Friday, August 12, 2011

Lake "X"

Fishing Time: 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Weather: Clear, slight breeze, 80's
Moon Phase: 97% Moon
Location: Lake "X"
Bait: Weedless, weightless senko (green and white)
Who Went: Me The story behind Lake X goes back to a canoe trip that Hunt and I took 8 years ago down a river in Utah. As we were canoeing down this river we met a guy in a very tight area that I didn’t believe you could even access without taking a canoe like we did down the river for miles. He proved us wrong and the reason he was down there peaked my interest. He told us there was a pond not far from where we were that held a lot of largemouth bass up to four pounds. Since that time I have long forgotten about the area because I just couldn’t figure out an access point without crossing over private property. Then I started fishing with Innovative Rick (nickname) who I told about Lake X. Rick has a funny way of figuring out how to make things work, hence the nickname. He got on google earth and started searching and before long he had a route mapped out. A few months back we tried out the route and even though we had to cross a canal that went 1 inch below my waders along with parking in an area that could or could not be private property, and hiking over a few hills I finally made it back to Lake X after 8 years. Rick brought his pole and even though the weather was still cold in June (weird year), Rick had a largemouth bass landed on his 3rd cast.

So, now that you know the history behind Lake X, I went there for the first time armed with my rod and tackle today and had a blast.I didn’t catch a ton of bass, but the way I was catching them made it worthwhile. The shore access to this pond has become very limited with the growth of summer and I regret not taking my float tube. There are only a few areas to shore fish because the reeds are thick and surround almost the entire pond. The moss is thick on the waters surface, which is normal for August on most small lakes and ponds, but I could hardly throw anything into the lake without getting snagged. After fishing the shorelines with no success for almost 2 hours, I tied on a weedless, weightless, senko and started throwing it into the thickest areas of moss I could find. That’s when I finally figured out where the bass were. I had been wasting my time fishing the main body of the pond, the bass were tucked up underneath the thick moss beds that surrounded the shore. The biggest bass I caught hit the senko before it even made it through the moss bed, almost like a topwater bite.I was shocked at how shallow the bass were, but even more bewildered at how thick the moss was in the areas I was catching them. I made a couple casts into the thickest willow I could find and hooked two bass that I could not pull out before my line snapped. Next time I go I will be prepared with stronger line! Here is a picture of my most productive area. I was dropping my plastic worm right through the mossy mat surrounding the logs. Needless to say I had a blast and this won’t be the last time I go to Lake X, but I must admit it’s a struggle getting the motivation to cross that canal and all the other variables that come with fishing this place. It’s location will remain a secret and will be forever known as Lake X on my blog! I don’t want someone to find this spot and tell everyone they know about it. It could be fished out very quickly!

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