4-29-2012 Sun
11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Weather:
(1552) SE 8 G17, partly cloudy, 57˚, 30.13 falling
Water:
5.88 rising, 40.7 kcfs, 53 ˚, semi-clear
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 8
Caught:
Myself:
Pike (19) 15 – 37”, LMB (5) 10 – 19” Scott: Pike (12) 17 – 37”, LMB (12) 10 – 20”
Partners:
myself and Scott
Comments:

Today it was Scott and I chasing the old bucket mouths and gators. We had very nice weather to start, but at the end of the evening we were fishing in the rain. We started off at the spot where Ben and I had left off just a couple of days earlier. I had thought of this spot as an early summertime pike spot, not a spring time spot. The pike and bass were very active here, and each of us caught one nice pike and one dandy bass. After a couple of hours I got my fill of this place, and started to get the exploratory itch.
Scott probably thought I was crazy to want to leave some active fish, and nice ones at that, but you see I love to see what is around the next corner. I believe that is why I am a successful fisherman. I almost always make it a habit of trying a different spot, or different bait on each and every outing.
We fished several different areas with limited success, but I did find one spot that is now imprinted in my memory as an early season pike spot and possibly a hard water pike spot.
The majority of the fish came on spinner baits, in fact that is all Scott threw. He even made it a point to show me the nice new Terminator spinner bait he had just bought. Funny thing is he did not even catch one fish on it. The first hook-up he had with it he broke the line setting the hook. I thought it was funny, but I do not think Scott was too amused! He did the exact same thing on another fish and spinner bait later in the day.
I threw a variety of baits today, but once again the spinner bait accounted for a good portion of my numbers. I did however catch fish on a swim bait, swim jig, rattle trap, and jointed Rapala.

Observations:

I was surprised by the lack of weed growth in some of the areas we fished.