Hello Again,

Got on the water again last Saturday, another great late summer day…according to the weather forecast, maybe the last one. That four letter word…SNOW…was mention on the TV tonight. Let’s hope for a long “Indian Summer!”

My partner for the day and I started where I left off a couple weeks ago, with the addition of some lively minnows. Bottom bouncers with crawler harnesses, jigs with minnows were our starting rigs, but the fish were not having much to do with them. We were scratching our heads…talking as most fisherman do when the bite is tough…was the sudden pressure change from the T-storms the night before giving them “lockjaw,” maybe it was the lightning…is the lake turning over? Well we kept after them, deciding it is just “fishing.”

I decided to go back to an old standby technique, which has worked many days when I’ve been able to use live minnows. Using floating jig, about a 30 inch leader and a 2 oz. bottom bouncer and moving about .85 to 1.0 mph. The first fish was a 24 inch sauger well over 4 pounds and the second a 23 incher also over 4! The bite was much tougher than I had two weeks prior, but making adjustments and perseverance paid off.

When the bite is slow, make adjustments to your presentation, it will pay off more times than not.

Til next time….Be Smart and Be Safe!

Pat Slater

Pro Staff: Mack’s Lure & Ranger Boats