakers or browns. ALL fish were caught on a wonderbread-ish coloured with a pink head RRF which now looks like its been through a blender from teeth cuts down the body.
An absolutely awesome start to the season....and I will be back to do that shallow run again. It was fun...and way easier than paddling/peddling my ass out to 30-60dpw to START fishing.
King Joe Outa Here!
