The first 1.5 hours or so was pretty uneventful. DT managed to get a 14" smallie on a plastic hellgrammite in a faster water chute below a ledge rock. We worked over the area around the initial launch pretty good with a variety of lures between us with only that 1 smallie. While working over the 1st area, I switched a tube from 4" to 2.75" & from a Winco Predator Craw to a Winco fluke. I kept on a Winco 3" swimming grub (blue glimmer) & War Eagle spinnerbait on to throw as we started moving downstream.
That single smallie was the only smallie till about 11:00 am. That's when I finally managed to land a smallie, which turned out to be the biggest of the day. This 16.75" chunk followed the swimming grub & hit as I paused the grub.
By this time, we were above the a significant ledge rock area. I landed a couple of 12" & 13" smallies in fast water chute areas between ledge rock areas. We worked through the that ledge area & started working the area before the very next small ledge area. DT had put on an off white swimming grub also & managed to land a nice 15"+ smallie in the push water of that 2nd ledge area. He had noticed some nice smallies in the push area above the previous ledge. I got a couple of more 12" smallies in the push water & a fast water seam before going trough & working the area below the rapids. This 13" smallie was the last of the day.
DT picked up a few more smallies on a spinnerbait in the push water before going through the ledge area.
It was a good day for how tough it started. We couldn't figure them out early & between 11-12:30 was when we caught most of the fish. Guess they needed to warm up
Fish were holding in & near faster water seams & the push areas. All of my smallies came swimming the Winco grub & DT's on a grub & spinnerbait.
