Worked all weekend. Stressing out over schedules, missed due dates, pending deadlines. Didn't realize how much I needed an attitude adjustment. When I finally figured it out, I slammed the laptop shut and headed to Falls to try and catch the last of the good weather late this afternoon. Hiked in and launched from Raven Ridge, trolling double rigs with mostly small gulp smelt and minnows (half-price Gander stock!) and one old, discontinued, Striper Sniper curly tail grub that was left rigged from last trip.
First hookup of 2013 came across from the dam, after I had hung up one rig on the bottom. Went back to retrieve the hung one, then started pulling the other back down into deeper water and as it got nailed while it was still bouncing the bottom. Nice fighter - no winter blahs here. On his 3rd jump and right at the boat he shook the hook on the gulp 3" smelt. Good fish - around 3 pounds. I consider him a good faith donation back to the fishery for respect and good luck the rest of the year.
Tossed right back in and started dragging backwards toward deep water, bottom bouncing. Hooked up immediately and landed the fish below for my first fish of 2013. Typical Falls bass, somewhere around 14-15". He ate the Striper Sniper grub. I'm doing OK with that old bag of old baits!
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As I was pulling the 2nd fish in, the finder went practically black-out with fish swimming under the boat - some of the end of it shows up in the pic above. I think I caught the front end of a passing school. Couldn't find them on the way back in, but it was just plain good to get back on the water for 2013 and get a little interest from the fishes. May not happen for a while, unless I need an even bigger attitude adjustment on Saturday at Norman.
First hookup of 2013 came across from the dam, after I had hung up one rig on the bottom. Went back to retrieve the hung one, then started pulling the other back down into deeper water and as it got nailed while it was still bouncing the bottom. Nice fighter - no winter blahs here. On his 3rd jump and right at the boat he shook the hook on the gulp 3" smelt. Good fish - around 3 pounds. I consider him a good faith donation back to the fishery for respect and good luck the rest of the year.
Tossed right back in and started dragging backwards toward deep water, bottom bouncing. Hooked up immediately and landed the fish below for my first fish of 2013. Typical Falls bass, somewhere around 14-15". He ate the Striper Sniper grub. I'm doing OK with that old bag of old baits!
As I was pulling the 2nd fish in, the finder went practically black-out with fish swimming under the boat - some of the end of it shows up in the pic above. I think I caught the front end of a passing school. Couldn't find them on the way back in, but it was just plain good to get back on the water for 2013 and get a little interest from the fishes. May not happen for a while, unless I need an even bigger attitude adjustment on Saturday at Norman.