Great morning on the river

[Kevin J Legg]

 I took my good friend Mike Ringer for and early morning on the river and we were not disappointed. We fished from 4:30-5:30 and boated 5 walleyes between 4.5 and 7.5 lbs. After the sun came up they shut down and it took us two hours to scratch out the sixth walleye and a couple bass. We caught 3 on bottom bouncers and 3 on deep divers on the long lines.

 I love fishing a full moon at night. They really seem to be on the feed. I did well during July's full moon and August may be even better. I believe this morning was the best walleye morning I've ever experienced on the river. Wish I had started at 2:00 as we only had them pounding for about an hour before sunrise.

 I tried trolling a wire rod with heavy bottom bouncer and although it did take a couple fish, the 65 lb. braid has less drop back and I like the feel better. I guess the thin diameter of the braid has less drag in the current.

 

Edited August 11, 2014 by Kevin J Legg

[BSmaster]

Big moon.  I noticed a few years ago that I always seem to do better.  I do not know if it is true or not but it seems (to me) to be the point when they shift from a predominantly night bite to a early morning bite.

 

Good Catch Kevin!  I am trying local river tonight to see what I can muster up.  Been running brown for a while now.

 

Joe

[EsoxAC3]

Nice catch, Kevin! I too, firmly believe in the lunar phases. Full moon is a very productive time to have lines in the water. Other solar/lunar events are productive but full moon is tops! Well done:)

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[mhtrapper]

Way to go Kevin, I would have to agree on you said best morning you have had on the river. I fished last night and it was my best ever I boated 5 fish in a hour in a half, with 3 keepers and left two for seed that came up short a 27",26" and a 18 1/4, still hoping to bump into you before the summer is over. Good luck fishing thanks for your advice very helpful.

[Sk8man]

Very nice Kevin.  

[EsoxAC3]

Kevin, just curious, what flavor bait on the long line? Thanks!

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[Kevin J Legg]

TD 11 and 
reef runner

Edited August 11, 2014 by Kevin J Legg

[Kevin J Legg]

I made up a few more bottom bouncers today. I haven't lost one all year but my fishing partners lost 4 and the accompanying lures in the last 3 trips. I either have a more educated touch or have been incredibly lucky. If you drag them on bottom rather than bounce them, the zebras will claim them. I  thought my bouncers were around 12 oz. but I weighed one and it was just shy of a pound. I think most of them are 12 -15 oz. Guess it's no wonder I have some issues with carpel tunnel as you can't leave these in a rod holder effectively.

[mhtrapper]

They will definitely wear the arm and the wrist out. It is also hard to believe how hard it is on the elbow. After a night of three or four hours my elbow probably hurts more than the other two mentioned , I also have to pour some more heavy BB maybe tomorrow night after work. Good luck in the AM if you go Kevin, wish i was going also instead of work.

[EsoxAC3]

Thanks Kevin....... Do you have a favorite? Perch, shad, etc? Or do you mix it up frequently. I love the RR bronze shad 900... It has been a multi-species producer for me. Thanks again!

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[justtracytrolling]

I too had my best night ever last night on the mega moon, friday and saturdaiy were good too but i wasnt on pattern. Great job kevin as always you hammer the river!

[Kevin J Legg]

At night I like something with a lot of flash and often run something with chartreuse. After sunup I often go to more natural colors like perch, bronze and silvers.

[BSmaster]

I just got back.  Not much of a bite that I expected.  9 bass caught, lost one eye and oddly enough, on my second cast with (Justin's Suggestion) blue Bomber I hooked what felt like bottom but it was moving up river. After about 20 seconds of thinking I had a musky on it came loose and I had the biggest scale on one of the trebles.  Those things (carp) get foul hooked all the time and at first you think you have the biggest toothy critter on and then a big let down.  The other one is catching big cats that have the same head shake as a walleye.  That usually happens in October.  I wish I would have gotten at least one eye but I am glad guys are getting them.  Kevin and Justin reporting keeps me excited even when I have trouble finding the time to get out.  I appreciate it tremendously.  Thanks, Joe

[Fisherman72]

Got any pics of your bottom bouncers?

