Pacemaker Fishing Forum

Well, the water was about 2 feet higher than optimal and stained, but the weather was nice and I decided to get out before the thunderstorms came.  I got out early and ran a little above my usual float.  I found some clearer water above an island on the VA side.  I threw a spinnerbait and then a chatterbait to the shore.  I cast the chatterbait in front of a large boulder that had a water intake pipe behind it.  I thought I was snagged, but something big surfaced.  It fought hard and I thought it was a carp,  After a few minutes, I saw some slime on the line and knew it was a catfish.  A couple minutes later, I netted the beast.  It was a big flathead catfish.  I was so excited, I forgot I had a boga grip.  I took a couple pictures and decided it was too big to carry back to measure it on the side of the boat.  I lifted it with my left hand and released it.  That was a mistake, but nothing major.




I really wanted to catch some smallies, so I worked a flooded island and then cast behind laydowns and floated.  I caught one dink on a firetiger Big O.  I started using swimbaits with spiked tails and a tube.  I cast behind one laydown and was dragging the swim bait and I hooked a fish.  It felt like a good fish and when it surfaced, I could see it was a big smallie.  I finally netted the fish and it looked to be about 4 pounds.  I took a couple pictures and measured it and it was 20.25"!  That was my second 20+ smallie in a week.  It was healthy, not very fat and had no signs of spawning.




I continued casting behind laydowns and got a few bites in one area, but only landed this one fat 13.5" chunk.  I lost a couple swim baits and had something break me off in that same hole.


I kept trying, but the water was getting more muddy and I only had one more fish bite off a tail on a keitech.  I got off the water at 3:00pm, before the rain hit.

Last edited by drxfish (May-10-18 2:37PM)