Streaking 20"ers 11-17-12

Was bit 5' down on a ledge. Looked big during the fight, couldn't believe another 20"er to hand. A 4th 20"+ in as many trips, or 5 in 7. Surpasses previous streak of three in a row.

The 12-14" bass were kind of nuts today. Water was ultra clear. Didn't get another large bass bite after I broke the hook on the secret weapon. When you are on a good streak, look for every reason why it might be happening. Can't help small part of me looking at things like lure color. Last two pigs were the same. probably a coincidence. Never mattered before.



Pretty good action. The yak again allowed me to get to fish I never would have caught on foot because the water was too deep, too many snags to cast into, etc.

Lost four fish fighting them upstream. Couldn't be helped as I'd rear anchored to avoid spooking small potential holes.

Smallmouth haven't completely evacuated some of the smaller holes. Most of these are hard to get anything out of when the water comes up and it gets cold. Maybe the bass do stay in them. The possibility that they don't carry many bass (or large ones) leads me to think skipping them may be best bet- At least later. For now, it's nice to snag a fish or two from them. I'm not sure they're good high water Winter holes.

19 SMB (20", 15")

 

A Revenge 20" Smallmouth Bass 11/14/12

Since Zack is snarfing all the nice fish out of my spots, I figured I'd get him back by catching his fish. Been planning this. Never caught any cold water fish this way so, it'd be a challenge. Water was up 50%, visibility down a foot at least (though the lack of light made it hard to tell). Float about a mile and a half fish deep bends hard, paddle back up. On the way, one very large pool could hold a nice treat or 6.

At the first go to spot, I had trouble locating any smallies. After about an hour (waaay too long for this spot) my orange float dunked. A nice fight and a thankful first fish to hand. Further out into the current than I'd expected.

So a one mile plus journey in the yak follows. No fishing. I'm finally fishing a terrific set of laydowns and scoured roots. Can't see down in the water too good and my fly hangs up twice. Now I only tied three at Dave's a couple of weekends ago, so this wouldn't stand. I went in after it. Retrieved a float and one of the flies, by removing the float and pushing the jig off the wood 4' below. Now I had a fly jig with no float and started freelining it into the downstream wood. Thunk. Another fish. Lightbulb.

Thought I had another. Maybe some downstream work in the slow deep current? Pull it up river from just above the dropoff, see what results.

Knew there was a dropoff and deep outside bend on the north side, so I floated, then rear anchored to prevent souring the hole. On the second cast, letting the fly sink, darting it, letting it sink, etc repeat. Another bass. Man, were they fighting! Spirits turned completely around from potential dispair. There's nothing more exciting than discovering a new Winter area for me. You just never know what you're going to get. Next cast. Thunk. Again. Headshaking against current I lose one. Manage 3 smallies to 15.5" before they stop hitting and I seek to go around the hot zone and fish up it.

Fishing upstream works too. Only better. Now freelining has its limitations. You can't cast far (reanchoring required near fish schools is bad). Fast current will have you bewildered where your bait is on a 1/16th oz hair jig. None of these were a problem with low light. I'm fishing 5 to 6 feet down letting the bait tick, then jet it a bit, then let it pendulum down. Swimming and dropping seemed to get them going. Careful to keep it down in the zone. These fish would be within a foot of bottom.

Again and again the small jig got bit, producing amazing fights. Added 3- 15.5-16.5" bass. Was starting to wonder where the big, big girls were. (And little worry, the 12-16''s were puting a deep bend in push current and 5' down on the noodle rod). Finally, 'IT' happens. The little jig is about to tick the rock or wood I've dragged over 10 times before. Heaviness, sideways line movement. I know what that is, and the feel is way different. Thar she blows! Barely move the fish that's down there. Heart races. The whale zigged and zagged and made plays to go in wood and also to launch down the riffle. My anchored yak pulled 10'. The fish tried to surface several frickin' times. I let the light jig go slack. There was little weight to throw, so why tear a hole bigger?

Sick, just sick. One of the top 4 fights of the year. At one point, I saw it streak past the yak at speed, tiger stripes rippling. Exciting. It was Zack's fish that he lost at the C&F. Tension as I really struggled to land this hulkster in some push water on the noodle rod. Yeah, it was a big fish and you want to land it, but to make Zman taste the mustard? I had to have it.











Ended with 15 (20", 2-16"'+s, 2-15"'s) even a couple dinks.

4th 20"+ in 6 trips, 3 in a row. Gonna try real hard to extend the streak.

 

Another 20" Smallmouth and Some Suprise Guests 11/10/12

With the lack of huge smallmouth this year for me I've been trying something different recently. Getting away from pressured bass and hitting bigger water. I floated down to a couple a good wide pools some 2 miles into the stretch. I knew them to be full of fish from my first time there in late October. The warmup worried me. How would the fish react? Under the best of times the fish can be scarce out here, but it is made up for by the 21.25"er the first shot.

Not much going on accept for one gentle FnF bite at the back of a pool. Pulled it away from him. Got to the first of the large Winter pools. Was throwing a twin spin, when to my surprise, it got belted along the shore line in shallows. Nice fight. Seemed like a really good fish ripped off drag. To my surprise it measured 20.5".

3/5 last trips with a 20"+ smallie.





Not long after, I spotted a flathead down motionless in the water. Parked my twin spin in front of him and he ate it! The fish was 6-7" longer than my 23" mark on my rod.





I left and floated to down to the real target. Couldn't get anything going. Float sunk and a fiesty 15" smallie came to hand.

Dragged back up to the pig pool. Fish up the current seam at some boulders with a tube. Big thunk, drag pulling everywhere. Got to be a big smallie. Awesome. It's not swiiming to fast. Another Flathead. WTF? This one is a crazy fight and I'm a little scared standing waste deep so I bring him finally over to shore and grab that jaw. This one went 28" or so.





Crazyness. After that, I pulled the yak back up and went home.

2 SMB 20.5", 15" 2 Flathead catfish 30", 28"

Esoteric Response to Deep Loin Pisciverous Cravings 11/3

Man's been fishing for a long time.

Before man, fish fished for fish.

When I catch bass with a bobber, have I shamed him?

now. fish. porn.

20"




18.5"



17.25"

Double digits on a cloudy day 38 degrees

10 SMB (20", 18.5",17.25", 15.5")