12-18

[Norm Minas]

Flow rate dropped a bit,clarity and water temps same as yesterday. The day started the same weather wise as yesterday but before it was over the front blew in and if definitely got colder. When I finally called it a day the water was starting to form ice bits on the line, always fun to feel bouncing off your face.

I hit up a different stretch of the river, much further upstream. Sand is more of a problem here than anything else. I concentrated on faster , rockier areas that were somewhat deeper than a lot of the real sandy areas.

I started with a crankbait, got one bass toward the upstream edge of the area right on a current seam. I got him bringing the crankbait slowly upstream against the current. After that , the crankbait stopped working, no matter retrieve speed or angle. I figured close to an hour of cranking with only one fish was enough to warrant a change.

I went with a weighted keeper hook with a twin tail grub quatercast and bounced downstream. It took a bit but I finally got bit and landed a walleye. I saw something different, kinda flashing/winking as I brought it in. When I went to unhhok the jig, I noticed a minnow bait attached to it's mouth. It turned out to be a floating Rogue.
I figured the river gods were giving a gift and a hint so I tied on the new lure. It also took a while but it produced a bass about 15 inches which is prolly the average size this year.

Once the wind started picking up and the temps dropping, I couldn't get bit. It didn't matter low and slow or high and fast or anywhere in between, it just wasn't happening. I checked two more spots with the usual assortment of lures and techniques, none of which produced. I guess I just couldn't come up with the right location, lure or technique to fit the new conditions. Food for thought the rest of the evening.