Slack winds = slack fish activity. With high pressure firmly in place we had no wind to speak of this morning, nor is there much forecast for the next several days. Fishing was tough as a result.

Start Time: 6:35a

End Time: 11:05am

Air Temp: 48F at trip’s start.

Water Surface Temp: ~64.5F

Wind: Winds were light and variable to near calm the entire trip.

Skies: Skies were clear and bright.

I did a good bit of cruising this morning hoping to find some bird activity as the time is about right for that to kick in. I did spot 6 herring gulls, but, they, too, were cruising and not on fish.

I first found fish at Area 161 and worked this area over pretty good from 19 to 28 feet resulting in one nice white bass jigged off bottom and 4 other smaller whites taken as solos or from small suspended schools, all on the 3/8 oz. TNT 180. I decided to move after putting 5 in the boat so as to try to locate additional reliable fish holding areas given our current slightly flooded conditions.

I checked in at Area 535 which has been very reliable of late, and put 5 quick fish in the boat — all small whites from larger suspended schools — and then left them alone to search for more action.

I found a few fish holding on the slope at Area 130, and landed a small largemouth, a nice crappie, and a nice white bass, all jigging right on bottom.

I then noted an osprey working open water nearby grab a live white bass off the surface. I went over to investigate and found numerous schools of small whites holding at 12-17 feet down over 20-25 foot depths. I put out twin downriggers to cover some water quickly and quickly came up with 3 whites and a short largemouth, all on the Pet Spoon.

I’d planned to fish only ’til 11:00 today, so, with no indicators that the wind was going to pickup, I headed on in and checked Area 534 along the way, and picked up one just-legal white bass there from a school that materialized then disappeared, allowing for just that one fish to be taken.

Not once did I raise an active school of whites, and not once did I catch fish back-to-back. The fish were taken steadily, one at a time, and each had to be worked for. I saw many more suspended fish on sonar than I actually caught, as these fish were just turned off and unwilling to chase a presentation. You can pretty much bet on it: Slack winds = slack fish activity.

TALLY = 19 fish, all caught and released