TR by Gemini, photos by Turtleboy
Wind: 6-8 knots SW
Launch point: Botanical gardens boat ramp, Lake MacDonald
Participants: Turtleboy, Gemini
Distance 8.9 km
Max Speed 8.3 km/hour
Avg Speed 2.0 km/hour
I arrived at the boat ramp just before 6AM. It was a cool morning, and for a change the water was warmer than the air temperature on Lake MacDonald. There was a lot of surface activity, mostly bait fish, and a light mist rolled over the surface. Turtleboy arrived shortly after I had unloaded, and we made out preparations for launch. This was Turtleboys first trip onto the lake hunting for fish, so he opted to follow my lead. I made a plan to first assess the water around the wall, as reports were saying the bass were schooling there already, and then tour a larger portion of the lake.
We struck out towads the wall and checked the conditions. There were plenty of fish schooling down low, but we couldn't entice any of them to have a nibble. I'd employed a Jackall TN50 (similar to the baby vib, but much heavier) for the deeper water around the wall and bubbler, but there were no hungry parties available to sample such delights.
We gave up on the deeper water and headed south around the corner to start the attack along the weed beds around the edges of the lake. We assaulted Gazebo Bay, headed across the three ways, peppered Eagles Nest Bay, but still no joy.
Gazebo Bay
By this stage I was wondering if the fish had already been well fed, as Turtleboy and I had already discussed
the previous evenings full moon. Luckily, my thoughts were wrong.
As we threw our lures around near the weeds by the Palm Farm my line took a sudden knock, and then presented the tell-tale wiggle of a cranky fish stuck on the end of it. He felt like a good fish by the way he fought, and by the time Turtleboy had made his way over I almost had him on board.
He measured in at 36cm, and lived to fight another day (I remembered my pliers this week).
Having renewed our resolve with a catch, we pressed on. Turtleboy made some changes to his overhead setup at this time, but unfortunately this caused a spool "malfunction". Here's an artists impression of that event...
Coming up to Rustys Run I had another strike just outside the weeds. I landed this one fairly quickly and measured him up at 28cm.
Another bass goes back to fight another day.
I was starting to feel for Turtleboy, who hadn't had a strike all morning. As were now entering familiar territory (I usually fished this section of the lake more often than not) I offered up all the oncoming known fishy locations for Turtleboy to attack first in the hope he'd take a good strike.
We slowly made our way around to the Jabiru launch area, but no fish presented themselves. Turtleboy ventured into the Strawberry Patch, but asides from taking a few verbal strikes from the dog on the property nearby, he found nothing.
By this stage we figured time was getting on, and it was getting rather warm, so we made our way slowly back. Along the way we made a few half hearted casts at the weeds...I should have packed away my rod...
Strike number three happened just north of where I had caught the last fish. I boated him with little fuss and measured him up as another 28cm bass.
Yet another goes back to fight another day.
Turtleboy exclaimed that he'd fished that exact spot on our way past the first time with not a whisper of fishy action. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the same fish i'd caught earlier in his new hidey hole, but whatever the reason, the fishing gods had decided Turtleboy was doomed for the day. Bummer!
After that we headed back to the launch site with no further action.
It was a good day out. Unfortunately no fish for Turtleboy, but he had a grand tour of the lake, and learned all my secrets to boot! I'll have to get back and try the schools around the wall again soon, as there's certainly no shortage of fish there.
GPS Track
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