dartag was kind enough to invite me fishing again, this time to meet him and hit the Monroe Hot Ponds off of Lake Erie. Of course, I said yes. It's bass fishing and the Hot Ponds are fun! The winds were very favorable which makes it even better when running a little ways out in Lake Erie in November!
We started at the mouth because that's the first place you get to, and that didn't work. The current was really moving and it seemed like things had changed since dartag was recently there. The water was colder and muddy - not always a good change this time of year...
We fished other, normally good parts of the Hot Ponds expecting to find a few but it just wasn't happening. Finally, we fished near the mouth but off to the side and that's where we found some of the bass had moved to.
(http://glb.glwimg.com/images/monroe-hot-ponds-stinger-bass-dan20161102_114759_HDR.jpg)
I alternated between casting a deep crankbait and pitching this green pumpkin Angling AI Stinger. I caught a few decent ones like this bass pitching the Stinger to shore on a heavy rattling sinker Texas-rigged. They would usually take it on the initial drop or very shortly thereafter. Some of the bass were in inches of water even!
(http://glb.glwimg.com/images/dan-crankbait-monroe-hot-ponds-bass20161102_133420_HDR.jpg)
I caught my first bass and a few others on a Strike King 6XD that I was cranking from very close to shore out into several feet of water. They hit it fairly close to shore most of the time probably because of the muddy water.
(http://glb.glwimg.com/images/dartag-monroe-hot-ponds-largemouth-bass20161102_135434.jpg)
dartag caught more bass than me with the biggest being about like this one. He was mostly pitching a small creature bait and a jig along the shoreline and near whatever cover there was available along shore. He pulled a couple right out of trees/leaves overhanging the water.
We caught almost all our bass in the same small area of the Hot Ponds with not much else working assuming because of the faster current and muddier water that the bite was off. The bass averaged smaller and were definitely less numerous than normal but it was November bass fishing and that's fun regardless!
That place "Hot Pond" singular.... Is an ever changing complex environment. Water clarity, current based from wind direction on Erie, fast changing temps, rising and falling water levels etc.... Just a complex environment. I have been fishing there probably more years/trips with a couple friends than most anybody and we still have not figured this place out.... Each time I go there, I try and fish it like a new lake... The numbers and size of fish have fallen short. Over the winter it gets better, But I still feel like this year will be weak.
Good that you made the best of a slow day.
It is a fun place to go fish but the drive down and back frustrates me. Usually takes an hour down and about 2 hours going home. Seeing the Bald Eagles is what I really enjoy about going there. Not sure there is anyplace in Michigan you can go and see that many in a small location.
Quote from: 21XDC on December 18, 2016, 08:21:37 AM
That place "Hot Pond" singular.... Is an ever changing complex environment. Water clarity, current based from wind direction on Erie, fast changing temps, rising and falling water levels etc.... Just a complex environment. I have been fishing there probably more years/trips with a couple friends than most anybody and we still have not figured this place out.... Each time I go there, I try and fish it like a new lake... The numbers and size of fish have fallen short. Over the winter it gets better, But I still feel like this year will be weak.
Good that you made the best of a slow day.
Hot Pond
s gives it more of a mystique I think...
We did make the best of a slow day I think. There was more to it but I was only into telling enough of the story last night - sleepy!
It does appear that this year will be an off, low year from the 2 times I've been there...
Quote from: dartag on December 18, 2016, 09:46:51 AM
It is a fun place to go fish but the drive down and back frustrates me. Usually takes an hour down and about 2 hours going home. Seeing the Bald Eagles is what I really enjoy about going there. Not sure there is anyplace in Michigan you can go and see that many in a small location.
Sorry the drive back is no fun. I did okay on my drive back going a different route. It is cool to see so many eagles all over the place - lots of young ones!
I have seen up to 75 bald eagles in a day there at the "Hot Pond" LOL ... Once we saw 25 in one tree... Awesomeness for sure.
That's a LOT of eagles!