What was I thinking?   Very few bites. One bass each. I couldn’t figure it out.  Where did the fish go?  I was just there!!  The fish were there!   I got one.  Lost one. Still fun.  Tried a different shore and looked back on my beloved grass flats.  There were wake boats going around in circles.  Pulling various forms of fun stuff.   I saw a SUP person fishing and he said yesterday was pandemonium.  All on the flats.  Haha.   He thinks they hoped to keeps kids in shallow waters??  We were guessing. 
 

I was picking apart a point hoping for a bite.  I see a pontoon-boat headed straight for me. I stand up thinking it made me more visible. It did. It veered of a tiny bit and he beached on the point I was casting too!   Wow!   I laughed and looked at my friend. He mouths, “home?”

 

we laughed and went home. Conga line home. 
 

I’m home, cooking spaghetti now.  I drove to the lake at 3:00am.  Should have slept in. Still fun tho. I got a lot of pike minnow.  I was covered in slime. 
 

im not mad.  Not sure what I was expecting.  People were out and having fun.   When I left a dude was putting in.  He had a paddle and a 12 pack in the original box.  He says he just had to drink fast while it was cold.  

I usually stay home holiday weekends but I couldn’t pass up this morning with the weather. Foggy morning, pop up showers the past few days, perfect temps. Got out around sunrise to texoma on the kayak (even more dangerous on a holiday weekend). Spook bite was great, caught a good sized wiper and a smallie, then had a largemouth spit the hook. Had a few more bites on a crankbait and another big one snap my line (swam under the boat before I could swing her around the front).

 

as I was heading in around 11 all the boaters were showing up and launching from the ramp. I’m glad I went in when I did. Was the most action packed morning I’ve had all year, just couldn’t haul them all in. 
 

any day you come back from the lake covered in slime is a good day 👍

I don't fish many weekends, but the kid and I fished last Friday and there was one pontoon boat, two motorboats with three people each, and four kayaks, which is a LOT for a Maine pond in my area. 

One of my firm, hard and fast rules to live by, Don’t go fishing on the weekends, especially holiday weekends. Living in middle and east Tennessee, the crazies pour out to the lakes and rivers on weekends and holidays. Even before I retired, never went out on the lake or rivers on the weekends. Thankfully being in law enforcement, once I became a supervisor I had at least one day off on weekdays. Before that both of my off days were on weekdays. Sometimes I might hit a small stream wading but even that was a rarity.

  I've been a week day or night fishermen for many years and don't foresee that changing. I only have a couple real triggers and ignorant boaters are high on that short list. Plus, I don't like me when I'm angry and will never go back to prison.

41 minutes ago, GreenPig said:

  I've been a week day or night fishermen for many years and don't foresee that changing. I only have a couple real triggers and ignorant boaters are high on that short list. Plus, I don't like me when I'm angry and will never go back to prison.

 

GP, why are you awake in the middle of the night? I'm up because I'm about to go fishing.

41 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

 

GP, why are you awake in the middle of the night? I'm up because I'm about to go fishing.

Sadly, I'm about to get started on 12 hours of seat time on a Zero turn mower. Goodluck and get us some pics of big girls.

I went to a Rodeo with the wife instead. Lots more fun. Lots less stress.

Fished my sister's dock at her cabin (sandpit). Picked up minnows, crawlers and leeches.

 

The wives and nieces were on the lilly pad and in the pontoon...we were standing between them jigging next to the dock. 

 

Landed a 3lb LMB, three more in the 2lb range, a nice 18" walleye, and a crap ton of crappie and bluegill. 

 

To be honest, my brother did most of the fish catching. Good times!

5 hours ago, GreenPig said:

I'm about to get started on 12 hours of seat time on a Zero turn mower.

 

Respect.

 

I don't flee from many challenges, but I bought a zero turn mower, used it once, and asked to return it. It was soooooooooooo hard to steer.

Holidays on the river really do not change that much. Usually just more people floating down. More drunk ignorant cat fishermen

clogging up the bank. 

