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Ham

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  1. Like
    Ham reacted to Quillback for a article, February 16, Big M area   
    My first time out since January 31, either because of bad weather or stuff going on in life, I haven't had an opportunity to get out until today.
    Nice morning, little to no breeze, temps started out at around 32 and gradually warmed up to the mid 50's.  Water temp was 44-46 with a bit of a stain.
    Launched about 0700 and started fishing a long rocky underwater ledge working a 110 +1.  Fished it for 30 minutes or so, caught a couple of 14" spots on the +1, but as I was fishing I was watching the depth finder and seeing a bass on the bottom here and there.  Just wasn't catching them fast enough on the JB, so fell back on the Ned rig.  
    First cast on the Ned, I caught a keeper spot.  Thought I was on to some hot fishing with it, but it wasn't hot, however there were bites to be had.  Worked the rock ledges, points and chunk banks, in the 20-30 foot range, and caught another 13 bass on the Ned, with 8 of them being keepers.  A couple of them were really solid spots.
    Used a black Nutech crappie jig for my Ned rig, I have been using a chartreuse head last month and felt it gave me a better chance at catching smallies.  And I did not catch a smallie today on the black head, did catch a mean mouth, but maybe there is something to smallies liking that chartreuse head.  Guess I will have to continue with my 'research'.
    Lots of people fishing today, 8 rigs in the Big M lot when I left and lots of boats running up and down the channel.  

     

     

     
  2. Like
    Ham reacted to netboy for a article, Pretty brown 11/9   
    They shut the water down on Bull Shoals because of flood conditions downstream so there has been some great wade fishing the last few days. Took the boat to a favorite shoal and got out and waded. Caught quite a few rainbows and this nice brown. He hit a ruby midge dropper beneath a peach colored egg. I lost a real pig of a rainbow also. Looked to be in the 25" range and really fat. Hook just pulled out.  Hopefully we will get a few more days of low water before they open it up again.  

  3. Like
    Ham reacted to Phil Lilley for a article, Naknek River Report, October 26-31, 2019   
    I'd never gone up to Naknek this late... not many people have except locals I'm told.  And even then, didn't see but a couple of boats on the river today.
    Stayed at Katmai Trophy Lodge near the "rapids" on the Naknek, owned by the Johnson family.  They also own Naknek River Camp at the head of the river, at Lake Camp.  The camp is closed because all their water lines are exposed, above ground.  KTL is a regular lodge with power (electricity) and indoor plumbing so they could stay open all year, if there was fishing to be had. 
    I went up to spend time with good friend, John McCloskey, one of their main guides at KTL.  John did a spey casting clinic for us at the resort last December.
    John had 3 clients this week from Georgia.  They are clients of his on his home waters in north GA.  Jason, Jane and their 9 year old son John.
    John specializes is swinging flies and the Cooke's were there to partake.  The river was a little high and off color due to rains and an east wind.  John says the rainbows don't like dirty water.  Water temp was 43-44 degrees. 
    We had a variety of weather.  Three days of winds in excess of 40 mph and a couple "breezy" days.  Rain everyday except one.  But temps stayed decent - 45 - 53 degrees daytime and rarely dropped below 40 at night.  Unseasonably warm, but always windy and rainy.  I'd call it normal RAW Alaska weather for late October.
    Fishing was good the first day in spite of heavy winds but the bite steadily slowed down each day, like the rainbows were leaving the river.  We were seeing some flesh flowing by but not much.  Nothing else for them to eat really except may be a sculpin here and there.  They winter in Naknek Lake and will migrate there about now.  John says they stated one week too long.  But the rainbows we did catch were impressive.
    They swung flesh and sculpins and I threw my spinning gear and 1/8th ounce jigs.  I used mostly 4-pound line but did use 6-pound occasionally.  The bigger the rainbow and easier they were to land, mainly because they were so fat with flesh. 
    We fished flats - fast water spots with depressions and rocks holding fish and depths not more than 3 feet deep.  That's what made my jig work, they hit it even if it was real close to the surface - and the swing or worked out in front of me.
    I landed 3 - 30+inch bows, 6 bows between 25 and 29, one at 20 and 2 about 15 inches.  I lost a couple - one at the net and one broke off.  The best color was black/purple and sculpin/ginger a close second. 
    John played around with the jig and loved it.  He couldn't get over how effective it was.  I know he hooked several rainbows and landed one that I saw.
    They caught a half dozen swinging flies.  I know Jason landed a couple pushing 30 inches.
    They saw one bear.  I wasn't fishing at the time though so I didn't see it.  We didn't fish any other areas - stay below the Counting Towers and across from King Island.  There were 2 other guide boats out all week with 2 clients each... that's it.












