Date: 9/16/2020
Time: 1645-1940
Location: Fish Lake, Maple Grove, MN
Weather: Minimal Cloud Cover, ~62 degrees
1st Spot:
I worked some reaction baits at the shallow bay or “left testicle” of the lake at the southwest corner. Wind was pushing this way, so I was hoping to find some feeding bass or pike. I threw a squarebill crankbait, lipless crankbait, and large chartreuse willow-bladed spinners without success.
2nd Spot:
I paddled across the bay north to the point at the southwest side of the lake that creates the left testicle. Used the same baits as well as a weedless frog with no bites.
3rd Spot:
It was getting close to sunset, so I anticipated the bite to pick up and tied on some topwater poppers. I slowly worked my way up the small, shallow channel at the west side of the southwest bay. The bite got hot. I got 3 largemouth bass into the boat, but nothing was too huge. The largest of these was 1.69lbs. I probably had 10 bites, but my hook-up ratio was weak this evening. Some of this is expected with topwater fishing. Plus, I was working with my backup rod and reel combo as my go-to combo needs repair, so I’m blaming a sub-par setup as part of my issue. Next time I’ll tie my popper to a 7ft MH rod to ensure a better hook-set.
Bait: Rebel Pop R
3rd Spot Fish:
4th Spot:
On the way back from my 3rd spot, just outside the small channel, I saw a boil in some brush deep in some lily pads. It would have been a mess to throw treble hooks in there, so tied on Texas-rigged a weightless Baby Brush Hawg, and plopped ‘er in there. My line quickly took off into the lilies. I set the hook and hauled in a thicc 2.82lbs LMB.
Bait: Zoom Baby Brush Hog
3rd Spot Fish:
Conclusion:
Overall, I saw a lot of action this evening and had a blast with so many topwater bites. Unfortunately, it took me a while to find the fish and I was not able to find any fish in clear-sky, midday conditions. I was expecting more action with the spinner and crankbaits as the water is cooling, but I still had success with summer fishing techniques rather than what I would expect in the summer-fall transition. I suppose you can never go wrong with sunset topwaters and Texas-rigged creatures in deep cover, regardless of season.
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