Barrett Report August 28

[Early release]

Got out a little later yesterday. Chuck and Steve were already out there. Water temp dropped a bit, started the day around 75F at the surface, air was a touch chilly, maybe low 50s F. Slight wind from mostly east. Went over to Becky's cove and pounded the shoreline with topwater to minimal response. It seems to me lately the topwater bite is a little after the dawn, and early isn't an advantage. Went to the large opening of the back of Hauser and started catching sample size fish, even with large lures like the pompadour. Chuck was having good success on the south side though and was catching 3 pounders consistently. I started up the panoptix and decided to look around for fish. They seemed to be hovering somewhere around 6-9 feet below the surface, referenced to nothing. No bait balls, no tree tops, nothing, just floating aimlessly.

Jumped over to the various BFS setups and had a middepth (3-5ft) and deeper (5-8 ft). I probably could have caught 3/4 to 1 1/2 pound fish all day on that setup, but I did want to have a couple larger fish, so I kept hunting. Finally the #5 Rapala on 4 pound line worked for a few larger fish in the back of hauser, but it was definitely a scaled down size day for me. When I left the wind was howling and it was miserable to pedal back. Water temp up to 79F and the Air was 90F.

Not supposed to catch fish this little on that bait...

This was the typical fish yesterday for me.

[1Fishdude]

It still looks like you had a great time despite the the wind and heat. Comfortable looks good on you my friend. Maybe next week you can locate some bigger fish to play with.

[619bassin]

The cooler air temperature had something to do with the slower top water bites. Did get 4 on frog early, ended up with 25 healthy bass, crawler and popper worked well with a pause

[Early release]

Chuck is displaying a proper pompadour fish. I don't know what my little fish was thinking.

[Shawnster]

Thanks for the report Dave. I got out there late afternoon, and while it was beautiful and the wind died down, the bite was really slow for me. I caught six on reapers, senkos, Ikas. My buddy was doing much better with 2.5" slim swimz, even though we didn't notice much bait fish.

[Early release]

Hey Shawn, sorry I missed you out there. It was nice to meet you all last week.

It does seem like the wind peaks around lunchtime and then it's better in the afternoon. I think you are correct about the baitfish. I see small numbers of 1-2" shad in the shallows, but failed to locate any major bait balls. I think I'll do more studying next trip with the panoptix. I'll post what I learn. The water seems to be further down too. I noticed some of the trees that were at the waterline, are now out of the waterline. I wonder what that affect is.

[VinnyBass]

I pride myself with having so many various lures from the decades of fishing all over my garage, house, boat and even in my kayak...but
I have never had a flying fish type of bait or a bait with wings. Oh wait...I got it.... I guess it is called a Pompadour. That bait is crazy looking and even better you made it look respectable with a bass hanging from it. If I buy one, I know me and I may suddenly buy another one in a different color and then the next thing you know, I will have a Pompadour lure collection. I just worry if I have the patience to throw it long enough to catch bass with it. So many other baits have had chances(less than 15 minutes) and then end up in my storage containers collecting dusk. But I see that it works via your pic....Hmmmmm? Thanks for sharing your adventures with us all from Barrett and looks like you are having lots of fun.
Anyway Best Wishes and Tight lines always buddy.

[otaymichael]

I pride myself with having so many various lures from the decades of fishing all over my garage, house, boat and even in my kayak...but
I have never had a flying fish type of bait or a bait with wings. Oh wait...I got it.... I guess it is called a Pompadour. That bait is crazy looking and even better you made it look respectable with a bass hanging from it. If I buy one, I know me and I may suddenly buy another one in a different color and then the next thing you know, I will have a Pompadour lure collection. I just worry if I have the patience to throw it long enough to catch bass with it. So many other baits have had chances(less than 15 minutes) and then end up in my storage containers collecting dusk. But I see that it works via your pic....Hmmmmm? Thanks for sharing your adventures with us all from Barrett and looks like you are having lots of fun.
Anyway Best Wishes and Tight lines always buddy.

Vinny, you know by now you should have that sixth sense of when to pick up a lure. Here’s a photo from using the giant sized Pompadour I had just received from Japan. Saw an opening through some trees and I turned around and said “that looks like the perfect spot for my new lure” and got one heckuva blowup on the second cast. See?

Note, this was back of Hauser, at Barrett. I've got a lot on the regular sized one also.

[619bassin]

I pride myself with having so many various lures from the decades of fishing all over my garage, house, boat and even in my kayak...but
I have never had a flying fish type of bait or a bait with wings. Oh wait...I got it.... I guess it is called a Pompadour. That bait is crazy looking and even better you made it look respectable with a bass hanging from it. If I buy one, I know me and I may suddenly buy another one in a different color and then the next thing you know, I will have a Pompadour lure collection. I just worry if I have the patience to throw it long enough to catch bass with it. So many other baits have had chances(less than 15 minutes) and then end up in my storage containers collecting dusk. But I see that it works via your pic....Hmmmmm? Thanks for sharing your adventures with us all from Barrett and looks like you are having lots of fun.
Anyway Best Wishes and Tight lines always buddy.

This bait just gets them Vinny, like you said, you just have to have the patience

[Early release]

Vinny, Chuck and I have both had a lot of fun with them, he gave me one to use last year and it's been producing. There's also the Megabass I-wing and the inexpensive Heddon Crawler, which I have also been very happy with.

[JWall]

I pride myself with having so many various lures from the decades of fishing all over my garage, house, boat and even in my kayak...but
I have never had a flying fish type of bait or a bait with wings. Oh wait...I got it.... I guess it is called a Pompadour. That bait is crazy looking and even better you made it look respectable with a bass hanging from it. If I buy one, I know me and I may suddenly buy another one in a different color and then the next thing you know, I will have a Pompadour lure collection. I just worry if I have the patience to throw it long enough to catch bass with it. So many other baits have had chances(less than 15 minutes) and then end up in my storage containers collecting dusk. But I see that it works via your pic....Hmmmmm? Thanks for sharing your adventures with us all from Barrett and looks like you are having lots of fun.
Anyway Best Wishes and Tight lines always buddy.

Vinny those baits do look crazy!! But their action is similar to a jitterbug which has historically been a killer lure. In fact I recently saw an old article that an LJ Brasher had caught over 1000 verified double digit bass in the deep south, mostly on a modified musky jitterbug. Funny tho, I can’t get a sniff on my jitterbug at Barrett

[MistrRocko]

Jitterbug is the pond goat. Had so much fun on it in the late 90s-early 2000s. I feel like the new ones don't swim right and the hooks hang wrong

[JWall]

Jitterbug is the pond goat. Had so much fun on it in the late 90s-early 2000s. I feel like the new ones don't swim right and the hooks hang wrong

My jitterbug is an old classic I found on one of the SD lakes years and years ago. Most “found lures” are magic but for some reason it’s not that catchy. I have to admit I’m not usually throwing topwater much. My mentor was a worm guy and I’m a creature of habit.