Water Dogs~ Perch Report

[LEfriend]

Strange day. Two of us started Tues morning about 8:30 at crib reef based on several reports. Good marks, but nothing but gobies. Made short move. More gobies. Made another move to deeper water. Out of gobies, but not into perch. Thanks to Golden Eagle heard report of slow pick at D can. Ran towards there. Stopped well short of it and searched. Marks but no perch. Was by then 10-30 to 11 AM and had yet to catch our first perch. Finally made the move all the way to D and set up west of pack on some promising marks. Finally a few perch, but very slow pick. About 12-12:30ish we had maybe 18 but then the wind died, lake went flat, and it got hotter than heck. This is it I thought. We're done.

Cast my skipper 9 rig out on my dead stick and by chance laid it down with bail open to let it drop. Decided to check my second rod. Cranked it up and missing some bait so re-bated (took a couple minutes to cut goldies and freshen 3 hooks) and tossed it out, again with bail open to let it sink. Picked up first rod to tighten the line after it had laid for several minutes. Woah, had a nice double on. Took them off, re-baited, and tossed that first rod out - again with bail open - and let it drop and lay. Picked up second rod that had also been laying, to tighten that line. Woah, another double. Repeated re-baiting process and then picked up the first rod that had been laying on bottom for several minutes a second time. Woah, another very nice perch!

At this point I told my buddy to give that a try. He opened his bail, let the bait go flat and undisturbed for several minutes. Woah, first time he picked his up, had another double. It was on! For the next hour and a half or so we fished exclusively that way and - on a table top flat, scorching hot, full sun mid-afternoon - went from 18 fish to a nice 60 fish limit. They only wanted it on the bottom, undisturbed, for several minutes! You couldn't buy a bite any other way. Hold the rod they wouldn't touch it. Put it in a holder, even if it was hanging only one inch off the bottom, they wouldn't touch it. Slow lift, nothing. But just leave it lay out there for a while, and tighten up and they were already hooked! (Did have more than usual gut hooks...)

Dangest hour or so I can remember in a while. The 60 went 19# at cleaners, so not as big as have been getting but still 3 to a pound and nice uniform fat fish. We didn't have any 11's but also didn't keep anything less than 8+ except for a couple gut hooks. Thanks again to Golden Eagle for giving us the tip. And boy was that last hour hot!