Looked like rain. So what? Fish are wet, I'd be mostly wet. I needed to fish.
Got out for the bike shuttle wade and got fishing just in time for the rain to start. With surface disturbed by rain, I went with a wake crank and Confidence Baits tiny tube. Topwaters just aren't that effective with surface disturbed by rain. I'd come back to it once the rain stopped. Wake produced a 15" at the first riffle, then a 13" on tube and half a dozen small dinks. Another 15.5" walking back up to the bridge on WC. Water looked hot downstream so I waded down a quarter mile, before heading up past a platoon of kayakers. There's no water and they're floating (dragging)? Dink trend would continue the whole day. Small dinks in numbers, anything 12" or better kind of rare.
Rain finally stopped and I went walking the dog with a Sammy 100 for two nice ones just under 18" by a hair. .5" total makes a mediocre day. If they were 18"'s I'd have been happy. Must be like a few hundred fish on this one by now, almost totally white. Finish has flaked off and all that's left are the eyes and some gray on the back.
Anyways, this was like a 5-6 mile wade. Never really warmed up. Travel time is killing me. Fished 6 hours. 1.5 to get there, hour walk bike ride back to the car 1.5 hours home. Got home at 10 with 6 hours of actual fishing.
46 SMB (2-17.99", 5-15") 5 Googs 30 or so dinks.
Got out for the bike shuttle wade and got fishing just in time for the rain to start. With surface disturbed by rain, I went with a wake crank and Confidence Baits tiny tube. Topwaters just aren't that effective with surface disturbed by rain. I'd come back to it once the rain stopped. Wake produced a 15" at the first riffle, then a 13" on tube and half a dozen small dinks. Another 15.5" walking back up to the bridge on WC. Water looked hot downstream so I waded down a quarter mile, before heading up past a platoon of kayakers. There's no water and they're floating (dragging)? Dink trend would continue the whole day. Small dinks in numbers, anything 12" or better kind of rare.
Rain finally stopped and I went walking the dog with a Sammy 100 for two nice ones just under 18" by a hair. .5" total makes a mediocre day. If they were 18"'s I'd have been happy. Must be like a few hundred fish on this one by now, almost totally white. Finish has flaked off and all that's left are the eyes and some gray on the back.
Anyways, this was like a 5-6 mile wade. Never really warmed up. Travel time is killing me. Fished 6 hours. 1.5 to get there, hour walk bike ride back to the car 1.5 hours home. Got home at 10 with 6 hours of actual fishing.
46 SMB (2-17.99", 5-15") 5 Googs 30 or so dinks.
Always enjoy your posts. I agree, nothing quite like taking an 18 incher on a topwater. What's your strategy now for using a "tiny tube" over a more typical 4" tube? JQ
ReplyDeleteJeff Little of Confidence Baits sent me some samples, so I'm testing them out. A two inch tube draws more strikes and a exposed lightwire hook has advantages in open water. Hookup rate seems better. The larger tube skip better texposed into the truly thick stuff.
ReplyDeleteBT
ReplyDeleteI've been following your blog for a little over a year now. I enjoy it... A lot. It's like morning coffee man!
I'm in NE IN and chase smallies religiously when I can. I use the long rod and flies. Cane rods as a matter of fact. I read your bio and do have to say. There is nothing better than Tom Waits while planing out the next stick. Can't wait for the new post man!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading. Tom's songs are like a movie, every one. Paints quite a picture.
ReplyDelete