Thread: Been a while

Since I was able to get enough panfish to scratch out a dinner. Could have stood one more but these were all good sized and healthy and did just fine. Put in at 7 and pulled at 11. The first one was the Bluegill and it made me very happy. Been too long since I got the hit and drag music from where I was today. He went straight to the ice. The next was the cracker. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Last was the spotted sunfish and he wouldn’t give up for nothing! Give and take for a good while. While these were the stars of the day, and dinner tonight, there were several others that made me smile BIG!!

Several small Redbreast came to visit and didn’t stay long enough for a pic. Some small LMB also visited, all in the 8 to 10” range. Good fun, made things interesting. Got a light tic in one place, thankfully in more open water, that made me think I’d hung a branch. But then it moved. And I couldn’t do much but hang on and try to keep the line clear. I figured a big mudfish or something else formidable like a big catfish.turned out to be a better LMB than I’ve caught in quite a while. Just over 15” I finally found out, after a trip around the boat. Really good fight, my little jig in the corner of the mouth.

Most of what I caught today was on the Rooster Tail fire tiger with a single hook. I also missed some, I think due to the single hook, but I also came through some cover that would have cost me a lure. Another fish that almost came to visit was a catfish a friend called a butter belly. Didn’t have the funky face of a flathead but had a definite yellow color to its belly. I would guess it to be about a pound and a half. Had him alongside, grabbed the leader and he bounced and broke the line at the lure. One of my beloved Rooster Tails gone. Excellent fight, must’ve known I had dinner plans for him. About 10 the bite slowed a lot and I packed up after hitting a few spots that have been good on past trips. A stunning, flat calm morning accompanied by a two Tom serenade from as close as 40 yards away. My presence didn’t bother them at all. Also saw three of these guys within 30’ of one another, a recent hatch I’m thinking, and wondered if mom wasn’t still close by. Heard several others.
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I honored all the regulations put forth, isolating myself from a comfortable distance, and got some fresh dinner in the process. Hope everyone is tolerating the confinement in good form, and pray that their health isn’t compromised. Good friends are hard to find, don’t want to lose any of the few I have. Hope you get a chance to get out as I did, and look forward to seeing you there. Til then, God Bless and keep you safe.....and healthy.......Skeet