After taking the majority of last week off for Canada Day and a little R&R, we were back at it today trying to deploy the transmitter recovered from the dead fish we found last week. It's incredibly hot here, 110F with humidity (90+ without), so we decided to get a late afternoon start.
Not only did we have extreme heat today, but the wind was howling which forced us to find calmer water. The area we went to has been producing lots of action and multiple tagged fish, much more than other spots. My first pass along the weedbed yielded one follow from a spot that I have been moving fish from the last several times out. In fact, they all seemed to be the same fish judging by the prominent spots on its flanks. After the follow, I kept moving as Bill Fuller and Ross Nicholls were working their way down the same drift path. While I finished fishing the back of the large bay we were in, I glanced over at the two boats volunteering with me (John Thibert, Bill, and Ross). As I focused on Bill and Ross in the distance I could see splashing and knew instantly they had a fish! I fired up the motor and zoomed over. Throwing a spinnerbait, Bill caught the fish we were looking for! Thanks to Ross for a good net job, too! It also appeared to be, perhaps, the same fish that had been following my offerings on different days but wouldn't actually commit.
Water temps have hit 80F, so the next little while will be spent trying to blood sample and tag fish before I head home on the 13th.
Obviously this post is not very scientific, but oh well!
