First Spring Outing

Easter is a day of celebration for many people. It was also the day of my first spring fishing outing. I had been extremely busy up to that day for numerous reasons. School, work, and play practice are the main culprits. I was eager to get out and try the fishing, and that was going to be a great day weather wise so I thought let's give it a try. I knew that it was still quite early and the water temperatures were still very chilly. The fish would not be moving very fast so I would have to use a slow presentation along with live bait. One of my friends had told me that the walleye were biting on the Wapsipinicon River at the Central City dam. This could have very well been true. The fishing on the rivers tends to pick up before the lakes because the water is always moving and the weather does not affect the fish as much. Walleye, Northern Pike, and Muskie are the first fish to spawn. This means that you have the best chance to catch these species. The water temperature only has to be in the upper 40's for these fish to spawn. This is relatively low compared to bass which need the water to be at least 50 degrees or higher. When walleye spawn they go to the dams on the rivers. This is why I went to the Central City dam, in hope that they would be spawning. For some reason, it may have been the mini cold front, they were not biting like I thought they would be. We actually did not catch one fish. However something very peculiar happened that I have never seen before. My father was reeling in his lure and something bit his lure. He started tugging on it and he said it felt like a big one. When he got it to the shore we realized that it was a large clam! The clam actually bit onto the lure my dad was using. I've never witnessed that before, and possibly will not again in my lifetime! So even though the fishing was not the greatest, we still had a good time.