OCC, IL
Lot Side
Outing Information
- Date
- Start/End Time
- 4:00 to 6:30
- Best Fishing Time
- 4:30 to 4:30
- Rating
- Fair
- Classification
- Public
- Water Temp
- -
- Water Clarity
- Murky - <1' visibility
- Water Level
- -
- User
- Tyler Uteg
Fish Caught
Largemouth Bass
| Caught | Avg Size | Pattern | Optional Fields |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3½ lbs | 3/4 craw one knocker | |
| 1 | 3½ lbs |
Weather
| Skies | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mostly Sunny | X | ||
| Precipitation | |||
| None | X | ||
| Wind | |||
| Heavy - 15+ knots | X |
- Air Temp High/Low
- 60.0°F / 65.0°F
- Wind Direction
- -
- Weather Front
- Today was a cold front.
- Barometer
- -
- Moon Phase
- 98% Full (Full)
Other Patterns Tried
No other pattern information for this outing.
Hatches
No hatch information for this outing.
Insect Seining
No seining information for this outing.
Fishing Partners
No fishing partners were saved with this outing.
Waypoints
No waypoints were saved with this outing.
Notes
I decided to head out to OCC on Friday afternoon. When I got there, I could see that the water in the lake was probably 4 feet or so higher than usual. The soccer field and parking lot also resembled a second lake, and there were gizzard shad flopping in the shallow water getting picked off by Seagulls.
I got to the the lake at about 4:30, and there was a strong wind blowing towards the field. The water resembled thick chocolate milk, and the visibility was probably 6" or less. I figured it was going to be rough, but I was there, so I started fishing. I also had the new GoPro with me, and was pretty excited to catch some footage.
I started on the windblown shore around all the flooded bushes and trees. My lures of choice were a craw colored one 3/4 one knocker, and one of my hand tied jigs. As I started fishing, I kept seeing blow ups right by the shore. I kept casting to them, but I couldn't get any takers. At first I assumed it might be a carp, but it kept happening.
Eventually, I made my way around the other side, and switched to a chatterbait. No takers. I went back and forth between the jig and one knocker. About an hour into the afternoon, my GoPro card read "full". I had inadvertently forgot to empty the card. Stupid.
I figured I'd fish for another 30 minutes or so, and made my way back around to the windblown shore amongst the flooded timber. I worked back and forth, and then I saw another big blow up near the shore. I decided to make my way over with the one knocker, and cast about 10 feet out from where I saw it. I brought it in with a steady retrieve, and then gave it a solid yo-yo right before I was about to pull it out. That's when I felt something inhale the lure and take off.
She fought pretty hard considering she was only about a foot out from shore when she hit. I finally wrestled her to shore. She had literally inhaled the 3/4oz. lure and it was down her throat and behind a gill. I managed to get it out and snap a few quick pics. Then I noticed she was bleeding a bit, and hustled to get her back in the water.
It was only a single fish. But she looked like she'd swallowed a bag of golfballs. I think she was feeding up for the spawn, and I'd have to say she was pushing 4lbs. Overall, it was a great outing considering the conditions, and my PB so far this crazy Spring. I'm just pissed the Go Pro died