For the Week Ending Sunday, July 14, 2019

Monday, July 8 (from Ron)...Fished upper North Landing again this evening. Caught an 11-incher on a fluke, plus a 12- and 14-incher on the Pop-R. The high water is restricting my launch options, and I hope it falls a little soon.




Tuesday, July 9 (from Dave & Ken)...Started just beyond the West Neck Bridge this morning about 6 o'clock and kept moving in the same direction until we had passed the second duckblind, then turned around and began the trek back down. It was about 12:30 or 1 o'clock when we threw in the towel on our bluebird day. Final tally was four keeper bass, with a handful of dinks. No big fish, and the action was extremely slow all day, much as it has been for a couple of weeks already. Won't be going again until the tourney this Saturday. Keeping fingers crossed things improve by then, but given the 90-degree prediction from the weatherman, it probably won't. Will just have to wait and see.

Tuesday, July 9 (from Ron)...Was nice to get back in Milldam, where the water was crystal clear and the grass is getting thick in the feeder creeks. Fished from 6 'till 9:30 p.m. The bite actually slowed down the later it got, which runs opposite to my experience. I stayed out late fighting the bugs, trying to find that sunset topwater bite to no avail. Caught a bit of everything. Started with the micro spinner and caught two sunfish. Then came six bass, including two dinks, plus a 1-10, 1-11, 1-13, and a 2-6, which all fell to flukes. Managed a favorite bowfin that weighed 3-13 and made a mess of my net. When I shifted to topwater at sunset, got a nice blowup and a real drag-screamer that turned out to be a gar. Had several more swipes at the topwater but no more hookups. The bass were in the grass.

Wednesday, July 10 (from Ron)...Caught only one dink bass and two 10-inch white perch. Bass hit a worm, and the white perch hit the Pop-R. Whenever the white perch hit the topwater, seems one treble nearly always will be through upper lip and two through bottom. Found tonight's results odd, considering the conditions nearly matched the ones I had Tuesday evening...except for the bite.

Thursday, July 11 (from Ron)...Barely avoided a skunk with another one-dink trip. Fished south of Old Pungo Ferry Bridge and only had one strike, which resulted in the one dink. Wind was dreadful, and the bite was non-existent.

Friday, July 12 (from Ron)...Fished Stumpy Lake this evening. Spent almost three hours with nary a nibble. Can't say I ever made so many casts with so little result. Was resigned to a skunk. Just before the Nature Area closes at 8:30 p.m., I was rushing back to the launch at 8:20. Threw that "one last cast" to a lone cypress, and as the plastic fell, got a tap, tap, set the hook, and avoided a skunk. Unfortunately, it wasn't a bass.

Saturday, July 13 (a.m.) (from Ron)...Fished Back Bay this morning and found a few, including a 1-3, 1-6, and a 3-13 (19.5-incher). Also caught a surprise crappie on the micro spinnerbait. The bass fell for the Fluke, and I lost one that was as big, if not bigger, than the 3-13. The 3-13 gave a great fight and even towed me a bit as he ran for cover.

Saturday, July 13 (p.m.) (from Ron)...This morning just wasn't enough. Fished upper North Landing from 7:30 to 8:30 this evening. The bite was very good, but the quality was not. Caught nine bass, with the biggest at only 12 inches. They were aggressive, to say the least. Caught half on flukes, half on Pop-R.