All By Myself on SML

[Big Mike]

With the brisk winds out of the north forecast I went back to St Mary’s Lake for shelter and I’m just enjoying the change of pace from salt. To my pleasant surprise I was the only one at the gate at 6 and didn’t see another boat until after 8 at the other end of the lake. My own private 250 acre lake.

As has been the case since the cold front happened, the topwater bite was anemic with one small bass being the only taker. I switched back to my Yamamoto grub on a jig head and worked a bit of shoreline but really nothing happening there either. So off to deeper water. I headed to a flat I haven’t fished this year and used some assistance from breaking crappie and bluegill to determine where I should be casting. This was the ticket as they identified what depth I needed to be in. Picked up 5 more bass and a beautiful 22” pickerel and an 18” pickerel by bottom bouncing the grub. Interestingly they didn’t want the Senko today.




I also threw my big nose spinner at the crappie but only got 1.



I could get used to having the lake to myself, very pleasant to just say I’m going here and not worrying will someone be there.


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[rugbyfish]

You can’t beat having the lake to yourself. Sounds like a fun trip! Those big pickerel can put up a fight.

[Mark]

As usual, you did well Mike.

Finding what they want on a given day is part of the game.

[DanMarino]

Multi-species trips are always fun. That's a nice looking pickerel.

[dsaavedra]

Nice work Mike. A simple grub on a jig head is a very under utilized tool in my arsenal. I've used it before with some success, but I'd say it is not even in my top 10 lure rotation right now. Maybe it's something I should make myself use more... What colors do you like? I think I used to use natural colors like green pumpkin and a smoke/silver flake.

[Big Mike]

Nice work Mike. A simple grub on a jig head is a very under utilized tool in my arsenal. I've used it before with some success, but I'd say it is not even in my top 10 lure rotation right now. Maybe it's something I should make myself use more... What colors do you like? I think I used to use natural colors like green pumpkin and a smoke/silver flake.

Those are two colors I’ve been using, primarily the green pumpkin. I remember a smallmouth float trip where we couldn’t buy a bite on Senko’s, top water, hard baits, etc. I pulled out a grub, my partner in the canoe scoffed at me, it was beneath him. After my 6th fish he put on a grub and he had a bang up day.

I think my confidence in grubs is why I use the Gulp swimming mullet so much, it’s really just a saltwater version of the Yamamoto. I also think since it’s an “out of favor” lure the fish don’t see it all the time.