For the third trip in a row,  the lake has blessed me with another fish over 10 pounds making this month the best of the year so far.   I have been trying to get out on the lake for a couple days now but the wind has not been cooperating.  Today’s weather was unusual with hardly any wind on the lake all day long.   The pattern seemed to be 10-15mph till 10 am and then calm till 2:00 over the last weeks.   I woke up for the third straight day at 5:00 am and the wind lady convinced me to pull the trigger and it paid off.

I’ve been suffering from a cold these last couple days but it hasn’t kept me from finishing my chores around the house and getting some lake time.   I figured this morning that the fishing might just cure me.  Seems like everyone had the same idea as me.  On the way to the lake,  I got behind Vaughn and was happy to follow him to the lake but he turned off to the gas station  and I didn’t need any gas.  Carol at the Basalt Launch looked like she had been up all night.  She told me she did 20 boat inspections that morning alone and it was only 7:00am.  Driving in, I saw 6 boats in the Bay of Pigs in every spot that I fish.  The parking lot was full and I was late to the party.

I decided to fish east to get away from the boats and try some areas I had not fished in years.    I picked up a couple dinks over there but it was slow.  At 9:00 Bob McCollom called me, noticing my truck in the lot,and asked me how I was doing.   I told him to stay west and asked if the Bay of Pigs was still full    He told me that it had cleared out so I agreed to meet him .  The Dam Police were out  early today so I figured I fish the BOP till they went home.  Steph did well in the BOP last week.   As I pulled up ,  I still could see 3 boats in places where I wanted to fish and I spotted Bob coming towards me in his Crestliner.    I stopped the boat in 25 feet of water to wait for him when my sonars started marking a school of fish.    I casted out and let my line sink when Bob pulled up.  We chatted it up talking about  three bank battery chargers.  This morning, his batteries were dead and he was late to the lake.  Not 5 minutes into our conversation, I hooked a good fish.  I think the fish was about 12 pounds,  I did not weigh it.  This is third trip in a row thats given up over ten pounders this month.  The lake is definitely in primo shape.  At the launch,  a gear guy killed a 41 inch 29lb striper he claimed to have caught on a topwater lure.  He said he could not revive it.

The weather was perfect and the fishing was fine.  I wouldn’t have stopped where I caught the big fish had it not for Bob meeting me there.  Thanks Bob.

Both Cal and Oregon lost their conference openers yesterday.  Both games were close and winable.   I have a feeling it is going to be a long depressing year for College football and I.    But then,  if I boycott both, the NFL and College Football,   more time fishing.  It could be the best fishing Fall ever.