Yahoola - 2.29.09.. with BIG FISH pics

[russ010]

It's been awhile since I've done a report, so I guess it's about time.

Yahoola is a relatively new reservoir to me - and boy does it have some "bigguns" in it! The first few times I've been there were not good... I didn't know what to throw or where. I started with my usual shakey heads and only landed 2 or 3 the first few times I went.

The third time I went was just before a cold front, and I landed 8, with the biggest maybe 1.25 lbs. All of these were caught on a Rapala Fat Rap in crawdad... I only had one fat rap and went on a scavenger hunt to find more... turns out Rapala doesn't make them anymore and the DT series were made to replace them. I was able to find 1 store in GA who still had them so I bought them out.

Saturday, I started casting at 8:00am. I threw that Fat Rap, and a new "secret" crankbait for about 5 minutes with no success. I started thinking about the conditions - 50* outside temp, 56* water temp, a cold front came in the night before, but hadn't settled in yet, and it was calm before major winds were to start up at lunch.

I switched to a Senko - and man I TORE them up! I have finally found the purpose for my Daiwa Alphas Ito 103a - and it's weightless worms! That thing will cast a mile with no weight added to it, only the senko.

All the fish below were caught with the Senko, including the 10lb catfish which messed me up for about 30 minutes - it tangled up my net, then caught up 2 other crankbaits on other rods when the cat started spinning in the net... what a mess.

5.50 lbs... caught at 8:07 and when weighed in at 4:15pm he was the same weight on my certified scales.

this was taken during a water change... think I need to rethink my livewell....

I have other pics, but they all look the same. I caught up with Lizard Drager (Dale) and he just painted his boat and put new stickers on it... man that thing looks sharp in person!

His fish weighed 4.33lbs

Then it was weigh-time....

Winning Sack of 3 fish - 15.91lbs, but their best 5 went just over 23lbs

My best fish...

Dales' best fish...

 

[grizzly]

nice lookin fish, im gonna try living off mountain dew and twix while im fishing, maybe i'll have better luck too!

 

[russ010]

haha.. man if I don't get that in my body throughout the day I'm a dead man out there for that long of time.

What you don't see is the can of Salmon and crackers that I take for lunch.. it's easy on the stomach (no unnecessary trips to the bank... (that was thankfully done before anybody got to the ramp because there is no porta jons - and luckily I carry a roll of TP with me in the truck)...

 

[grizzly]

i'm usually out there with nothing but a thermos of coffee and a tobacco pipe, next thing i know it's been 8 hours and i'm starving. even when i bring something to eat i usually forget about it.

 

[poolie]

Man, that looked like a fun day. If all goes well I'm planning on taking my boat on it's maiden voyage this weekend so should be able to come out an play shortly.

 

[russ010]

Those 2 guys that fished with us was in a 1442 Alumacraft... man they have that thing set up right.

They have a huge cooler/livewell in the center, and it's decked around it with plenty of storage.

 

[Zum]

What were you doing,teaching those smaller bass to drive the trolling motor.Looked like a bumpy day,hard to stay on a spot.

 

[russ010]

hard to stay on a spot - you can say that again.... I was on it all day long.

I figured that would have been a good chance for me to run my batteries down, so I kept fishing til about 8pm. So 12 hours of fishing non stop on those 2 batteries in parallel... and when I get home to check the voltage - the reading was 12.46 on the batteries hooked in paralllel, as well as 12.46 when I broke the parallel connection. So much for me trying to run them down more... I started the day with them at 13.4v on all batteries.

The rear batteries in parallel which run 2 rear trolling motors (50 & 55lb) were reading 12.43, same reading on each battery when I broke the connection

 

[bassboy1]

Can you get under that bridge with the water up? Last time I was up there, the water was down (surface of the water was at the bottom of the concrete on the ramp), and I didn't even think about it filling up past the bridge. Looks like some good prespawn and spawn areas back there.

 

[kentuckybassman]

Awesome report and man are those some good fish!! Sure you don't want to come fish the Cystic Fibrosis tournament with me?? 8)

 

[Jim]

Wow! That body of water produces pigs! Good job guys!

 

[russ010]

Awesome report and man are those some good fish!! Sure you don't want to come fish the Cystic Fibrosis tournament with me?? 8)

If my wife would let me, I'd be there in a heartbeat! Then again, she might just let me if I took her along.

Can you get under that bridge with the water up? Last time I was up there, the water was down (surface of the water was at the bottom of the concrete on the ramp), and I didn't even think about it filling up past the bridge. Looks like some good prespawn and spawn areas back there.

Yea, I went a little ways back there, but after the tourney. Another guy went back there with no luck... but that happens to be some of the deepest water in that creek channel... There is enough room for me to stay standing and just bend over a little bit

 

[slim357]

Nice fishin, that large mouth made the spot look like a minnow in your live well

 

[hengstthomas]

Great report .. Those are some healthy Bass WTG !
Thanks for the report .

 

[kentuckybassman]

Well has she decided if she's going with ya yet?? LOL

Awesome report and man are those some good fish!! Sure you don't want to come fish the Cystic Fibrosis tournament with me?? 8)

If my wife would let me, I'd be there in a heartbeat! Then again, she might just let me if I took her along.

Can you get under that bridge with the water up? Last time I was up there, the water was down (surface of the water was at the bottom of the concrete on the ramp), and I didn't even think about it filling up past the bridge. Looks like some good prespawn and spawn areas back there.

Yea, I went a little ways back there, but after the tourney. Another guy went back there with no luck... but that happens to be some of the deepest water in that creek channel... There is enough room for me to stay standing and just bend over a little bit