Adjusting to Tough Conditions

Craig & Herm were back once again for their fall fishing trip and that could only mean one thing. Terrible weather was forecasted for their time here, as usual! Hopefully Mother Nature would cut us some slack and be kind. We would be taking a road trip and trying our luck for a few big fish today.

We arrived in only overcast skies, but we were still dry. The big winds and rain actually took longer to move in and we fished through most of the day quite comfortably. Too bad the bite wasn’t better though as they worked hard for each and every bass they caught! I don’t know if this was due to the excessive amount of pressure on the area lately, or just a timing thing due to the warmer water temps. Not many big bass were caught, but it was still a nice change of scenery. Even the weather cooperated for the most part as we never really got the heavy rains that were expected. Even the winds weren’t too bad until later in the afternoon. It was an overall, pleasant day of fishing!

Day 2 saw us remaining locally and a later start was had, due to the misty rain falling. It quickly moved out and we soon hit the water afterwards. We were going to have big winds once again, but the radar showed pretty much clear skies for the remainder of the day. I knew they would be having a better day of fishing today!

Although the ride was a little bumpy getting to our first spot, they managed to get into some fish quickly. Both bass and walleye were caught, but I really had to work hard in the big winds. I was making drifts along a deep weed edge and needed the aid of the big engine just to keep them on the fish. Somehow, I managed and they caught a number of good fish in the process. A couple of the walleye were too big to keep and were released after a few quick pics. One of them made the cut however and went into the box for Craig to take back home. We remained in the area until the fish just quit biting before making a move to another nearby spot. I just hoped that we would be able to fish!

The waves were big where I wanted to fish, but I was determined to give it a try. It was definitely going to be a challenge for them to fish! I did however find out quickly that the bass were here, after making a cast and hooking up while they took a quick lunch break. After that, it was game on! We actually remained here for the duration of the trip as there were plenty of bass being caught. A slight adjustment in presentations had both Craig & Herm catching many more bass, before we were done. Unfortunately, we were leaving them biting!

The run back was a little rough but we managed to arrive safely and dry. There was heavy cloud cover all around and I knew it was just a matter of time before it was going to let loose and start to rain. Ironically the boat ramp had received it before we landed and the whole area had puddles everywhere. We had dodged that storm by staying a little longer and fishing!

Despite all the challenges that occurred, we still managed to overcome. Adjustment was the name of the game and by refining both the techniques and locations, they made their trip a success. At this time of the year, Mother Nature can throw you a curve ball anytime and I need to take advantage of the good days before it’s all over for the year. Hopefully there’s still a few good weeks left to carry me over to the next season. Who knows, maybe the best is yet to come! Crossing my fingers for a few more outings!!