Pacemaker Fishing Forum

I got up early and hit the water around 5:30am.  Beautiful cooler temps to start.  We got a little bump bringing the level to 1.6 at POR, so I was hopeful.



I started with the Whopper Plopper.  I was noticing much less surface activity than my last trip out.  I floated until just before the sun was going to come over the trees.  I got no bites and was not feeling it, so I ran further up to work the MD shoreline.  The water was stained on that side from the Monocacy I guess.

Again, less surface activity (except carp).  I tried Whopper Plopper, Chug Bug, a couple cranks, grub and small swimbait with no bites.  After messing around for at least an hour, I decided to run the chute and try to get the skunk out.

I got a hit on the Plopper at the top of the chute, but did not connect.  I kept that on to work the shoreline as I was floating down.  I saw something chasing baitfish next to a blowdown.  My first cast got a missed hit.  I cast a couple more times and about the third cast, I got a little backlash.  As I was starting to pull it out I heard a splash and something had hit the Plopper.  I pulled up on the rod as I was trying to reel in the slack.  Luckily, I hooked the fish.  It turned out to be a chunky 14" smallie.  Skunk out of the boat!



I was moving fast, so on to the next targets, the shoreline blowdowns.  No luck there, just one snag.  At the third one, I caught a small LM.  A little while later, I hooked another one about 11 inches, but well fed.  Then I hooked a tiney LM on the grub.  I worked the eddies on the other side and on the way back hooked a decent catfish, that messed up my line and was a pain to unhook.



That completed my UP slam (Smallie, LM and Catfish).  The sun was getting up and despite fishing for a while longer, I got no bites.  The Egrets, Herons, Eagles and some Cormorants were out. 

I got off the water by 10:00am.  A little disappointed that the early morning topwater bite was not hot, but glad I caught a few fish.  I think the hot temps have them looking for more oxygenated water.