Jon J. and I hit the water after work on Tuesday for some upper Pool 2 action. We launched at Lilydale and headed upstream to work some areas that usually produce a variety of fish. The water is low and slow so the method we chose to use was to troll a #5 Shad rap. Jon started with firetiger and I put on chartreuse. It did not take long for the first hit , a smallie , which Jon quickly reeled in and released. He proceeded to catch a couple more and then a walleye hit. I switched to a jointed Shad in firetiger and finally caught a hand sized smallie. I eventually had to put on a regular #5 Shad firetiger to try and make up the difference in catch rate between us , but I never did. The evening ended with 4 walleyes , the largest at 17" , 6 smallies and the usual river bonus , sheephead. It was a beautiful evening to be on the water.
It’s freaky how low the water is right now. The dam side of L & D # 1 is dry…no water at all coming over the top. The wing dams by Lillydale are totally out of the water….weird seeing people walking out to the ends of the wing dams to fish. Very interesting seeing all the stuff you usually get snagged on way up on a shoreline.
With hardly any flow there are no really defined current breaks or eddies to look for. We basically set up and trolled the shore till we got fish and doubled back for repeating passes once we got bit. We connected trolling downstream as well as up. One thing we noticed fairly quickly was the further back the lure, the quicker it got bit. The best bite occurred later in the evening just as the sun was dropping over the trees. By the time it was dark, the trolling bite shut off…???
Jon J.
I have notice that my last 2 times out. Right at as the sun hits the trees the bite is worthless. It literally has gone from a fish every 10-15 minutes to nothing. Weird.
What trolling depths have been the most productive for you guys?
We were trolling in approximately 8′ or so deep and this put us real close to shore. The #5’s were banging bottom quite hard at times.
Dino
For me the eyes have come in 10-12′ and the other stuff have been more active in 4-8′.
We have been hitting the smallies in anything less than 8′, but from 8-12 has produced the most consistent eye bite. We still get smallies out deeper, but not much for eyes in shallow.
I managed one cat the other day on a ring worm, he inhaled it so hard, the whole jig went straight out through the gill and hooked him in the side of the body. One of the weirdest bites I’ve ever had.
Here’s to you Dino! You were an inspiration to us all!
Heaven gained a great fisherman
John