     
     
  4. Like
    Ham reacted to duckydoty for a article, Grenada Lake, Mississippi monster slabs   
    Took a family trip down to Mississippi to get on some big crappie.  Something I’ve been wanting to do for years.  Why have I waited so long?  It was incredible!  We arrived Friday late afternoon for check in and got settled in our cabin.  Went down to the outdoor pavilion called “The Slab Shack” for dinner.  1 inch thick strip steaks, sea salt crusted baked potatoes, coleslaw, grilled asparagus, garlic bread, key lime pie, and home maid pineapple ice cream.
    Woke up early next morning for sausage biscuit sandwiches and headed for the water.  Spider rigged till about noon for some monster slabs picking up 28 keepers over 13 inches.  Had sandwiches on the boat and pizza waiting for us back at the slab shack.  Put all the fish on ice for pictures the next day.  Dinner the second night was hand cut pork chops, salad, baked beans, coleslaw, corn and onions, blackberry cobbler and homemade blackberry ice cream.  
    Up early again for breakfast down at the Slab Shack of fried ham steaks and biscuits, then on the water by the crack of daylight.  Caught my largest crappie ever of 16 3/4 inches and 31 more in the 14-16 inch range.  Back to the Slab Shack by new to grill burgers and chips for lunch.  Big photo shoot of both boats of family and fish for two days of fishing.  We ended up boating 122 keepers.  After pictures, the guides went to cleaning fish.  They got that dialed in.
    Final dinner was smoke ribs, coleslaw, baked beans, bread, pasta salad, cobbler and ice cream.
    I will be going again!










     









  5. Like
    Ham reacted to netboy for a article, Rim Shoals 9/18   
    I took the boat to Rim Shoals this morning and ran to an area that is somewhat protected from the heavy flows we are having (14k cfs). Got out of the boat and I could see 4 or 5 trout holding in a run just below a couple of big rocks. First cast I hooked a nice rainbow on a Y2K but it broke off on the 7x tippet. I retied and caught another 5 rainbows and 1 cutthroat in the same run. Once that spot slowed down I moved downstream and picked up another dozen rainbows on the Y2K/pheasant tail dropper combo. When it was time to quit I walked back to the boat and made a cast in the run where I lost the rainbow earlier. The indicator went down and I had another nice rainbow on. I finally got her in and when I went to remove the hook I saw my Y2K that I lost earlier stuck in her jaw along with the Y2K on my rig.
    Guess she really liked Y2k's. Here's a couple of pics...
     
     
     


  6. Like
    Ham reacted to 196champ for a article, Shell Knob to Big Creek 5/4 - 5/5   
    Fished Shell Knob to Big Creek last weekend, lake was in much better shape than anticipated.
    Had a lot of work to do around the house so was only able to get out a few hours each day and made the most of it.  Seems to be many ways to catch them but the swim bait on gravel was the most consistent.
    Saturday - poked around with a wacky rigged senko and a spook, caught a few early but wasn't what i had expected.  with the clear water i went and idled a few gravel banks/flats outside of spawning pockets and there they were.  Caught them on a 1/4 oz head and 2.8 speed shad, color didnt seem to matter.  boat in 30-40 casting toward the bank, a few locations were just flat on!  Headed back out in the afternoon for a few hours and hit some more gravel with the same results.  Lots of big fat smallies and keeper sized spots. 
    Sunday - was stuck fishing the Campbell point area due to the fog and had some great blow ups on a spook in the flooded bushes early, only connected with a handful.  Also picked up a few largemouth in the 17" range on a large swimbait shallow, saw several fresh beds and fish cruising shallow, eager to eat.  Loaded up and went to do chores, came back and fished from 11-1 on the gravel with the small swimmer, a little slower but they were still there and left them biting as it was time to head back home.  Hope this helps!
     





