My daughter has been asking to go fishing since last year. I finally broke down three months back and bought a license and some cheap poles. Now I have to say I didn't grow up fishing, so I started surfing the web to gather information. I found this site, takemefishing.org and others. The former two were really quite helpful. We went to a few lakes around the house but had no success. I remembered there being a pier over in Kenmore (Logboom). We decided to give this place a try. We used bobs and nightcrawlers and started catching some fish and the fishing fever was on. We have gone fishing a minimum of two times a week since with good results.
I am writing because I have read some posts here and elsewhere dogging this place. Either the fish are small or the place is trashy. With my limited knowledge I have seen people doing things that contradict basic tips that have helped us. For instance we have gone in the afternoon to find everyone fishing on the sunny side of the dock but getting no bites. We set up on the shady side and within the first cast grab a fish, a few fish more and people are rapidly changing sides or we will see people casting way out, when the biggest structure is right under you. We land most of our fish 2-5 feet from the pier. We have been able to catch Blue Gill, Yellow Perch, Channel Cats, Squaw. I like to watch what other people do and have noticed that some people are stingy with their bait (1/4 nightcrawler) and catch little fish, we offer at least half the nightcrawler threaded up the hook with the tail hanging for action and seem to land larger fish.( average perch 8-10") I remember on some bass site that you have to make a sizeable offering that tempts the fish. Any correlation here?
Last Wednesday I went after work to try for some LMB. I have recently learned the Texas rig and wanted to put it in action. I started casting up along the pier and as I was pulling in the slack I noticed the line was moving out away from the pier. I knew this was a fish because squaw fish do the same thing to us a lot. No strike just line movement. So I pulled in the rest of the line and set the hook. Immediately the fish tried to go under the dock. I jumped up and guided him back out, I saw the fish break the water and my heart started pumping. I knew what I had on the end of my line. I began to think please don't spit the hook out. I don't want to have a fish that got away story today. I managed to get him on the pier and then my line snapped, but he was on the pier. He was a LMB. My first!! 12" and weighed 1lb. That was extremely fun. I tried a little while longer but had no success. I think I was to excited and was retrieving to fast. I was on a high for the rest of the day though.
Logboom is a good place to learn how to fish and try different techniques because you know the fish are there and if they aren't it must have something to do with your presentation. Doesn't hurt that you also get to watch bald eagles fish there as well. About the trash my daughter and I will pick up any loose litter we see when we leave. We are usually the last to leave.

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