Submitted by Jon Pski (ip 192.249.47.11)

Date Fished: 11/27/2005
Water Temperature: 42
Water Clarity: 2-3 feet

This would make the third weekend in a row on Highland were the blade bait was the primary tool.

Been waiting all weekend to get out on the water but with all the snow and cold, I was really looking forward to today when the temp was supposed to break 40. Besides that, I got a great deal on Sat night on a newer Kistler rod with a Chronarch reel, and was anxious to try it out.

Hit Highlands snowy ramp at about 9:30 am to find out my good friend Bill S. was already out there. Ran up to just inside second bay across flat calm 42 degree water under an overcast sky. BRRRR! Pretty quickly I got a small perch on a gold 3/4 oz Silver Buddy as we were working towards Perch Rock. As we get to the rock, I dropped a good fish on the gold Buddy but on the very next cast, put the first smallmouth of the day into the boat. On this trip, Jon and I finally got my neighbor Art, (Javelin) out on the water. As a couple of fish came pretty quick, we figured it was going to be a good day. A little chilly but, the Pats were coming on the radio at 1 and things would be good. Bill and his partner Mike S. pulled up to us to use my scale were Mike had a nice 4 1/2 pound largemouth on a SIlver Buddy. Come to find out, they had been there on Perch Rock about an hour. and had gotten 5 bass. After some quick chatter, we had decided this hole was used up and moved off to third bay. One little rocky ledge adjacent to a flat had given up a 4.2 smallmouth two weekends ago, a 4.7 smallmouth last weekend and, this weekend wasn't going to dissapoint. This ledge goes from its 17 foot flat to about 24 foot pretty quick, and it was only a few casts before my gold colored Silver Buddy hooked up again. This time, a chunky smallmouth, probably about 3 pounds comes up to the boat to do a little tail walk and dive to give us a show. On the second jump though, it comes off at the side of the boat. Shortly after though, while Jonathan is throwing a chartruese/white blade he hooks up with another nice smallmouth. This one hit 4.0 on the scale even. That would make three weekends in a row that this spot gave up a smallie 4 pounds or better. Moving up onto the flat a bit after working that ledge, Art hooks up with his first fish of the day. This would be his first Blade bait fish ever. A nice 2.5 pounder that he managed well. Notice the peculiar split on the tail? Wonder what's up with that? Art & Jon wanted to move a bit shallower to try some different baits. I wasn't opposed to this as it would let me get my hands next to the hand warmers a bit. (Notice all the snow? It was chilly out there) The Bartons Point area gave us nothing so we headed to the west side of the lake over the boulders out in 17 to 22 feet. A little friendly bantering was going on about being rear ended while in 360 degree fishable water so I jokingly threw towards the back of the boat. At the end of a long cast with that new combo (which is sweet) I set into a nice fish. Shortly, a monster smallmouth is on the surface shaking her big head. OMG! this is a big smallmouth. Another attempted leap and she could only get part of her body out of the water this time. Caveman has the biggest fish on the camera so far and doesn't want this one in the boat,and is chanting "Lose it, Lose it". When this monster smallie gets near the boat and takes its obligitory dive under the boat, bink! I felt it come off. I know it had nothing to do with things but, Caveman was not on my Christmas list at that point. Oh well, three in the boat for the crew and three lost is not to bad for the end of November.

After working this spot over a bit more with no more action, we moved off to the east shore to a spot Art wanted to hit. As I've never really spent much time in this spot, I wasn't quite sure what was there. Turned out to be a pretty steep section of bank but as the Silver Buddy is an excellent depth finder, I soon found a little shallow finger sticking out. A few more casts later and I found a nice rock. The Blade Baits also are very good at finding any rocks out there also. Trying to shake the bait off as I moved closer to the snag, it finally popped off only to go heavy again. Swing, crank, and another smallie on the line. Not a monster but certaintly one to warm you up pretty quick. Again, we worked this spot a bit before I hung up and lost my gold Blade. As I snapped it off and went to retie. My two friends were high fiving each other over my loss as the gold blade was getting more action then their colored ones. HAHA! to their surprise, I was able to dig out another gold 3/4 oz Silver Buddy. Not that it was going to do a lot of good. That was my last bite of the day.

But, as we went back to Perch Rock, Caveman was to get a largemouth to bring his tally to two for the day. This fish hit his bait when Art was hung with his. The bait was lying still on the bottom, when that largemouth thumped it just like it would with a Jig & Pig. We worked Perch Rock a bit more with Art maybe missing another strike.

As it was getting close to 3 pm, and we wanted to get off the water for about 3:30, we headed over to the west side of second bay near the first narrows. Art was trying a few other baits throughout the day as he was getting kind of bored with the constant lift and drop retrieve being employed with the blade baits. This area had a sharp drop with a shallow spot nearby surrounded by rocks. While Jon and I continued to throw the blade baits into deep water, Art picked up a black/blue Bass stalker jig and threw it up into about 9 feet where some nice green cabbage weed was around. About his third cast he go that nice tap, and soon a chunky largemouth was coming into the boat. The picture doesn't do it justice as to its size but it did have nice colors on it.

A few more casts, and we called it a day. We still had to pull the boat out of a snow/slush covered ramp with a 2 wheel drive truck. Thankfully, there was a good 6 feet or so of bare concrete from the waters edge so we managed to pull out ok minus a little slush getting thrown on the boat windsheild. Total for the day was 6 in the boat and three lost fish. I'm hoping we can keep going right up into Christams break. I hear those big smallmouth calling my name.

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