09-14-2006, 05:15 PM
[cool][font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][#0000ff]TubeBabe and I hit Rock Cliffs (Lake X) both Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. No concession to "Late Start Leaky". We just had things to do in the early morning.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Started at 3 and fished until after 6 on Tuesday. Sunny, mostly calm, water temp 68. Wore waders and wished we hadn't. It got toasty out on the water. Nice way to end the summer.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Fished from 11 AM to after 5 on Wednesday. Off and on westerly breezes all day, but never unfishable. Water temp started out at a cooler 66. Fished wet and wondered if we should have worn waders again. But, it warmed up to about 68 again in the warm afternoon.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Took us a while to find fish on Tuesday. Tried along the banks with no luck at all. Fished deeper water, up to 20 feet without finding any fish on sonar, except for a few trout cruising mid depth. Finally heeded the advice of other BFTers who had been scoring in the shallower water near the stickups and found some fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There were smaller perch almost anywhere there was a break in the growth near weeds or stickups. However, the larger fish were in 7-8 feet of water. When we found a school we scored doubles on our tandem rigs and got instant bites on single jigs or spinners. I even got a few hungry perch on the pearl shad lures I have been using for wipers at Willard.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We each got over 50 fish and between us probably kept about 30 fish over 9" for the fillet board. I got several perch around 11", but nothing bigger. No smallies on Tuesday. TubeBabe brought in our only troutski just as we were going in around 6. The trout seemed to be getting more active on the surface then.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Wednesday was BFT day at Rock Cliffs. We got there about 11 AM. Playas44 was already there and FishBoy2 arrived in the afternoon, after getting blown off Deer Creek.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe and I started where we had finished the day before. There were a few fish here and there, but no fast action. I worked in shallower and then back out deeper. Got some small perch shallow and one 11 inch smallie.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]At about 3 PM we compared notes and we both had only five or six keepers in the basket. TubeBabe did have a 16 inch trout too, and added another later. Then, the larger fish moved back in and started biting. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I got over a school in 8 feet of water and was scoring on a vertical drop as soon as my jig went out of sight in the algae bloom. I put several nice perch in the basket in short order. TubeBabe came to join me and the fish left...as usual.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I kept working that area and TubeBabe moved closer to the ramp, in an area we had done well just before leaving on Tuesday. She found more fish and I kicked over to join her. About fifty yards before I got there, I saw some fish on sonar and dropped down to check them out. Game on.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I dropped my marker buoy and we both fished our respective spots for the next hour and a half. We each caught well over a hundred perch and we kept a total of about sixty or so that were over 9 inches. My biggest was about 10.5 inches and I think TubeBabe had a couple in that range also. I did lose two or three that would have been over 12 inches. They were inexperienced fish that didn't know how to hang on until they were lifted aboard. They accidently let go of the hook just as they reached the surface.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]During the "flurry", I kept changing rigs and jigs to try to find something they WOULD NOT hit. Couldn't do it. Anything we sent down...with or without bait tipping...got bit. However, we did best with small white or pearl plastics (and baitbugs) tipped with a small piece of worm or perch. We also caught a lot on 1 1/2" tubes with orange top and chartreuse bottom. Both of TubeBabe's slimers hit those jigs.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Bummer to find the fish cleaning station not working. But, we made a turnaround in a grassy area and saw a group of deer grabbing some groceries. They seemed pretty tame as I took their picture.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]When filleting the fish at home, we found small perchlets (2") in many of the fish. That is probably the reason the larger perch have moved shallow...to chow down on the little perch swarming in the vegetation near the inlet. The lake is dropping fast and who knows how long that area will still produce. But, while it's still good, there are a lot of willing perch there.[/#0000ff]
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[#333366] SUMMER'S END.JPG [/#333366][/url](147 KB) [/size][/black][/font] [font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=18525;"][#333366] RATTLER RAMP.JPG [/#333366][/url](216 KB) [/size][/black][/font] [font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=18526;"][#333366] TUBEBABE PERCHIN'.JPG [/#333366][/url](208 KB) [/size][/black][/font] [font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=18527;"][#333366] BABE & PERCH.JPG [/#333366][/url](190 KB) [/size][/black][/font] [font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=18528;"][#333366] BABE & TROUT.JPG [/#333366][/url](346 KB) [/size][/black][/font] [font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=18529;"][#333366] DAILY DOUBLE.JPG [/#333366][/url](171 KB) [/size][/black][/font] [font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=18530;"][#333366] GREEDY PERCHY.JPG [/#333366][/url](140 KB) [/size][/black][/font] [font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=18531;"][#333366] PRIME FILLETS.JPG [/#333366][/url](189 KB) [/size][/black][/font] [font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=18532;"][#333366] TUBEBABE'S BASKET.JPG [/#333366][/url](284 KB) [/size][/black][/font] [font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=18533;"][#333366] DA DUDE'S PERCHIES.JPG [/#333366][/url](279 KB) [/size][/black][/font] [font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=18534;"][#333366] OH DEERS.JPG [/#333366][/url](293 KB) [/size][/black][/font]
