Pool 4 April 3rd 2015 recap

[RumRiverRat]

Pool 4 Wabasha Backwaters 4 / 3 / 15 Recap

17 bass caught.

I had really low expectations due to the cold temps, both air and water, and low water conditions. The water was actually lower than I thought it would be, more on that later.
Woke up to a chilly 28 degrees. On the road at 630am. After a stop for gas. I expected to arrive at the access around 8 : 45am.

Driving down the dirt road towards the access I could tell the water was really low. Normally the ditches and low lying areas near the road have water in them. When I arrived in the parking lot I could already see that much of the cover on the bank that I like to pitch a jig into was 2 to 3 feet out of the water. I knew immediately I would need to adjust my game plan.

Get in the boat drop the trolling motor and put it on speed 5 and make quick work of the 75 yards to a beaver lodge and the stash of limbs the beavers stick in the bottom to secure them for winter feeding.

Attached an Uncle Josh #11 Pork Frog in Green Pumpkin to a 3/8oz Northstar Custom Baits Southpaw jig. Made about a half a dozen pitches to the heart of the food stash. Got bit, swung and missed the hookset. Good solid thumps. Apparently I forgot how to set the hook.  This gave me hope that I was going to catch a fish or 2 if I could get the hookset right.

Moved a couple boat lengths down to a large Cottonwood tree that fell in the water in the spring of 2011. I have caught so many fish out of this tree in the last 4 years. Spent the next 30 minutes working the tree from every angle with the Jig and a Crawtube. Results in 5 fish in the boat.

Moved down the bank pitching and flippin the jig and crawtube. With the low water conditions most of the targets I like to hit were out of the water. I looked for any wood that was still in the water.
The next tree that I got bit on looked no different than the others I had fished. Except the creek channel swings close to the bank where this tree is meaning there is 5 to 7 feet of water under the tree. The rest of the area is 6 inches to 3 foot deep with the low water conditions a depth change of 2 feet is a big deal, 4 feet is a huge deal.

After establishing this pattern I looked for similar areas the rest of the day. I even went back to the first and second tree multiple times and would get 1 or 2 more bites. I would switch plastic baits when I did this. I hoped that a change in profiles would make a difference. The bites I got makes me think it did.
A few things about the gear I used.
50 pound braid with a 7' Heavy Power Fast Action rod. 1/4oz tungsten weight and a Trokar TK130 Tube Hook tied with a snell knot. Crawtube in Sour Grape with a rattle inserted.
65 pound braid on a Super High Speed 8.0:1 reel paired with a 7'11" Heavy Power Flippin stick for the jig. The faster gear ratio allowed me to quickly reel in and make another pitch/flip. More time that the bait is in the water.
65 pound braid on a High Speed 7.0:1 reel paired with a 7'11" Heavy Power Flippin stick. 3 / 8oz tungsten flippin weight and a Gamakatsu Super Heavy Cover Hook tied with a snell knot. Used a V&M Flippin Hog and a Yum Wooly Bullee.

The TK130 is an excellent choice for the Crawtube. The keeper barb keeps the bait in place and you spend less time rigging the bait.
The Gamakatsu Super Heavy Cover Hook has a welded eye to prevent your line from slipping out and a keeper barb that keeps your bait in place.  This hook is a beast.

When tying a snell knot make sure to feed the line into the eye from the hook point side. When pressure is applied on the hookset the hook will kick out 90° and dramatically improve hookups.

[Mike Cork]

Thanks for a great report

[earldogg]

Yep, great report.

[CraigP83]

Nice recap, sounds like you had a real pattern figured out

[RumRiverRat]

Sometimes you just stumble into a pattern.

After not getting bit for probably 100 pitches I was getting frustrated. Then I find the 2nd tree and get bit on the first pitch. Then catch 4 fish on about 10 or 12 pitches.

I sat down opened a Mountain Dew and ate a granola bar and tried to figure out why this tree had fish when the previous 20 pieces of wood did not. Stuck my flippin stick in the water to see how deep it was........I immediately knew the answer when I still had not hit bottom and my reel was going to get submerged.

When the water is at typical spring levels the fish are scattered. Sometimes every piece of wood, even just a small twig stuck in the bottom will hold fish.

So you have to fish every piece of wood, lots of bites keeps me mentally engaged. Knowing that the next pitch could be a big fish.

The area I was fishing is a well known community hole, lots of pressure. Once the water gets in the upper 50s to low 60s the fish flood the area. Drag a jig on the bottom and you can fell it bumping into fish.

[Swede]

Enjoyed the read - thanks!