Available Fishing Guide:
Website: Darrell & Dads Family Guide Service
Woke up, hooked up the Hobie to the Jeep and headed down the road. Next stop, Lake Roesiger...... except as I started getting towards the turn I normally take to Goodwin, I noticed the time. I was a little tardy in leaving the house this morning, and decided to make the familiar turn towards Lake Goodwin instead. I've never been to Roesiger, but it will have to wait until next time.
In the water at 8ish. First fish in the bucket about 15 minutes later. Nice chunky 17 inch rainbow. Great start. It was windy though. Not bad enough to chase me off the water, but I knew I would be getting a work out pedaling the kayak. Next fish on about 10 minutes later, but this was one of the recent 6-8 inch plants they do every October. The lake gets about 17k every year of these. Make for nice fish that have fed naturally for awhile come spring, but too small for now. Released it unharmed. Next a good takedown on the downrigger, fun fight, got it right to the Hobie, and it popped off. Looked to be about the same size as the first. Later I thought I saw a little bump on the downrigger line, but that was it. Decided to check the line about 5 minutes later, sure enough another 6-8 inch guy on the other end. This one I had to hold in the water for a bit as I trolled to revive him. Luckily after about a minute he livened up and swam away. Got him about 5 feet from bottom. Usually don't find the small fish down there, they tend to stay closer to the surface and away from the bigger fish. Was very happy to see him swim off after getting dragged around for a bit.
Then the wind really picked up. I can deal with rain, but the wind makes fishing impossible for me trying to pedal a kayak. I couldn't keep a direction, and at times the wind would turn me completely around while I was trolling. My speed was all over the place. At time working my tail off trying to stay above 1mph, at other times just drifting over 2mph. I tried tacking into the wind, but it was way more work than I wanted to put in. My legs were screaming at me to get off the water.
I finished my day with 3 in the cooler, 1 at 16 inches, 1 at 16 1/2, and the other right at 17 inches. in between those I released 2 smaller fish, and had 3 more come unbuttoned at some point during their journey to the net before the wind chased me off the water.
Size 4 Olive Woolley Bugger and a size 6 green Doc Spratley with chrome Mack's Double D dodgers. 18 inches of leader. Downrigger at 20-25 feet, the other line with 1 1/2 ounces of lead. Equal action on both lines. Speed was all over the place due to the wind. Fish cut nice once again. Only a couple of boats on the water today. Would have been a great day if not for the wind. Stomachs still had bugs in them, but none were as full as they were a few weeks ago.
Available Fishing Guide:
Website: Darrell & Dads Family Guide Service