March Madness!
March is one of those months I consider a love/hate relationship....
I love the fact that I get everything done and ready for another great season on the water.
But, I hate the fact that the weather is so unpredictable and the water can't warm fast enough. I'm looking forward to a great year of bass fishing on the lake and the endless opportunities we have on Lake Erie.
It's that time of year agian that I drive my wife mad by cleaning out all the old gear, organizing all the tackle I'll never use in my lifetime. Cleaning the boat, and fixing everything I broke but was to caught up in the moment to fix last year.
Looking at all the lures I have collected over the years got me thinking....
How many of you buy lures, jigs, flies, etc that you never end up even casting at a fish? I know I've spent a ton of money over the years on gear that I will never use.
It always seems as though I use the same baits I've had success on over the years.
Come the end of March, I'll throw spinners for Pike. This buys me time and keeps my sanity until the smallmouth start their annual visit to the bay for the prespawn. Once they start to show, I'll start throwing tubes on the channel drops and flats. I normally start fishing the smallmouth early in the morning in the main bay and switch over to the LM bass on the flats for a good mid-day bite.
Regardless of how many differant baits I have in my box, I ALWAYS fish a TX rigged Berkley Power Worm. There is just something I love about the focus that is required while working a worm in the grass over spawning fish. The feel of the take, the pause, the hook set...man there ain't much I'd rather be doing....
Than comes good ol' summer. The bite is full blown crazy, the weather is warm, the chicks are jogging on the Pennisula.
Things are in full force.
The smallies are done and are moving out into the lake working schools of baitfish. THis is when I bust out the drop **** riggs. My GPS looks like a road map with all the drops, humps, and rock piles that I have grown very familiar with.
This is my favorite time of the year. Early rise to get to the ramp an hour before sunup. Geared with WAY too many rods in the boat rigged up and ready for a day on the lake. Dressed in Flipflops, shorts and a hot cup of coffee waiting for a buddy to show up. Watching all the boats going out after the walleye, I know it will be just another great day of smallmouth fishing...Gobies on a drop shot is the norm and the only way I roll!
The first stop to a hump that is a "hit or miss'' spot that I haven't caught a fish on in 3 years, but always stop to fish for a few minutes becuase it just looks to good on the electronics.(You know you have a spot like that,too)
.
The next stop is on ol' faithfull. A hump in about 30 FOW that is sometimes LOADED with fish. FISH ON...will be yelled out a few times this year over this hump...Man, I can't wait...
Then comes Fall.....Man-o-man, what the heck to do????
The smallies are in full feed mode, the grass in the bay is dying so the BIG LM are chewing like nobodies business, the Steelhead start poking their horny noses to the creek mouths...WHAT THE HECK SHOULD WE FISH FOR??? There are just too many opportunies and not enough time.
Not to mention the perch fishing (I call it grocery shopping)....
You just got to love the summer months. Buy the time it's all over you are ready for the snow, hunting season, fly fishing steelhead, burbot in the channel, ice fishing, complaining about no ice fishing (lol), the list of possibilties is endless....
This post really has no meaning and is quit useless, but I just wanted share a little excitment for anther great year coming up.
Good luck to everyone, and tight lines....
Be nice to each other and remember that everyone is out there for the same reason, just not for the same purpose. Enjoy your time on the water, and spend some time this year teaching a youngster what you have become to love so much...
See ya,
Mike