[coyote]

Got out for intial visit with my buddy Larry from 230 till 730. Launched in Fontana with only 1 fish on my mind ..... Smallies. Took about 45 minutes to find them in 10 feet . would not take live bait for some reason so we switched to plastics . The key was finding clean water with no floating weeds around.Fish seemed very fincky as they did not hit bait on drop but were picking off the bottoom. Ended day with 12 smallies all between 14-17 inches while no pigs was a good first time out. also 3 large mouth. Did not have tome for the deeper water where im sure the females were at. A couple of these beauties know have a new home. hope there gonna be happy. Will throw a few pics up at some point.

 

[Fisshin D]

Nice work out there Coyote! I am learning that lake myself this year, as well as being a knowledge vampire with Matt to get all the Delavan intel he'll give me. :lol: This is my first year with a boat able to work those lakes, after many years of pounding smaller waters....

Do you usually launch out of Fontana? I launched there once, but was concerned thinking that ramp can be brutal when there is a lot of launchers (clogged really easy). I am thinking a run to Geneva or D will be on the dockett for next week. Threw the offer out to Matt, we'll see if he nibbles the bait... LOL Best way for a newbie like me to learn is to invite the experienced guys out in my boat and let them tell me where to go! :wink:

 

[coyote]

Hope Matt takes your bait, for he is a great guide for Geneva. Would love to see more reports this year for this great body of water and i could use all the help i can get. When i use my boat i always fish on a weekday and launch fron Fontana and crowds never really a problem. I only have a 9.9 motor is a bit limited, so i stay in that area but usually find some fish. The 1 time i did launch at fontana on a saturday a couple of years ago when we were coming in at 1pm was a problem . but was mostly due to a arrogant guy and his friends that cut right in front of me just as i was tying up to get my boat to get my car.. I actually have more problems as i did on monday when i was anchored and 1 of those biggie boats decides to get within 75 yards of me and the wakes he created put some water over my transom. iTs a bit scary when you see these waves coming right at your 14 foot boat. Good luck out there

 

[Fisshin D]

Yeah big waves and anchors not a great combo. :shock: I actually have a couple good sources of knowledge for Geneva, so I am thinking my learning curve will be short (hoping). But it would not hurt to add Matt to the mix LOL, plus he is the only Delavan guy I know. 2 for 1! :lol:

When you say soft plastics, were you using tubes, worms, or other? We were out last Friday, and threw all kinds of baits at them, and had some pick ups and drops, on tubes. Other plastics really did not get touched. Could not get it going on the west end, and ultimately moved to the flats to catch some on jigs and creature baits.

 

[FishinMatt]

I'm glad to hear you did well. That is nice that you could find a depth and get on a consistent bite. I was really suprised to hear the bulk of the fish were smallies. I really don't get out to that lake enough in the Spring I guess to be on top of the patterns. With the cold water temps on Delavan this Spring, Geneva must have been tough to figure out besides the usual spawners in the lagoon.

D, I would LOVE to get out next week but I have 2 of my guys out on vacation. No wiggle room to squeeze a day in out there with you Normally I would think the dock fishing would start really picking up soon, but with the water temps, who knows? I am jealous that you are getting out on a weekday. Without a doubt its a much more enjoyable experience then trying to fight through the weekend madness. Hopefully you get a nice weather day.

 

[Fisshin D]

Yes, this weather is for the birds!!! Totally screwed me out of a fishing day this week!!! :evil: :evil: :evil: Now I gotta resort to going perchin with SpEd Sunday aM. :lol:

Sorry Coyote! Hijack over! :wink:

D

 

[SpecialEd]

Thanks for the report yote, it's refreshing to see some fish out of that crystal clear gem.

btw - PERCH: It's what's for dinner.

 

[coyote]

Threw 4inch blue flake and could not get a hit in area that i would later use 3inch dinger letting sit on the bottom and thats how most of the fish took it. A strange way to fish seeing how we anchored and then threw plastics but with the wind coming from the east i was tired of getting pushed in the shoreline, and not having the best trolling motorthat was my best option.. At one point when we were catching them we were having more than 1 smallie following the caught fish to the boat. The 2 guys i talked 2 both said the smallies they were catching were in7-15 feet. BTW we caught 30 rockbass between all the smallies, also almost forgot when i caught a perch a smallie tried to grab him.

 

[Fisshin D]

a 3" dinger, that is subtle. How did you rig that puppy? Wacky? Texas? Weighted or unweighted? That is interesting.

Thanks for the info Yote!

D

 

[coyote]

Me and Larry are some weird old dudes, we do some stupid things and once in a while we get lucky. Dinger was unweighted with the strong wind pushing the water from the east i believe the dinger was moving just a bit off the bottomand the Smallies were coming by and picking it up. Matt taught me a little tip using small hooks so that helped in that in that i never got hung up on any weeds. Thank you Mr Matt

 

[JB]

So when you say that you hope smallies enjoy their new home I take it you brought a few back to stock your lake?

If I had access to a private lake that is what I'd be doing.

 

[Fisshin D]

Weightless 3" dinger? Nice work! Patience would be the key for that, and it paid off for you.

I have a private Subdivision pond here that could use a few bass. Maybe I'll transport a couple of LM's within the legal limit!

Weather forecast for next week improving!!! 8)

 

[FishinMatt]

I think the student is becoming the master :lol: One thing I learned last year with Mike is that 6lb fluro or mono out there really outfishes 4lb braid Thank you Mr. Mike. Also on a lake like Geneva where we generally fish a little deeper with the plastics, the Senko is often the best bet when you have wind because the sink rate is faster then a Dinger.

 

[coyote]

Jb these fish have been marked so will be interesting to see if they are caught this year in there new home. Wanted to try same method today but storms a bit too much out here near the border

 

[Fisshin D]

I recently purchased some Heavyweights made by Berkley (PowerBait). They are basically heavier versions of the senkos made for deeper water. They might work decent as well, and will give them a try next time out. Don't think they make a 3" version tho, but they got 4".