February 8, Lake Wheeler, AL
Dan writes:
It was 32 degrees when I launched the boat this morning. The fog was so thick that I waited until almost nine to put-in, and as it was it didn’t burn off until almost eleven. With visibility limited to fifty yards, I was forced to fish close to the launch ramp all morning, which was in the Elk River (on the north side of the lake down near the dam). I ended up spending all day here, and fished from the launch, upriver about ten miles. Plenty of wood cover, lots of current, and bait that I couldn’t see but that the birds were feasting on. The white bass were catch-able, but I never caught a largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass all day. Might have something to do with the water temperature: 39 degrees this morning!!!
Annie writes:
I was so thankful Dan did not ask me to go fishing today. I piddled around the campsite, cleaned up some red clay out of the tent, did the dishes when I thought it was the warmest part of the day, and made Dan’s lunch for tomorrow so I would not have to do so after dark when it cools off so quickly.
Dan came in and we had a nice night. We are still eating dinner in the tent, but it is comfortably warm in there when we have the electric heater running. Outside, it is long johns and wool sweaters though.