Well last year was the only time I can remember not renting the floating cabins, but was really ready for a fishing extravaganza! Of course, we had to take "Too-Much" stuff for a short trip, but my wife and daughter bring a lot. I even said something and they both looked at all of my fishing gear.... Point taken. hahaha
The Cabin...
It was quite busy down there. The water was literally hot, so I wasn't sure if there was going to be anything in the lake at this point. I fished for bass around the lake only to catch about 7 bass, in which only one made the flip up to my hand. These were baby bass, only like 6-10 inches. Went back to the cabin so we could get dinner at the new Tin-Fish that just opened. Foods pretty good there, but a bit on the pricey side. I got a lobster role which was quite excellent and had huge chunks of lobster, but it was a $25 sandwich... Yikes! The other food wasn't quite as expensive as most things were $8-$16, but I wanted the lobster!
After a tasty dinner, we went back to the cabin and prepared for catfishing. I kept the lights off, and the neighbors were all getting their catfish rods out. The cabin next to me had a guy warn me about the mosquitos. Not my first rodeo, so I wasn't too worried..... Then in hindsight, I should have listened. It was like a black cloud of mosquitos rose from the water followed by more bats that I've ever seen down there. They were literally hitting my line and attacking the bait on every cast. My arms, neck and legs were raw from all of the bites and I got on the long sleeve and loaded up with repellent.... Didn't scare them off. They were biting through my shirt and used the bug repellent as a sauce for their dinner. YIKES!
Doors during the day...
They put different doors on as in the past they had a screen door so you could fish inside and hear the bells go off when you got one, but these HD doors were totally quiet. I forgot the glow sticks, so it was even more of a challenge to fish that first night.
I missed a couple of bites, but fell asleep on the couch with a couple of baits out. I woke up in the middle of the night to no bells going off, so went back to bed.
The next morning, I started reeling in the one line and it was straight under the cabin and wrapped around every piling down there! I know this lake has not been heavily stocked and it gets pounded 7 days a week for 365 days a year, so it had to be one of the older smarter catfish that has survived the onslaught over the years.
I reeled in rod #2 which is my bigger rod (Shimano Bait runner 3500) which I casted a head out. I reeled it a flattened skull. Not a single piece of meat on that paper thin mack skull.
I continued to fish from the docks and deck and stopped to make breakfast. Afterwards, my daughter and I took a walk around the lake fishing along the way. She had a few bass bites, but nothing stuck. I hooked about 12 of the little bastards, but everyone of them jumped off the hook. As we were getting back to the cabins, a guy hooks up and catches a 7+ pound bass using the same plastic I was throwing.... My daughter had fun with that one....
We went back to the cabin as it was getting hot as hell and we chilled in the AC for a bit.
We took the paddle boat out for a bit and kept fishing for nothing, so time to paddle back for c*cktails and grilling.
My daughter said she wanted to draw something, but didn't know what. I said draw all of us at the cabins, and for a really quick sketch.... it came out pretty good!
She asked me what to draw next and I said "A bass eating a baby duck". I knew this would annoy my wife because she loves baby ducks, and Hannah didn't disappoint. hahahahaha
The only bummer is all the new homes in the background. It was always such a beautiful view down there, but the houses totally take away from it. I had a carp rod out at all times also, but it never got bit up to this part of the story.
After eating, it started to get dark with no bites yet. The bats and mosquitos came out on cue, but I picked up some glow sticks for this night. Fairly early I got bit, so had Hannah catch the first fish. I wasn't planning on eating any of them, so I chucked it back.
We kept getting bites, but they must have been yellow bullheads. I didn't want to downsize the bait for them, so kept with some bigger chunks. I needed a glory fish! I finally hook one on a mackerel head that is smoking my bait runner! Hannah was pretty stoked, only to actually hear it jump in the darkness and pull the hook. What the hell? Bass or a jumping catfish??? Hannah and I kept getting smaller bites after that and we went inside to survive the blood sucking onslaught.
I slept on the couch facing the windows so I could see the rods getting bit. I fished all night and only got one more cat out of it, but it was a big headed weird colored one which means it's been in that nasty lake for a bit...
I woke up at first light after a few hours of sleep and started bass fishing. Bass were busting the entire shoreline! I switched to a small dropshot to mimic the baits the bass were going for, but those bastards were just swimming by it and hitting the live bait! I switched up rigs multiple times and couldn't get a sniff. After 20 minutes of bass busting the shoreline, they were gone... GRRRR!!!!!
I decided to just go back and rest in the AC, eat some food I shouldn't be eating and put out a carp rod. I also played a bit with my new camera and had some fun experimenting with that.
Hannah joined me on a carp hunt as she's gotten some huge carp out of here when she was really little.
We both got bit a few times by carp, but couldn't have one stay on the hook for the life of us! Even Hannah was saying she can't believe how many fish we were losing!
We called it quits to take a ride around the lakes and check some things out. I slipped away on the paddle boat when I got back and started throwing the alabama rig which was perfect for the size bait I was seeing around!
I must have gotten hit a dozen times, but swear they were only hitting the lure without the hook. I finally got one about 10" and went to get a picture, when the bass flopped and the phone slipped out of my hand. I went reaching for the phone as the bass hit the gunnel and back in the water... Oye VEY!
I trolled an LC around the lake seeing if that would change up my luck, but it didn't... So I went back to let the girls take the paddleboat out.
The girls then had their time to go around the lake and feed every duck in it. lol
I tried for carp again and had 3 or 4 fish on, but they wouldn't pull the line tight. They would just slowly swim under the dock and before you could react to the line dropping, it was too late and they were wrapping on pilings! So frustrating! Finally the carp bite died, and I just went on a walk around the camp ground with my girls.
Last night here, so had to make it count!
Well, the cats were more prevalent tonight as we caught a bunch of them, but they were all the nasty ones and nothing that even resembled fresh stocked.
I couldn't deal with all of the mosquitoes and every repellent I bought did not work, so I did a lot of fishing inside the AC watching the glow sticks. The bites became fewer and further between hits, but I managed 1 every 2 hours which kind of sucked. I literally stayed up until 4am and hit the sack for an hour so I would hopefully capitalize on the bass bite in the morning.
Morning came in a flash of an eye and I grabbed the rod with a couple of go-to baits that I was hoping would work. Even Hannah got up and came out to cheer me on. I hooked 4 of those bastards, all about 2 to 4 pounds... Everyone of them jumped and threw the hook. Hannah didn't even tease me at this point because she couldn't believe the luck I was having, and just like that, the bite stopped.
We had to be out of the cabins by 10:30, so I fished for carp while I packed. I also tried to get a few last good photos.
Hannah yells, you have a carp on! I ran down the dock and it literally dropped the bait as I was grabbing the rod. Hannah just dropped her head at me as I was feeling defeated. I put on some more carp bait and tossed it out. Within 5 minutes I was on again, but somehow kept him out of the pilings! It was a nice 15-18 pound carp and was really cool to see swimming at the surface. Hannah had the net ready and it made a quick run and the line went *PING*.... found a nick in the line apparently and I called it quits. The lake defeated me and I didn't even stay the last half-hour. I brought all the stuff home and let the girls just hang out to get every last minute in. I needed a quiet empty house, and almost got an hour of peace before they arrived home...
Oh well, the lakes bested me. I think I'm going to go back with the bicycle to get some carping in though. Those huge carp on light line are fun, but in the mean time, going to leave those lakes behind me for a little bit to let the black cloud blow away from it.
Thanks for reading.
