I don't post a lot of reports, because I don't typically feel I have much to contribute. I was typically a trout/salmonid guy, but mostly because of this site and following some of the frequent contributors on here I have become a bass nut as well as wanting to be able to catch multiple species in multiple environments...Elijah & fish-or-man come to mind.
So I went to Newman Lake w/ the family last weekend in the hopes of rekindling my childhood memories of catching endless panfish off Grandma's dock. I hadn't been fishing there for 20 years...but now I'd like to think I have a few fishing skills, so my goal was to catch as many species as possible off of the dock (4th dock from the W.Side toolies). The neighbors are really nice, and gave me permission to fish on their property next to the lilies too!
I like artificial baits/lures. I like fishing selective gear - I'm confident with it.
I started w/ a bobber & jig w/ a chartreuse/white trout trap grub...first fish was a chunky bluegill, then a few small perch.
Dropshotted a brown/smoke panic minnow = nice size perch!
Small Beetlespin w/white grub = Sunfish!
Three Species! I was stoked, but it was not over!
One thing that kept distracting me while I was there is the Carp. They are jumping all over the place and making tons of noise and commotion. I'm a fisherman, so that made it difficult to even have a conversation with someone...a big fish jumps, and I have to look. I thought they were maybe muskies or bass at first, but definitely carp...many...massive.
I did not target carp though. I started throwing a small white spinnerbait off the dock. Spinnerbaits are new for me this year. I was after bass or crappie. Varying my retrieve, basically casting deep - letting it sink - reeling back slowly. I felt something hit my bait, so I paused it and pulsed back the retrieve, I could see the spinnerbait, and a long 2foot+ torpedo behind it. I thought "Izzat a huge trout or could it be a Muskie?!?" and then it ate my spinnerbait...
In .1 seconds here is what happened: I thought Oh Crap, I am running 10lb. mono!-I set the hook-the fish flips a downward 180-I see the gills flared and full broadside of a Muskie-I feel the weight of the fish-line snaps instantly on its teeth-I say bye-bye to my $3 spinnerbait.
worth every fricken penny!
...but it wasn't over. See, the main purpose/priority for the trip was to create some lasting memories for my 2 girls & my Dad for reasons we need not go into. So my fishing conquests were not priority, it was the other moments that happened that mattered more. My girls/father enjoy fishing, but they chose to do other stuff, which was totally cool. It just meant my time fishing was a little more limited, but also really personally gratifying - but I like to share my love of fishing when I can...
So the whole family decided to go for a stroll down to the toolies (lilly pads). That's Me, my wife, a 5-year old, a 2-year old(both girls), my dad, and his full size poodle. I had seen some Bullfrogs down there earlier so the girls and I were after 'em. I also took a rod (...of course) w/ a 3/0 EWG texas-rigged w/ a 5.5" finesse worm(weightless).
I ignored fishing like a good Dad and we found snakes, chased frogs, skipped rocks, watched Osprey, played w/ the dog and stalked baby ducks! It was fantastic fun! Then they walked to the field to look for deer, so I stayed behind to throw stuff at fish.
The Carp were going off. Jumping completely out of the water and smacking the surface w/ their tails every 15-20 seconds. I stealthily sat and observed the surrounding cover spots. I saw some fishy activity and cast at the base of a pad 10 feet away and leave the bail open...line twitch-line move-bail close-feel fish-pull...nothing. I throw it again...worm sinks...bail closed-slack reeled. I see swirls. I drag/twitch ever so slightly...tick tick TAP...pull-feel fish-reel/pull-fish lets go. worm looks all screwed-up, but intact, so I re-rig and the family comes back, 2-year-old is kicking rocks in the water. Dad is encouraging dog to splash in the water right between me and the spot I was casting to. "How's fishin'?" my wife asks. "I got this one fish I'm messin' with, but I haven't quite hooked him yet." I reply, trying to hide my anguish. "Well let's see you catch a fish with that rubber worm!" my Dad says. I cast again. worm sinks. I leave it for a bit. tick... tick... I wait "See that, I'm getting hit" I point out. They watch. Rod tip goes dooink! I feel fish pull- I set hook...sprooooinggg! My 5.5 inch worm is now 2 inches long. I laugh, kids laugh...everybody laughs. We reflect on how well fed that fish now is, and the kids/dog head back for Grandma's place, rest of family in tow. "I'm gonna make a couple more casts..." I say, garnering the skeptical "Okaay" from my Dad.
They leave. I re-rig my 2" worm bit on the hook. It barely covers the gap. There is no wiggly dangly part, just a piece of rubber making my hook weedless. I cast a bit further out, I'm gonna drag/twitch this worm bit right by this rubber worm eatin' sumbitch. worm sinks-sits-move it-tick-sits-twitch-WHAM-pull hard-"GOT IM!" I shout to the departed peanut gallery. Nice 1.5ish largie! I reel him in as they come back and whip out their cameras. I lip it and let the girls check it out before a happy splashy release. I was so excited, and they've never seen me catch a bass before, so I was even happier that they got to see how it makes me feel. "Boy, that fish really liked that first 4 inches of worm...he had to come back for the rest!" says my Dad.
I count that as 4.5 species.

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