  7. Like
    Ham reacted to netboy for a article, Norfork 4/23   
    Made a trip to Ackerman access this morning and the water was down to minimum flow. There were some caddis hatching along with lots of midges. Elk hair caddis worked good until the clouds came in around 10:00 and then the caddis hatch dissipated. I switched over to a ruby midge and caught this pretty cutthroat along with some more decent rainbows.
     

  8. Like
    Ham got a reaction from jayB for a article, Let Me tell you a Fish Story   
    So my wife had been out of town. I’ve been trying to keep up with the house work and tend the plants and pets, but  I was trying to fish like I was single too. 
    So, I caught 112 fish yesterday. It was a hoot. My back hurt and I was tired so I ALMOST did not Fish today. As it was, I did a little extra clean up and didn’t leave the house until 0930. 
    Finally got the boat in the water around 10:00. First thing I ran into netboy and his wife on the water which was fun. They were catching them.
     I was catching fish at a 20 Fish an hour clip, but water was really falling out and I decided to run up river. Still trying to learn. 
    I ran up to a big long shoal and the Fish were stacked in there. Zig Jig was too easy so I picked up my fly rod and proceeded to catch a dozen or so. Likely had 50 bites. Terribly inefficient. 
    I could have stayed there, but decided to run further up river. I found another shoal around the corner where a high spot makes two riffles. 
    I threw my 20 lb anchor out then jumped over the side. Swimsuit and water shoes is the way real men wade Fish the White River, During the summer anyway. 
    Well, when the day started, I knew I would have low water so I was only hoping for 50 Fish. I was already at 50 when I started at the last riffle I would fish for the day. 
    Snatched up my fly rod. I like to be frustrated. I caught the first fish while I was pulling line off the reel. Indicator disappeared so I lifted. Caught a total of 7 on the left. Shifted to the right side and caught 7 more. So now 100 isnt very far away. 
    Grabbed up 1/32 oz Zig Jig and went back to the left side. I had bites for 40 something casts in a row. I got 18 to hand. 
    Im starting to feel a little water logged so back in the boat I go and I start drifting the right side. It’s also stupid good, but fish are bigger. 
    Then it happened. In the deepest darkest water, solid thump. Massive fish shoots off upstream. Reel screaming. I pull start the motor and give chase. First glimpse, I thought it was a monster Rainbow, but it was a Super Tanker Brown. 
    It was a long fight. Minutes. I was sure I was going to lose it and took photos best I could of it swimming past the boat. I wanted something to show somebody. 
    It took a long time to get it close to the boat and It did not like the net at all. It powered off many times after it saw the net. I was sure I was going to lose it. 6 lb line (Nano) with 6 lb P Line CX Premium leader. Using a Barbless 1/16 oz Zig Jig that has aleady caught a lot of fish. I was sweating it.
    But I caught it. I finally got in the big net. I got the jig out. Took a quick pic and transferred the fish to my measuring net. It barely fit. 28 inches long. Thick and Heavy. 
    The fish was All tuckered out. I spent a little while reviving it before it pulled out of my hand and swam away. Fish number 87 of the day. 
    It says a lot about me (both Good and Bad) that I stayed and caught more fish after that. I ran up and fished the left again and the right again. I finished with 108. 
    I really enjoyed myself today. 
     

  9. Like
    Ham reacted to Lvn2Fish for a article, Report 11/24   
    Slid the boat in at mutton creek at approx 7:00am. The lake was slick calm with water temp hovering around 47. Started catching on the first stop with two nice keepers. For the first half of the day the bite was pretty solid. I caught six in an row off one little rocky transition, they were smashing the jerkbait . There really wasn’t a solid pattern that I found . Mostly just fishing transition banks , and whatever else looked fishy. Caught a total of 20 shorts and 8 keepers . One nice walleye. One bass was a solid 3.5 . All on the jerkbait. Certain colors were better than others today .Water temp was up to 50 degrees when I pulled out . Looks like the stickbait bite is here for winter ! Water clarity was about 3-4 ft . Got a little more stain up the river. 
  10. Like
    Ham reacted to Champ188 for a article, Baxter area Friday   
    Fished 7:30 to 4:30 Friday out of Baxter and had a pretty decent day. Ended up with 20 fish on the nose, with 15 keeps. Nothing real big but lots of solid fish up to 3 pounds. 
    Took one of our local high school fishing team members and he did most of the catching. Pure fun sitting back and watching him catch em for the first time on a Ned. 
    It was one of those classic Table Rock days where they should've been chasing a moving bait but instead they were glued to the bottom and were only receptive to dragging presentations. Had several nose-bump a jerk bait but only one taker. Nearly every fish came from 8-15 feet and having timber present was a very big help. Not a must, but close. Everything was either main lake or in the front half of creeks. 
    Interesting side note ... we caught all brown and spotted fish and a couple of meanmouths ... but NO green ones.
    Water temp was 52-54 everywhere we went. With the full moon, the afternoon bite was definitely better. 
     



