Sunday proved to be an interesting day on Koronis. Our club was holding our 2nd tournament of the yaer, and from prefishing, I didn’t have a lot going. I knew I could get some smaller largemouth around the docks, but I figured I would be hard pressed to get 10lbs on 5 fish. I had found 3 areas where clean sand ran from 3′ out to 15′ and was void of weeds. When I found these areas it was glass calm and I could see smallies in 8′ to 10′. These fish were big and there were lots of them.
As the tournament started the winds were blowing from the southwest about 10 mph making it impossible to see the smallies I had found the week before. I started anyway by hitting those 3 spots without a bite. I tried top water, cranks, drop shot, jigs, etc, and nothing to show for it. I told my partner Clyde I thought we should run shallow and at least get our 5 fish. My first shoreline stretch already had a boat on it. We then went and worked a different stretch that I had not fished. The wind was blowing in here and I hoped we would find some active fish. Zero! Nothing but rock bass. We moved to the outside weed edge and had the same luck. With a little frustration setting in I told Clyde it was time for a new spot. From here on out we spent the rest of the day prefishing.
We started by running to the very western part of the lake and Clyde caught 2 fish in some shallow pads. Plus we saw a couple others cruising. As we moved along the docks I managed to pull a fish off a bed between a couple docks. we continuned to work this stretch, but caught nothing. We decided to find another calm area. This area ended up having pads scatterd about, and bass scattered as well. We spent the next 3 hours sight fishing a 100 yard stretch. The key was to see the fish before he saw you. Once we spotted a bass we casted a weightless Outkast Stickworm to the fish and almost every time the fish would hit. The key was to set the hook before it spit the bait. We caught 20 fish doing this and had a blast. We finished in a slop bay where I was throwing a Scum Frog and Clyde was throwing the stickworm. I caught 2 small bass doing this, and lost a fish that I’m sure was a 4lber as it was bigger than any others I caught. It made me with I had spent more than the last hour doing this.
The tournament was actually won by throwing a Tournament Frog over the pads and scum floating. Congrats Erik. Its the first time I can remember a non-boater winning one of our tournaments. 2nd and 3rd place came out of the same boat. The were both throwing Outkast Stickworms under and around docks. Congrats to you both. I ended up 4th. By at least I have the story about the one that got away.
Thanks for the report Mike! Good to see a little persistence paid off for you. Fishing those stickworms are a absolutely a blast. I was fishing the 4″ YUM Dingers weightless texas rigged up on Lake of the Woods last week for some spawning fish. Needless to say, I had a limited supply with me as I found out that I had left my Dinger tote box back home!
Great report Mike. I know that that lake can get very difficult with the fishing. Where there any smallies brought to the weigh in? I’m glad to see that persistance does pay off.