I Catch The Oddest Fish With The Oddest Bait.

Yesterday I was out on Facebook (Ouch, did I really say Facebook?). Honest I was just looking at the Lake Camanche site to see if they've started planting yet. Turns out they planted for the first time last Thursday. 750# into the Trout Pond and 750# at North Shore.

My wife left for work this morning at 6:30 so I figured I'd just mosey out to North Shore (the Pond tends to be combat fishing) and see what was cooking. The girl at check-in confirmed, yes they did plant last Thursday. OK so I drove down to the launch ramp figuring I'd plant myself out at the area and fish between the launch area and the houseboats. You know the spot, the one we fished all last Winter.

Ha, gone. The lake was so full of water that that entire area was under water as well as a lot of the area out at the Day Use Area. I knew this because the Day Use area was where I ended up.   

I'd like it known that I no longer use the red Coleman Camping Chair. Sorry to say it fell apart from over use. I'm using the red camping chair I bought my wife a couple years ago because she found a couple of green Coleman camping chairs at a garage sale for $4 apiece. She is the shopper babe.

I parked and had two lines out with rainbow Power Bait at 7:15. While I waited for the first bite, I took a couple shots around the lake to show you just how full this lake is and remember, this is after Summer is over.

North Shore launch area.

In the photo below, the hump way out in the middle of the photo (you might have to make it big to see it) we used to be able to drive out there. Not this year.

Day Use Area

 We used to be able to drive out to this spot too, but again not this year.

Still part of the Day Use Area

Across the lake

This spot was dry last Winter

Let's see, where was I? Aah yes, two lines in the water with rainbow Power Bait. After two hours, I switched one rod to a size 6 bait hook and put on two mouse tails. One was red/brown and the other was orange/green. Yes, on the same hook. I was experimenting. With my third rod, I put on the ever faithful pink Kastmaster.

I pulled in the other Power Bait rod (I have a two rod license) and started in the cove in the picture above and worked my way past where I was parked and a ways down the area in the second photo.

Didn't get any interest so I went back to my Power Bait rod and this time put pink PB on.

After another hour or so, I pulled in the rod with the mice tails and started with the pink Kastmaster again. Almost straight out from where I was I got a really good drive-by, but it wouldn't hold on. When I gave up trying to get it interested again I put a single white/pink mice tail, but had to add a white Power Egg to make it float. Just to update, now I had one rod with pink Power Bait and one with a pink/white mice tail.

After a half hour or so, I pulled in the Power Bait rod and this now brings me to the title of this post.

You know this is a blog about trout fishing (duh), but once in a while I catch something else mostly by accident. Let me list the what and with what that makes the catch a little odd.

All the time fishing for trout:

A Smallmouth Bass on a silver/yellow Panther Martin.

A Crappie on the Tungsten Beadhead Thin Mint. Two actually one right after the other.

A Mackinaw on rainbow Power Bait. Very strange.

A Bass of some sort at Upper Lake in September on Tungsten Beadhead Thin Mint.

And today, the Largemouth Bass (verified by Juan Lopez aka fly fishing monster) in the photo below on a pink Kastmaster. Go figure.     

Largemouth Bass about 12" maybe a pound or so.

By the way, I also tried silver, gold, Firetiger Kastmasters and the lure called Magic Bullet, but trout were not to be had this day.

It's a little early, but Lake Camanche's website says they are planting another 3000# this week. Might have to go again.

Stay tuned.