I've been anxiously planning on a trip out to Big Lake with my friend Josh Kennedy to try to catch some fin. A planned outing last week fell through, so I decided to scout it out. Here's the breakdown:
As you can see above, I made three main stops. The whole time I was watching for carp activity. I'm still on a mission to grab a carp, and I have seen them by the dozens wallowing in that northern lake this time of year.
The first little bit was exciting, with bluegill and what I think was a trout hitting my weighted soft-hackles. I kept switching it up, so didn't get many to the shore. Kept walking and casting as I went, eventually moving over to the eastern pond.
That one is full of trash. Not going to lie. But visibility was great, and I hooked into a yearling bass. Saw surface activity and plenty of ducks. Ducks = duck forage is available. Duck forage = subsurface worms, etc. Subsurface worms = carp/cat/bluegill forage, THEREFORE... ducks = fish (in most cases.)
My heart didn't REALLY start beating until stop #3. The shore was some thirty feet from a path, then it was shallow reeds and weeds for another 20 feet, then the water. I watched the shallows longingly, wondering where the carp are, and if I would ever see any when all of a sudden SPLASH, GURGLE GURGLE, SPLASH, and there were fins everywhere.
Did I try to cast over those 20 feet of reeds and weeds? You bet your backside's barnacles I did. I got tangled up worse than a stutter, but I TRIED.
Later I told my wife of my futile casts saying, "They were spawning, so they were kind of busy."
She said, "Would YOU want to eat if you were spawning?"
I had to admit, I understood their disinterest in forage. I vowed to catch them pre- or post-baby carp-making in the future.
And I need to go out when I can wear something I can get wet in. My quest continues!
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