Lake Hickory 7/21

[geneinnc]

Hit the water just before 6am. 69 degrees with humidity fighting the smoke from the out west fires. Water still holding at 80°. For the global warming bunch it's  always mid to upper 80s this time of year.

I'm ready for some really good topwater this morning! Started on a usually good point with a spy bait. Nada.

I head downriver to one of my go to flats. Zero. I'm getting a bad feeling!

I motor down river and the sun arrives in an angry dark red hue.
Now I'm REALLY worried. So worried I pulled out a Ned rig, a soft jerkbait, and a swim bait.

30 minutes into this spot a whole lot of nothing. I put everything away but the Ned rig and a shaky head trick worm since this day is going to a full blown disaster. I finally found some shade over a rock bank that drops off quickly. A warmouth takes the Ned. Same with the trick worm but no action. I switched back to the Ned and let it drop to the deepest part of the bank. A spotted bass grabbed it.

Sun is fully up now and the air quality advisory has been issued.
The fish win this round!

Lures that also failed:

Strike King 5X natural shad
KVD 100 jerkbait
Berkley 5" ribbon tail grub

I tried.

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[Mike Cork]

Thanks for the in-depth report. Sorry the catching was tough, but like you said, sometimes the fish win.


Maybe this will be the trip you win the rod on and then the joke will be on the fish 
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