Blue Raider Bob

2-28-23 Water Temp mid sixties. Things are happening fast with the current warming trend. The Bluegills are increasingly active around the dock and come running when the feed hits the water. The LMB are no longer stacked in the north bays but are free roaming in loose packs close to the banks. However all activity is still in the northern half of pond. There is very little activity in the southern half, the exception being scattered small BG and last years BG and LMB fingerlings. I believe it will be in my best interest to continue targeting lake fish in the northern sections of area lakes but river fishing will continue to be a mystery.

One thing about the Canadian geese. They actually live here. The female (Gigi) dislocated her wing crashing into the power line by the pond, (I'm assuming). She couldn't leave because her wing just weakly flapped when she tried it. She was here for a couple of years until one day I guess it flapped back into its socket. She could all of a sudden fly. Well by that time she had found a friend, (Ralph). And she and Ralph began to travel from our pond to a local pond a mile away daily. Then last spring we saw Ralph every day but not Gigi. To our surprise one morning there was Gigi, with a brand new gosling, just one. Well the three of them spent the summer and fall on the pond, then started the routine days at our place and evenings at the farm pond. Other geese would mingle and evidently her gosling found his own mate because its just Gigi and Ralph now.

We've got 'um! Don't want to head butt our Buck though. He's north of 250 and does not move when pushed. The big girl in the first picture is also north of 250 but she's gentle (thanks goodness)! Been there done that with the headbutt. It was long, long, ago when we were young and I used to chug too many brews. Well I bent my head towards a goat that just jumped up on a picnic table and that goat saw a play opportunity. It missed my forehead but hit me under an eye. I laid on the ground and bled like a stuck pig, but I had the prettiest shiner ever for weeks. No sympathy from the little woman though. That's what I got for acting a fool!

yes!

Katy our fishing friends may not be in the know. Here's what she's talking about!

The quote was funny. No issues here. I have not seen Maggie nor have I seen anything over two pounds. Maybe they are holding in the deep end and will re-appear soon. Haven't seen an otter in weeks but they usually drop by at night anyway. They use a communal latrine area near the dock so I'm always aware of their visits. It will be piles of scales.

Same here. We are expecting highs Sunday in the upper 50's. I'm heading for the Cumberland, or the Tennessee rivers. Surface temps in my pond were 68 yesterday. Yo-yo for sure!

Due to the ongoing warm weather, surface temp was 68 deg. yesterday. This has created pond wide activity. The Bluegills are moving toward the commercial feed when it hits the water. They always have to wait until it softens before they consume. If not soft enough, they intake and expel quickly. As the water warms through the spring, their tolerance for the harder bait increases to the point that mid-summer, there is little lag time between the bait hitting the water and consumption. In one of the pictures, you can see a LMB about two pounds checking out the activity. They will not eat commercial feed but they are attracted to the commotion. When the water warms, it is not uncommon for a LMB to crash the party at feeding time. Unfortunately the Canada Geese also move to the feeder when they hear it activate. They have a taste for floating fish food and they do not wait until the bluegill have eaten. It's always something, isn't it?

I'll never complain about our mosquitos again! You're still welcome to come on down here, but I changed my mind about following you back up! ?

Need more info.......what did you catch it on, when we going back?!

18 Acres is a lake to me. Great job on the map! I love wading! Grew up doing it all summer in the swamps. Hate to hear about your mosquitos. I bet you dunk down when they get unbearable. Ours had navigation lights to go along with the gear back home so I know what you mean. Its not bad in middle Tennessee. They're angry but they're not lethal. Thanks Alex! Gasket blown! I have not seen Maggie, my 5.3 LMB in weeks. I am terrified of what may have happened.

You're welcome to join us down here but when you go back home in the summer to visit, I'm going too! That knowledge would help us almost as much as it helps the minnows! If we knew what triggered, and what satisfied, then we would be closer to our goals.......not really...I still wouldn't be satisfied. Always want one more Bass.

Pond Observations 2-21-23 Warming trend has pond surface temps at 62 deg. Larger size Bluegills have separated from schools and spread out while the smaller fish tend to stay grouped. Bluegills are also starting to eat pelletized fish food albeit slowly, and only when the food softens up for several minutes. There is no urgency in their movements unless startled. LMB are roaming either as loners or in small groups of two and three. They are never still but are always slowly on the move. This tells me that a particular targeted area of water may be bereft of fish at times but since they are always on the move, re-visiting the area later may be of value. They are staying within 10' of the bank.

