Fishing Reports Central
>
Lake Reports
|
Menu
Last
|
Next
Author:
PECo
Date:
Aug 14, 2011
Subject:
Winchester Lake 08/14
Message:
mep21 (aka Mark) is moving out of the state, so we planned to fish at Winchester Lake before he left. Unfortunately, the weather forecast was awful, but we decided to head out there and take our chances. It was overcast and cool when we arrived at the boat launch ramp, but it wasn't raining. Mark paddled my Future Beach Trophy 126, because the movers had already taken his kayak. I paddled El Habaņero. We got on the water at 6:40 am and began working our way up the west shore. We both threw unweighted Zoom Horny Toads on red Gamakatsu 4/0 Offset Shank Worm EWG hooks over the shallows. Mark was ahead of me and it wasn't long before I heard him yell that he had a fish on. I paddled over and saw that he had boated a northern pike:
[img:a462ac1c54]http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/2710/img0958cropped.jpg[/img:a462ac1c54]
It was 18 inches long and was the first one that Mark has ever caught, I think. We continued into the first cove on the south end of the west shore. Mark went along the south side and I went along the north. Mark boated at least one small largemouth bass before I finally got one:
[img:a462ac1c54]http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/9103/img0963h.jpg[/img:a462ac1c54]
Shortly after, Mark was thrilled to boat a small chain pickerel:
[img:a462ac1c54]http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/5738/img0965t.jpg[/img:a462ac1c54]
At the end of the cove, Mark lost two frogs to what we thought was a big pike. Both times, the frog was simply gone by the time that he tried to set the hook. His braided line was no match for the fish's teeth. Mark asked whether I had any steel leaders with me, but I didn't. However, I had a big black Booyah clacking buzzbait and tied it on. Mark said, "Go try over there where the fish took my frogs.", and on the third cast, the fish slammed the buzzbait. When I tried to reel it in, it pulled back. . . hard! I got it close enough to the surface to see that it was a big pike before it made one last strong run, pulling drag and my kayak before I turned it around. I had felt stupid about bringing my Hawg Trough measuring device along, but I put it across the cockpit of my kayak and hauled the pike onto it:
[img:a462ac1c54]http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/9628/img0966j.jpg[/img:a462ac1c54]
It was longer than the Hawg Trough by four to five inches, so I figure that it was 35 inches long. Mark got a couple of better photos that he said he'll post when he has a chance. We paddled out of the cove and headed for the north end of the lake. I trolled a silver Rapala Shallow Shad Rap SSR7 and got a small largemouth bass as I appoached the submerged island:
[img:a462ac1c54]http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/6686/img0968gt.jpg[/img:a462ac1c54]
We went onto the west cove on the north end of the lake, but neither of us got anything other than small largemouth bass:
[img:a462ac1c54]http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/3440/img0970s.jpg[/img:a462ac1c54]
It started to rain at about 11:30 am, as we headed into the stump field on the north end. I threw a black back chartreuse Strike King KVD 1.5 Pro-Model Crankbait, and boated a couple of small largemouth bass and a small yellow perch:
[img:a462ac1c54]http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/6548/img0972yt.jpg[/img:a462ac1c54]
[img:a462ac1c54]http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/1933/img0975p.jpg[/img:a462ac1c54]
[img:a462ac1c54]http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/6329/img0976yv.jpg[/img:a462ac1c54]
At about 12:30 pm, we decided to head off the water. We each trolled a couple of crankbaits. I trolled the KVD and the SSR7. As we paddled along, I thought that the KVD caught a snag, but I had the drag set really light. After I tightened it up and cranked the reel a couple of times, I felt a couple of tugs. As I continued to reel, whatever was on the end of the line just felt heavy. I worked it very gingerly, because I often lose fish off of treble hooks. I thought that it was a big largemouth bass, but when I finally got it to the surface, it was another monster pike! I played it for a while before getting it beside my kayak. It was bigger than the first one that I got and was hooked through the lower lip with one hook of the rear treble. I put the Hawg Trough across the cockpit of my kayak and picked up my grippers. When I pulled the pike alongside the kayak right next to me, the angle on the hook changed and pulled out of its mouth. I could only watch as the pike slowly sank down, but was relieved when I saw it finally start to swim away. We got off the water at 1:00 pm and were both pretty soaked from the rain. We grabbed some lunch before Mark went on his way.
Have fun in New York and Tennessee, Mark! And don't forget to say "Hi!" to Bill Dance for me! :D
Author:
watthe555
Date:
Aug 14, 2011
Message:
wish i was as lucky as you
Author:
MarkO
Date:
Aug 14, 2011
Message:
Winchester; the place where dreams live large and die small. Great job getting into the pike!!!
Last
|
Next
Home
|
Topics
|
Menu