It was a two fishing trip weekend.
Saturday evening ( 5:00PM) my daughter as if I could take her swimming after a super muggy day. So I loaded up the towels (and a spinning rod and some spoons) and drove us over Town Beach in Ferrisburgh. Well to her credit, she jumped right in and swam around for a good bit. I stood to the side, casting well away from where she was swimming. I was in up to my knees and noticed several schools of small (<1 inch minnows around my legs).
I kept casting after she got out and managed to one small smallmouth bass and this perch on a Honeybee.
- Perch.JPG (168.56 KiB) Viewed 941 times
Next morning I was up and headed out to the end of the point at Button Bay state park. I figured, based on the number of cobwebs I accumulated about my head, face, neck and shoulders, that I was going to be the first person out there and I was right.
Here are some morning scenery pics; Looking west first, then south
- LakeThruTrees.JPG (182.18 KiB) Viewed 941 times
- Lake.JPG (89.58 KiB) Viewed 941 times
I threw spoons (metallic silver and gold based) and various Rapala stick baits both lake-side and bay-side. Basically fan casting from a spot with various countdowns (up to 20 at one point) before reeling. Reeling speed was varied, pauses and extra jerks on the lures were included from time to time.
It was a bit of a tough morning as only one fish committed and that was from the bay side on a diving Rapala (CD-07 Silver).
- Bass.JPG (167.31 KiB) Viewed 941 times
I had hoped for a bite from the lake side of the point but was shunned by the salmonids.
Bonus Pic of a pair of otters that came from the North and turned into Button Bay between the point and the island.
- Otters.JPG (115.49 KiB) Viewed 941 times
What did I learn (or thought I learned)
1) Maybe further I need to go further north on the lake for lake trout or salmon? Any input here would be great. A general “keep at it” OR “you are out of luck until the fall” is fine.
2) Re-enforced that you need to keep throwing to catch.
Below are some details about fishing conditions:
Saturday - Conditions during fishing:
Sky: Overcast
Wind: North wind into Town Beach Bay
Water Color: Clear
Air Temp: 82 and muggy
Town beach/ 5-6:30pm
Sunday - Conditions during fishing:
Sky: overcast the. Cloudy with brief periods of sun
Air temp: 67 rising to 83
Wind: gentle intermittent easterly changing to south wind 5-10 mph
Water color: clear
Water temp: ??
Air pressure: 29.88
Weather history:
Temps up into the high 70s - low 80s
3-4 days of clouds and showers after a 5-6 days of sun. Air pressure falling from 30.4 on Thursday and bottoming out around noon on Sunday at 29.87 OR is easier just to say low pressure front moving in. Sunday morning was the bottom of the pressure trough.
Lake temps: Moving into the 60s the past week at Echo Weather Station
Lake level: continued steady drop in lake level all week from 97.4 to 96.99 on Thursday [need to update this seem to be 10 days past the spring high water mark (May-8: 97.55 feet)
