Spruce Run Reservoir Warm Evening Low Level

With 70-degree temperatures, a strong south breeze and some sun warming the water, I felt this evening might be one of those special experiences with northern pike, slab crappies and largemouths feeding near the mouth of Spruce Run Creek.

We drove onto the bridge and I said, "This is not good, Fred. We'll have a look."

Water down at least four feet, something of a basin forms near the tip of the earthen jetty, four or five feet deep. Perhaps some fish would move in and settle in those depths, but I felt like having a look at Black Brook Cove. I almost decided on unpacking for the jetty, and yet if we didn't check what the other spot looks like with water down, we'd never know.

We pulled in. "This would be a great spot to launch a kayak," Fred said. "I haven't been here in ages."

It didn't look promising. Too shallow where I hoped for a drop. Nevertheless, the creek channel has definition and I felt sure fish might move right up within casting range of a live-lined shiner. I set two bobbers also. Fred figured a pike might hit a Zara Spook. He got great casting range with it.

Water pretty cold, maybe it hit 50 today at most in shallows, if that. I got the bass live-lining the channel and missed a hit from something on a bobber rig. The bobber popped under, then back up, just as a pike plays with the bait. But when it finally went down, the line moved off slow like a bass takes. My guess: a bass small enough not to have got hooked.