Little late getting this up.  This Report is from last Thursday 10-9

 

Set out from Patterson boat launch at the mouth of the Saginaw River at day break.  Originally, winds were forecasted for being light and variable. Winds were a little more brisk than light and variable running 8-12 mph out of the north.  Which, on the Saginaw bay wind from the north is the worst possible direction. As the waves are coming from lake huron and in theory the Canadian shore.  Waves were only running 1.0-1.5 On an inland lake wouldn’t be an issue.  Even if I had a glass 17ft boat it wouldn’t have been much of an issue.  In my 17 ft aluminum it was a bit bumpy and I got pretty wet in high 40’s F temp.  what should have been a 12-15 minute boat ride turned into a 40-45 minute boat ride to cover the 12 miles to reef which, is smack dab in the middle of the inner Saginaw bay. 

 

On the way out I followed the shipping channel out about 5-6 miles. I than took a hard right about 1.5 miles south of  bouy 8  “ The spark plug”.  While in the channel I passed the Canadian freighter the Algoma Explorer which, was heading up river to Zillwaukkee to unload salt.

 

After hanging the right.  I continued on to the reef only running about 15-17 mph ( usually I run 30-35 mph).  I get out there and the wind had let up a bit. Other than the adventure going out there. I didn’t really have much to show for running way out to the reef. other than catching a huge Jumbo perch on a Berkley max scent gobey ned rig.  Another boat showed up fishing for perch. I didn’t have a cooler so I gave them the perch.  after another 1.5 hours I figured the “ juice wasn’t worth squeeze”. I decided to make 40-45 minute run back towards The Kawkawlin River.  The Kawkalin River mouth is located 1.5 miles west of the mouth of the Saginaw River. Which, is where I had originally started. 

 

Shortly after getting inside the Kawkalin river mouth. I caught another 3lbs bass on a canadian craw fish ned rig.  Seems to be the common theme this summer and fall.  I am slaying them on ned rigs this year.  I’ve been able to get a good system down as far when I use what size ned jigs. So far i’ve only had to use 3 different colors; GP, Canadian craw fish, and berkley gobey/gobeylicous.  only thing i can’t discern is if it matters weather I throw the GP  or Canadian craw.  Both are dark green but the canadian craw has some red, gold and black flake mixed in. 

 

I lost a couple other fish. For the last month I have not felt the bass hit the ned rig. I believe the are just slurping the ned rig up while either  the lure is stationary on the bottom or as it is gliding down near the bottom. I’m running braid and flouro leader.  If I feel them bite the ned rig it means, they have already spit it out. 

 

Lastly I caught a fat 23 inch Northern pike on a jerk bait. He hit it like a Frieght train.  As soon as he hit it the pike started peeling drag. 

 

About 3pm the wind started picking up again and decided i needed to get going.  I motored out of the river and took of for the Saginaw River and went home.

 

Im hoping to go back out fishing friday.  I’m thinking i’ll head back to the bay. 

 

 

 

 

That's an exciting afternoon, Michael. I'd love seeing those big ships too. Your bass was chunky!

 

Good trip report, Russ. Another fun day with your crew.

 

Big one, Mr. Face!

Fished for 1.5 hours after work in the tiny kayak at the lakehouse and it was on fire, I lost count because I still had my work boots on and couldn’t count my toes……

 

All of them bit a green pumpkin zoom dead ringer, also lost 3-4. Every cast seemed like I was getting bit. Got LMB, SMB, and a spot 

 

 

9 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I lost count because I still had my work boots on and couldn’t count my toes……

 

Ha!

A couple big smallies (19~20"), and a muskie surprise (32"). Today is a good day for creek wade fishing. 

 

 

 

That's a long smallie. Your photo really shows off its gorgeous length. Beautiful markings on your musky too!

1 hour ago, Swamp Girl said:

That's a long smallie. Your photo really shows off its gorgeous length. Beautiful markings on your musky too!

 

Thanks! Not to boast, but it's actually not unusual to catch over 20" smallies in Harrisburg area rivers and creeks, especially during spring and fall. My buddy caught 13 smallies over 20" this year, and the other day one local guy told me his smallie record is 26".  The muskie, on the other hand, is not that usual here, so I am actually more excited about that. 

 

59 minutes ago, newapti5 said:

 

Thanks! Not to boast, but it's actually not unusual to catch over 20" smallies in Harrisburg area rivers and creeks, especially during spring and fall. My buddy caught 13 smallies over 20" this year, and the other day one local guy told me his smallie record is 26".  The muskie, on the other hand, is not that usual here, so I am actually more excited about that. 

 

 

The world record smallmouth was 27 inches long. 26 inches seems a stretch. 

Just a small one caught at pond that I never fished before. Just felt good to get one it has been awhile.

Ike, it's soooooo green there still. Big difference between NJ and ME's climates.

