07-13-2005, 10:02 PM
[cool][#0000ff]I have been trying to work out a meetup with Leaky (and a few other BFT members) ever since I moved back to Utah the end of July last year. This morning we ran out of excuses and got together on Mantua.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Because Leaky don't go many places without Sparky, we elected to launch over on the east side of the lake, and not at the people populated launch ramp. Good plan for Leaky and Sparky. Bad plan for TubeDude. Leaky had a light tube and one rod, and no sonar or battery. Tubedude had a heavy Super Fat Cat, five rods, sonar, battery, etc. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We had to go up over a fisherman's access ladder and then about a 1/4 mile up the road to find the first possible launch site. Then, we had to work over and through the weeds for another 1/4 mile or so until the water was deep enough to fish. The fish were mostly out another 1/4 mile or so, where the water begins to deepen from 4 or 5 feet to 15 feet or more. I am used to driving up to a launch ramp, launching and then starting to fish. What a workout. But, the worst was still to come, at take out time.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Fishing started off okay. Caught two small bass on my first three casts after launching. They were in a weedfree zone near the bank and under a tree. I didn't get anything else for the next half hour, as I plowed my way out through the weeds.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Finally got into water deep enough to hold fish and began getting assaulted by bluegills and perch on every cast...interspersed with a few pint sized largemouth. Had several sieges of over 20 fish in 20 casts. Perch ranged from 3" size (lots of them) to about 10" (not as many), with most around 6 or 7". Bluegills by the bajillions, swarmed all around my tube. I got the impression they were planning to grab me and haul me under. All I had to do was lower a jig a few feet below my rod tip and whammo.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I had a couple of largemouth about 2 pounds that worked out their own "professional release". Most of the bass were 8 to 10 inches. I did not really pursue larger bass. I had not brought any finesse stuff. The ones I got hit small jigs being tossed for the perch and bluegills.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Leaky stayed back from the point, since there were other anglers and they expressed their displeasure with Leaky having a dog in the water. SURE. RIGHT. Sparky was not a threat to their fishing. They were throwing a meal worm on a fly rod with three feet of heavy level leader. If they were catching those gullible gills on that stuff, Sparky would not have bothered them any. Leaky seemed to be bringing in a few good sized perch and some small bass. I'll let him tell his own story.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]About 11:30 the sun was getting high and so was the temperature. I got out at the far end of my swim and hiked over a mile back to the vehicle, with full regalia and a few bluegills for dinner too. It was a half hour of steady trudging, in 95 degree temps. I kept telling myself that 95 was cool compared to what I had left behind in Arizona. Didn't help much. I was whupped and sweaty by the time I got to my car. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It was great meeting up with Leaky and Sparky. But, I think the next time I will pick the launch spot.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Because Leaky don't go many places without Sparky, we elected to launch over on the east side of the lake, and not at the people populated launch ramp. Good plan for Leaky and Sparky. Bad plan for TubeDude. Leaky had a light tube and one rod, and no sonar or battery. Tubedude had a heavy Super Fat Cat, five rods, sonar, battery, etc. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We had to go up over a fisherman's access ladder and then about a 1/4 mile up the road to find the first possible launch site. Then, we had to work over and through the weeds for another 1/4 mile or so until the water was deep enough to fish. The fish were mostly out another 1/4 mile or so, where the water begins to deepen from 4 or 5 feet to 15 feet or more. I am used to driving up to a launch ramp, launching and then starting to fish. What a workout. But, the worst was still to come, at take out time.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Fishing started off okay. Caught two small bass on my first three casts after launching. They were in a weedfree zone near the bank and under a tree. I didn't get anything else for the next half hour, as I plowed my way out through the weeds.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Finally got into water deep enough to hold fish and began getting assaulted by bluegills and perch on every cast...interspersed with a few pint sized largemouth. Had several sieges of over 20 fish in 20 casts. Perch ranged from 3" size (lots of them) to about 10" (not as many), with most around 6 or 7". Bluegills by the bajillions, swarmed all around my tube. I got the impression they were planning to grab me and haul me under. All I had to do was lower a jig a few feet below my rod tip and whammo.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I had a couple of largemouth about 2 pounds that worked out their own "professional release". Most of the bass were 8 to 10 inches. I did not really pursue larger bass. I had not brought any finesse stuff. The ones I got hit small jigs being tossed for the perch and bluegills.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Leaky stayed back from the point, since there were other anglers and they expressed their displeasure with Leaky having a dog in the water. SURE. RIGHT. Sparky was not a threat to their fishing. They were throwing a meal worm on a fly rod with three feet of heavy level leader. If they were catching those gullible gills on that stuff, Sparky would not have bothered them any. Leaky seemed to be bringing in a few good sized perch and some small bass. I'll let him tell his own story.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]About 11:30 the sun was getting high and so was the temperature. I got out at the far end of my swim and hiked over a mile back to the vehicle, with full regalia and a few bluegills for dinner too. It was a half hour of steady trudging, in 95 degree temps. I kept telling myself that 95 was cool compared to what I had left behind in Arizona. Didn't help much. I was whupped and sweaty by the time I got to my car. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]It was great meeting up with Leaky and Sparky. But, I think the next time I will pick the launch spot.[/#0000ff]
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