Carmi 9/11
Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 10:28 am
With the wind howling on the big lake, we decided to head to Carmi to try out the eye action. Hit the water with Steve about 9:15, and set out trolling gear varied in depth down 10-25. Ran cranks, harnesses, spoons, and had no luck. We fished from 9 till noon without a bite. Vinny arrived, and brought the positivity which can really be the determining factor.
We battled the wind for 2 hours with no luck before deciding to tuck against the shore by the island and do some casting in the heavy weeds. As we pulled the trolling gear Vinny found a perch on on of the crank baits. We were officially on the fish! I was hoping to hook into something to turn the day around, and that perch did the trick. We set up on the weedline in 6 foot and cast into the weeds on the first cast of a spinner bate I hooked into a 24 inch northern almost immediately. Steve hooked up but lost a fish, and the action in that spot was hot and fast, but the heavy weeds lead to several missed fish. I landed a nice smallie, and we moved down shore 100 ft. Set anchor again, and same results first cast fish, and another little flurry of bites and lost fish. then Vinny and steve both hooked up at the same time. Vin got a 20 inch norther, and Steve landed a smallie. we again moved down the shore steve casting as we moved, and he hooked up to a fish as we were moving along. I saw it flash and it looked like a big smallie, but steve and Vin both hollered WALLEYE!!! I grabbed the net and we landed a nice 21.5 inch Eye. we set up in that spot and kept fishing. Vinny got cut off by a big northern, at almost the same moment that I shattered one of his rods that was set with a worm landing a pumpin seed in the weeds, which sucked.
The highlight of the day though was not related to fishing, As we were sitting anchored casting lines we had a bald eagle fly over head within 20-30 feet. They are huge birds! The eagle proceeded to show that it was the king of the sky by attacking an osprey to steal a fish. the Osprey dropped the fish from 100 ft up and it landed with a big splash and the eagle swooped down and grabbed it. One of the coolest things I have ever seen, and a fitting thing to see on the anniversary of 9/11.
We battled the wind for 2 hours with no luck before deciding to tuck against the shore by the island and do some casting in the heavy weeds. As we pulled the trolling gear Vinny found a perch on on of the crank baits. We were officially on the fish! I was hoping to hook into something to turn the day around, and that perch did the trick. We set up on the weedline in 6 foot and cast into the weeds on the first cast of a spinner bate I hooked into a 24 inch northern almost immediately. Steve hooked up but lost a fish, and the action in that spot was hot and fast, but the heavy weeds lead to several missed fish. I landed a nice smallie, and we moved down shore 100 ft. Set anchor again, and same results first cast fish, and another little flurry of bites and lost fish. then Vinny and steve both hooked up at the same time. Vin got a 20 inch norther, and Steve landed a smallie. we again moved down the shore steve casting as we moved, and he hooked up to a fish as we were moving along. I saw it flash and it looked like a big smallie, but steve and Vin both hollered WALLEYE!!! I grabbed the net and we landed a nice 21.5 inch Eye. we set up in that spot and kept fishing. Vinny got cut off by a big northern, at almost the same moment that I shattered one of his rods that was set with a worm landing a pumpin seed in the weeds, which sucked.
The highlight of the day though was not related to fishing, As we were sitting anchored casting lines we had a bald eagle fly over head within 20-30 feet. They are huge birds! The eagle proceeded to show that it was the king of the sky by attacking an osprey to steal a fish. the Osprey dropped the fish from 100 ft up and it landed with a big splash and the eagle swooped down and grabbed it. One of the coolest things I have ever seen, and a fitting thing to see on the anniversary of 9/11.