Well, we go every year and it's always a blast. This year we came up with a new conclusion that the off-season is a much better time to rent them than smack dab in the middle of summer. This will be evident later in the post.
I got there at check-In and was fishing by 4:00pm. My wife and daughter were still getting ready and since it's only a short drive, I said that I would get us all squared away and send her the back gate code. I was fishing as I was loading up the cabin!
I was using my 2# trout rod until it got dark before switching up to the 8# cat gear. I caught a funky little Channel with some really weird spots. It almost looked like a fish-tank fish.
Baby bluegill were everywhere! I would leave them on the hook and pitch them out for one cast hoping for something big before unhooking them and letting them go. My wife was not a fan of this. hahahahaha
Here are some pics of the cabin....
I tried an experiment at night, one rod with shrimp and the other with mackerel. Only the mackerel rod got bit.
My neighbors in the next cabin would cast out right in front of me since I was catching and they really weren't, but that was the start to what would be an annoying Friday Night. Fish were everywhere, but they just had to be patient. It was easier to cast by me than to pitch it out and wait. These lakes are all the same depth and all the same structure, but just have to put ourt a fine smelling bait to call them in.
I was stoked to see some carp jumping as well as bass. Day #1 produced 7 or 8 cats and a ton of bluegill. I also hooked a nice bass at dark, but never got the worm hook sunk in through the plastic worm and he spit the hook on a jump.
Day #2 was going to be a more productive day...
I started the next morning, by soaking some carp baits on the 2# set up. It was hot and muggy just before the sun rose over the horizon and I was casting for bass while soaking for carp. I had 3 or 4 big hook-ups on the carp, but they just destroyed me! Spooled both times! I actually used the 8# stick after getting spooled the first time but couldn't get a BITE. Soon as I re-spooled with fresh 2#, I got bit right away and got spooled again! I also lost another bass and started to call myself Farmer Tom, but I wasn't to be beaten. I tied up my Rainshadow bass rod for carp and sent it out... WOW! When it went off, what a fight! This thing was a bruiser! The cabin neighbor came running over and I could tell he was blown away even though he started telling me about carp fishing. hahaha
He took a quick few pics and soon as I released it, he went running back to his cabin (I'm assuming to set up a carp rod)
Damn things are freshwater bull dogs!
I retie my hook, bait up and cast out again. The neighbor comes over for a few questions about my rig when I immediately get picked up again! I think he video taped the entire fight, but I never asked him to send it to me since later that night I did not want to talk to him for the rest of the time.
Needless to say, I was sweating my butt off after two back to back brutes and this one was bigger! I should have measured or weighed them, but it was a production all in it's own to get a picture. My daughter ran out to take a pick of this one since the guy ran back top his cabin to get his rod. No help on the second one.
Things was going dead after that when all of a sudden, I had one more screaming run on the 8#!!! this time, it really worked me and got the best of me when it busted off on what I think was a huge clump of grass or whatever vegetation is down there.
I then did the family stuff like the paddle boards and hiking around.
I hooked up my drop shot and did a quick run around the lake. I had some bass interested, but couldn't get them to commit. I finally get a 14" model and run back to the cabin to get ready for dinner. I had to do something with the dop shot though. Something wasn't right so I started to come up with another way to rig it.
Then the night was going to take a weird turn. As we were eating dinner, some kids snuck onto the private docks and tried to take our paddle boat! I told them to f@cking get lost and what did they do? They ran to another cabins paddle boat and stole it for a joyride. They got to the other side of the lake, then bailed and left it there! The Park lady driving around was pissed as they saw them do the entire thing and I just watched it all unfold. It took a while, but they finally got the paddle boat back to its home.
After dinner I started bass fishing as the bass were pretty active at this point. Then it started to go down. They hard lined us at the front desk that any violations would not be tolerated and just wanted to make sure that all campers and cabin renters knew this. Most likely because of events in the past.
For example, no more than 6 people on each floating cabin, 8pm quiet hour, no paddle boats out after dark.... etc.... you know, the general rules at any campground. Well, all of a sudden about 16-18 teenagers showed up at the cabin next to me followed by another 6 adults... not including the 6 that were already staying there... UGH....
I then hook a bass and it was a nice one, so kind of brought a smile back to my face.
Then it all went haywire. Neighbors loud until at least 11pm. Kids trying to take all the paddle boats they could get their hands on to create a nightmare. Kids literally coming over to fish off our porch because "Their porch was too crowded".... My wife begged me to just not say anything and so I didn't, but i think I beat the dads up with my eye contact and quiet and they knew it.
I made a cast just trying to calm myself down and caught another bass, but as you can see in the picture, I still wasn't stoked as they almost sent all the kids over to my cabin to check it out.
The picture tells the story... hahaha
They finally all disappeared at midnight and they were basically dead to me. Most people camp to get away and relax.... not these people. I finally caught another bass and picked up 7 cats before just deciding to sleep it off and start fresh in the morning.
I got up nice and early to start carp fishing and almost immediately get picked up! This thing kicked my ass and then ran under the cabins and through all the pilings. I tried to let him swim out, but he kept getting deeper until he busted my line. Unfortunately that was my last shot of the day for carp as the carp rod layed quiet from then on.
The neighbor heard me fishing and came out to fish. He preceded to play country music really loud... Now, if you don't know me, I like my metal (pop or country just irk me) but would not force everyone in earshot to listen to it. I asked him if he likes Rotting Christ, Lamb of God or even Slayer? He said no.... Well, the country music volume turned down and I have to say that the rest of the trip that the neighbors were quite pleasant.
I retied and used the drop shot bait to be weedless. This was a great looking rig.
I took the bike around the lakes for a bit and got a 13" bass on it. I passed about a dozen more that weren't interested until I came across big momma! 5? 6? pounds? It was just big! I stopped on the other side of the dirt road so it wouldn't see me and cast across hoping to get it to commit. Of course a park personnel was driving down the dirt road and I waved him down to stop so i could make another cast. Just then, I felt the bite and set the hook! I couldn't believe I hooked her and it was right in front of the park guy! It finally jumped and was a real bucketmouth, but tossed the damn hook and that was it. I talked to the guy for a bit and he was laughing because he was trying to figure out what the hell I was doing! He drove off and I rode back to the cabin to get a little siesta in. Before I took a nap, I made a few casts on the deck and caught a bass in front of my wife who was just grabbed the camera for a quick picture.
Bluegills were everywhere! They left the meal worms alone, but couldn't get enough of night crawlers.
After dinner, I started my cat fishing. It was slow in the beginning, but picked up pretty damn fast! It was only cats this night, but they were a better grade! Biggest was 4.2#, so not even close to Eric's Catfish Contest Lead in the double digits.
I did get to see the neighbor's kid catch an albino catfish. That was cool.
I finally fished until there was no mackerel left. I think I caught 14 in 2 hours... not sure, but I at least got to bed before 1am and prepared to get one more carp before I leave at the 10:00 checkout.
The next and final morning, I only put out a carp rod. Mendy had to run home to let the chickens out and feed the cats, but soon as she was walking onto the dock, my line starts screaming! This thing tried everything it could to get off, but I ran up and down the dock and kept it out of harms way. the neighbor ran outside and said "AGAIN! DAMN IT"!!!!
I scooped it up with the net and my wife was right there to take a picture. The neighbor went back to carp fishing to just try and get a carp before he left the same morning!
This thing was a PIGGY!!!! Wow! What a great class of carp on this trip and WAY UNDERRATED!!!!!
Well, that was it. Time to head home and get ready for work on Monday. It was a fun trip, but ready to get some salt back into my veins!
Thanks for reading!
