Chesdin Help Please

[lunker56]

I have volunteered to be a boat captain for some high school kids this weekend at Chesdin. They are new to fishing. I have not been to Chesdin in 15 years. I am not asking for a spot, just some help in letting the boys catch some fish. Uplake , down lake, grass, or points. Do you frog fish there? Just something to get them started would be much appreciated

Thanks

Don

[booter]

A lot of people go up lake, but if you are not familiar where the channel is, you can get into some trouble. Personally, I usually fish the lower half going towards the dam. There's a little of everything from grass, points and coves with some descent docks.

[lunker56]

Thanks a bunch--Grass and docks it will be. Not going to venture up river. Read a lot on that being tricky

[BigFishSteve]

Bass only? or "anything" fishing?

[lunker56]

Bass only

[jakekups88]

Fish should be spawn/post spawn. Try backs of pockets with poppers and frogs along the grass in the morning. And a pink floating worm or fluke will work all day. And a wacky rig senko. Grass edges and docks are a good bet.

[lunker56]

thanks for the help jakeups88

[BigFishSteve]

Since the water is warm now, I would try to have some fun with topwater first. After that, I would work docks until I had a decent limit. One tossing a wacky rigged, smaller senko and working the perimeter of each dock. Natural colors if water is not ugly. The other angler I would have skipping a 3" grup/jig combo up under the docks, working all water depths, until you get a pattern. They might be in 6" of water up under there or they may be tight to the legs. If you have a good shade line out off the dock, work that line before you work the wood.

I really like a 1/16 or 1/8 ounce jig on a fat body, curly tail grub. They skip well and fall slow. Gives the fish time to look at it. If you are only finding them deeper, go heavier. We catch plenty of bass on 2" crappie jig. Big fish love small easy meals. Good luck. Hope the guys have a blasts.

[lunker56]

Steve--thanks very much for the help. It is their first tourney--to say they are excited is an understatement. This will help them get started

[awalden]

Sent you a PM

[BigFishSteve]

What group is this? When and where are they launching.

A buddy is killing the crappie the last two days on pumpkinseed with chartreuse tail, so those colors are definitely visible right now.

[lunker56]

got it thanks!!

[lunker56]

Just a small group of maybe 20 kids that have a club affiliated with FLW. We will be going out of the public boat landing. I really struggled today there!

[bassinman215]

How'd everyone do? I saw a lot of kids out on boats today and tried to stay out of the way. Picked up two shallow on topwaters. Mised a few more on the frog.

[lunker56]

Very tough day for all of them. 9 boats. 10lbs won. 8lbs for second and 5.25 for third. We only weighed in 2 fish, but they missed two that would have gotten them third. This was their first tourney--one kid had never even been in a bass boat. They had a blast--but now they know how tough tourney fishing can be. Thanks to all who helped me out on this site!

[Basser2be]

Chesdin is a tough place to start your tournament career.
Sounds like a great thing you guys are doing. How many tournament do they have and were do they fish?

[lunker56]

Just got into it, but I think they fish 4. James, Chesdin, Chick, James. Only about 8-10 boats, mainly due to shortage of boat captains. Very cool for the kids who want the tourney experience. Trophies for winning and prizes given by raffle. I did it as a favor for a friend of mine who had a son who wanted to do it. He helped my son get started in hunting--I owed it to him:)