NRL 9/22/11

Finally was able to get out in the am instead of the pm for a change....decided to try the upper part of the lake since I hadn't fished up there in nearly a year. Put in at Moutardier, temps 93, clarity clear....TONS OF FOG! Man...once I got past Conoloway, I had to idle down cause I could not see in front of my boat at all! :eek: It was hard to tell where I was, especially since I hadn't been up there but a handful of times since I started fishing NRL. Anyways...hit whatever banks I could get to in the fog, throwing a buzz....nothing. Switched over to plastics, started catching some fish. Fog cleared out, so I headed up to around Wax. I hit every cove along the main lake...and got on a real consistent pattern.....all my fish came off small chunk rock banks on the insides of the coves. One cove was $ producing a 4lb and two 3lb lms...all on a zoom magnum tail worm watermelon/red flake t-rigged. Sun came out and the air temps shot into the 80's...bite shut-off along with it. I also caught several big spots around 2lbs....they are fun! Called it a successful day around 1pm. Was hoping for a good buzz bite, but with the fog, it was hard to fish during the key buzz times....oh well, next time!

-Rich

Sure sounds like a good day to me. That lake has became my favorite for just a quick day trip from Louisville. I'm learning a lot about it but I think I'm trying to learn the whole lake at once. I'll take a three day adventure target the **** area and then motor up around Moutardeir only to end up fishing Conolyway. I'm used to fishing Wax to Sportsmans and Dog creek. I need to stick with one area and get good at locating fish, but without a functional fish finder I go to what I read is working and where. Nolin if anything is good for a day full of Dinks. Rich, what would be your best advice for increasing your catch size on that lake?

[QUOTE=RICHYD4U;466643]Finally was able to get out in the am instead of the pm for a change....decided to try the upper part of the lake since I hadn't fished up there in nearly a year. Put in at Moutardier, [B][U]temps 93,[/U][/B] clarity clear....TONS OF FOG! Man...once I got past Conoloway, I had to idle down cause I could not see in front of my boat at all! :eek: It was hard to tell where I was, especially since I hadn't been up there but a handful of times since I started fishing NRL. Anyways...hit whatever banks I could get to in the fog, throwing a buzz....nothing. Switched over to plastics, started catching some fish. Fog cleared out, so I headed up to around Wax. I hit every cove along the main lake...and got on a real consistent pattern.....all my fish came off small chunk rock banks on the insides of the coves. One cove was $ producing a 4lb and two 3lb lms...all on a zoom magnum tail worm watermelon/red flake t-rigged. Sun came out and the air temps shot into the 80's...bite shut-off along with it. I also caught several big spots around 2lbs....they are fun! Called it a successful day around 1pm. Was hoping for a good buzz bite, but with the fog, it was hard to fish during the key buzz times....oh well, next time!

-Rich[/QUOTE]

Correction on that water temp, lol.........73!!! :D

-Rich

[QUOTE=mybentrod;466646]Sure sounds like a good day to me. That lake has became my favorite for just a quick day trip from Louisville. I'm learning a lot about it but I think I'm trying to learn the whole lake at once. I'll take a three day adventure target the **** area and then motor up around Moutardeir only to end up fishing Conolyway. I'm used to fishing Wax to Sportsmans and Dog creek. I need to stick with one area and get good at locating fish, but without a functional fish finder I go to what I read is working and where. Nolin if anything is good for a day full of Dinks. Rich, what would be your best advice for increasing your catch size on that lake?[/QUOTE]

There are definitely a plethra of dinks at NRL! During the jumps, I would catch a few out of the jumps...if they were all small, I would move on. Every once in a while, we would get on some jumps of nice ones...all keepers +....then we would just stay in that area.

Generally, if I want to catch bigger fish at NRL, I use bigger baits. For example, yesterday I used a 10" magnum tail worm with a 6/O hook...sure I still got a few dinks, but my average fish was MUCH bigger than when I use a 7" or smaller plastic. You will still feel a tap-tap with the bigger baits, but come up empty handed...those are the dinks that can't handle to big worm...and you don't have to mess with hauling them into the boat....then you'll feel the pull and swim to the side...that's the biggin! :D Felt that a few time yesterday....man it felt good! I also throw a larger buzz to weed out the small ones. Of course, during the hot months, other than chasing the jumps, go deep for biggins.

So...during the jumps, catch and move...during fall and spring, bigger plastics and buzzes IMO...this is the time of year to fish NRL without a fish finder...they are on the bank! I spotted so many big bass right on the bank yesterday, it was ridiculous! Anyways...that's my 2 cents, about what its worth! :p

-Rich

i will never fish nolin again without having some type plastic with watermelon/red flake ! they love that color at NRL ! THANX FOR THE REPORT RICH. HATE TO SEE YOU MOVE. ILL MISS YOUR REPORTS BUT I GUESS ILL HAVE TO TAKE UP THE SLACK--LOL LATER JC

A water temp of 73 that's great to hear. :)

[QUOTE=RICHYD4U;466648]Correction on that water temp, lol.........73!!! :D

-Rich[/QUOTE]

Yeah I was wondering what drove the temp up. Be down there tomorrow crack of dawn. Buzzzzz!

[QUOTE=first2fish;466669]i will never fish nolin again without having some type plastic with watermelon/red flake ! they love that color at NRL ! THANX FOR THE REPORT RICH. HATE TO SEE YOU MOVE. ILL MISS YOUR REPORTS BUT I GUESS ILL HAVE TO TAKE UP THE SLACK--LOL LATER JC[/QUOTE]

At this rate....I may never move! What does it take to get a closing on a house!!!??? Its ridiculous....but anyways, It gives me time to fill up on NRL before the move...going to miss that lake. :(

And yes....watermelon/red flake is the only plastic I throw at NRL! They love it! With a little chartreuse spike it on the tails......YUMMMM! :D

I will here bye give the rains of NRL reporter to you....that is, if we ever close, LOL! Take care.

-Rich

[QUOTE=coombro;466702]Yeah I was wondering what drove the temp up. Be down there tomorrow crack of dawn. Buzzzzz![/QUOTE]

Haha...must have been over a warm-water spring or something, lol! BUZZZZZZZZZZZZ! Go get em!

-Rich