Fun in the Rain with Cobra Bait 6/9/14

On the Water: 10:15am- 2:45pm
Air Temperature: 66-63
Water Temperature: 72-73
Water Clarity: Clear
Skies: Overcast/ Pouring Rain
Wind: 0-8 Mph SSW
Barometric Pressure: 29.99 - 30.00

My wife took the day off of work today, so I asked her nicely if I could fish.  Well, she said yes, and boy am I thankful for that.  After having coffee and breakfast with the family, I went out to load up my gear.  I realized that I never disconnected my battery for my depth finder, and after being jostled around in the process of loading and unloading, the wire ripped out of the disconnect.  I had to get more ends and crimp them back on, no big deal.  Once I loaded up, I got to the lake, I parked the car and began unloading.  I was looking around, and couldn't believe the amount of garbage left around.

There's a dumpster 20 yards away, but these scumbags were too lazy to walk it over.  

I picked up the parking lot, but there was still a ton of garbage all over the field.  Thankfully, DEEP was there not too long after picking up the remainder of the trash.  I don't understand it, these people are out enjoying nature, yet they litter the place with their crap.  

But anyways, after I dragged all my gear down to the lake, I realized I had left one crucial item at home... my paddle!  Luckily, Josh took the day off from work, and was able to bring it to me.  Thanks again dude, you're a life saver!

So once I finally got on the water, I started throwing a crankbait at the rip rap, but didn't get any hits.  I was about to paddle up to another spot, but for some reason, I decided to toss the drop shot in behind me.  As soon as it hit the bottom, I felt a tic, and set the hook awkwardly across my body, but the fish pulling turned me around and I was able to have a nice battle with this guy.  After a few decent runs, I was able to boat him.

I got him on a Cobra Bait pumpkinseed colored 4" paddle tail.  He hit 3 lbs on the nose, on my scale.

A few more casts yielded no more bites so I paddled a little further up working the outside weed edge with the drop shot.  I felt another tic, so I set the hook.  After fighting for a second, I thought to myself, this must be a little guy.  Then she came up to the surface and jumped 2 feet in the air, and I couldn't believe it.  Once she saw me, she really started to dig.  After a lengthy struggle, I got her in.

Sorry about the awful picture, I tried using a timer on my camera, but I don't have anywhere decent to prop it up in the kayak.

This was also on the Cobra Bait paddle tail.  My scale went a little screwy, but it was just over 4 lbs.

I kept moving north, working the outside weed edge, and missed a few more fish on the drop shot.  I arrived at a large weed flat, and starting tossing a Strike King KVD squarebill crankbait, atop the weeds.  I promptly was struck, but the bass jumped and spit the hook.  I moved further up to another patch of weeds, and threw a frog, crankbait, spinner bait, and a spook and could only manage one on the squarebill. 

Sugar Booger as Jimmy Houston would say.

 I went back to the drop shot, and couldn't get anything there either.  I was marking fish sitting a little higher up in the water column on the weed edge, so I threw a green pumpkin/copper flake Cobra Bait Deadbolt wacky rigged, and as soon as it started to sink it got whacked, but I missed the fish.  This happened a few more times, and I wound up landing a few on the deadbolt.

I missed a few more fish, and lost a nice one that jumped and spit the hook all on the deadbolt.  After a pickerel stole my last deadbolt, I didn't really know what to do.  I had a few Yum dingers and some senkos kicking around, but I couldn't get anything on them.  Not even a nibble.  I began working my way back towards the big weed flat in the pouring rain.  I threw the squarebill into the wind and ticking it on top of the submerged grass.  I hooked up with a fish, but he jumped and spit the hook.  I continued my retrieve and a few seconds later, I'm on again.  This time I landed the fish.

I got a few more on the crankbait, and one more on the drop shot.

Despite the litter, forgetting my paddle, and the pouring rain, I was pleased with the outcome today.  I just wish those damn pickerel hadn't stole all of my deadbolts, or I would have landed more fish.

I ended up with 10 bass (3 on drop shot, 3 on deadbolts, and 4 on the crankbait), and one bluegill.  I lost 3 on jumps, and missed about a dozen.  Best 5 was probably 11.5 lbs.  Not bad for a lake that has been pretty tough for me.  

If you haven't already, check out Cobra Bait, made right in CT.  They produced some solid fish for me today, and caught fish when a senko couldn't!