Well I finally got my boat back from getting a bit of routine maintenance done and a hot foot installed and had a chance to get it out for the first real fishing trip on Friday. I think Lake was a little disappointed when he found out he couldn't go.

I met Sam (G_money) on the way to the lake and we were the first boat on the water, man was it cold! I forgot my full fingered gloves and my fingertips were so cold after about 10 minutes I could barely stand it. It started out a bit slow but thankfully the fish started to play a little bit to help keep our minds off the cold. The official first fish in the new boat

I was having issues hooking up with a jerkbait for some reason. Fish were getting it good it appeared like but were still pulling off. I got a couple on it though, a custom painted bait by our own Doc-Drew!

I was also trying out a new color bladed jig, which the fish seemed to approve of, including the biggest smallie of the day and probably my biggest smallmouth on one of my bladed jigs.

The fish seemed to be more on the shallow, clay bank side than the rocky side for some reason. I'm guessing it was the wind blowing into it though. 

Sam never asked me to take a picture of his fish so I got one of my fish with him fighting a fish in the background. 

Several other boats on the water, but other than 2 little white bass, we were the only boat either of us saw catch any fish. Felt really good to finally get some slime in the boat 

WOW!

 

Who says it has to be slow in February?

 

Great pics, too!

 

 

 

Sweet!!

That's cool!

Errrrrr.......I mean COLD.

Great looking fish! And Boat!

Nice fish Bluebasser. I don't know if there's an "envious" emoticon, but this one came pretty close:

Great job!

Very nice! You got em on a little bit of everything too.

Dang, I'd do just about anything to go fishing right now...

That's the way to get a new boat slimed. Congrats.

Great first trip out! Congrats!

Jeff

Very cold but awesome catching

that is super cool.  dude y'all whacked 'em.  i wish i could make myself use a suspending jerkbait more cause i know they are great winter lures, but i HATE fishing with those things.   just lookin' at those pics makes me cold.  no one should question your dedication ever.

Congrats. Great pic of Lake at the helm!

Nice boat and fish!

Nothing can beat that first photo

Nothing can beat that first photo

Yup. Put a 2x4 on the Hotfoot, a couple New York phone books on the seat and he's ready to ride!

Nice boat, and fish

Thank you, I was really happy in both cases

 

Nothing can beat that first photo

I didn't think so either. 

 

Yup. Put a 2x4 on the Hotfoot, a couple New York phone books on the seat and he's ready to ride!

He really looks like he knows what he's doing sitting there doesn't he? Put him in the captain's seat and he gets excited and starts trying to crank on the wheel. Can't wait for it to warm up so Lake and momma can come out in the boat with me!

Way to work those February bass!

Any fish on that swimbait yet? Nice job on the bass, what sort of temperatures were you working with from the plant?

Any fish on that swimbait yet? Nice job on the bass, what sort of temperatures were you working with from the plant?

 

The water up around the outlet was around 60. And no nothing on the swimbait. I haven't been on in a while...I'm still recovering from that cold. Of course Clayton had to start at 7:00 am when it was 19 degrees with a ton of wind...I honestly thought I may get hypothermia the first 3 hours, I was underdressed. Around noon I finally got on a steady 4" senko bite and caught quite a few. By that point I was so zoned it, and so cold:) I didn't even think to take pictures...I didn't even realize Clayton took the one of me fighting the fish. I had a 3-4# bass come off right at the boat...otherwise a decent day...I thought 25 fish or so between us was good. Honestly 1/2 the day or more our eyelets were icing over about every 4 or 5 minutes it was cold!

I really wanted a big smallie though:(

And my fish-on-face is really weird in that picture...I look like a parolee

Man when you get ready to sell this boat let me know.  Unless you see one like it somewere else

Any fish on that swimbait yet? Nice job on the bass, what sort of temperatures were you working with from the plant?

I've only gotten to fish it twice. I did have a hit on it Friday but it didn't hook up. There's always white bass in the hot water that will swat at anything and I wouldn't be at all surprised if that's what it was. Bait looks amazing in the water though, good enough I bought a second one without even catching a fish on the first one . Like Sam said, water was high 50's to low 60's in the warm water discharge. 

 

And my fish-on-face is really weird in that picture...I look like a parolee

Yeah, like I said on the water, you never looked real comfortable with a spinning rod in your hands. Having not fished with one in a long time though, that's kind of to be expected. We'll get some big smallies at Melvern once it starts to warm up, great chance to learn how to fish those jerkbaits too. You're really not going to like me later in the year if starting at 7 is early though I've usually been on the water at least a couple hours by then. 

 

Man when you get ready to sell this boat let me know.  Unless you see one like it somewere else

It could be a really long wait. I'm hoping this boat will be around long enough to give to my son if he decides he likes fishing. I found a really nice one in North Carolina though that I'd considered going to look at when I was on the hunt though. 

I've only gotten to fish it twice. I did have a hit on it Friday but it didn't hook up. There's always white bass in the hot water that will swat at anything and I wouldn't be at all surprised if that's what it was. Bait looks amazing in the water though, good enough I bought a second one without even catching a fish on the first one . Like Sam said, water was high 50's to low 60's in the warm water discharge. 

 

Yeah, like I said on the water, you never looked real comfortable with a spinning rod in your hands. Having not fished with one in a long time though, that's kind of to be expected. We'll get some big smallies at Melvern once it starts to warm up, great chance to learn how to fish those jerkbaits too. You're really not going to like me later in the year if starting at 7 is early though I've usually been on the water at least a couple hours by then. 

 

It could be a really long wait. I'm hoping this boat will be around long enough to give to my son if he decides he likes fishing. I found a really nice one in North Carolina though that I'd considered going to look at when I was on the hunt though. 

That's a good plan

Awesome catch and report.   I would barter away some serious stuff to be on a trip like that right now.

Nice way to break in the boat, Blue.  Were you on La Cygne?