Made a total bone head decision this morning and ran up to Lake Wiser...one problem...No motorized vessels allowed from October ?? to March 15th! Oops, forgot that one! Made a couple casts from shore and left. I was going to head for Fazon since I was in the area but I know how much waterfowl hunting goes on there and didn't want to chance it so I back tracked to Clear lake to try my luck again.

If the water gets much higher here the road will disappear haha. I launched on the west shallower gravel side and tried that area with the swim jig. Fished up the pilings cutting over to the east side of them and continuing deeper. Tried the swim jig, a standard jig, spinnerbait and Senko and all came up empty. Water temps were 49* and the water clarity had worsened since my last visit as the water is a dingy brown now. Left the pilings and worked the NE shore near the launch road and the pilings there, again didn't even spook one. I decided at this point to motor south and fish the big flat. Jigs, swim jig, T-rigged worms, and spinnerbait in the pads and near the pilings and flipping rigs all along the shore blanked from the SW corner clear down past the big lone dock in the SE corner.

As the day unfolded I pretty much accepted the fact that the late Fall / early Winter stage has arrived. With water temps under 50* now these fish should begin to slip out deeper and stage on transition banks and outside weed edges and bottom breaks. Slower techniques and lethargic fish await! :(

I had two ideas on what to try, first I motored out from the flat and threw marker buoys out where the grass stops and the depth drops from about 8 feet to 16-25 feet in places. I would position in line with my buoys and throw various offerings along the weed edge. This didn't produce, this time, but can be very effective. Lipless cranks, T-rigs and a 3/8-1/2oz swim jigs all failed to produce here.

Second idea was to fish the steep bank on the east side, this is the bank directly across from the concrete ramp side. Here I slowed way down and broke out Ol' Faithful, my 1/4oz jig with a Zoom trailer. I flipped it up near shore and around the various laydowns here and slowly bounced the bait back out deeper. I kept the boat in about 10-12 feet. Finally, as the jig came up over a laydown trunk, I saw a white flash underneath it and set the hook! I never felt the bite but there was definitely a bass on! Swung him in the boat, got a weight and away he went, slowly... 2.4lbs and I'll take it and narrowly escape a skunk.

I had one other bite on piling point with a T-rigged worm and that was it. Launched at 10am and left at 2pm. I'll watch for stable barometers from now until February/March. Deep diving cranks, drop shots and C-rigs will have to suffice for now...

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