[justtracytrolling]

I made up a few more bottom bouncers today. I haven't lost one all year but my fishing partners lost 4 and the accompanying lures in the last 3 trips. I either have a more educated touch or have been incredibly lucky. If you drag them on bottom rather than bounce them, the zebras will claim them. I  thought my bouncers were around 12 oz. but I weighed one and it was just shy of a pound. I think most of them are 12 -15 oz. Guess it's no wonder I have some issues with carpel tunnel as you can't leave these in a rod holder effectively.

Kevin,

Im gonna try to make 16oz bouncer today, and wondered how long to make the "down" wire?  I was thinking Id like it a bit longer than the "store bought" ones I have to try to keep out of the zebras with my lures as I go down over steep sides of the points I wanna work.  I can do it with riggers but i thought a heavy bb might be the ticket.   Im thinking ill run floaters...I figure I can run it off a musky casting setup while im driving and I have 2 guys to run the trolling gear.  I think I can get right under the drops with your style bb.  BTW I went thru some tackle this weekend...open lake suspended is definitely better on gear, but we do what we have to find em.  The more techniques you have at your disposal the more fish you will catch plain and simple.  

[Kevin J Legg]

Justin,

The ones I use are about 10-14" and are straight coat hanger (no right angle bend). They have a swivel on the top and I attach a foot of wire above the bottom bouncer that I attach to the 65 Lb. braid with a swivel. The wire above the bottom bouncer helps eliminate zebra cutoffs. I then can attach my leader by a snap swivel to either swivel. I've considered running a spoon off the top swivel and a stick off the bottom one. I'll send you a photo when I get a chance.

[justtracytrolling]

Ended up adding weight to a prefab because the little rigger ball that i thought was a pound is 2 pounds! Maybe ill make a seth green rig with it. It would be easy to run two lures off the heavy bb...ill try it thurs or fri. I made a 5 7 8 ouncer...

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[Kevin J Legg]

If you can get heavy slip sinkers simply slide two six ounce and a two ounce on the coat hanger wire and make a bend in the wire to Keep them from sliding off. I have some lead so am using it up.

[EsoxAC3]

Maybe we will see this photo in a watercolor some day? Great catch.

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[Fisherman72]

TD 11 and

reef runner

The td 11 would that b a tail dancer ?

[justtracytrolling]

Correct...they dive to about 32 feet with 200 feet of 10 lb dia line

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[Kevin J Legg]

TD 11 is a Rapala Tail Dancer size 11

 

Fiserman72,

I've been friends with Mike Ringer for many years. We taught together at Alex Bay for nearly 20 years and have hunted and fished together for almost 40 years. He currently has his studio in Alex Bay and a gallery in Clayton and is a very well know and successful artist. They also give you a musky print of his for a released muskie. We have also had submitted a series of humorous articles ripping on each other in the local TI Sun. ( Check out last weeks paper) I am fortunate to have number of his originals paintings gracing my walls. Not sure if he'll be doing a painting but there is a good chance that I may submit an article about our day fishing on the river in an upcoming TI Sun.

Edited August 18, 2014 by Kevin J Legg

[Kevin J Legg]

TD 11 is a Rapala Tail Dancer size 11

 

Fiserman72,

I've been friends with Mike Ringer for many years. We taught together at Alex Bay for nearly 20 years and have hunted and fished together for almost 40 years. He currently has his studio in Alex Bay and a gallery in Clayton and is a very well know and successful artist. They also give you a musky print of his for a released muskie. We have also had submitted a series of humorous articles ripping on each other in the local TI Sun. ( Check out last weeks paper) I am fortunate to have number of his originals paintings gracing my walls. Not sure if he'll be doing a painting but there is a good chance that I may submit an article about our day fishing on the river in an upcoming TI Sun.