Feb 16, 20246 min read

Big Rudy & Lake P Troll vs. ICW

TEAM JO-JO:

Me first mate Big Ronnie went back up north, Sr first mate Big Don on IR, Big Pablo working, Big Charlie MIA, left on crew be that of Big Rudy, me did not have to ask you ready to go, he always be ready to go.

Went over game plan for trip, me said go in Bay Flat Jr, me going to be doing like P Troll technique / presentation most of the day, say he no problem, that be what me like Captain & First mate on same page.

Plan in hand, crew on board, a trip borne for a Friday morning out of Gulf Outlet Mariner.

SIGNS:

· Did not fish all week, not a good sign this be

· Card game Thursday, me fish once again, donated 1 C note to the cause

· Got home our 23:45, up at 04:30 for our 05:30 meet up at our abode

· Could not get front gate to function, so we did plan “B” meet up at Waffle House on Oak Harbor

· Quick load up of Big Rudy gear, off we be

· No wildlife sightings along Hwy 11 or 90

· No boats on Hwy, gas stations, and /or boat launches

· Gulf outlet Marine had (1) boat launched

· Big Tony of Fishermen’s Friend MIA, he in his privet office doing his thing, so we got with him when we came back

· One pull that’s all Yamaha Nightmare Machined fired right up, she be running great all day.

· Off to ICW to star our fun day of fishing & catching

CONDITIONS:

· Perfect

· Wind, E.N.E. 2-3, N.E. 2-3, E.S.E. 4-6, S.E 10-12 mph

· Water status / conditions: little ripples

· Sky, overcast day, perfect

· Mist rain all day, little sprinkle got a little wet, but perfect it be

· Temp, jump suite and rain jacket on all day, nice and comfy me be

· Water level, down 8-10”

· Water Temp , 57.8 F

· Salinity, 3.2

· Specific Conductance 6040

· Pressure, 30.08 R

· Water clarity on a scale of 1-7, 6 minus

· Tide, falling, slack long time, never did come in

· Peak tide, 08:22 L 0-33’

· Peak tide, 18:24 H 0-98’

· Major Feed Time: 10:10 / 22:22

· Minor feed time: 23:55 / 10:30

· Tidal Coefficient: 48

· Bait in water, and along rocks

· Birds everywhere

· Fish Activity

· Average Activity

· Boats out and about, (4) but they left early. Had 1 boat on way in they still fishhg in rain

· ONEOFTHEPACK’S REPERTOIRE OF TECHNIQUES / STRATEGIES

· Be safe

· Have fun

· This be me daily therapy for ALL me aliments

· Put some run time on the Bay Flat Jr and the Yamaha Nightmare Machine

· Gather Intel for future trips, and to share with fisherperson, (on Facebook) to help assist them in their choice of areas to fish, lures to use and presentation of same to the elusive Silverwonders.

· Catch what catch can

· Learn what learn can

· RE-introduce Big Rudy to the Lake P Troll Technique / presentation

· See if the Silverwonders wanted to the Lake P Troll for breakfast

· Learn the Silverwonder hot spots& patterns

· Learn to navigate the mind field of hang ups on bottom

· Bring Petite Yana fish for her daily menu at their abode

· Find a spot # with the seven fundamentals / criteria of catching:

1 WIND AT YOUR BACK: (This criteria was perfect, no impact on our ability to perform Lake P Troll technique)

2 MOVING WATER: (Not much all day which is perfect for Lake P Troll, it be like tide moving lures / bait in water along bottom)

3 WATER CALRITY: (A 6 minus, little sandy looking, me think when they open locks in industrial canal; river water being dumped in industrial canal that makes it way now the ICW>

4 HOLDING FISH: (ICW rocks)

5 PATIENTS: (Took 15 minutes for Big Rudy to catch, (drop shot rig) the first NMR, slow after that, but when we went to Lake P Troll technique, it was on, on, on,)

6 SKILL: (Lake P Troll technique / presentation)

7 LUCK: (We picked a perfect day to go fishing)

· Anchor up cast & retrieve slowly along the bottom, with a twitch every now and then, tight lining…………………………………DID NOT TRY

