First bass of 2011!

[buzzzzbait88]

Well I hit pool 14 today, I was really just trying to get the boat out and make sure everything was good before my trip to powerton tomorrow. Anyway, a few backwaters still had ice in them, but I pulled into 1 that had some open water and I started casting a shakey head on some rocks, had a bite, but swung and missed after getting snagged a few times I moved on. Picked up my spinnerbait rod with a 3/8 ounce war eagle and started slow rolling it and caught a fish almost instantly. I was surprised to say the least. I kept fishing and caught 2 more this size and lost 1 close to 5! There was still ice way in the back, but my 520C said water temp was between 45 and 47.

[JoeBro44]

Thinking of heading down to the slough tomorrow if I'm feeling better. I know there's some fish to be caught. Would've loved to be out this week but that didn't work out the way I had wished .

[Wags]

I almost forgot what they looked like

[buzzzzbait88]

So am I the first BBC Iowa member to catch a bass in 2011? If so do I get some kind of reward? Seriously though, this is the earliest I have caught good size bass on the river. I honestly told myself I wouldn't even bother going until at least april 1st, but now I will have to get out every weekend, once I get the motor running good again.

[JoeBro44]

I snagged a 5 - 6 lb carp today (true).

[buzzzzbait88]

I bet it fealt good hauling that sucker in! I went to powerton today. On my 3rd cast I caught a sheephead and I knew I should have gone in after that. lol I caught about 10 smallies, but they were all really tiny. The guy I was with caught a 16.5" smallie, but still nothing great. It was really tough there, there was 2 other boats that went with us and each boat caught about 15 smallies and none of them were really big. Should have stayed and fished the river. lol

[JoeBro44]

Actually, I thought I was gonna pass out. I thought some fresh air would be good for me, then I hooked that POS and by the time I got it in I really felt woozy. Maybe a little too soon to fish after the bronchitis. I did get excited for about 10 seconds though before I realized what it was. How far to Powerton was it for you? Always wanted to fish that. Heard they need to be generating to catch the big smallies.

[buzzzzbait88]

Powerton was about 2.5 hrs for me. There was current going in the intake and out the discharge but didn't notice any the rest of the lake. We talked to a few guys that said its not as good as it was 2 or 3 years ago. We weren't catching much and kept wanting to try something different but beating the bank is about the only thing you can do. Shoreline rockis about the only cover in it and it drops off really fast to 8-11feet and then its all sand without much bottom contours

[jjpatton]

The river has been pretty good to me in the last week- last tues and wed got some nice fish including an 11-2 walleye, 10 other walleye, 8 pike or so and probably 15 bass (most small, a couple in the 2 lb range). gonna blow out in the next week or so but nice to feel a tug after a long winter

[buzzzzbait88]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by jjpatton &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">The river has been pretty good to me in the last week- last tues and wed got some nice fish including an 11-2 walleye, 10 other walleye, 8 pike or so and probably 15 bass (most small, a couple in the 2 lb range). gonna blow out in the next week or so but nice to feel a tug after a long winter</td></tr></table>

Thats awesome. I know the walleye have been going good below the 14 dam, but I'm not a walleye fisherman. The way the fish I caught hit I think you could have had an amazing day. I was on limited time and on a pool that I don't really like and still managed 4 decent fish. I think if I could have spent all day on 13 I could have really pounded em and caught some hogs while I was at it!

[jjpatton]

I dont fish for walleye really either but need to learn to make the winter shorter. I caught them all on bass lures (pointers, shad raps, even a swim jig!) in the same places i got the bass and pike