In southeast WI, it was raining on opening day. Seeing as there was no lightning, I threw on a rain suit, hooked up the boat, and headed out.
While anxiously launching the canoe into the water I was imagining a bass hitting my topwater bait. My rods were rigged with lures appropriate for the spots I wanted to try first.
After starting the motor and heading to the first spot I had planned to go to, I noticed the wind picked up since I left from home. Because of the increased wind, the water was too rough to use a buzzbait. (Buzzbaits and other topwaters work best when the water's calm or when there's a slight chop.) I ruled out my original plan and began to feel unsure of where to go.
At this point in fishing, you have to adapt to the weather conditions. As a fisherman and hunter you're at the mercy of what nature throws at you; your success depends on how you overcome adversity.
Because I was already heading towards the far end of the lake, and since the wind was blowing in a direction that I could drift back towards where I launched from, I kept going. Besides, since there was a no wake until 9am and I was already half way towards the far end of the lake, I just wanted to get there.
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| First fish of opening day hit hard! Snapped this pic and released |
During the initial drift I wound up in an unfamiliar location of the lake, but it did look promising so I went with it. It was by a patch of reeds. Nobody else was fishing here.
Reaching for my spin cast rod rigged with a Kalin Grub and pink jig head I took a cast. Moments later I felt my first strike!
(Stay tuned for part 3 next week!)