  11. Like
    Ham got a reaction from Daryk Campbell Sr for a article, Improvements at White Access on the White River   
    Tried to fish for a few hours prior to thunderstorms and heavier rain moving in this morning. My outboard motif decided to screw me over again and not fire at all. Repair is cheaper, but I’m just about ready to replace the darn thing. 
    I was going to try to fish out of White Hole. I knew that the AGFC had a project there recently, but I had no idea what had been done. 
    Kudos to AGFC! It is First class. Asphalt parking lot with ample parking. A nice pavilion. A ramp down to the waters edge. And the best part is a nice new boat ramp that is double wide and angled down current to make launching and loading easier. 

  12. Like
    Ham reacted to james for a article, K-dock area 8-17   
    Fished 3 afternoons this week, caught about 15 each day, LM, K's and whites, lots of keeper LM, 25-35 ft, 1/8 ounce jighead w/ small straight tail minnow jigging on bottom, c-rig and jig, they seem to prefer the c-rig and jig swimmin not draggin.



  13. Like
    Ham got a reaction from ZigJigman for a article, Let Me tell you a Fish Story   
    So my wife had been out of town. I’ve been trying to keep up with the house work and tend the plants and pets, but  I was trying to fish like I was single too. 
    So, I caught 112 fish yesterday. It was a hoot. My back hurt and I was tired so I ALMOST did not Fish today. As it was, I did a little extra clean up and didn’t leave the house until 0930. 
    Finally got the boat in the water around 10:00. First thing I ran into netboy and his wife on the water which was fun. They were catching them.
     I was catching fish at a 20 Fish an hour clip, but water was really falling out and I decided to run up river. Still trying to learn. 
    I ran up to a big long shoal and the Fish were stacked in there. Zig Jig was too easy so I picked up my fly rod and proceeded to catch a dozen or so. Likely had 50 bites. Terribly inefficient. 
    I could have stayed there, but decided to run further up river. I found another shoal around the corner where a high spot makes two riffles. 
    I threw my 20 lb anchor out then jumped over the side. Swimsuit and water shoes is the way real men wade Fish the White River, During the summer anyway. 
    Well, when the day started, I knew I would have low water so I was only hoping for 50 Fish. I was already at 50 when I started at the last riffle I would fish for the day. 
    Snatched up my fly rod. I like to be frustrated. I caught the first fish while I was pulling line off the reel. Indicator disappeared so I lifted. Caught a total of 7 on the left. Shifted to the right side and caught 7 more. So now 100 isnt very far away. 
    Grabbed up 1/32 oz Zig Jig and went back to the left side. I had bites for 40 something casts in a row. I got 18 to hand. 
    Im starting to feel a little water logged so back in the boat I go and I start drifting the right side. It’s also stupid good, but fish are bigger. 
    Then it happened. In the deepest darkest water, solid thump. Massive fish shoots off upstream. Reel screaming. I pull start the motor and give chase. First glimpse, I thought it was a monster Rainbow, but it was a Super Tanker Brown. 
    It was a long fight. Minutes. I was sure I was going to lose it and took photos best I could of it swimming past the boat. I wanted something to show somebody. 
    It took a long time to get it close to the boat and It did not like the net at all. It powered off many times after it saw the net. I was sure I was going to lose it. 6 lb line (Nano) with 6 lb P Line CX Premium leader. Using a Barbless 1/16 oz Zig Jig that has aleady caught a lot of fish. I was sweating it.
    But I caught it. I finally got in the big net. I got the jig out. Took a quick pic and transferred the fish to my measuring net. It barely fit. 28 inches long. Thick and Heavy. 
    The fish was All tuckered out. I spent a little while reviving it before it pulled out of my hand and swam away. Fish number 87 of the day. 
    It says a lot about me (both Good and Bad) that I stayed and caught more fish after that. I ran up and fished the left again and the right again. I finished with 108. 
    I really enjoyed myself today. 
     

