American Lake Info

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Chris Blandi on April 6, 2009 at 12:01pm

Those are some GREAT fish.

Permalink Reply by Eric DeLay on April 6, 2009 at 8:46pm

Nice jerkbait fish Marc, I got a little excited thinking about what it would be like to feel the line tighten up from that pig. Man I am pumped to get some running baits going. Come on sunshine!

Marc Marcantonio said:

Well, I learned a lot this weekend on American Lake. What a beautiful weekend, finally!!

On Saturday I stuck with the plan and threw all reaction baits and only scraped up 3 cutthroat trout, but my partner for the day, Glen Baker, caught the nice smallie in the first picture on a football head Hula Grub in 17 feet of water. Our only smallmouth for the day.

On Sunday I ran into Jim and Willie on the water, as well as Rodney. Willie showed me something I hadn't seen before by using a deep technique real shallow. Thanks, Willie! So then I got an idea about the shallow bite coming on, and headed back to where I initially saw Rodney. The bite really turned on for me, and I had an awesome hour and half of fishing in which I landed a limit that would have gone 20 pounds! The next two photo's show two of the fish. I caught 5 on a deep diving crankbait (crawdad color) using my old 1970 Skyline Graphite pistol grip rod and my old Ambassador 4600CA reel that I just rebuilt with 10 bearings and CarbonTex drag system. It was nostalgic and fun, and a sweet way to end an awesome day. The really sweet part was after catching five on the crankbait, I switched back to the Staysee (new Ghost Chartreuse Shad color) and nailed the 5 pound smallie in the last photo!

You have to love prespawn smallies!

ciao,
Marc

Permalink Reply by Rodney Heupel on April 6, 2009 at 10:38pm

Great to hear and see you finished strong. So was the way I was fishing, the deep technique real shallow that Willie showed you? I did stop at Joe's on my way home tonight and bought me some new treble hooks. Got me dreaming of how big the 3 could of been I missed/came unbuttoned. This weekend I learned that crankbaits do work when the water is less than 50 degrees. I never realized the buildings of the American Lake VAMC could be used to help identify the lake memorable fish are caught on. Sure makes for a better back ground then the trees I've used on the lakes. Thinking back on photos I've seen of you and fish there always seems to be a well known land mark or building. Great photo lesson too.

Permalink Reply by David Parnicky on April 6, 2009 at 10:56pm

Sweet smallies Marc! I have never fished American Lake before, I have seen some pictures of some nice SM from it though!

Permalink Reply by Tag Watson on April 7, 2009 at 9:14am

Nice fish, Marc, and great pics!

Permalink Reply by Marc Marcantonio on April 7, 2009 at 10:06am

Rodney, that wasn't what Willie showed me...something very different but I will leave it up to him to divulge what he shared if he is so inclined.

All five of the crankbait fish were using Gamakatsu EWG trebles. The Staysee 5lber was on the stock Lucky Craft hooks only because it was a brand new lure I had just taken out of the package and didn't bother to replace the hooks on since I was just practicing. Not a single lost fish. Both using the right hooks and right action rod (slow action) and playing the fish properly all help to reduce those lost fish on treble hooks.

The pictures were taken by perching my camera on the front pedestal seat of my Ranger, and activating the timer shutter release. Completely a one man operation, and one I have to resort to often.

Wish I was on the lake tonight instead of working late.

ciao,
Marc

Permalink Reply by Rory Knox on April 12, 2009 at 5:54pm

Marc Marcantonio said:

Well, I learned a lot this weekend on American Lake. What a beautiful weekend, finally!!

On Saturday I stuck with the plan and threw all reaction baits and only scraped up 3 cutthroat trout, but my partner for the day, Glen Baker, caught the nice smallie in the first picture on a football head Hula Grub in 17 feet of water. Our only smallmouth for the day.

On Sunday I ran into Jim and Willie on the water, as well as Rodney. Willie showed me something I hadn't seen before by using a deep technique real shallow. Thanks, Willie! So then I got an idea about the shallow bite coming on, and headed back to where I initially saw Rodney. The bite really turned on for me, and I had an awesome hour and half of fishing in which I landed a limit that would have gone 20 pounds! The next two photo's show two of the fish. I caught 5 on a deep diving crankbait (crawdad color) using my old 1970 Skyline Graphite pistol grip rod and my old Ambassador 4600CA reel that I just rebuilt with 10 bearings and CarbonTex drag system. It was nostalgic and fun, and a sweet way to end an awesome day. The really sweet part was after catching five on the crankbait, I switched back to the Staysee (new Ghost Chartreuse Shad color) and nailed the 5 pound smallie in the last photo!

You have to love prespawn smallies!

ciao,
Marc

Permalink Reply by Rory Knox on April 12, 2009 at 6:37pm

let me try this again. hi mark that was a very nice 5# sm you caught at american lake last week. but i have to say i think it was a little more impressive when i saw it up close and personal. yes believe it or not i went to american lake today for a little while, i had the whole lake to myself there wasnt another bass boat on the whole lake. so anyway i fished a couple of spots with no luck, then i went over to the area where you caught that big smallie.(accourding to the photo you posted) I think it was my second cast with a crawfish colored crankbait that i hooked into a nice fish in about 6 ft of water . i got it in the boat and weighed it according to my scale it was just under 5#s . I thought this might be the very same fish you caught and i realy thought it was. so not having a digital camera with me i took some pictures with the cheep camera i keep in the glove box of my boat. when i got home i took the film to walgreens and had it developed. I compared my fish to your fish and guess what ? just like a fingerprint ,every spot and marking is exactly the same.WOW.I wish i could show you the pictures . i will have to keep a copy in my boat, hopefuly ill see you on the lake some time , say hi and show you the pictures. thanks for all the postings. ya gotta love prespawn catch and release small mouth.. lol.

Permalink Reply by Marc Marcantonio on April 12, 2009 at 9:42pm

Congratulations on a fine catch, Rory! That doesn't surprise me in the least, and has happened before even with myself catching the same fish several times in a year, and over a couple of years. They do have distinctive markings that help identify individual fish.

I look forward to meeting you and seeing the photo!

ciao,
Marc

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