Triadelphia Reservoir Memorial Day Fish Report

[DanMarino]

Went to Triadelphia again to give the bottom bouncer and crank bait a go. This time I tried a small floating Rapala jointed minnow in the fire tiger color. It worked very well. This is the first time I've caught fish while trolling a crank bait on the bottom bouncer. I probably caught around 8 fish. Most of them were crappies. I lost 2 really big crappies right at the side of the kayak. Also had a heavy fish come off before I could tell what it was. One day I hope to get a bass or walleye on this technique. So far the bottom bouncer is working well. I have not been skunked yet at Triadelphia this season while using the bottom bouncer. I'm also having lots of success with the $20 humminbird sonar unit that I picked up off of Craighslist. Can't say enough about how it is helping me locate these panfish. The fish are showing up on the sonar unit and then as I troll past, the fish are hooking up on the bottom bouncer rig. Now I just need to figure out where the bass and walleyes are.

[oubassman]

nicely done!!

[Turtle135]

If you keep up with that technique you will find those Walleyes. How deep are you finding the fish?

[DanMarino]

Hey Dave,

The fish are typically in 8 feet-15 feet of water. Lots of times they are off of wood. Lots of the crappie yesterday were near points in the branch arms of the reservoir. For the past month it is amazing how few fish are marking on my sonar in the main lake. 98% of the fish marks I'm finding are in the branch arms. The main reservoir lake is empty of fish in the sections I'm paddling.

13

[Turtle135]

That is interesting. That might explain why that lake fishes so tough in the summer (when the fish migrate out of the coves and arms into the main lake).

[DanMarino]

Exactly my thinking too Dave, unless the panfish stay in the branch arms all summer long anyways? This will be my first summer with a sonar unit to try and figure it out. But I'm counting on the bottom bouncer and minnow baits to try and located the bass after the spawn and in the summer heat.

So Dave, on Saturday were you locating bass in the main lake stem of Rocky Gorge, or in the coves and branch arms?

Tom

[Turtle135]

The bluegills will stay in the coves and arms during the summer. They seem to love that hot water. The crappies will move a little deeper and suspend I think.

On the upper 1/3 of Rocky Gorge it's somewhat of a "riverine" configuration. Bends and turns but no long creek arms like you have in the lower part of Tridelphia. I think the bass were done spawning (caught one female that looked like a flat tire) but still "shore oriented" and hanging out in 10 feet of water or less.

Once those bass move to their summer structure and rock piles they are a little harder to target (but the Humminbird will really come into play then).

[DanMarino]

[quote="Turtle135"](caught one female that looked like a flat tire) quote]

You made me laugh on that one Dave. Too funny.

Skunk free in 2012 at Triadelphia so far, but I need to start catching some bass or walleyes to make it more fun.

[oprcsr]

Nice! What kind of bottom bouncer are you using?

[DanMarino]

http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-XPS-Walleye-Angler-Bottom-Bouncer-Walleye-Lures/product/10209662/63092
Nothing fancy. I've been using a 3/4 ounce bouncer, but I also have a couple of 1 ounce bouncers too.