  14. Like
    Ham got a reaction from ZigJigman for a article, Bull Shoals Half of my Trade a Trip 5/8 5/9 5/10   
    I reached out on the Bass Cat Owners Forum looking for someone to trade a trip on Bull Shoals for a trip down to Venice, La. I was lucky enough to find someone willing to take a chance on me. I don’t post nearly as much over there as I do on Ozark Anglers. 
    My new friend Jim Cazes is another LSU alum. Retired after 40 years in sales. Has a Bass Cat Puma which he was able to leave at home for this trip. He hadn’t caught many smallmouth bass and wanted to visit Bull Shoals and the BassCat factory.
    5/8 We launched out of Lead Hill. We ran down lake a ways and found some bushes in 5-9 foot of water with some wind on them and quickly caught a few bass. We relocated to a finger off a creek and caught more bass in bushes on blades. I found a flatter bank and introduced him to Ned rigs . He picked it up pretty quickly, but we were catching LMB and Spots. I had to move us to a smaller Hollow off the main lake to put him on some smallies. Honestly, I think he enjoyed the Mega Bluegill he caught as much as the smallies, but he hadn’t caught a decent smallie yet. 
    5/9 We launched into Jimmy Creek. Rainy and windy. We caught fish, but the quality smallies continued to evade us. It bluebirded off on us and we Made a run to the Oakland area. Got a bass in bushes and the a few more on the Ned. I lost a BIG smallie on the Ned. We took a break for lunch and a factory tour.
    After lunch and the factory tour, we headed back to Leadhill. More clouds had moved in and it turned out to be a Good move. We caught some quality fish on points in a secondary cove on Ned rigs. I think he was really surprised how hard a 3 lb smallie could pull. He set and reset his PB smallie several times. We finished up the day by both catching a nice smallie on a main lake point late in the day. 
    5/10 We were on the way to the lake when he got a phone call about complications from home and he decided to cut for home. I went fishing anyway. More spinnerbait fish. More Sluggo fish. More Ned rig fish. More swim bait fish. I quit early. I was a little tired.
    water is 69 to 74 degrees. Water color varies from area to area, but it pretty good. Lake level is still slowly going up. I think we were over 671 today. I’m really hoping for it to creast REALLY soon. CLOUDS AND WIND ARE YOUR FRIENDS.
    Looking forward to my trip to Venice.
     
  15. Like
    Ham reacted to KC Angler for a article, 5/8 Report - First Time at Crane Creek   
    Me and a buddy arrived at Crane Creek the morning of May 8th, starting at the Lower Access bridge. About 100 yards downstream at the first bend in the stream we each landed our first McCloud. The reputation of these fish as strong fighters is well deserved. I was fishing a prince nymph and my friend had on a sow bug. He  caught another one a little further down at the next major bend in the stream. We ended up fishing a few hundred yards further downstream, which required some bushwhacking, but turned back at a point when the stream go much wider, swifter, and more difficult to access because of steep banks. 
    After a short break, we drove into town and parked at the baseball fields. From there, we walked the railroad tracks to the trestle and started fishing our way back upstream. We came across a few nice holes, but didn't have much action until my friend hooked a really nice 14 incher a short distance downstream from the ball field. It put up a considerable a fight and quite a bend in his 7' 4wt. I caught my second fish of the day directly behind the baseball field on a bead-head crackleback. We got a few more bites in the park area, but the only other fish caught were fingerlings. 
    We also scouted the middle and upper access areas, but the water was much smaller and we weren't up to the task of walking significant distances to find fishable holes. It was a hot day and we were both exhausted. So five McClouds between us for our inaugural trip to Crane Creek. We both agreed it was a successful day of fishing and we would return.
    Thanks to everyone who contributes to this forum and who answered the questions I posted prior to my trip to Crane. The information was very helpful. 