Finally landed on a solid surface bite. Been having some health issues so haven't been fishing much until this week. Walking bait Wednesday yielded a four pounder and a mass of super dinks 

15 hours ago, newapti5 said:

A couple big smallies (19~20"), and a muskie surprise (32"). Today is a good day for creek wade fishing. 

 

 

 

 

Nice fish.

 

How shallow was that muskie, doesn't look too deep there.

 

Same lure for both?

 

I miss wading rivers.

16 hours ago, newapti5 said:

Nice fish.

So what's it like being in the witness protection program ?

A-Jay

 

Had just an hour to fish today when I was in town. Fished a shallow spot that is right up front, but often overlooked because it's not juicy looking.

 

The fluke didn't produce, neither did a curly tail grub. I could see shad busting, so I decided to throw a crankbait. The trap was selected as the likely best choice.

 

Got this little guy right off the bat.

https://i.postimg.cc/7h6wpdG6/4D078116-14DD-42FE-8306-19377A2AC7F3.jpg

 

A few casts later, I got a real nice one. 3 pounds even. Sorry for the bad picture.

 

 

3 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Nice fish.

So what's it like being in the witness protection program ?

A-Jay

 

 

Haha, let's just focus on the fish and not blow my cover. 

BTW, I know my musky is dwarfed by your 45" and others, but it still took both me and my buddy to land it with bass fishing tackles. Hard to imagine how to accomplish that solo.

 

4 hours ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

 

Nice fish.

 

How shallow was that muskie, doesn't look too deep there.

 

Same lure for both?

 

I miss wading rivers.

 

Actually the musky was caught with a bladed jig on 15# line. It nearly gave me a heart attack. The smallies were mostly caught with 1/4 football jigs.

 

That's the Conodoguinet creek, a tributary creek to Susquehanna river. The water level is still dangerously low this year. Not a good sign. The spot I caught the musky is a relatively deep hole, but it's still only 3~4' deep.

54 minutes ago, newapti5 said:

 

Haha, let's just focus on the fish and not blow my cover. 

BTW, I know my musky is dwarfed by your 45" and others, but it still took both me and my buddy to land it with bass fishing tackles. Hard to imagine how to accomplish that solo.

 

A Musky catch of most any size is a beautiful thing.

Here's some video of two of my favorites - solo by the way . . .

https://youtu.be/ex3v1uogEcg?si=-Lz2BSBHtmiD1cRV&t=330

https://youtu.be/c8ncmrbV3-M?si=lcTImsnXc8ezRuT8&t=504

A-Jay

Why is this smallmouth green and black??? Just kidding , got the always rare LMB floating back to the boat ramp, was almost skunked. It hit a weedless pumpkin tube very shallow, happy to see one 

 

Got a nice 5lber on one of the last trips out of the season.  Went to a little lake by the house in the kayak and got this one right around sunset tonight on a Spro KGB Lil Guy. After she fought like hell, and I missed netting her twice, I was lucky enough to get her in -

The best anglers I know try not to make the same mistake over and over again; instead they strive to make new and interesting mistakes and to remember what they learned from them.

 

Got some good 'uns today!  3/4 oz Trickster, green skirt, white head, red eyes, pink cheeks, and black eyebrows.  🤪

15

Al, the bass on the left of your first photo has a big belly and the bass on the right in the same photo has a big back. I love the various ways that bass add weight. Congrats, my friend!

Finally got my grandaughter out fishing today. She normally gives me a run for the money but I just couldn’t put her on any fish. I managed 7 .  Kinda slow bite overall. 

The last fish ( and the only fish I lost  ) was a hawg. I had skipped a magnum june bug speed worm to the left of some grass in 2-3 fow. I looked around to see where Mackayla was, and when I looked back a fish had picked up the bait and had already gone 15 feet or so to the left. I crossed his eyes , but he didn’t turn the slightest bit. Then he came unbuttoned…😕

Still , a nice relaxing evening on the water …

Keeping it real, so posting the “f$&@ were they off today” type post lol. After landing over 20 last trip, I managed less than 10. Winds from the northeast and consecutive nights in the high 30’s seemed to funk them up. Where streaks of brown fury tore across the waves after my bait last trip, this trip I had no such aggression. I had to let it fall and retrieve super slow. Also had a salmon of some sort(looked like a small chinook) come in on my jig. Seeing the marks on some of these bass, including bigger ones, I’ll have the 7-3 HF with a few big baits next trip. This is a great time to get into toothy and some big ones! These were the three decent fish; 2@17” and an 18”

 

 

 

Today, I visited the local brown bass population at sunset.

The lake was just totally flat without a breath of wind

but water temperatures finally dipped into the 50's.

The 60-degree air temps were comfy to fish in.

All the bites were limited to 30 minutes on either side of sunset.

Been begging for a jerkbait bite but for now anyway,

the Rage bug on a swinghead is still king.

And when it comes to hooksets, I rarely get cheated. 

A-Jay

https://youtu.be/r8_9udah_7c?si=lBC2eR0UjjU4iu8H

 

Big wind and rough/choppy water - caught a few Brown Bass despite getting tossed around