12/18/04--only one Helium Bass

[Lightninrod]

It hit the same spinnerbait the 5.3 Bass hit last Sat. That was the only bite/Bass I got. 3 1/2 hours, temp in the low 50's, windy--off-n-on, bluebird sky---tried t/w-swimbait, jig, cr/bait, and a frog on the pads---nada.

Saw two, huge(3-4' long!) Otters again. The DNR says they don't eat game fish just rough and pan fish but I think they've scared the Bass off to somewhere's else . The areas that have usually held Bass have been devoid of any bites for a few months. I first put it off to a seasonal change of location but now I just d/k .

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Dan

[Ezcue]

Nice fish Dan. Bobu and I fish a pond at the golfcourse that has a "family" or whatever you call it, of Otters living in it. The most accurate count is somewhere around 5 or 6 of them. The DNR guys over here said they don't eat bass either. They have to eat something, maybe they are competing with the bass for all the forage fish, shad, shiners, etc.

That being said, the pond looks real bassy, mudddy water and a lot of cover, tree tops, and several small points. We have never caught any numbers or very large fish out of that pond. The course has 6 ponds and this one looks the best and produces the least????

[Lightninrod]

( - - blocked - - ), they 'supposedly' eat mussels, 'dads', minnows, etc. The second of those otters was eating 'something' as it swam after the first one. Couldn't see any 'flesh' hanging from its jaws but it was munchin' a way.

They swam over to a lilly pad patch and one crawled up onto an overturned stump root-ball and started preening. Fun to watch but I just have to believe even if theyt don't 'eat' Bass; they must scare them off to some other part of the pond. I'm having a hard time locating them

Another interesting thing is they apparently don't 'live' in the pond for this is the second time I've seen them come over the dam and slide into the pond Of course, they may just have been returning 'home'???

Dan