New ride - Maiden voyage

[AtticaFish]

Got a new kayak from my parents for christmas and finally got out fishin' in it. This ones 12' somethin (old one was 9') and i pimped it up some with rod holders and still want to make a few mods to it.... Anyway, left the house around 7:00.

All thats left is to conquer the big hill to this 85 acre upground res.

Made it up and ready to launch...

Turned out to be an excellent night - light winds - and the storms that were predicted stayed away.

Watched the sun go down and the moon come up.

Fished till 10:00 before i gave in, fishing from a yak is one thing, try it in the dark!!!!!!!! Only brought home 4 crappies with big fish @ 10.5"... i gave a get out of jail free card to one, SOB spiked me as he was going on the stringer :dodgy: ...and caught at least 13 catfish and 1 smallmouth. I pretty much do nothing but troll this lake with shad raps and husky jerks but did try trolling some jigs and lost one of my favorites on what had to be a catfish on my UL rod, lost the jig but line came back all slimed up. Oh well, i have reason to make more!!! Sorry no fish pics, i have a hard enough time keeping my lines straight, paddlin', not falling in, that when i get a fish he goes on the stringer or back in the deep blue quick. Am just happy i did not get skunked on my maiden voyage. Great trip!

 

[crappiecripplerjigs]

Beautiful sunset pic Attica. Did you catch the catfish on jigs? The catfish are slowly starting to come into the rocks around here. I've caught random cats on jigs but never on a jerk or rap. Good looking lake you have there!

 

[AtticaFish]

All but 2 cats and 1 crappie came on the crankbaits, the jointed shad raps were the king. Also the 1 big fish that boke me off was on a jig When i used to fish this lake with minnies and slip bobbers, you catch a ton of cats with your bobber set only 3' deep. This is a strange lake to say the least, not sure if you have upground reservoirs around you, but if you look at my 2nd picture, that is pretty much what the lake looks like the entire way around it, it is standing up out of the corn fields. Here in the flat farm lands of OH, they are the norm. Here is a satelite pic of the lake - no joke! I call it "The Big Fish Bowl"

It is around 20' - 30' deep depending on the time of year. They don't even let cars up anymore after a pick-up went in the drink, so there are very few boats that ever see this water. Very clean water most of the year, can see the bottom clearly in 15+ FOW! Entire shorline bank drops down to the lake basin at nearly a 45 deg. angle, all rip rap, flat mud bottom, no structure, no weeds, no wood, no nuthin' - hence the reason i do nothing but zig zag troll the shoreline. I do troll with jigs and clip on spinners during the daylight but the cranks with the rattles i think call the fish in better in low light. Have gotten some 14" crappie (thats big for around here ) from this lake. Also some 30"+ catfish and biggest walleye from there was 26". There are some massive bluegill in there... i all but have given up trying for them though, they like to hold way down deep. :dodgy:

 

[crappiecripplerjigs]

No cover would seem to make for some tough fishing but sounds like you have it figured out. Strange indeed with both the shape in pic and the catfishing. There are a few old mining holes close by in Kansas that have circular shapes out in the middle of corn fields. The Conservation Dept. maintains many of them and keeps them stocked with fish for public use. The best ones are tough to get to with a boat but I use a float tube and catch a few large fish being bass, crappie, bluegill. Seems that about 1 in 8 will be huge while the rest are quite average. For whatever reason I have never tried to catch catfish out of them. Could be the same holding pattern in these pits as what you have in this lake?? I have caught a few sizeable cats in the float tube by accident on jigs and it is scary when the fins get near the tube!

 

[AtticaFish]

Love love love my kayak!!! Bought an aluminum canoe first, too heavy and threw my back out just getting it off my car! I think i could carry this thing a mile or 2 over dry land with no problems, they are light. They are VERY stable once you are on the water, they ride low so you are actually sitting somewhat below the water. Getting out has got to be the toughest part, but have not got wet yet, knock on wood. Never hooked into a musky, but have gotten some large catfish that take you where-ever THEY want to go. Just gotta hold on for the ride.

 

[Ron Don]

Thats alot of gear you have in that kayak! I would definitely have my floaties on trying to maneuver one of those! Glad the maiden voyage went off without a hitch.

 

[CK3]

Looks like a lot of fun......for a young guy!!! I too was surprised at how much equipment you have in there and still room for you as well
or is it remote controlled

Never saw a body of water that round! Fishing it must be like
Chevy Chase in European Vacation when he was stuck in the round about! There it is kids Big Ben, There it is kids, Big Ben!

 

[papaperch]

That there reservoir round as it is should produce during the ice season. Thats when you should be able to hammer the big gills then. About mid ice season ( middle of January ) I would be drilling holes over the deepest part . Evening would usually be best and be prepared to fish the deep. Little local lake around here ( now drained ) was so-so during open water season.

I used to be first in line when that baby froze over. For some odd reason the big gills , crappie and perch relly put the feedbag on once it iced over.

 

[AtticaFish]

I have fished this res. through the ice several times over the last few years that i got back into ice fishing. On one day i DID get into the crappie & bluegill and brought home several nice fish, but that day seemed to be a fluke. Every other time i have been there, the only thing i catch through the ice are catfish and most of them come on the tip-ups i set out. I always try to drill my holes over the transition from rock to mud... it is about the only actual structure to the lake!

 

[ScottV]

It would be easy to catch one there. All you have to do is run him in a corner. LOL Great pics Attica, thanks for sharing with us.