· Drift with the wind cast & retrieve (DWWC&R)……………(4) Silverwonders

· Oak River Troll (ORT)………………. DID NOT TRY

· Reverse Oak River Troll (RORT) ………..DID NOT TRY

· Oak River Skim (ORS) ……………DID NOT TRY

· Cork ……..DID NOT TRY

· Lake P Troll (LPT)……….All other fish caught this technique / presentation

· Dead bait……None

· Live bait………………None

· Oneofthepack ‘S repertOIRE of LURE DU JOUR:

· 3” H&H Purple Beetle, matched up with H&H ¼ oz. round white head with gold hook……………Did not try

· 3” Chartreuse Glow Beetle, matched up with H&H ¼ oz. round white head w/gold hook………….Did not try

· Matrix Shad Lemon Drop, matched up with H&H ¼ oz. round white head w/gold hook……………Did not try

· Matrix Shad Lemon Drop, matched up with H&H 3/8 oz. round white head w/gold hook……………DID NOT TRY

· Matrix Shad Lemon Drop, matched up with H&H 1/2 oz. round white head w/gold hook……………DID NOT TRY

· Matrix Shad Lemon Drop, matched up with 3/4 oz. round lead head w/ 2 trailers, ……Caught 95% of Silverwonders

· Tandem rig, ¼ oz. round H&H jig head with gold hook, matched up with Matrix Shad Lemon Drop …..Did not try

AREAS / SPOTS / NUMBERS ON THE MAP FISHED:

ICW rocks

OUR REWARDS:

· Lived to fish another day

· Plan came together well

· (33) Silverwonders, 9 Miniwonders

· (2) Flounders

· (7) Hang ups (2) Popped lines

· (1) Popped line BIG fish

· (1) Broke trolling pole, tried to flip in a 3.5# (NMR) Silverwonder, not a good idea it be

· (2) tangled lines

· (3) Crab trap lines, fish would run straight to them and get you all tangled up in them, but (2) times we still got the fish.

· Mist on us all day, got a little sprinkle, but it was a lot better than the sun beating down on us, fish did not mine the rain, nor did we

· Lost me phone, fell off truck, Loveofthepack brought me back and we backed track, plus we had 360, which lead us right to phone, it was in Casino, someone picked up and turned it in, gave lady ½ C note, (told her we both had luck today) for her help.

· Being on the water with one of the best fisherperson me know, that be Big Rudy

· Lessons learned:

§ Perfect day for fishing was / is today’s conditions, so when you looking for perfect day, don’t pass up conditions like today.

§ Lake P Troll technique / presentations works in ICW

§ We had to play Russian roulette with hangs up on bottom, (it be a mind field of them) we lost 3-4 rigs, so if you go make sure not to use expensive lures.

§ Think we found the hot spots and pattern that the NMR Silverwonders like, and how to serve it up to them

§ Having trailers pre-made up, made it easy for us to reload rig quickly, see video on how to make them up

§ (1) Of me Shimano Bantam reels needs some work done on it. Ig Gus her we come

§ Depth fonder a must, our Lowrance kept us in the desired depth of water where the Big Girls where playing.

§ Need new trolling rod

· Best fishing trip of my life, until the next one.

FISHERPERSON OF THE DAY:

Oneofthepack dominated flounders division, biggest Silverwonder of the month, had his way with the Lake P Troll technique & Silverwonders, but me think Big Rudy closed in on me, and once again he be fisherpersons of the day. But it was very, very, very close it be.

SUGGESTIONS:

Learn the Lake P Troll technique use / pr4eseqantion, it is a great technique when tide is slow and/or flat it simulate bait / lure movement along bottom like if you had a tide.

Go see Big Gus at Net & Tackle shop on Hwy 433, he can set you up in no time with the various lures, gear, & hooks you need to make it happen.

Come to Team Jo-Jo Fishing Curriculum Session this Saturday at Fatty’s Seafood, (Dutch treat) on Gauze Blvd. in Slidell, at 11 AM. We will have various drop shot rigs, and lake P Troll rigs for all to t=review, feel, touch, to get and idea on how we ring them.

PONDER OF THE DAY:

“I thoroughly enjoy getting away from life’s games and going out fishing because it’s so relaxing, so quiet, and peaceful. I mean, there’s no noise other than nature… and it’s so different from being conscious in today’s world situations that it just eases my mind.”