Feeding frenzy

Oct 06 2024

Mike Nicoloff

Slot Fish

Member Since :
2021
Number of Posts :
182

Reservation Number : 41115
Property Name : Salt Lick Lake
Reservation Date : 10/05/2024 All Day -
Total Fish/Sizes : 21
Lures Used : TRIG, Lipless, Spinner

Caught 21 bass for the day, 9 culls, 2 bullhead and a bunch of crappie. Depending on the depth I switched between TRIG, spinner and lipless…... and spinner was the go to whenever I stumbled on a school of actively feeding bass. As shown in the pic, bass we're really active earlier in the day and if I wasn't a dummy and re-tied often I easily could have picked up a dozen fish before they moved on to a new spot.

I found a couple nice bait balls as well, and some schools were cruising around just inches from the surface.   Also found a nice school of crappie with the side scan and was a blast on lighter tackle. Salt Lick and large crappie is somewhat nostalgic for me and caught both white and black, but no 2 pounders this trip. 
 

Last, and for you geology buffs, snapped a cool pic of some gastropod fossils that were left over from the western interior seaway. I assume they are from the Austin Chalk formation and would have been cool to see what was excavated 20 ft down. 

Oct 23 2024

Marshall Wong

Fry

Member Since :
2022
Number of Posts :
7

Glad you had a good time on the lake. Never fished it and looking for some crappie. You sound like you have done well out there before too. Don't have a side scanner, juat conventional-how and where can I find them? Also wondered how the vegetation is out there along the banks.Thanks

Oct 23 2024

Mike Nicoloff

Slot Fish

Member Since :
2021
Number of Posts :
182

Originaly Posted By Marshall Wong

Glad you had a good time on the lake. Never fished it and looking for some crappie. You sound like you have done well out there before too. Don't have a side scanner, juat conventional-how and where can I find them? Also wondered how the vegetation is out there along the banks.Thanks

The great thing about Salt is you really don't need side scan to find the fish.  I use my 2d sonar the most because it is a quarry lake so you can go from 8ft to 20ft really fast, and I like to fish the drop off zone. 

There is a lot of structure throughout the lake and I would start on the windy side. The bait will usually stack up on the windy side, and near structure.  You find the bait and bass and crappie are close by.  The last time I was there, there was a weedline near the shoreline, and the bottom stems were just starting to turn brown.  I do well on the edge of the weeds and never spent much time punching through the thicker grass. 

Oct 24 2024

John Cozart

Fry

Member Since :
2023
Number of Posts :
28

Hi Mike.  I fish with an Ultraskiff and have never used any type of sonar/fish finder.  I really enjoyed your pictures.  I would like to get a fish finder/sonar/side view/live view, etc but will probably need one that allows me to attach the transducer to my trolling motor.  I don’t think I can attach a transducer to the Ultraskiff.  Can you give me some recommendations?  Thanks so much for your help!

Oct 24 2024

Mike Nicoloff

Slot Fish

Member Since :
2021
Number of Posts :
182

Originaly Posted By John Cozart

Hi Mike.  I fish with an Ultraskiff and have never used any type of sonar/fish finder.  I really enjoyed your pictures.  I would like to get a fish finder/sonar/side view/live view, etc but will probably need one that allows me to attach the transducer to my trolling motor.  I don’t think I can attach a transducer to the Ultraskiff.  Can you give me some recommendations?  Thanks so much for your help!

Hey there John. There are a bunch of transducer mounting options and I use a Scotty transducer mount and have it mounted to the side of the kayak so it's accessible and I can pull it up when i am in shallow water. I am not familiar with how Ultraskiffs are setup, but if there is room on the side you can easily mount a track / rail to the side. Below is a link to a transducer mount similar to mine and attached is a picture of how I have it mounted on the side track/rail.  I do see trolling motor mounting hardware for transducers on Amazon but nothing I have tried or can recommend.  Hope that helps and let me know if you have any questions. 
 

https://a.co/d/e23pzPe

Oct 24 2024

Mike Nicoloff

Slot Fish

Member Since :
2021
Number of Posts :
182

Originaly Posted By Mike Nicoloff

Hey there John. There are a bunch of transducer mounting options and I use a Scotty transducer mount and have it mounted to the side of the kayak so it's accessible and I can pull it up when i am in shallow water. I am not familiar with how Ultraskiffs are setup, but if there is room on the side you can easily mount a track / rail to the side. Below is a link to a transducer mount similar to mine and attached is a picture of how I have it mounted on the side track/rail.  I do see trolling motor mounting hardware for transducers on Amazon but nothing I have tried or can recommend.  Hope that helps and let me know if you have any questions. 
 

https://a.co/d/e23pzPe

Also, not sure if you wanted to know what sonar setup I use, and I have the Garmin Echomap UHD 93SV. The transducer came with it and I bought the above referenced mount separately.  

Oct 25 2024

John Cozart

Fry

Member Since :
2023
Number of Posts :
28

Originaly Posted By Mike Nicoloff

Also, not sure if you wanted to know what sonar setup I use, and I have the Garmin Echomap UHD 93SV. The transducer came with it and I bought the above referenced mount separately.  

Mike – thanks so much for responding.  That was very helpful.  I’m going to have to look at the mounting options for my Ultraskiff.  I have never used sonar before and the pictures you posted look great.  Have you ever thought about Livescope?  I wondered it that was helpful in the lakes at Private Water Fishing.

Oct 26 2024

Mike Nicoloff

Slot Fish

Member Since :
2021
Number of Posts :
182

Originaly Posted By John Cozart

Mike – thanks so much for responding.  That was very helpful.  I’m going to have to look at the mounting options for my Ultraskiff.  I have never used sonar before and the pictures you posted look great.  Have you ever thought about Livescope?  I wondered it that was helpful in the lakes at Private Water Fishing.

No problem and glad to help.

Yeah I thought about Livescope and Perspective mode (360) but haven't pulled the trigger yet. My kayak has the pedal drive and I don't have a trolling motor or spot lock. It's hard enough to stay in position with the slightest wind and I am not a fan of anchoring, so I am constantly on the pedals and have one hand on the rudder. With Livescope, I just don't know if I can keep the kayak in position when wind is 10+ mph……….which is almost every time I am on the water it seems.  I love tech and will probably give it a try at some point. I do know there are members of PWF that have FFS mounted to hand held trolling motors and they do just fine.