- Joined
- Feb 25, 2009
- Location
- Springville, Tennessee
After far too much time spent preparing for and enduring the move from northern Wisconsin to west Tennessee, I finally got a chance to get out on Kentucky Lake.
The plan Lil Mule and I cooked up was we'd fish from his boat (mine's still in Wisconsin) and he'd show me a little bit of Kentucky Lake. We were to meet at Paris Landing at 6:30. I arrived at 6:13, planning on helping launch the boat, only to find that Mule already had the boat in the water and was waiting on me!
I had brought a very limited selection of rods and tackle with me, not knowing what to expect, but I thought I had the bases covered with a box of Secret Weapon spinnerbaits and buzzbaits, a box of assorted hooks and a box of Senko style stickbaits. I bought a bag of Super Flukes when I got my Tennessee fishing license. I thought I had the bases covered.
We frogged a shoreline weedbed for a while and didn't get a strike. We moved north on the lake and fished some islands, looking for grass and didn't get bit. I was throwing a ChatterBait when I had a short strike, so I thought we were onto something. Nope!
We moved to a highway bridge and pitched the bridge pilings. It wasn't long until Mule set the hook into a fish using a T-rigged 14" worm. He ended up the day with three fish that would have measured. I had one short strike on my first cast, resulting in a swing and a miss, with half the curly tail gone from my T-rig. Continuing to fish the abutments, I wasn't getting bit, while Mule was getting the occasional strike using crankbaits and a trap type lure.
With others fishing nearby abutments, we continued to toss T-rigged worms and I finally got my first fish as a TN resident, a short but chunky largemouth.
We moved on to other abutments, bypassing those being fished by others and I noticed bass busting shad on the surface. Thinking that the fish were up higher, I picked up a rod with an unweighted, wacky rigged stick bait. I found the perfect medicine for short fish as I picked up one after another.
Roger was gently teasing me about catching shorts, reminding me that he had caught keepers. I didn't care, I was in a boat with a new friend, enjoying the day and catching fish.
Our time was winding down when I tossed in between two abutments and felt a tap. I reeled down and set the hook into what felt like a much better bass.
I should have shouted to let Mule know I had a fish on, because he got on the trolling motor just as the bass dived under the bow of the boat! GONE!
He claims that he didn't realize I had a fish on and that he would have pulled the motor to clear the line, but I don't know, I think he was protecting his record of the only keepers of the day!
I didn't care, I had fun, I had a great morning and I'm looking forward to another day on the water with Lil Mule!
It was a great welcome to Tennessee in my book. Lil Mule, :You_Rock_Emoticon:
Steve
The plan Lil Mule and I cooked up was we'd fish from his boat (mine's still in Wisconsin) and he'd show me a little bit of Kentucky Lake. We were to meet at Paris Landing at 6:30. I arrived at 6:13, planning on helping launch the boat, only to find that Mule already had the boat in the water and was waiting on me!
I had brought a very limited selection of rods and tackle with me, not knowing what to expect, but I thought I had the bases covered with a box of Secret Weapon spinnerbaits and buzzbaits, a box of assorted hooks and a box of Senko style stickbaits. I bought a bag of Super Flukes when I got my Tennessee fishing license. I thought I had the bases covered.
We frogged a shoreline weedbed for a while and didn't get a strike. We moved north on the lake and fished some islands, looking for grass and didn't get bit. I was throwing a ChatterBait when I had a short strike, so I thought we were onto something. Nope!
We moved to a highway bridge and pitched the bridge pilings. It wasn't long until Mule set the hook into a fish using a T-rigged 14" worm. He ended up the day with three fish that would have measured. I had one short strike on my first cast, resulting in a swing and a miss, with half the curly tail gone from my T-rig. Continuing to fish the abutments, I wasn't getting bit, while Mule was getting the occasional strike using crankbaits and a trap type lure.
With others fishing nearby abutments, we continued to toss T-rigged worms and I finally got my first fish as a TN resident, a short but chunky largemouth.
We moved on to other abutments, bypassing those being fished by others and I noticed bass busting shad on the surface. Thinking that the fish were up higher, I picked up a rod with an unweighted, wacky rigged stick bait. I found the perfect medicine for short fish as I picked up one after another.
Roger was gently teasing me about catching shorts, reminding me that he had caught keepers. I didn't care, I was in a boat with a new friend, enjoying the day and catching fish.
Our time was winding down when I tossed in between two abutments and felt a tap. I reeled down and set the hook into what felt like a much better bass.
I should have shouted to let Mule know I had a fish on, because he got on the trolling motor just as the bass dived under the bow of the boat! GONE!
He claims that he didn't realize I had a fish on and that he would have pulled the motor to clear the line, but I don't know, I think he was protecting his record of the only keepers of the day!
I didn't care, I had fun, I had a great morning and I'm looking forward to another day on the water with Lil Mule!
It was a great welcome to Tennessee in my book. Lil Mule, :You_Rock_Emoticon:
Steve