 

this still could happen any day of the week on the river. I am sure the lakes suck though. 

5 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

 

Respect.

 

I don't flee from many challenges, but I bought a zero turn mower, used it once, and asked to return it. It was soooooooooooo hard to steer.

After a couple hundred hours, it's muscle memory. It's the roots and unseen stump holes the brutalized my back. I do have to relearn how to walk and stand after 10 - 12 hours of bouncing around. Shoot, I'm still at it right now. Just chugging some water.

10 hours ago, IYAOYAS said:

I went to a Rodeo with the wife instead. Lots more fun. Lots less stress.

Brother, you've got a pretty lady.

I don't dare to venture to any of the public fishing spots. Went to a private pond close to my home.

2 hours ago, GreenPig said:

Shoot, I'm still at it right now. Just chugging some water.

 

You're a tough man. 

 

Fishing as a whole has increased 10 fold in the last couple of years but holiday weekends is at a whole nother level.

I go into hibernation on holiday weekends...... I'm scared 😲 

I checked out 2 spots over the weekend.

 

The first is a public lake I'd never fished, close to my buddy's church which had some vittles and fireworks. There was 3-4 others on the bank and 3-4 on the water. Not bad at all. I struck up a conversation with one I fished near and caught a bass. He commened he'd been there hours and I roll in and get one in 5 minutes.

 

I went back after the fireworks and got 2 more, and there was 2 others catfishing on the other end.

 

Then, Saturday evening, I went down to the river. There were 4 others fishing, 1 a guy with his family. The family was playing in the water. They were kinda on my spot. As soon as they left, I caught a crappie, a goggle eye, and a walleye.

Fished the local yesterday from like 545 to 715am caught probably 20 bass. Thought to myself ill go out in the afternoon and cast net some shad for catfish bait in the afternoon... Got out to the area I was gonna net and there were 4 guys on the bridge and 6-8 people on the bank. I like the 4th as much as anyone but fishing on a holiday can pi$$ off. Should be better from here on out besides labor day.

14 hours ago, GreenPig said:

Brother, you've got a pretty lady.

Thank you and yes I do. I married up!

4 hours ago, IYAOYAS said:

Thank you and yes I do. I married up!

I thought she was your daughter before reading the text. No offense. 

Fished my first kayak tournament on Saturday, it was almost cancelled in anticipation of how crazy it could be.. it wasn’t that bad though..

 

finished 11th out of 24 if anybody is interested.

Fishing on a holiday or holiday weekend? 

 

I always say I wont, and mostly I dont...but sometimes I do and this scene plays out in my head the whole day. 

I was off work, so I went out early each morning and fished a few different ponds that I have been wanting to try.  Most people were still at work on Thursday morning, so I had the pond pretty much to myself.  Friday morning was a little more crowded, but I have seen it much worse.  On Saturday morning I didn't see another angler until around 10 a.m.  

 

I'm thankful that I have a number of PFA's (Public Fishing Areas) within 2 hours of where I live. These PFA's are managed by DNR, and if there are boats out there they are limited to idle speed.

 

There are plenty of people fishing accessible bank areas, but there's plenty of woods surrounding these lakes where it's nice and quiet for me out on my kayak.

 

I did fish Lake Tobesofkee on Sunday and it was quiet most of the morning. But once 11 am rolls around the pleasure boaters come out and I pack it up for the day.

I genereally avoid busy holiday periods unless the weather cooperates (for me, which means rain or cloudy conditions which keeps a lot of other people off the water).

 

It was cloudy on Saturday and I was at a Twin Cities lake muskie fishing for about 4 hours.  Saw one other boat the whole time.  Sadly, it didn't pay off, as I only caught a couple of northern pike for my efforts.

 

Now, if it had been bright and sunny (like on Friday), I wouldn't have even gone.  I know better.

The only time I fish holiday weekends is when we're doing a family vacation thing at a lake.  Otherwise, I stay away from the crowds. I don't even fish regular weekends most of the time. I'm fortunate enough to be able to make my own work schedule over the summer, and usually go weekday mornings.