Well. Just got back from Clear Lake. The weather was hot in the mornings and in the afternoon got windy (sound like any lakes around here? Maybe, all of them...). All five days had bluebird skies and really windy afternoons. The water was really clear (15-20 ft.). With these kinds of conditions you know it's gonna be tough. Especially in post-spawn. Here's the run down-

Day 1
The day we got there, I literally threw my stuff in the hotel room, inflated the tube and jumped in the water. We were staying at a little hotel right on the water with it's own docks. It was in Glenhaven which is just north of Clear Lake Oaks which is just north of the keys. I worked my way north in my float tube throwing trout plugs and senkos. Before the wind picked up, I got bit once on the senko letting it fall down a piling of a dock. Fish didn't stick. When the wind picked up, it picked up. I basically stopped kicking and it blew me back to the hotel.

Day 2
No real fishing on Wednesday. Besides trying to snag 20-30 pound catfish around the hotel docks. Trying, not succeeding. However, I did jump on a sea doo to check out fishin spots for day 3.

Day3
After scouting out the area on Day 2, I decided to work in the opposite direction. I headed south flippin docks and stuff with senkos, and occassionally throwing a speed trap. Man, there was some good lookin stuff. I saw a couple loons working shad right in front of a line of 4 abandoned wooden pilars where bass should have been sitting, ambushing shad. I'm sure they were there, but couldn't get em to bite. I worked my way over to this one beach (if for no other reason, to get my mack on with these chix...) and the setup was this- The beach with a swim platform out front which had like a diving board or whatever, and then four wooden pilars about 15, 20 feet out away from each corner of the float with a rope attaching each pilar to the corner. One of the pilars looked like just a small pole, but I noticed it was a pilar that came up to like a foot under the water and then had a thin pole attached to the top of it that stuck out of the water. Well, I pitched my senko on it just for the hell of it, when to my surprise, SUCK. My line jumped, I felt tension, I set the hook. OH MY GOD!!!! This fish was seriously close to 10. I have never felt anything like this in my life. I had the 10 pound setup and as soon I set the hook, that fish wrapped around that pilar and snapped off before I could do anything about it. Trying to move a 10 pound fish on light line is virtually impossible. You just got to follow it and hope you can turn it eventually. Well, it didn't get out to open water so that I could work it properly and there was nothing I could do about it. At least I know what a big fish feels like on my rod... I kicked way down the shore to this metal pier lookin thing and spotted 8-10 GRANDE sized fish. Ranging from 4-8 pounds. I had one follow up on a big old toro tube in crawdad colors. Most would just ignore everything I threw. The wind started to pick up, so I made the kick up wind back to the hotel. -I know the spot for tomorrow-

Day 4
I thought I knew the spot for today. I woke up to wind ALREADY. This time blowing in the opposite direction (north), so I'd have to kick against the wind on the way there and ride it back. Got down there, guess what? No more fish. (Insert four letter word here____) Ok, now the wind was REALLY picking up and I actually had a couple waves break over my back, so I decided to bolt after working the area for less than half an hour. Surfed back to the hotel and called it a day.

Day 5
We took off early this morning, so I didn't get to fish. I've tried just about everything to get out of my slump. I've tried throwing different baits, refining old techniques, resorting to go-to baits... I've decided it has to do with one thing- ME. I know I CAN catch fish. The next thing I'm going to try is just working on my confidence. I CAN DO IT. That't the only thing left. My attitude and my confidence. Although I got skunked at Clear, and believe me, I was pissed, it was a good trip and I always enjoy fishing Clear.
-Brian