Dang! My heads about to explode! Great bunch of monsters!

You got the high winds I got yesterday but you kicked their butts, while I just shook my fist and complained to the weather gods! Sounds like an "EPIC" day! Great Job!

I think its bad enough we stick them in the mouth with a hook, pull them from their homes, scare the heck out of them, then throw them back for our enjoyment. I'm not going to stick a needle in their air bladders after all that. I'll just fish shallow. I'm not that mad at em'! Besides, what is the puncture in the bladder supposed to do, heal up? Do we know it does heal, and how long does it take? With an open puncture, what happens to the bass when it returns to the depths? If it can release pressure one way, it can dang sure release in in the other direction. This can't be good for the fish. I can't in good consience, increase an obvious mortality rate. Just my humble thoughts.

I shouldn't have gone under those conditions but us fishbrains do things like that. When you look forward to Sunday's all week, it is difficult to be talked out of it. Hopefully I can start to get out Wednesdays after lunch soon. The mini-chatterbait put lots of vibrations in the water and allowed the little fella to find me.....either that or I snagged him in the lips by accident.

Katy, I went to my favorite ramp several miles below the dam. I knew the water would be high but I was shocked at how high. The river was over the fishing pier that I use for a fishing gauge. (See the pics in the thread "Show your fishing holes", first posting). This activated plan B, which is the main Lake of Nickajack. It is an hour and fifteen minutes away from my home so I am not turning around and driving home without a fight. The water at the ramp at Shellmound, (Nickajack Lake proper), was muddy and full of floating grass. I put in intending to get out of the wind the best I could but no takers wherever I tried. Finally I braved the wind to fish a point that the river channel touched that I have caught fish before. Using a mini-chatterbait with a swimbait tail, I was able to fool a pounder but that was it. At least no SKUNK! Another hour or two being miserable compelled my to cry UNCLE, and head home. At least I can sit at my pond and watch the Bluegill eat the fish food pellets.

I am continuing to be humbled by my area lakes. Yesterday on Nickajack Lake, one of the Tennessee River chain impoundments, I fished hard in the high muddy water. 30 MPH wind gusts made it difficult, and I only caught one dink. There was floating grass in the muddy water everywhere. There was hardly a retrieve that wasn't fouled. If I didn't love fishing so much, I would hate it! Water still under 50 deg. Last year spoiled me because I usually catch fish every trip with some river trips bring 40 or better. I think the gods of the river are paying me back for my arrogance!

Only three? I'd have have to catch 17 and a half!

I do not have a 12" screen. I have a 9" screen and I will tell you I really like the touchscreen. It is a simple as touching a button to change from livescope to traditional, side-view, ect. or whatever custom combo pages you create. I do not need the ability to adjust sensitivity, or gain, but if you are satisfied with factory pre-sets, or your own customizes options, then the touch screen may work for you.

I enjoy my sonar to the point that I look at the screen almost as much as I look to the water. Is that a bad thing? I thought so at first, but I realized that I enjoy the screen time as well as the water time. It's part of the fishing experience for me. I enjoy watching schools of fish past in front or under my boat. I also enjoy viewing structure that I pass over that without sonar, I would not have known existed. I get a kick out of jigging a Ned Rig in front of on screen fish that approach, then eat the jig. I also like to know water depth, and temperature at all times.

So you left Memphis too! Memphis Central Alum class of 78' Left 33 yrs ago. Sure do miss fishing Eastern Arkansas and northern Mississippi. Tunica Cutoff was the most fun a man can have back in the day!

Yes that's hard to imagine. Think of catching five one pound crappie, and realizing that Lionel's was bigger than the group! I was at Reelfoot one day catching dinks when I came up on an old man in a wooden boat. He said he only got two but they was some biggun's. I took a look. He had an big ole old Blue igloo cooler and his biggest crappie's nose was folded up on one side, and the tail was folded up on the other. The crappie was so old it was white. Hardly any color. I said it was a big drum until the old man picked it up and it's mouth opened. I was, and still am speechless. It was bigger than any bass I had ever caught up to then. I'm not likely to see another five pound crappie again. That was 45 years ago.