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[#0000ff]Started at 3 and fished until after 6 on Tuesday. Sunny, mostly calm, water temp 68. Wore waders and wished we hadn't. It got toasty out on the water. Nice way to end the summer.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Fished from 11 AM to after 5 on Wednesday. Off and on westerly breezes all day, but never unfishable. Water temp started out at a cooler 66. Fished wet and wondered if we should have worn waders again. But, it warmed up to about 68 again in the warm afternoon.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Took us a while to find fish on Tuesday. Tried along the banks with no luck at all. Fished deeper water, up to 20 feet without finding any fish on sonar, except for a few trout cruising mid depth. Finally heeded the advice of other BFTers who had been scoring in the shallower water near the stickups and found some fish.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There were smaller perch almost anywhere there was a break in the growth near weeds or stickups. However, the larger fish were in 7-8 feet of water. When we found a school we scored doubles on our tandem rigs and got instant bites on single jigs or spinners. I even got a few hungry perch on the pearl shad lures I have been using for wipers at Willard.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We each got over 50 fish and between us probably kept about 30 fish over 9" for the fillet board. I got several perch around 11", but nothing bigger. No smallies on Tuesday. TubeBabe brought in our only troutski just as we were going in around 6. The trout seemed to be getting more active on the surface then.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Wednesday was BFT day at Rock Cliffs. We got there about 11 AM. Playas44 was already there and FishBoy2 arrived in the afternoon, after getting blown off Deer Creek.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]TubeBabe and I started where we had finished the day before. There were a few fish here and there, but no fast action. I worked in shallower and then back out deeper. Got some small perch shallow and one 11 inch smallie.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]At about 3 PM we compared notes and we both had only five or six keepers in the basket. TubeBabe did have a 16 inch trout too, and added another later. Then, the larger fish moved back in and started biting. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I got over a school in 8 feet of water and was scoring on a vertical drop as soon as my jig went out of sight in the algae bloom. I put several nice perch in the basket in short order. TubeBabe came to join me and the fish left...as usual.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I kept working that area and TubeBabe moved closer to the ramp, in an area we had done well just before leaving on Tuesday. She found more fish and I kicked over to join her. About fifty yards before I got there, I saw some fish on sonar and dropped down to check them out. Game on.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I dropped my marker buoy and we both fished our respective spots for the next hour and a half. We each caught well over a hundred perch and we kept a total of about sixty or so that were over 9 inches. My biggest was about 10.5 inches and I think TubeBabe had a couple in that range also. I did lose two or three that would have been over 12 inches. They were inexperienced fish that didn't know how to hang on until they were lifted aboard. They accidently let go of the hook just as they reached the surface.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]During the "flurry", I kept changing rigs and jigs to try to find something they WOULD NOT hit. Couldn't do it. Anything we sent down...with or without bait tipping...got bit. However, we did best with small white or pearl plastics (and baitbugs) tipped with a small piece of worm or perch. We also caught a lot on 1 1/2" tubes with orange top and chartreuse bottom. Both of TubeBabe's slimers hit those jigs.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Bummer to find the fish cleaning station not working. But, we made a turnaround in a grassy area and saw a group of deer grabbing some groceries. They seemed pretty tame as I took their picture.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]When filleting the fish at home, we found small perchlets (2") in many of the fish. That is probably the reason the larger perch have moved shallow...to chow down on the little perch swarming in the vegetation near the inlet. The lake is dropping fast and who knows how long that area will still produce. But, while it's still good, there are a lot of willing perch there.[/#0000ff]
[/size][/black][/font] [font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][size 1]Attachments:[/size][/font] [font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=18524;"]
[#333366] SUMMER'S END.JPG [/#333366][/url](147 KB) [/size][/black][/font] [font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=18525;"][#333366] RATTLER RAMP.JPG [/#333366][/url](216 KB) [/size][/black][/font] [font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=18526;"][#333366] TUBEBABE PERCHIN'.JPG [/#333366][/url](208 KB) [/size][/black][/font] [font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=18527;"][#333366] BABE & PERCH.JPG [/#333366][/url](190 KB) [/size][/black][/font] [font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=18528;"][#333366] BABE & TROUT.JPG [/#333366][/url](346 KB) [/size][/black][/font] [font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=18529;"][#333366] DAILY DOUBLE.JPG [/#333366][/url](171 KB) [/size][/black][/font] [font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=18530;"][#333366] GREEDY PERCHY.JPG [/#333366][/url](140 KB) [/size][/black][/font] [font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=18531;"][#333366] PRIME FILLETS.JPG [/#333366][/url](189 KB) [/size][/black][/font] [font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=18532;"][#333366] TUBEBABE'S BASKET.JPG [/#333366][/url](284 KB) [/size][/black][/font] [font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=18533;"][#333366] DA DUDE'S PERCHIES.JPG [/#333366][/url](279 KB) [/size][/black][/font] [font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=18534;"][#333366] OH DEERS.JPG [/#333366][/url](293 KB) [/size][/black][/font][signature]
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