Smallmouth Bed Fishing 4/30 non-yak *pics and video*

My good friend Nate and I headed up the hill to go find some bed fish. Got to the lake at 6 am to freezing cold windless skies and very clear waters. We threw topwater for about an hour until the sun was shining good then we began walking the banks in search for some bedding bass. First one we came across had a male guarding the spot. We kept at him with white flukes and Nate finally caught him, a small spotted bass.

After we released him a huge carp came up and started feeding on his bed. He was sucking everything up from the bottom and I decided to stick some powerbait on there and lay in front of him to see if he'd eat it. He immediately sucked it up. Fish on! He began peeling drag right away. Nate and I were laughing hard and I was trying to him how to record video on my digital camera, but then the fish came off. Oh well. We walked another 45 minutes looking for beds but didn't see any so we decided to drive around to the other end of the lake and look for more over there. As I am walking I see a small bass swimming in circles around some rocks, I throw a small grub at him and he immediately gulps it down. I pull up a little smallmouth. I snap a few pics and let him go, right back to his bed. Then the wind started to pick up so we take the long walk back to the car. Not a very productive day, but we both didn't get skunked. I always have fun fishing with an old friend.

Jeff

Awesome pictures and report.  Bummer on the carp sucking up the eggs.

Looks like Angels Creek.  Thought I recognized the island but maybe not.

Michael

Thanks for another great report, Jeff.   I really enjoyed the part about the carp.  I could just see it in my mind and feel the rod bend under the surge of a powerful carp.   Sight fishing is always such a bonus experience.   That water looks so clear.   

Lawrence

After we released him a huge carp came up and started feeding on his bed.

That sucks do you think it was because you pulled the bass off the bed?

I h8 carp for that reason. there fun for a quick battle but they suck as creatures. literally. They are lake abortionists

After we released him a huge carp came up and started feeding on his bed.

That sucks do you think it was because you pulled the bass off the bed?

I really hope not, but even after we released the bass he was back on the bed, but the carp didnt even care that the bass was trying to fend him off. But I guess when you have 7+ pounds in another fish, I guess I wouldn't either lol

Thanks for another great report, Jeff.   I really enjoyed the part about the carp.  I could just see it in my mind and feel the rod bend under the surge of a powerful carp.   Sight fishing is always such a bonus experience.   That water looks so clear.   

Lawrence

The water was amazingly clear in some spots. Good 10+ foot visibility. I will be going out next week on my yak to find spots that haven't already been fished out by bank fisherman. We saw lots of empty beds, don't know if they had been abandoned or if people have been keeping fish that were caught off of them....

Awesome pictures and report.  Bummer on the carp sucking up the eggs.

Looks like Angels Creek.  Thought I recognized the island but maybe not.

Michael

Nope, I won't give the name out but it does have stripers in the Resevoir  

with the size of that bass and the size of the carp you mention i would think it would not have mattered.  of course there may not even have been eggs there yet.

Looks like Angels Creek.  Thought I recognized the island but maybe not.

Nope, I won't give the name out but it does have stripers in the Resevoir  

Wasn't wanting you to divulge to the entire world, but your little hint was all I needed.  Consider my lips sealed and locked.  I've actually never fished that lake.

Michael