Sunny Days and Clear Water

Not a good combination. The water at Lake Cavalier would be basically considered "Clear".
At times it has gotten very clear.

When you have clear water and a bright sunny day the light easily penetrates deeper into the water.

Fish, especially bass, don't like this. They will go deeper or hunt shade.

There have been many days out on the lake where I have seen people throwing big, flashy spinner baits toward the bank on sunny days. Although you might get lucky, you could probably go in and cut the grass because you are just wasting time.

Here are some tips from the bass pros at the "Got Fish" seminar held recently at the Natural Science Museum..........

1) Use Fluorocarbon line. Click the link to learn more about this "invisible" line. (always wet your knot before cinching it with fluorocarbon, this is very important)

2) Use baits that mimic the natural bait colors that are in the Lake. We have crawfish, bream, thread fin shad, and also frogs, snakes, lizards and eels. (yes eels, I pulled an old tire out of the water from beside our pier that had an eel in it.) So go with those colors.... light browns and oranges, pumpkin seed, watermelon, junebug, blues, greens, slivers and blacks. In the crankbaits go with the "sexy shad" color. For more on picking colors, click here for an overview.

3) Look for overhanging trees that provide shade extending out into the water. Use jigs and soft plastics here.

4) Get deeper. Look for structure or sudden bottom changes in water depths of 8-12 feet. We have lots of natural contours on our Lake's bottom. Also stumps, underwater grass and mussel shell beds. Spend time with your depth finder to find these spots. Look for any sudden changes, that's where you want to be. Crankbaits and jigs fished in a variety of ways is the best best at these spots. It's gonna take good old trial and error.

5) Finesse. Fish are spooked easier on days like this. Try the drop shot method. Also use longer casts, putting some distance between you and the spot you are trying to fish. Fish slower and use smaller baits.

These days are tough even on the pros, but trying these tips could be the difference between catching a few and getting shut out.

Hope this helps you put a few more in the boat.

Snow Pictures at the Lake

Thanks to Mrs. Debbie Saik for sending these in.

In my almost 40 years of going, I've never been there to see snow at the Lake. Wish I had been able to this time.

Fishing Report

Although the temps only hit the low 60's, Friday and Saturday seemed down right balmy. As usual, I wasn't able to make it down to the Lake, but my brother in law Craig made it Friday and Jimmy Pickle and his nephew Jason Moore made it Saturday.

Although the temp was up and there was low wind, they did have to contend with very clear skies. Craig still managed to catch 6 in an afternoon of trolling around, including a 5 pounder.

Jimmy and Jason got 13 in about a six hour run, including this nice one............................



While Jimmy and Jason used a few different patterns, they had the most luck with blue-black jigs in shallow water close to deep water. Craig used this same pattern to catch his.

For the next post on the blog I'm going to give some tips I learned from some bass pros at the "Got Fish" meeting about fishing clear water lakes such as ours. Especially on bright sunny days.

On a side note, Bobby Arnold has started a private Facebook page for Lake Cavalier members. If you are a member you can request to join here...............

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=310080248228

Also we tried the Cavalier Fish Lafitte recipe (found in the post below) last night. Turned out very good.

A Great Recipe for Fried Fish

I'm going to call this recipe Cavalier Fish Lafitte. It calls for catfish but bass, bream, and crappie are good this way also. This is one of my favorite ways to prepare catfish. Even those who dislike catfish love it fixed this way. Try it with a salad, mashed potatoes, turnip greens or cheese grits as sides.

Try it and let me know how it turns out.


Cavalier Fish Lafitte

2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons ground red pepper, divided
(may need 2 1/2 teaspoons)
4 farm-raised catfish fillets, about 1 1/2 pounds
Vegetable oil
12 large fresh shrimp, unpeeled
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup sweet vermouth (if you don't have vermouth you can sub balsamic vinegar)
2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 very thin cooked ham slices, cut into strips
Garnish: lemon wedges

Combine eggs and milk, stirring until well blended.

Combine flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge fish in flour mixture; dip in milk mixture. Dredge again in flour mixture.

Pour oil to a depth of 3 inches into a Dutch oven; heat to 360 degrees F. Fry fish 5 to 6 minutes or until golden; drain on paper towels. Keep warm.

Peel shrimp; devein, if desired. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add shrimp and garlic, and cook until shrimp turn pink, stirring often. Remove shrimp, reserving drippings.

Stir vermouth into reserved drippings; bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute. Add whipping cream, 2 tablespoons green onions, lemon juice, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1 to 2 teaspoons red pepper; cook 12 to 15 minutes or until sauce is thickened, stirring often.

Place catfish on a serving plate, and drizzle with sauce. Top with shrimp and ham; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons green onions. Garnish, if desired.

Servings: 4

NOTE: I make the sauce first and keep it warm. I then fry the fish and finish the dish.

Fishing Report

Jimmy Pickle went for a while one afternoon early this week. He had a so-so day, catching 6 on blue black jigs.

I wish I could be at the Lake to take some pictures today of the snow.

If anybody has any they would like to share, email them to me and I'll get them up.

My dad and I attended the "Got Fish" seminar at the Natural Science museum last Saturday. If you ever get a chance to go, I think you would enjoy it if your are interested in fishing. 6 Bass pros on the panel had some good tips, from beginner to advanced. The salt water section was interesting also.

Spring seems a long way off today as the snow falls.