  16. Like
    Ham reacted to Johnsfolly for a article, Susquehanna Shad Run 2018   
    Ever since I planned my recent trip to Maryland this late in April, I have been researching about trying to go after the shad that run the rivers throughout the state. Maryland has both American and Hickory shad. When I lived in PA back in college, I never once headed to the Delaware river to fish for shad. It was often a rite of spring in that part of PA with many folks more excited about shad than the trout opener. In those days I knew about using shad darts, even had a few in the day, but never fished them. I researched some spots, read articles, watched videos, and picked up some darts that appealed to me. I asked around at work when I got back in Maryland and read fishing reports. I decided on trying out the confluence of Deer Creek and the Susquehanna river with access in Susquehanna State park in Cecil county Maryland. I drove up to the park on Saturday. I knew going in that this would not be a trip of solitude fishing. If there were no fisherman then there were likely no fish in that area. As I was driving along sight of the river there were cars parked in all of the parking areas. A good sign. I kept driving past the confluence to check out the creek and get a feel for the water. What was apparent that the shad had not gone too far up the creek and that the spot to fish would be the confluence area. As I pulled into the parking area, I saw a couple of bent rods and watched shad being landed. 
    I started with a tandem rig with a 1/4 oz lower dart and a 1/8 oz upper shad dart. The lower one was white with a red tip and the upper dart was a green head with chartreuse body. I could reach a spot with a decent current run and got hung on the bottom on my second cast. I lost both darts. It took losing a few more darts before I got a feel for the rocks and bottom structure. The guy up at the actual confluence gave up and headed off to breakfast. I moved to his spot and got the two dart tandem rig set up. I went with two 1/8 oz green/chartreuse darts. I could see guys on the other side of the creek catching shad. I was watching their cadence and retrieve speed. I tried to emulate that and I got a hard bite. What a fight. This is one feisty fish species. I horsed the fish and pulled the hook. Second cast and same thing. Hard fight and pulled hook. After several casts I had a third hard bite. With this fish, I had to channel Phil Lilly and opted to back reel instead of relying on the drag system. I was able to keep good pressure on the fish, which jumped a couple of times before I finally landed my first hickory shad !

    Even with landing only a single fish, I could start to see why people get excited about catching them. What a sleek and gorgeous looking fish. They are a powerful fighter. I couldn't wait to catch another. I switched up colors and I hooked and lost a couple of fish after counting down the rig before reeling it in.  What I didn't notice was I was pulling off a scale or two from the hooks. Then I hooked a strong fish and noticed that it fought differently than the previous fish. I also saw that It also was not a silver fish but was golden brown. I was thinking of a carp, but ended up landing my first ever shorthead redhorse sucker!

    A couple of cast later, I figured out just what I was hooking into when I snagged this gizzard shad with the lower dart. I ended up with five gizzard shad at this location.

    I watched a guy next to me begin catching several hickories with the majority of them being caught on a #13 silver and green Tony Accetta PET spoon. Another guy down stream was also catching shad on spoons as well.  I finally hooked and landed my second hickory of the day on my darts. It was a female loaded with eggs.

     It was after noon and I was getting hangry. I had a couple of guys move in on me. I had enough and went to get something to eat. I left the river with a few folks still fishing.

    I learned a lot and had ideas on what I might need if I were to get back and fish this area again. I dropped by the Bass Pro shop in Baltimore on the way back to the hotel to pick up some spoons and a few more darts. I also picked up a medium weight rod to have a second rod for Sunday, but that's another story !
     
