GUY WILLIAMS with part of a good day’s catch…
The need for weedless lures continues to expand at Lake Skinner as all manner of grass and moss are making it almost impossible to fish otherwise. Certainly, that was the case Tuesday when former California Top 40 angler Guy Williams and I tested the pond.
With the lake level one to two feet lower than most prefer, the only surprise was how much more expansive is the surface “cheese” in all the pockets–even more than seven days ago. Oh, and one other thing. The new boat launch fees went into effect on July 1, now $5, up from $2. What that means is, one guy with his boat now costs $15.
Not sure the full moon had a big effect on the day, only that the fish that came through the slop were a little more aggressive early in the day, than later, and Guy’s bigger Bronzeye Frog got more attention than the regular size.
A LOT of this around the lake…
However, a watermelon thin Senko was reliable for Guy and he wracked up the numbers on the hard bottom points in less than three feet of water between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. But fished on light line, the margins are pretty tight. We witnessed that a 6-pound bass with three pounds of weeds may be a bit too much for 6-pound test.
5-INCH Senkos still a good choice at Skinner.
I fished 20-pound braid and 12-pound Sunline Sniper all day and maybe got a little less action, but was able to get my better bites to the boat. Fishing a regular 5-inch Senko may offset the fall rate of the 12-pound. I may drop down to 8-pound next time and see if that changes anything.
The fact is, with moderate boat activity you could fish the frog water all day long, or because the grass is so thick and prevalent, you can fish a weightless Senko all day as well. Of course, with Saturday being “Free Fishing Day” there might be more traffic than normal. Still, you are definitely going to get bit, either way.