[Alphahawk]

Had a great day at Pickwick...although it did not go as planned it turned out fantastic. I started fishing at the lock trying to locate crappie...no luck..not even a Gill. Then walked a couple hundred yards down to the flats and was hoping to get in on some Large Mouth action....dead...also no Gills there either. I was getting discouraged after a 100 mile drive....no fish. Walked back up that long sidewalk and drove over to generator side looking for some Stripers and or Whites...nothing. I was down.....then thought about my spot on the lake side. Drove to there and got settled in on the bank...in the shade all day. Was hoping to see some Large Mouth busting the water but that was not the case. Made a few casts with bass rod and started throwing the Trout Magnet. Started catching these big chunky Gills...some of the thickest ones I have ever seen. These fish are all about 7 inches...no more....but they weigh 3/4 of a pound! They were suspended in about 8 feet of water. Decided to put a split shot on the Trout Magnet and let it go deep and started twitching it across the rocks on bottom in about 14 or 15 feet of water. Started catching football Smallies. I knew...was hoping....sooner or later some bigger Smallies would hit...and they did.....not giants but 14 and 15 inch fish. Which with 2# test was quite a battle. Heck with the water being 81 degrees there the Gills were making my drag scream. I caught about 3 dozen of the football smallies...and 8 in the 14 to 15 inch range. As to how many of those bruiser Gills I caught....I don't know...70...80....I don't know ....it was a bunch. I was on the phone with browntrout telling him I was going to stay until dark hoping to get in on some Large Mouth action or hoping to hook up with a 4 or 5 pound Smallie. That did not happen. I caught a few more fish and looked down at my feet and there lay about a 2 foot Copperhead. I eased out of there and home I came...LOL. That place I was at is known to have Copperheads and Cottonmouths....but this is the first time I have ever seen one down there after all those years of fishing. Don't like them...but I will be back...LOL. That spot is a great place to fish...I wish there was a close access for launching a kayak. You have to put in on the other side of the lake...at the State Park......that would be a long paddle.


Regards