Network problems again at work, so I went fishing. Did a long stretch, with bike at the next bridge. Big pools and 3.5 miles on foot. Air temps in the 90's. Water temps have warmed up considerably. Water clarity had improved a bit since last time out. Day started off overcast, hazy which helped. No lie, it was hot.
Loaded up ice in my platypus water bladder. Set out wiping my sunglasses as sweat formed constantly. Smallmouth were biting a Wake Crank on the day, but man, we're they flopping off easily. I had partially hooked and lost 5 nice bass by the time I had 7 landed. Didn't have a spare feathered treble or a hook sharpener (trying to keep weight down on long wades). This hurt me in terms of numbers and size of smallmouth bass throughout the day.
Fishing was ultimately very frustrating. I ended with 57 smallmouth bass and 6 rock bass. Could have caught double that if I had that sharp, rear, feathered treble. I had thought about tying just a couple days earlier. Not sure I lost any real pigs, but definitely 4-5 15-16" bass.
Pulled a few on tubes when I gave it a chance low and slow in faster deep current.
Also, found a single flat on the entire stretch where some late spawners were guarding beds. Kind of a shock here because I thought they had finished up. Thousands of black fry on that flat. Good to see.
Another note is the record flooding has moved riffles and bottom substrate in very advantageous ways. Deeper overall and different.
Lots of 6-8" smallmouth, which I try to avoid catching, kept impailing themselves on my hooks. kind of a hollow 57 bass, the most hollow high number day I can remember. All those lost fish were frustrating. Such light bites.
57 SMB (17.5", 4-16"ers, 4-15") 6 Rock Bass
Loaded up ice in my platypus water bladder. Set out wiping my sunglasses as sweat formed constantly. Smallmouth were biting a Wake Crank on the day, but man, we're they flopping off easily. I had partially hooked and lost 5 nice bass by the time I had 7 landed. Didn't have a spare feathered treble or a hook sharpener (trying to keep weight down on long wades). This hurt me in terms of numbers and size of smallmouth bass throughout the day.
Pulled a few on tubes when I gave it a chance low and slow in faster deep current.
Also, found a single flat on the entire stretch where some late spawners were guarding beds. Kind of a shock here because I thought they had finished up. Thousands of black fry on that flat. Good to see.
Another note is the record flooding has moved riffles and bottom substrate in very advantageous ways. Deeper overall and different.
Lots of 6-8" smallmouth, which I try to avoid catching, kept impailing themselves on my hooks. kind of a hollow 57 bass, the most hollow high number day I can remember. All those lost fish were frustrating. Such light bites.
57 SMB (17.5", 4-16"ers, 4-15") 6 Rock Bass
