Apr 05 2023
Ryan Sipe
Fingerling
Member Since :
2021
Number of Posts :
84
Reservation Number : 35795
Property Name : JerMar Lake
Reservation Date : 04/04/2023 PM -
Total Fish/Sizes : 23 LMB. 6 culls up to 3lbs
Lures Used : Chatterbait, Frog, Swimbait, Spinnerbait
23 fish was a great day, but if the angler had been better, the catch would’ve been much more!
Got to Jermar at 12:15, threw a few casts at the smaller ponds with no takers. Got the boat loaded at 12:30pm and threw a few casts off the dock. Missed one on a swimbait which was quite the prelude to the day. Air temp was 77, wind was whipping at 19mph with gusts up to 25. I hadn’t fished JerMar since last year and forgot there is nowhere to hide from the wind there.
Started fishing along the bank to the right of the dock. Basically had to back troll to even have a chance to stay near the shore to get in a few casts before I had to reset. Tried the chatterbait first but the weed cover ate it up pretty good so switched to the swimbait, which was the ticket. Started getting hit to the left of the cove and just drifted the whole east side of the lake. Caught 4 and chugged back up to the dock to fish the west side (road side). Thank goodness I bought a new 55lb thrust trolling motor recently as it was the saving grace going into the wind.
Caught two within 15 feet of the dock and started drifted the west side. Pretty consisent bite every few minutes. I say bite as I was landing about 1 out of every 2. Lost a lot once hooked as they headed straight to the weeds and popped me off. Best area was about 30-40 yards before the reeds as there is a good grassy area and had bites on 5 straight casts, catching 3.
Rinsed and repeated the east side then the west side catching along the way. Finally the wind really started howling and I called it day at 4:30pm. Caught 23 overall and easily lost 20+, so the bite was great, by far my best day at JerMar.
Now, if anyone has tips on how I can turn strikes into increased catch rate with a swimbait/keep weighted hook setup, I’m all ears. I’ve been patient as all get out on the hook set waiting until I really feel the weight and truly wail back on it. I’ve got a Dobyns Sierra Series rod for swimbaits that’s incredibly senstive and really does the trick. I’ve even exposed the hook a bit more than normal in hopes that would help.
Either way, great day at JerMar and look forward to heading back soon.
Apr 07 2023
Alex Elrod
Fingerling
Member Since :
2021
Number of Posts :
63
Hey Ryan – awesome report! Love JerMar – i’ve had some feisty fish hammer my swimbaits there.
By the sounds of it I’m going on a limb to guess that you’re using a Citizen 6 swimbait?? If not, I like you have missed many fish on the weedless swimbaits, ha. I’ve only found that feeling that tick and then quickly reeling in any slack that might be there before fully ripping the rod straight up and back does the trick. It’s really a combo of pausing that extra second while reeling in any slack that has done the trick… but who knows!
Either way it’s awesome to read such a fun and positive report from JerMar – such a great body of water! I think there are some tanks lurking around in there cause I have seen some massive/explosive missed blow ups on that East Side flat near the reeds on topwater frogs.