FishnMike
03-12-2007, 09:33 AM
Dad and I hit Comanche again this weekend (3/11), why mess with a good thing. Started at the crack of dark down by Hat Island. Dad put two fish in the boat before getting both rods out and in the downriggers, both about 3lbs. on grubs. Then it got slow. We trolled back and forth on both the west and east sides of Hat with no bites for a couple of hours, the fish were just not there this week. We trolled our way to the dam and started getting bit in front of the dam over deep water (90 to 110 feet) on grubs and Apex. Fish were on top and down to 10 feet. A lot of boats were working this area and courtesy was lacking in a number of cases, including the one that collected several of my lines with his downrigger. Arrrrg.
I got a short strike on a Berkley Frenzy then dad got one on, on a grub. As he is fighting his fish we notice there are two of them coming to the boat. Apparently the one that I thought had short struck me actually had the lure but just same at the boat and became tangled with my dad’s fish. Just out of net reach, mine broke off, taking my lure. We kept working out in front of the dam and catching fish every half hour or so. We would go for a period with all the bites on top, then all the bites would be 10 feet down on the riggers. Just about noon my downrigger rod buried and the fight was on. We had to clear several of the other rods as the fish ran from side to side. After a long fight we netted a pig, it went 7lbs 3 oz on the scale, my best trout so far.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/me_trout_7lbs_c_crop.JPG
The bite slowed down in the dam area so we trolled over to Little Hat but only got a couple of short bites. We then trolled back over to the big Hat with no bites in open water but once we got in front of the Hat my dad’s topline rod buried. A good fight and we boated my dad’s best trout, 5 lbs 4oz. The fish picked up my topline and dad’s 10 foot rod. While untangling that mess a fish began hitting my Frenzy that was on the topline. I’m really glad he didn’t stick as I had a mess of tangled braid in my hands at the time. Here is a pic of my dad holding my 7lbr and his 5lbr.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Dad_trout_5_7_crop.JPG
Overall a great day! Fish had moved a lot from the previous trips and it was a slow morning but the mid day bite was pretty good for us. We ended with 13 trout, one giant crappie and a nice bass. The fish were taking grubs, Berkley Frenzy and Apex in firetiger, orange and red. So they weren’t too picky, just had to be in the right areas.
FishnMike
I got a short strike on a Berkley Frenzy then dad got one on, on a grub. As he is fighting his fish we notice there are two of them coming to the boat. Apparently the one that I thought had short struck me actually had the lure but just same at the boat and became tangled with my dad’s fish. Just out of net reach, mine broke off, taking my lure. We kept working out in front of the dam and catching fish every half hour or so. We would go for a period with all the bites on top, then all the bites would be 10 feet down on the riggers. Just about noon my downrigger rod buried and the fight was on. We had to clear several of the other rods as the fish ran from side to side. After a long fight we netted a pig, it went 7lbs 3 oz on the scale, my best trout so far.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/me_trout_7lbs_c_crop.JPG
The bite slowed down in the dam area so we trolled over to Little Hat but only got a couple of short bites. We then trolled back over to the big Hat with no bites in open water but once we got in front of the Hat my dad’s topline rod buried. A good fight and we boated my dad’s best trout, 5 lbs 4oz. The fish picked up my topline and dad’s 10 foot rod. While untangling that mess a fish began hitting my Frenzy that was on the topline. I’m really glad he didn’t stick as I had a mess of tangled braid in my hands at the time. Here is a pic of my dad holding my 7lbr and his 5lbr.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Dad_trout_5_7_crop.JPG
Overall a great day! Fish had moved a lot from the previous trips and it was a slow morning but the mid day bite was pretty good for us. We ended with 13 trout, one giant crappie and a nice bass. The fish were taking grubs, Berkley Frenzy and Apex in firetiger, orange and red. So they weren’t too picky, just had to be in the right areas.
FishnMike