This morning I broke one of my rules by going to Lake Ferguson on a weekend. Public lakes are full of people on the weekend but about 8:00 I drove down to the wharf to see if there was much of a crowd. Only a few hydroblaster trailers so I rode home and hooked up the boat. By the time I arrived back to the wharf the population had increased but not too much. After launching, I headed up the lake to see if I could find the “secret school”. Someone was sitting right where it had been a few days ago but not catching anything. I started nearby going down the bank with a DT-10. The boat left the school spot but quickly two more drove up. Looks like the secret school is not so secret anymore. Continuing down the bank to the 70 spot where a 4 1/2 loaded on the DT-10. A few casts later another small one bit. Before leaving I picked up the Carolina to give it a few tries before leaving. The next one didn’t just tap the bait, it just grabbed it and hauled tail. I really thought it may have been a large gar but it turned out to be the FOD 6 1/4.

Again moving down the 70 bank with the DT-10. I came upon a 4 3/4. Not a lot of bites but they were good ones. Left for another spot where there have been some good fish. All this time, there was a steady stream of boats visiting the “secret school”. I don’t think they were catching much because they left pretty quickly. The next place was pretty barren, only one small bass that something had cut a gash down its side. After leaving there with no boats in sight, I crossed the lake to an old favorite spot where I have been catching some fish. As I pulled into the spot, I looked down the bank and there was a boat that I had missed 150 yards away. I staked my claim but did not want to catch anything to give the spot away. I threw out a chigger craw impaled on a rugby head to a spot that I didn’t think there would be a fish. Tap tap, the electrifying tap. I could have pulled it out of the fish’s mouth but that’s just not me. I caught the fish, a 2-13. The cat was out of the bag. The guy didn’t look like a very good fisherman and had been using a spinnerbait fishing very close to the bank. He very quickly put on a worm, and camped about 50 yards away. He wasn’t going anywhere so I pulled out the DT-10 and caught 2 more small ones relatively quickly. No more bit but I was not about to move and kept trying different things, DT-6 and Carolina. Finally the guy left after catching nothing but I’m sure the next time he goes fishing he’ll be right there. After he left, I caught a 5 1/2 on the chigger craw. Boats were still visiting the school, I’d bet 10 today. It was time to quit, started at 9:00 and it was 4;00. I ended up catching only 9 fish but they were quality, largest 5 weighed 23 3/4 pounds. Everybody that drove by today was watching. You could tell because when they were coming they were just cruising along, but after they passed a little ways, they put the hammer down. By not following my rules today I probably ruined one of my best spots.

Fishing started this morning at 9:00 and started rather slowly with two small fish shallow and a quick hangup that ended any activity. In another spot, that I have fished a lot this summer, I caught 3 after a long session and moved looking for the “magic school” that I did not find, but in the process caught a 4-2 on a DT-6. When I turned around and backtracked, the school showed up and I caught some on a rattletrap. Two at once one time. The school fish were of decent size, one was 3 3/4. When that gave out I left for an old spot that has been good this summer. First cast 4-13, a few later 4-1, and a few after that a 4-0, all on a DT-10. When I could not get another bite on the DT-10 the Carolina rig came out and caught 2 more. A total of 17 fish, the best 5 weighed 20 3/4. Fishing ended at 2:10. A good day.

The lake was up another foot but the lake is so low I didn’t think it would make much difference. Late start again (11:30) along with a Southwest wind about 15 MPH. Today, like yesterday, it didn’t take long to get things started. No luck on a Carolina but a DT-6 started off with a 4-11 FOD. It caught a few more but the size was going down. I tried where the bass were hitting on top yesterday but the water was up a foot and the wind was pouring straight through that spot. I returned to the starting spot with the DT-6 and DT-10 and the Carolina but nothing. When I started down the bank, I ran into a group that started with a 4-0 but once again the size deteriorated. When that ran out I crossed the lake to a favorite spot and caught a 4-8 on the first cast with a DT-10. It had a wingman follow it to the boat that was only slightly smaller. Never could get that one to bite. Caught two more there with a DT-6 . After that I tried the Carolina, a chigger craw on a rugby head and even a rattletrap but zero. Snagged two silver carp today. I have figured out that the best way to deal with them is to use the boat hook like a gaff hooking them through the gills. They are quickly immobilized and it’s easy to take your pliers and remove the hooks. I ended up with 12 bass, three of which were over 4 pounds. Back home by 4:30.

October the 12th is a great day, but this morning I was apprehensive because there was a Northeast wind. The lake was at 15 feet and fishing started a little after 10. The apprehensiveness soon disappeared when a Carolina rig came up with the 5-5 FOD.

Shortly thereafter, it caught a 4-1 and a little after that, a 3-2. Destruction followed because two Carolina rigs were sacrificed to the gars. The lake is rising and I noticed some fish following the water and beginning to hit groups of shad. I followed using a red eye shad and caught 2 about 3 pounds each but some ran from the bait in the very shallow water. The fish were feeding pretty good but the water was not deep enough for the boat. I figured a top water would work so I put on a Whopper Plopper. It was just the ticket. Caught some but some missed the bait some too. With the long casts getting a good hook set was a problem also but it was fun. One just blasted it about 15 feet from the boat and made me jump. The action was going on 360 degrees around the boat. I was looking behind me while reeling it and heard another hit and said out loud “where did that one hit” and looked around and it had my bait. It got to where the fish were missing a lot but I’m such a sap, if they’re hitting at it, I’ll sit there and try to catch some. Usually fish doing that in shallow water are extremely small but most of these were between 3 1/4 and 2 pounds. When it got too slow, I went back to the starting point but caught nothing. Another spot yielded another 3 pound fish on the Carolina rig. I had more places in mind but by this time the clouds were gathering and looking dark so it was time to leave. Good thing, it rained a little on me on the Broadway Loop. There were 17 total bass most of substantial size. 11 were caught on the Whopper Plopper which really added to the fun. I finally figured out how to set my phone camera on “wide Selfie” after 4 years or so which makes taking a photo of a fish when you’re by yourself a little easier. Almost got the whole fish in the picture. I still have to practice some.

I went to Ferguson this morning with fishing starting at 9:30. I could not find the magic school but the lake has been up and back down to 15 feet. The fish I caught were very scattered and were caught shallow on a rattletrap. In the spring when the lake fisrt goes down I find a lot of rattletraps hanging in the iron wood bushes. Onee compartment in one of my boxes could not hold another. The gars on the last two trips have helped me with the storage problems but especially today. Lost two to gars in the first hour and a half. Those were little gars too. The major period was supposed to be around noonand it was right on time. I was fishing in an old favorite place with a DT-10 when something just stopped it. For a few seconds I couldn’t get it to move. Then it jumped, completely clearing the water. I was not looking and didn’t get a good look but I could tell it was a good fish. When it came close to the boat it had another swimming along side. 4-12. Caught another smaller one that had a wingman too. I pulled out the Carolina rig later and caught another on it. Tried a couple more places but only another tremendous gar that relieved me of my Carolina rig. 8 bass in all with FOD of 4-12. Scales seemed to be stuck on 3-4, had 3 of thoseand one other 3. People practicing for another tournament this weekend, ugh.