Getting bogged, catching fish, exploring, living…
Next weekend I only have Sunday to fish so I made the most of this one. I would have anyway of course! I got out for 2 hours on Friday evening on Dunstan. I had a few events and one I converted into a landed fish. It looks as though the browns are starting to put on some condition.
Saturday I fished alone. I went back to the spot that’s been treating me so well lately and once again it didn’t disappoint. I put the boat in but due to the lake still dropping and incredibly low I could not submerge the trailer. I thought after I left the boat on anchor to find a spot where I could submerge the trailer to make it easy to get the boat out again at the end of the day. This turned out to be a bad idea as I got bogged and lost the first hour and 20minutes of the day digging the truck out.
Once I was on the water my slow start was forgotten about. I was made eat my words a little during the fishing day, something that happens me quite regularly. 2 blogs ago I spoke about the takes from depth being certain and solid and having a 12 event day converted into 12 landed fish. Well on Saturday I converted about 20 events into 5 fish! I lost about 5 really good fish at the stage in the fight just before the fish gives in and slides into the net. It’s generally unusual to lose a fish after being hooked up solid for a few moments. One could dwell on ways to fix this, or wonder if one was at fault but statistically everything will happen eventually so the best thing to do about this unusual occurrence is nothing. Thanks John O Malley! After landing 17 out of 17 hooked pike one season, John assured me that statistics would even things up. He was right. I think I lost the next 17.
Today (Sunday 19th of August) I fished with Mike Wilkinson. I decided we should try some new water. It’s important to explore. If you don’t you won’t learn much. The main thing we learned today was not to go back, not that it was terrible, there’s just much better water available not too far away. The fishing was slow and difficult but we managed a few fish. Thinking hard and always making sure we were covering water with some feature or contrast made the difference. Boat fishing is not chuck and chance. I’m always 100% aware of the type and depth (within reason) of water I’m fishing over. Maximise on your fishing day by only fishing the best water. Local knowledge is not so important. It’s instinctive. Like a river a lake can be read.
Back to the necessary evil tomorrow. Tight lines all! Good fishing with you today Mike!
Ronan.. (CI, Joiner, Fishing host by appointment)
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- Bad start! I was over an hour digging the truck out of the mud.. Temper flaring like only mine does!
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- Finally ready to go..
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- Perfect morning! Apart from being stuck in the mud for over an hour..
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- Amazing place.. The peace out here is good for the soul.
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- The drop-off shelves away from 1 to 20 foot over a few meters. (I was brought up with both imperial and metric!)
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- 5 lost fish before I boated the first one.
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- Spectacular. About to burst! Full of eggs, food and fat..
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- Another.. not easy set up the 10 second timer in the boat!
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- Interesting water but not so productive..
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- This fish took reeling in my last cast of the day! 5lbs
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- Nearly got stuck again at the end of the day..
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- All mine, all day!
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- Day 2.. Mike into the first fish of the day… He lost him at the end of the battle. Great fish too, 6-7lbs!
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- My first. Took on the drop!
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- New water. the fish are a little smaller here.
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- Different water, different weather, still beautiful..
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- Mike giving one hell!
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- Pound for pound these maiden fish are as tough as they get.
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- Sudden drop-offs, weed beds, any contrasting water worked best. This is usually true for lake fishing.
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- This from deep dark water..
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- An unexpected fish at the end of the day goes back…
