Great Day on the Water...One Day Late

The Monday after our weekend of fishing, I had and entire day of flex time for work, so I was bound and determined to find the fish we couldn't find the last two days. I headed straight for Cottonwood, and didn't look back. I stopped at one of the bays next to the road and dropped down to lake level. Third cast was the charm....

Before I had even left my spot I had caught 7-8 pike, and I hadn't even tried the bait yet. This was a victory and defeat wrapped in a slimy blanket of guilt. I sat for a little bit after I snapped off my spoon on a log. Should I continue to fish or shall I call it a defeat?

I opted for gas mileage and tied back on. That shoreline gave me 4-5 more before I called it on this spot. I backtracked a little, grabbed my gear, and walked in the rest of the way to the end of one of the bay fingers. At the point, I put on a small shiner on the large bobber and casted it out.

It never stopped.

This bay corner was stacked with fish like I had never seen. Over the course of the next few hours I would put in hand 40-50 pike ranging mostly from 2-5 pounds with a couple in the 6-8 pound range.

 Grandpa's homemade Bass-O' Reno pattern crankbait was a hot lure for awhile!

I was elated and disgusted. I wanted to call Dad and tell him of my success, but I was honestly afraid to do so. We had tried so hard to get Grandpa a fish and now I am out on the lake we even stopped to look at, but the wind was bucking hard from the north.

 The climatic conditions of South Dakota can be a real bitch.


Despite all of that, it was nice to prove that the fish do actually exist. It is my greatest hope that we can get everyone back up here again, and try to coordinate around the wind.




Stay Tuned