My epic Smallmouth disappeared today
 

So there I was, a Winni newb, on my third day fishing in my new boat, trying to learn where my most favorite fish, Smallmouth, live and bite. So I of course start with fishing the rocks. Impossible really to miss on Winni. Went offshore to avoid spawners as much as possible. Jerkbaits were being assaulted by rock bass, sunfish, and mini smallies, so I switch to a Winni standard wacky rigged stick worm and found a few between 1 to 2 lbs in amongst the wee bass. Happy to be catching anything at this point I continued boulder hopping. Then a bite, really more of a sense of weight, and I set the hook and it didnt move, at first. The fish turned and flashed twice and I am thinking OMG, my third day on Winni, fishing offshore boulders, I've hooked up with a lifetime Winni class Smallie. Very heavy, powerful, but not quite a classic Smallmouth battle. A few more flashes, then, a black line appeared? Its a freakin Largemouth. Possibly hundreds of yards from the nearest weed, in the middle of "Smallmouth country"? While a strong fish, she was obviously spawned out and probably feeding for the first time post spawn. At just over 19" she was a nice Largemouth but she could have been an epic Winni Smallmouth. So...if there are any bass fishers on this site i'd like to know if this is common? Should I be trying big spinner baits out on the boulder fields? Or was this an unlikely event?

Sounds like the beginning of a Brian Williams story. :D

Crank baits bouncing off the rocks and causing a commotion have worked well for me over the years on the big lake when it comes to smallies. I've never done well with spinner baits anywhere, so no comment on those. Plastics bouncing on the bottom near those rocks also work great.


When it comes to catching a fish where you wouldn't have expected to, the fish have equal access to all of the lake, so it's just dumb luck as far as I'm concerned. I caught a huge pickerel ice fishing one year in 40 feet of water with a dead sucker on the bottom. I was going for lake trout and hooked a pickerel.

My son caught a decent sized fluke in 3' of water in a marina on Long Island Sound. He was using a Rebel crank bait looking for snapper blues.

My other son caught a rainbow trout on a sluggo, waaaaay back in the weedy end of Smith Cove on Winne.

You can't always get what you want...

But if you try sometime,

you just might find,

you get what you need!

I intentionally left out the part about being under fire while catching that fish. THAT really would have been too much.:laugh:

Good one....:laugh::laugh::laugh:

Funny...I have a lot of success fishing spinner baits near the shore (8-20 ft deep) later in the season trolling them behind my kayak in and around Diamond, Samoset, Ames area...

Up to you if you want to take it to PM, but what do you have? Been doing a bit of head scratching today to ditch my off road rig for something more practical. Been researching fishing kayaks. Seems like an awesome way to spend a day.

I don't mind at all...that's what the forum is for ;)

I have a sit-in kayak that is designed specifically as a fishing kayak. It is stable and wide but tracks great. I know a lot of kayak anglers prefer the sit on top kayaks but I prefer the sit-in. I also have seen that the sit-in kayak's are easier to customize. I have installed a couple rod holders and other little things to make fishing a bit easier.

I go out mostly very early in the mornings. But all the time I have no regrets being out there :) I always wonder why I'm the only person out there in a kayak, it's unbelievably beautiful and serene out in the kayak in the early mornings. It's great exercise for the mind and body and I might catch a fish or two along the way. It's also a great way to see some wildlife, the loons are always out fishing with me in the morning and I often see bald eagles flying around the area...

If you Google 'fishing kayak' you will see an endless supply of ideas and configurations people have put together. One thing I would recommend that I regret not doing was buying a bright colored kayak...would make me a bit less nervous way out in the lake when the boats do start coming by.

Some of my kayak fishing pictures:


http://www.walagata.com/w/zwrex/IMG_1777.jpg

http://www.walagata.com/w/zwrex/IMG_2175.jpg

http://www.walagata.com/w/zwrex/IMG_3889.jpg

http://www.walagata.com/w/zwrex/IMG_3895.jpg

Caught this guy this past weekend. First Trout I've caught successfully trolling a lure on a diver from the kayak around 40-50 feet deep...

http://www.walagata.com/w/zwrex/IMG_5477.jpg

You could attach a bright colored flag or cheaper/easier yet,put a flag on your fishing poles.

Yes...the wife has mentioned the flag...