Lake Mendo, 6-29 Evening.

Hit Mendo on Friday evening. Didn't get in the water 'til nearly 5:00PM. Wind was blowing from the west pretty strong, but it was doable...that is until I got to Crappie Cove and it really started howling. Did two or three (FAST) drifts through CC and started thinking to myself "This is ridiculous", so I was gonna paddle over to the west side of the lake but the wind was blowing so hard directly into me that I could barely make any headway. So I decided to cut diagnally against the wind and made a move for the big Island by the dam.

It was tough going but I made it to the south east side of the island and slow trolled/drifted there, out of the wind, for awhile. On one pass both of my minnows got super freaked out...but the bite never came...even after a few more drifts through the same spot.

It was about 8:00PM now so I decided to slow troll back to the launch ramp. I went around the west side of the island and there is now just about a three foot wide channel seperating the island and the shore! A few more weeks and the island will be a peninsula. Anyway, after I cleared the channel and dropped my bait back down one of my poles got nailed almost instantly. Set the hook on a solid fish that was making strong, short runs. Turned out to be a fat LM @ 22.5". As soon as I let that one go my other rod started bouncing and I hooked a 18" LM. Released that one, baited my other pole, dropped it down and had another bass on before I could bait up my second rod again. This one was a little 15"er. Released that one and dropped my last minnow down and headed for the ramp. I only made it 30 or 40 yards when my pole dipped again and I landed and released another 18"er.

Didn't land until after 9:00PM and there was still plenty of light out with the full moon rising.

All fish were LM and all were released. The first three pics are the big boy and the last one is the 2nd 18"er.

DUDE!!   I was hoping for one like that for FOUR DAYS of huntin up there, during the csbat, and you get into them on a windy-ass eve. like that?! in 4hrs of work?

Way to get em' BOYEE!!     

Nice Dustin! Good to see someone hittin Mendo. Can't wait to get out somewhere.......

Any photos of the lake itself? Curious to see how low the water is.....

Nope. Sorry. I'll get one for you next time I go up.

But, as mentioned, there is only a 3' wide, 3' deep channel seperating the island and the shoreline at the base of the damn dam.

DAM IT!! 

Nice job Mr Hopper,
sorry I wasnt able to make it over there. another time.
Mooch,
Im working today and Ill try to get a photo of the mendo water levels.
If not today then my next opportunity.

Mooch,
Im working today and Ill try to get a photo of the mendo water levels.
If not today then my next opportunity.

Terry...while doing your aerial recon...you might wanna do a fly-by at the local swimming pool for.....never mind 

Joel - How about this?

There is about two feet more of exposed shoreline then there was last time you and I were both there. (SBA Tourny?)

Joel - How about this?

There is about two feet more of exposed shoreline then there was last time you and I were both there. (SBA Tourny?)

oh....well...that's not too bad. But then again, it is bad because we won't have a Bendo at Mendo III this year 

I still have  you paddle, I'll make sure I bring it with me at the Bodega Bay Tourney.