The end of The Funk? Round Lake 9-16-17

[djkimmel]

Is the 6-trip, week and a half funk finally over?? I hope so! At least it appears if I want to catch bass like I know how I just need to go to Round Lake and start in the dark... as I did again on 9-16-2017.


I DO still know how to catch bass!! Just have to fish in the dark - old school with the ole black Jitterbug! A decent chunker largemouth bass slaps the ole Jitterbug right after I start fishing! Off to a good start!

Missed another nice strike on the bug the very next cast but I couldn't get a follow up strike from the very shallow fish.


Things got MUCH better than 'the funk' about 30 minutes later when a TOAD smashed my Jitterbug in the dark!! IS THERE ANYTHING BETTER THAN THAT?!? I think not. I got to the lake much earlier than I had originally planned (I guess I was too excited to sleep...?). Knowing earlier in the year the strikes had been poor and sparse before that lightening period just before dawn I switched to the Jitterbug for the pitch black and it was the right move!!

This big bass smashed the Jitterbug and fought so hard that it bent out my back treble hook! I had to swap out hooks before I went back to fishing! This big old bass hit right along the outside edge of some pads and shallow milfoil/sand weed-like algae mix.

I tried up in shallow and what I suspected would happen almost did several times - BIG doggies coming after my lazy, slow plopping Jitterbug!! I wasn't getting anymore quality bass as daylight crept in so I made the switch to my new 110 Whopper Plopper. Only the more aggressive dogfish will usually make the full effort to actually catch something moving faster like this though I was reeling slower in the lower light than I do as things get brighter.


Had 2 awesome strikes early on the 110 Whopper Plopper but I missed one somehow (or it missed me?!?). I managed to land this nice chunker Round Lake largemouth bass!


Things slowed down a little at the morning progressed. About 20 minutes after 8am I was near the end of the point. It was kind of breezy so a little wind current going on. I saw a nice hole between some slimy algae-streaked scattered little clumps of milfoil. I picked up the Strike King Series 5 Sexy Shad crankbait and made a cast through the middle. WHOP!! Another TOAD largemouth hammers the crank!! What a fight! Stripped out drag! Jumped 5 times - big head-shaking, gill-rattling beauty!!

I gave the area some serious effort but could not buy another bite there... hoping there was a school of big ones hanging out but maybe this was a big loner...? Enjoyed catching it though!


The wind kicked up stronger than forecasted (big surprise this year, right?). Surface activity petered out. I pulled out the spybait and caught 3 bass and a pike in a hurry! Thought I was on to something but the bite in that area petered out too. Since things have really slowed. 1 biteoff and 2 mystery bites on a swimbait so far.

Went through a looooonnngg dry spell after that as far as keepers.


Finally caught 1 small keeper on the Whopper Plopper 110 but lost it at the boat while fooling with the phone for a picture. Got this better bass though a little before 3pm! I returned to the spybait spot from earlier and this bass just dragged the Whopper Plopper 110 under from behind!! I went back to surface lures because the wind died down for a bit and minnows and little panfish started getting active at the surface again.

Always perk back up when there's some surface activity that I think might get the attention of the bass!


The frequency of this and similar encounters with ole toothesoxicuss rex was definitely picking up as the afternoon progressed though and the bass bite slowed down again! Drats!! Only got 1 small bass on the crankbait but it's been all pike otherwise like this toothy monster that pounced on the Strike King! The pike anglers should be happier from what I'm seeing all over the place this year!


So I don't finish this day with a last minute whopper but this little bass with a big heart earned a picture! I rarely catch anything from the pilings by the ramp but I always throw at them since there's not much like it in the lake. Tonight I hooked my Whopper Plopper on the buoy rope probably because I was getting tired... I was doing the jiggle and shake to free it when this little dude yanked it off the rope for me!! Very nice!

Not earth-shattering bass fishing I know but pretty good again for a tiny lake, and it felt AWESOME after the previous 6-trip bass funk I was in!! Hope this marks the real end of it!?! PLUS - a couple hawgs, which is very nice!

[21XDC]

My last 4 trips have been funky/crappy too.... Including yesterday.   

I'm going again today to try and break the funk! 

Maybe I can rub elbows with you Dan... 

Nice trip you had. 

[djkimmel]

I'm thinking anymore that I should just always fish Round Lake since I've done ever better there recently!! I guess it's nice to get along with at least one lake anyway... good luck on your adventure!