Reservation Number : 30059
Property Name : The Bluffs of Sandy Shores
Reservation Date : 10/20/2021 All Day -
Total Fish/Sizes : See Below
Lures Used : Mainly Soft Plastics

Guys:

I’ve been looking forward to submitting this report!

Three of us fished the lake in kayaks. We covered the majority of the lake, except for the area the previous guests report mentioning that the water was turning. The rotting egg smell was gone, but the water was distinctly different colored in this area and I don't believe many fish were there.

First, overall numbers: I won't speak for the other guys, but I often loose track of how many fish I catch (and taking a fish counter doesn't mean an accurate count for me either). Between the 3 of us, we had to catch close to 150 fish. And the range of sizes was very broad as well – dinks, medium, large, and extra large. The bigger ones as follows: Qty 1, 7-lb fish, Qty 4, 5-lb fish; Qty 2, 4-lb fish; Qty 6, 3-lb fish, and many 2-lb+ fish. I need to talk about my 7-pounder and another fish that my buddy Steve caught and didn't get to weigh. As always, my buddy Joe caught the most (his count was 74 --- of course, he probably fishes the hardest out of the three of us).

Note: All fish were very healthy and had a strong fight in them --- the 2-pounders and larger all seemed to fight like larger fish than they were.

Steve caught a fish that was definitely a lunker and he estimated to be in the 8-10 pound range. One of the catches where you seem to have a good hook-set and then the fish decides to jump out of the water and remove the hook itself, makes sure you get a good look at him, and then laughs as it returns to the water.

I have to talk about my 7-pounder because it's the biggest large-mouth I've ever caught (could never break the 6-lb mark) --- and it was a thrill (gave me one hell of a fight). I'd eventually get him close to the kayak and then he'd start stripping line and this kept repeating itself over and over – was actually exhausted by the time I got him back into the water. 
Note: In full-disclosed the scale was between 6 lbs, 15 ounces and 7 lbs, 2 ounces --- I'm calling it 7!
 

Colors: As the previous guest mentioned, chartreuse tails seemed to be a plus and we found that bright red trick worms worked well. We threw all sorts of colors and lures too. Everything seemed to work, but the soft plastics worked best.

Other: We initially passed up the entrance to the ramp --- It was actually marked but we blew right by it. Look for the entrance area to the ramp / ramp parking area on your left as soon as you pass the main area with the offices for the sand quarry operations. --- About mid day we all took a long break and the owner and a couple of his workers stopped by. Very nice guys that we really enjoyed visiting with. --- I think the owner said he's about to be 70 years old, but his excitement and enthusiasm was a pleasure to experience --- I have a feeling that the lake means a great deal to him.

Photos: All of Me and My Fish. Two of the photos were selfies – was worried I'd either loose the phone, the scale with fish, a rod, etc. (I'm not good with selfies under optimal conditions). The other two photos were taken by my buddy Joe, who was fortunately very close by. (One of the photos shows me exhausted after I released him). --- I got him back in the water, using tips I learned in one of the PWF videos to make sure not to harm him (I am especially careful any time I catch a nice sized fish).