Fishing with Jeff and Don 3/27/16

Repeat customers, Jeff Smith, and his friend, Don, met me at my house this morning at 6:30. They drove down from Michigan, and were hungry, so after stopping to top off the gas tank in the Ranger, we headed to Boppers for some breakfast.

Since it is Easter Sunday, I figured Catawba would be relatively slow traffic-wise, so we launched there this morning. I was right, and the parking lot was only half full, compared to the jam packed lot it usually is on the nice weekends.

We headed out to the area between D can and Niagara Reef, and started setting baits out. We began with Bandits on one side and Deep Husky Jerks on the other side. Jeff, who was setting the Bandits, was putting his second one out when the first Off Shore board went back...fish on! Woot! Woot! That's how I like to start a trip!

After the second Bandit caught a fish, we switched up to running both sides with Bandits at 45-55 back. The "Green Clown", (which I keep calling "Cheap Sunglasses"), Blue/Chrome, and Fire Tiger were our best colors. Speed was set at 1.4, but as the waves were building, the boat was surging between 1.2 and 1.6mph.
We made one long pass and caught 11. We decided to go back up for one more fish, where the marks were more prevalent, and caught the 12th fish within 10 minutes of setting lines out again.

The guys said they needed to get back to MI for their Easter dinners with their families, so we headed in. It was a very fun morning on the water today, and that makes me happy. :)

A father and his two sons will join me on my next adventure on Tuesday, so....

Stay tuned...

Capt Juls

Nice report again!

Question, do you think there is a difference in the action between Bandits and the Husky Jerks? Why one may be better on certain days. If they are close in size, and colors being used?

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Originally Posted by cycleguy

Nice report again!

Question, do you think there is a difference in the action between Bandits and the Husky Jerks? Why one may be better on certain days. If they are close in size, and colors being used?

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Yes. They may be close in size, but the shape, and the size/shape of the bill is what gives them the action. They are very different in shape. The Bandit has a more bulbous head, while the DHJ is very streamlined.

I'm sure if I had kept the DHJ's out, they would have produced. I'm just impatient that way....;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Capt Juls

Yes. They may be close in size, but the shape, and the size/shape of the bill is what gives them the action. They are very different in shape. The Bandit has a more bulbous head, while the DHJ is very streamlined.

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Thank you for that feedback… none of the local stores stock them so I have never seen 'em. Hedged all my bets on a small assortment of DHJ-12's for my first trip there next week. Being these things aren't used in my local fishing, only extending myself $$ wise so far.

Thank you again for all the great reports and info

Well done Capt Juls
Thanks for sharing

Nice report Capt. Juls. Happy Easter!

Cycleguy, I am sure you can find the hot color bandits at a bait shop close to where you will be fishing, at very reasonable prices, these here guys know them all.

When you arrive, buy a couple of the colors that were hot yesterday. You might get a few good tips from the store owner. I know I have.

you had a great day we struggled to get 8 in the same area heard you on the radio put out a reef runner cheap sun glasses took 3 and lost 1 on it thanks for sharing

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cycleguy

Thank you for that feedback… none of the local stores stock them so I have never seen 'em. Hedged all my bets on a small assortment of DHJ-12's for my first trip there next week. Being these things aren't used in my local fishing, only extending myself $$ wise so far.

Thank you again for all the great reports and info

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Check DreamCatcher Baits on Rt 2 east of Davis Bessie also Magee East on Rt 2 west of Davis Bessie they may have some of the hot custom colors also, and Happy Hooker on Rt 2 west of Bessie also. These are all in the Davis Bessie area give or take a mile or 2 from the cooling tower. They are all west of Port Clinton and right off shore from this area is where the jig bite is happening. Several private ramps in the area also.

Then there is Rickards more or less on the corner of RT 163 and RT 53 across from the McDonalds and further East on RT 163 there is Highway Baits and they should also have them. They may have some of the hot custom colors also. Both of these shops are east of Port Clinton.

In Port Clinton there is Fishermens Wharf and they should also have them.

Great info Wakina! Nice compilation of shops with a large current selection.

Rickards is on my way to Catawba. Don't know for sure on the custom colors but Rickards has a huge selection of Bandits, as well as all other hot cranks. Cabelas and Field & Stream in Columbus don't even compare when it comes to selection of current hot items. At least that is my opinion.

Question to all of you: When at Rickards a few weeks ago I asked the kind lady to ad a woman's touch to my tackle and pick out 5 cranks she liked. Two of them were big winners over the weekend for me. A purple with green stripe on back Deep Bandit with Shad in the name (I threw away the package) and

A pink or purple solid color glow in the dark Bandit. We let the glow in the dark set in the sun, thinking that would charge it like the glow in the dark stuff I played with as a kid in the 70's. We caught one eye about 10 minutes after it hit the water and then continued to let it in the sun to charge a few minutes before putting it back in the water. Am I correct in my thinking of charging the glow Bandit before droping it back in or am I just wasting time with the lure out of the water.

This may seem too analytical for a rookie to some of you but it is just my nature to better understand something and how it actually works, especially if it might increase my success rate a few points.

It only takes a few seconds in the beam of a bright flashlight to bring a glow-in-the-dark lure back to life. Using that technique on Cleos and KO's in the dark at Walnut Run produced a lot of steelhead. I'm sure it will also work on walleye. A camera flash also works and cuts your down time way down. Just close your eyes before you shoot. Herb's, on E. Catawba Rd just south of Cemetery Rd has Bandits also.

Thanks Dr. Ed.

Sorry to hijack your report Capt. Juls.