I had Matt B aboard my Mistress Friday afternoon and we launched at 1:30 from Guillmette access and ran up to Keelers in a stiff NW wind in a 2’ chop with bright blue and sunny skies. We set lines as we rounded Kibbe Pt and trolled tight to the shoreline to Wally Pt and only had one release but nobody home so we made another pass and notta. I decided to move inside into the shallows by the tube and we finally hooked up as Matt was resetting a line on the Otter Boats and the fish wanted nothing to do with coming to the boat. It stayed pinned to the bottom (8FOW) and after numerous head shakes we were almost convinced it was a decent brown the way it was acting. After a three minute battle we got a look at it and it was a NICE 23 1/2” pickerel. After netting it and taking a few pics we sent it back and decided to look for warmer water as all of Keelers was 37-39 degrees. We picked up and moved across to Eagle Mtn side and trolled down and across the sandbar and never found water above 39 degrees and at some point we had a release and never noticed it because we were just yapping up a storm and soaking up the sun
There were 3 other boats in Keelers, one that I know well and he only picked up one small salmon and didn’t see nets swinging on the others. Definitely a slow bite and the water is still a few degrees colder than I like to see for those areas but it was too nice out not to go and I got a chance to try out the new enclosure I had made for my Mistress. Matt thinks she’s pretty
Headed south tomorrow……
Pat
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Thanks for the trip Pat. The new top is solid and sealed like no other. Gale ready and winter proof! Worth every penny. My thanks to the big pickrel for ensuring we didn’t smell skunky by the end of the day. The bite had been following the solnar tables very closely this month so I didn’t expect much anyway. NEXT Friday will be the ticket:)
