Ditto Landing, June 29th 2011

Alyse has a half day off every week on Wednesday. She asked me if I would take her out on the river. Of course, I was delighted to comply to her request. She met me at the Army Rec ramp with Sonic hotdogs and tater tots!

We launched the boat, idled out to the channel and gunned it for some good shade. Pulling up in some shade across the river, we ate a nice lunch together...something that we rarely get to do. Afterwards, she asked me when I was going to start fishing. Since it was the middle of the day, the water dingy and *relatively cold* at 80 degrees, blue sky, I told her that I wasn't really looking to fish.

After she goaded me into it, I picked up my rods and dipped the trolling motor...   :-)

I wasn't expecting to catch much, considering the conditions, although that I did noticed they were pulling GOOD current...maybe 3mph, so MAYBE we could catch some fish. I fished some rip rap banks next to the Army ramp without luck. We ran up right past Ditto Landing, on the opposite side of the river, where there is an intake for a pumphouse.

I found a little bump in the rip rap, which stuck out about a yard past the rest of the rip rap. There was a little top water action, along with some flipping shad which keyed me in on the area. I threw the sammy a little, without a hit. So, I picked up my crankin' stick with a Rapala DT-7 in Bleeding Olive Shad

First couple of casts,nothing. But we drifted just down river from the spot and I cast upriver, pulling with the current and had a SOLID bump, got him to the boat and he shook off. No big deal, really. It happens. Next cast, another hit...this time got him to the boat.
Nothing big, just a small keeper. I stepped on the trolling motor and positioned us back on the same spot. I repeated the cast and caught several more. But for every fish caught, one shook loose at the boat...it was like they really weren't stuck. After a few more casts, I was getting head butts, but not hooking up.

Hot and sweaty, I gave up and we flopped in the water. It is much more fun anyway.

I went up to the point of Hobb's and fished several more rip-rap banks.

I found something that seemed to matter. All my hits were coming off of multi-level rip rap, as in, under water layers of rock. If it was a single rock layer under water, I didn't get hits. But, if there were multiple layers, there were fish on them. I was having to crash the crankbait on the rocks to trigger hits. I don't think they were activly feeding, but instead, ambushing prey of oppurtunity.

Oh, and I caught this guy....

In the end, I only fished a little bit and spent the rest of the time relaxing with Alyse, which was much more rewarding!