Lincoln Beach report 9-2-20

[catchinon]

Got to actually fishing about 10:00 this morning. I decided to head about 700 yards from the jaws and drag down toward the orchards. The catching was pretty steady, averaging a fish every half hour. Bait was baby white bass cut in two. I caught a small cat followed by a pair of 24.5s. When I got down by the mouth of the L I tied into a fish that felt bigger though not really huge. As I got it up top I saw it was a good-sized cat but didn't think it would give me a bump, but the closer he got the bigger he looked. Then I noticed that I was having a hard time getting him to fit inside the net. "Hey, wait a minute, that's a really big head," I thought to myself. Then I groaned as I tried to heft him over the gunwale. I got the hook out quickly and flopped him down beside my yardstick. To my pleasant surprise he looked to be over 30 inches, maybe even 30.5. When I got around to measuring and photographing him he barely crossed the 30" mark. I was thrilled but had really wanted him to be 30.5 so he would add to our Top 10 contest score. Oh well, I'm sure he has a big brother or old granddad lurking out there somewhere just waiting for us.

I ended up with 6 fish in the 3 hours I was out. The water was 68° when I started and got up near 70° by the time I left at 1:00. The lake was very calm, with winds in the 2-3 mph range. I fished in the 8-foot-something depth range. There was nobody there when I arrived, I mean nobody at all. Didn't see a person anywhere. When I was leaving, a boat mechanic was testing a nice big boat in the harbor, but that was it. I didn't feel too safe with no boats around to hail if I needed help so after pictures I headed home. Besides, how many 30 inchers are you likely to catch in one day? I'll be back again tomorrow and the next day and the next.

It seems that the last couple of years there have been no, or few, fish entered in the contest in September. Why do you think that is? Do you think that this year will be any different?