On the water.....

Hey gang, I've been focusing the bulk of my personal and guiding efforts this year on our smaller local lakes, but I got out yesterday on Okauchee.

The conditions were quite different than I had imagined them to be before we hit the water. The water was very high, which I knew, but the water is very dirty even before one considers the heavy algae bloom going on right now.

I just wanted to point out that when conditions like this come along, it becomes critical to fish slower than normal. Put the crankbaits away, and break out the jigs, grubs and texas rigged plastics. Even a split shot rig can be a great option right now. While we were out yesterday, the key to getting bit was to do what Charlie Brewer once described as "polishing the rocks." It can be hard, given most people's run and gun tendencies to do this, but in one case yesterday, it took more than 20 casts to the same general spot to trigger a bite, and even then I only got bit when I stopped my jig for a couple seconds.

Falling water is one of those things that will almost always shrink a fish's active strike zone. By slowing down, you're giving them a little longer to consider your presentation. It worked well enough for us yesterday that we boated 9 bass and 11 northerns in just a couple hours of fishing. Back at the dock, people thought we were lying, the same people who we were watching fish spinners and cranks.

Just some food for thought.
CT