The weather is warming, the water is warming, and yet my boat still sits in my parents’ driveway still virtually unused in 2009.  It did make a brief appearance in two Shabbona outings earlier in the year.  With not enough time to take it to a lake worth launching it on, I was once again reserved to shore fishing.  I did not have a lot of time to travel or fish; so once again, it was Mayslake and Hidden Lake on the agenda. At Mayslake, the spawning bass were now off their beds and gone.  I did not have a lot of interest today in making a lot of casts for a fewer large fish, so I put on my favorite spring lure and went for some action. Once again, it was the gold F5 Rapala Floater that made an appearance.  The pattern that worked today was more of a pop-pop-pop-pause method.  I let the pause almost bring the lure back to the surface, but I tried to keep it in the strike zone. At Mayslake, it is very difficult to reach deep water, especially with a light lure.  I was stuck working areas of 2-4 feet with heavy cover.  A few casts into my adventure, I quickly hooked into this fish whose eyes were certainly bigger than its mouth.  

Over the next hour or so, I continued to have many fish follow the lure, but never hit it.  It was only when I let the lure hit the surface and gave it a twitch, that some other fish joined the fun.  

Despite wanting some consistent action, Mayslake was neither providing a lot of action, nor a decent size fish.  I decided it was time to head off to another favorite local lake in Wheaton, Hidden Lake. Hidden Lake was pretty empty, and the fisherman I talked to said it was slow.  The wind was blowing pretty hard out of the West, so I picked a spot on the Easterly windblown shore.  It was only a few casts and I was able to pick up this bass.  He was sitting just beyond the muddling that had been stirred up by the wind.  

The excitement was building as this bass was actually a decent sized fish compare to what I normally catch.  I was hoping that with this quick and decent fish that the day would turn out to be a success. Within only a few casts later, same spot, I was able to produce these two fish.  

It was a lot of fun to get all the fish so close, in time, together.  I continued to work the easterly shorelines and a few windblown points, but I was only able to come up with a few more small crappies like this one.  

  After only a few short hours of fishing, I had to get home and call it a day.  It was a good day, for me.  To many avid bass fishermen, I know the looks they may be giving when they see a good day results in 14 inch bass.  I am still pretty new to bass fishing, especially the largemouth.  I do not have many great waters around me to fish.  A good day to me, is one in which I enjoy myself out on the water.  

Trip Totals:

4 Largemouth
4 Crappies
1 Sunfish

Year to Date:
12 Trips
15 Keeper Perch
18 Largemouth Bass (Largest 15 inches)
3 Coho Salmon
5 Crappies
1 Bluegill Family Fish