I left work Thursday evening and got to the hotel around 2 A.M. I had Friday to prefish and due to Hurricane Laura, all the local hotels were either out of power or were fully booked by power line crews. So, I was forced to stay about a 45 minute drive away. Needless to say, I didn’t get a lot of time to prefish, so I had to make the most out of time. I first wanted to try and establish a pattern and then, if possible, try and find an area to fish. I had a few places that I wanted to check out, but due to time constraints, was not able to hit all those spots. I was able to figure out a pattern relating to baitfish but was not able to find a good area that I liked. Thankfully, when loading up my kayak at the ramp, I was able to talk to a local fisherman. I asked him about some of the other areas that I was looking at and with his help was able to lock in my starting spot for Saturday.
Saturday morning, I ended up launching at a spot that I didn’t prefish. We could launch at 6 A.M. and fishing started at 6:30. Because I didn’t know this spot, I decided to stick close to the ramp and wait until it got lighter for better visibility. While sitting there waiting until lines in, I saw and heard several fish busting on top. I knew topwater was going to be in play for the first part of the day. My starting spot ended up being a small creek that opened up into a main channel that had some “cheese” built up and it just looked froggy.
- 6:50- Working the frog across the top and a 18” crushes it for my first fish.
- 6:56- 2 casts later, I get blown up by a 16.5”.
- 7:20- Still working the frog, I get a blow up but the fish missed. I immediately follow up with a senko and catch a 13”.
This is a two-day event, so I decide to leave this area for Sunday and continue to explore the area and look for a few more productive areas. I look for some more “froggy” areas but never find anything that set up like the first area. But my gut was telling me to stick to the topwater, so I tie on a sexy shad popper. I miss a few small bites as I continue to fish trough the channels and then I come up to a grass flat and I start throwing the popper along the outside edge.
- 10:29- A 13.75” smokes the popper. I fish through this area but don’t get any more bites. As I am leaving, I see a big cloud of mud kick up from the bottom and a wake behind a fish as it swims off. Not sure if it is a bass, but make a mental note to hit this spot on Sunday.
I continue to fish my way out to the main lake throwing other crankbaits, but don’t get any bites. Finally, I get to where the channel opens into the main lake and find several grass flats. I work my way along the grass lines with the popper, and have a few short strikes and hook up with two bass before they jump and spit the hook. I tell myself to just stick to the popper and not pick up another rod.
- 1:28- I make a cast towards the grass line and make one twitch of the rod when a 15” bass blows up on the popper.
- 1:44- I catch a 13.25” to upgrade from my 13”. Again, caught on the popper.
I ended the day catching 6 measurable fish and 3 shorts. And had roughly 6 fish that either got off or missed the bait. I ended Saturday feeling very confident that I have figured out a lure and an area that was producing some good fish. At the end of the day I had a 3” lead going into Sunday. Sunday morning, I start back where I got the frog bites, and catch an 11”. So, I move on to get out to the main lake - to the grass lines.
- 7:05- On my way through the channels, I see a laydown that I just can’t pass up. I make a cast working the popper along the outside of the limbs when a 15” hits.
- 7:49- I get to the first grass flat where I had scared up a fish the day before. This time I am more cautious of my boat positioning as I work the popper along the grass line, and a 19.5” jumps completely out of the water attacking the popper.
- 9:47- I throw the popper along the grass line and I can see a fish waking behind the lure, so I twitch it another time when a 14.75” erupts on the lure.
- 10:35- I am fishing the popper along the grass and a fish rolls but misses, I follow up with a senko and catch a 12”.
I make another pitch with the senko along the grass
line and feel a tick. I hook into a giant that breaks me off. At this point, I
check the leaderboard and know that I just need one more fish to seal the win,
so I go back to the popper. I end up missing 3 more bites.
- 12:19- I see a school of fish busting on the surface so I make a cast with the popper, but don’t have any takers. I switch to a 3.25 swimbait and reel it across the top of the grass flat. I see a fish follow it all the way to the kayak, and give it one quick twitch. The 15.75” swirls on the bait. I finally have fish #5.
I switched back to the popper to end the day, but never get any upgrades. I ended Sunday catching 5 measurable fish and 2 shorts and missed 4 fish. Overall, it was a tough weekend down in the bayou. I am very blessed to walk away with the win.
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