Upper AR Shad 5/30/12

With my boat out of commission at the moment, my next best thing I got going is shad fishing on the AR. Oh darn have to fish for crazy hard fighting shad, haha. Got on the water around 1700 and third cast in I got and lost a fish. Right on can't argue with that. The low water conditions makes for improving on making it in the strike zone. Everyone is doing something different to get in the money zone. I found my pattern with a 1/16th jig head and just short jigging it to keep the jig up off of the bottom. I found most of my hits though straight out in front of me casting as far as I can. The hits would come within the first 2 seconds of my jig hitting the water.

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My first of the evening.

I had a shad newbie down on the water with me today my buddy Brian (Cogle). Had him set up with the grub, but he had a hard time getting the jig out far enough so I hooked him up with a shad dart and just told him to cast and retrieve real slow. Sure enough it didn't take long before he was hooked up.

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Brian's first shad ever.

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Before I gave him the shad dart he kept getting snagged and he caught something I had never seen before.

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He pulled some kind of bug larva on his hook. Never seen that one before.

My buddy Adam was down on the water today too ripping some lips.

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And he is hooked up again!

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Brian sticks another on the on the Dart

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One of mine

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I decided to keep a few for the smoker. I've had smoked shad before, but I've never done it before myself. Gonna try it and see how it turns out.

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2000 was rolling around I saw a few stripers running around and I don't have a bait shad yet! all of the fish have been pretty nice sized, but I can't get one under 16 inches. One guy down river gets one though and my dad hollered at me to come down and get it. Grabbed him hooked him up and started the waiting game again.

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Left him out there from 2020-2100 for still nothing. I'm finally starting to see some striper activity in the evening time though so hopefully my time will come soon. Left around 2100, landed close to 10 fish. Not really sure I stopped counting after 5. Got home and I've got some decent fillets for the smoker.

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They're in the brine now, hopefully it will turn out well and wont be too boney.

Till Next Time Guys
Mark

New Sled's First Trip. 5/26/12

Went up to elk grove in the morning to meet up with my friend Mike to pick up the boat and get all the electrical work that needs to be done on my truck for the trailer lights to work right. Mike also wanted to hook me up with a few accessories for the boat and he gave me all of this.

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A 52lb thrust trolling motor, a seat, two seat mounts, a trolling plate, a tackle box, an extended motor handle, and some rod holders. Man what a great friend!

Got everything squared away and took off to meet up with Garrett at Wimpy's.

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On the water around 1200 and we wanted to try a bit of trolling for some Stripers. I was still learning my motor at this point in the day though and we couldn't keep our plugs in the water for more then 15 seconds without getting some kind of weed stuck on our lures, so we gave that up pretty fast. Went to a few area's I've been to before to try for some green carp and to get that skunk off of the boat.

5 mins into it Garrett draws first blood with a small bass on a crankbait.

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First fish on the new boat!!!

We try a few sloughs around the meadow area and were sticking small bass left and right. Most on Senko's, but Garrett found a few bites on a small spinnerbait.

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It started getting too easy Garrett had to do his "pro fishing pose"

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After a while though Garrett finally found a good bite that put some bendo on his rod.

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Finally a respectable photoworthy fish.

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Somewhere close to 3lbs or so.

After all of that bassing action Garrett and I were dieing to get some stripes on the boat. We really wanted to work the main river more, but these guys were everywhere!

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and with them were all kind of jet skies, rafts, kayakes, other boats, basically way to much boat traffic for any good fishing to get in around them. We found some nice current breaks though we tried tossing swimbaits all through it. Worked it long and hard for one diaper striper.

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I did noticed a 21ft deep hole in the stretch too with a small school of fish in it, I tried jigging it for maybe one hit.

After that we decided to call it a good and successful day there. Lots of dinks today, but lots of fun. Can't wait to get back out and try to get on some bigger fish.

Till then guys
Mark

My Little Friday 5/24/12

Early start to the day wanted to go check out Howe for some top water striper action. Like usual when my fishing days start anytime before 0700 I stay up all night playing video games or something since its easier for me to do that then try waking up at 0300 in the morning. A version of Minecraft just came out on the Xbox 360 and I'm addicted to it lol.

Anyways met my buddy Ethan and friends out at howe at 0500. First light came around fast and we were scanning everywhere looking for some kind of surface action.

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Nothing happened though. We moved up river to look for some kind of action.

Tried fishing off of the pipe.

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I had one diaper striper follow my swimbait in but never committed to it. Ethan and his buddy Cameron both got taps, but no hook ups.

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Early morning ended up being nothing, but a goose chase. Enough with that lets go and get some shad. To Rossmoor we went. First thing I noticed when we got there the water had dropped a good foot from last time I was here on Monday. For of us and two other fisherman all together in the honey hole trying something different to get in the slot without dragging bottom. Split shot, no split shot, 1/16th jig head, 1/32nd, two 1/32nd's, bobber, long leader, short leader, man we tried everything!

First hook up didn't come until about 0800. With that though it built up some confidence in everyone. Shortly later Ethan draws first blood for the day.

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Love them Tarpon man!

I get my first of the day from the same passing school.

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Then I get my bait sized one.

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Out he goes! I'm getting that striper man. Might not be today might not be this month, but I'm gonna keep trying till I do.

The rest of the morning I sat on my ass and watched the rest of the guys try for the silver bullets.

Fish the rest of the morning was very spotty. 30 mins would go by 3 or 4 fish would get caught then we would have to wait another 30 mins or so for another school to come through. Bite shut down around 1100 and we had some research boat fly by us at 20 mph and decided to call it quits from there. Doesn't this river have a 5 mph speed limit?

Went and got lunch with the girlfriend and man was I paying for staying up all night. With an hour of time to kill before I had to take off to meet up with the guys at Verona I decided to take a quick cat nap. That hour planned nap though turned into two hours when I woke up to Dante calling asking me where the hell I was at. Man I screw up on that one. Got back on the rode had to go through this mess to get out to the river.

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Got a little lost on the way but I made it out there and had a Great time with the guys. I'll let ya'll read Dante's report for the details and pics on that trip since I didn't take any. Had a great time guys, sorry again about being late. I'll bring you that case of beer mike when I can, give me 3 more months lol.

Getting my sled tomorrow morning already got plans try for some stripers with Guppy, hopefully I'll have a fish filled report for you guys afterwards.

Till Then Guys
Mark