loch lomond opener

I have a buddy that is gonna meet me on March 1 at loch lomond for the opener.  Anyone here gonna show?

Should be some good bass angling.

MolBasser

I'm up for it!

6am tuesday the first.  I assume that we should meet at the ramp or the water nearby.

I will inevitabley post lots more times in anticipation.

MolBasser

So, did you guys make the opener?  How was it, a zoo?

Yes opening day was a zoo, and I got skunked.  However, today was a different story..

All,


Feeling disapointed by my poor performace on Tuesday, I returned to Loch Lomond this morning.

Opening day I had arrived 30 minutes before opening and I was the 20th car, today I got at the gate right at opening and I was the first car....  I had the lake virtually to myself today.  This is a definate benifit of unemployment....

I got ready to go out and launched Ripple in a very relaxed manner.  I planned to troll for trout from the launch to the dam and then up the lake and then switch to bass fishing.

Here is a shot just off the ramp looking damward:




The early morning trolling was for squat so I decided to run up the little creek arm I talked about last post.  It is really beautiful.  Here are some shots of that arm.




here is a little waterfall.




Here is the overhaning tunnel like atmosphere.









After diddling around I got to chucking drop shot and jigs.  I had a couple of strikes I think on the jig, but couldn't hook up.  I talked to an old couple that were bass fishing for a while, and they had 4 together throwing jigs so I was encouraged.  Man, that guy is lucky!  His wife was so into bass fishing!  Very cool to see a couple in their 60s really enjoying life.  She knew all the lingo and was a very skilled caster.  Anyway, after talking to them I threw the jig with a little more confidence.  There are so many submerged logs and stumps it is just ridiculous.  After one cast near a log I saw my line just take off.  After cranking down and slamming the hook home I was treated to quite a bit of weight on the other end.  Stoke!!!  Hook up with my first bass of the season.  As I got it closer to the yak I could see it in the semi clear water, and it was quite nice.  A quick battle and a quick lip and she swung on board.




This picture just does not do justice!  This fish was over 4# for sure.  I F'ing forgot my scale so I don't know for sure, but I am very confident that it went more than four.  I released her and kept on for a while with the bass, but I needed to try to get some trout dinner for the wife so it was back to trolling.

Here is the "cockpit"




Set back up for trolling.  Surface flashers and a worm harness for the shallow rig and 2oz. of lead and bigger flashers with a trailing kastmaster for the deep rod.

Here are the rigs.




I have never used flashers before and it looks like a lot of hardware, but they are supposed to work......and they did!  This guy ate the kastmaster.




It would be easy to run lures at 70 feet deep for like 2/3 of the lake, so I really need to get my yak downrigger figured out.

Right at noon the wind picked up to a howl.  The storm was coming in so I packed it in.

I love this little lake.  I'm getting a season pass on Saturday.  Here is a shot of ripple on one of the many docks scattered around the lake.




and a final lake view.




MolBasser

Damn... those are some nice pictures  
I wasn't really interested in fishing Loch Lomond till I saw your pics.  Sweeet!

Mol....sorry I could not make it - but I will definitely try some other time.

What was the water clarity like?

Nice pics!

Great pics, maybe we punt on perch and head to loch lomond??

Yeah, this lake is bonus.  I talked to a guy fishing swimbaits and he told me [grain of salt]his buddy had a 35# sack and lots of culled fish[/grain of salt] yesterday.  I need to get swimbait serious soon.

Water clarity was a bit too clear.  Not the gin clear that this lake can be, but I could see the bottom in 8 feet or less.  I wish it was more stained, but this will do.

MolBasser

What type of swim baits would you recommend? I have not used swimbaits in freshwater before...

I threw the Mattlures trout on opening day for nada, but it is pretty sizable.

I have a SR Plastics SR7W tied on right now, it that is what it looked like what the angler was throwing.

For specialty swimbaits, check out:

SR plastics
Matt Lures
316 Lures

and many others.  The object is to imitate the stocker trout.

MolBasser

Damn... those are some nice pictures  
I wasn't really interested in fishing Loch Lomond till I saw your pics.  Sweeet!

I second that Chuck.  Looks nothing like the baren banks of Anderson or Chesbro.  Thanks for the pics and report Mol.

Uh.....uh oh....  Maybe I spilled the beans.....

 

MolBasser

Honestly, this is a really cool lake.  It has a TON of wood structure.  So much so that I am really wondering why more channel cats aren't caught out of the lake.  I plan on exploring that soon.  The bass are quality from what I have seen, and the crowds are light.  Very yak friendly.  I plan on fishing it a lot.

MolBasser

I'm not sure what the lure of "season opener" is for that lake, I made 2 of em in the past, and both were hectic!  first on, we were 6th back from gate, then the last one, something like 18th?  The little launching ramp traffic was worse than hwy 17 with a wreck!  We manages to get onthe water though in my buddies 16ft boat.  I was skunked, he landed only one fatty off the grass donw before the narrows.
   The way you did it is the only way to see the lake!  It sure is nice to be the olny one on it.  
Summertime, I've been on it in my 12' aluminum when every one of the   rental is out, including their peddlers,and row boat's and many other personal boats.   Way too many people to troll!  Forget about walking the banks also.
  I can't wait to get my outback and rig it up. Get her wet!  I usually have Mondays off, so I plan on going out a few on few of them!
  Great pictures of the lake also!  Been to all them places!
Troy