  17. Like
    Ham got a reaction from bfishn for a article, Fishing Report 4/15, 4/16, 4/17, 4/18   
    So CajunAngler and I headed North for our annual Spring Fishing Trip. This was a terrible year to decide to try a lake further north, but that’s how it goes.
    I was pushing to go back to Oklahoma, but he bamboozled me with talknof catching a Musky. Pomme here we come. 
    Sunday AM I’m driving thru snowy sub freezing temps with heavy clouds and a pretty stiff wind from NW. Things didn’t look so Great, but we’re hard headed and reasoned that the weather would steadily improve as the week wore on.
    We stowed our gear inthe rental place and launched at an unimproved ramp in Decker Creek. Water temp was 51 or so. Water had a Lot of stain, but wasn’t muddy. Wind was brutal, but we bundled up. 
    First freaking cast of the trip, Johnny catches a 4 plus LMB on an A rig. As it turns out, That was the only A rig fish on the week, but still. Fish was holding in 15 FOW on downside of wind blown point. 
    We move inside the pocket a little bit and first freaking cast with a Wart he catches a 6 lb 9 oz Largemouth. I’m freaking out over the fast start and the quality of the fish he caught. Before too long, I got a > 3 lb Largie on a crank. 
    Warts, RK’s, and the like would occasionally catch a fish the rest of the day. It was a grind, but quality of the fish was Excellent and we were Happy to be getting bit at all. We almost didn’t fish and assumed we might zero. We planned.on quitting a little early, but stayed to almost dark. 
    Monday was colder and almost as windy, but no snow and no clouds. It felt a little warmer, but water temp was slow to respond. Fish were slow. Crankbait fish were not biting. Johnny got a Goo on a jerkbait to get us started. I got a non keeper on a Ned.
    We headed into Quarry area to get out of wind. Johnny got a couple little guys on Ned. I was trying a GYCB 4 inch Twin Tail Hula Grub in 236. Throwing tight to rock wall and hopping it down the ledges. No much happening, but I stuck with it. So, I lifted it up after a cast and it felt heavy. A sharp lift up for the hookset and there was no response just got heavier and heavier. Johnny asked what was up and I honestly did not know. Finally, I got some slow kicks deeer and deeper under the boat so I knew I had something heavy. Eventually, I worked it up to the surface and we got a big flash of color as it drove down again and Johnny asked if that was a Musky. I realized it was a Musky. Holy Crap! I’ve got a Musky hooked up. 
    Johnny got a big net out and helped me get the beast in the net. It had been caught before and didn’t look pristine. The fight was fairly subdued for a fish just under 38 inches which was good since I had 8 lbs line. Woot Woot! My day was made andda new fish added to Lifetime list. 
    Monday afternoon we continued to search around and caught a few more fish primarily on Ned rigs. No more crankbait fish. Saw water temps approaching 56, but most places cooler. 
    Tuesday Morning was warmer with fun temps forecast for afternoon. We packed shorts in the boat. We launched in Pittsburgh Public Use area. That ramp is fairly far up Lindley Creek. That ramp is long and steep with a poorly designed and executed turn around area. All parking on top of hill so there is a long walk back to boat. 
    Another windy day, but out of south. It warmed nicely. The fish did not care. It was still a grind. 
    Ran around lots of places, but finally Johnny said let’s go back to dirty water up river. We found warmer water and a few fish in some wood cover. I got a 4 lb ad a 3 lb LMB pitching Baby Brush Hogs, Johnny got a few chunky bass as well. We got to wear shorts. Life was Good. 
    Wednesday the forecast was for even heavier winds from NW again with falling temps. We opted for lauching at Boliver and going as far up Pomme De Terre river as we dared.
    we got a couple of nice fish in shallow dirty water off river channel. We kept heading up looking for a wind break and exploring the river. We went far enough that the water got clear and the river bottom got rocky. Johnny said no more when electronics said 2 FZoW under keel. We expected smallies, but caught everything else except smallies. Using a variety of baits we caught LMB, Drum, White Bass (Small), crappie, and a little walleye. It’s beautiful up there and we caught fish, but quality was gone. We talked it over during the day and decided to head in a little early and load up. We fished BSL Thursday and caught almost 30 bass with a lot of keepers including some smallies. 
    All in all a good trip. Fishing was slow because of water temp, but quality was excellent. I know they must have good numbers of fish, but you would know it by the numbers we caught.
    I was surprised at how small all the White Bass were. What’s the deal with that. 
    I was stunned by the amount of used fishing line we caught with our lures. At least 11 times we got tangled in lost or discarded fishing line. 
    Id love to go back to Pomme De Terre in early Summer or Fall.



  18. Like
    Ham got a reaction from netboy for a article, Fishing Report 4/15, 4/16, 4/17, 4/18   
    So CajunAngler and I headed North for our annual Spring Fishing Trip. This was a terrible year to decide to try a lake further north, but that’s how it goes.
    I was pushing to go back to Oklahoma, but he bamboozled me with talknof catching a Musky. Pomme here we come. 
    Sunday AM I’m driving thru snowy sub freezing temps with heavy clouds and a pretty stiff wind from NW. Things didn’t look so Great, but we’re hard headed and reasoned that the weather would steadily improve as the week wore on.
    We stowed our gear inthe rental place and launched at an unimproved ramp in Decker Creek. Water temp was 51 or so. Water had a Lot of stain, but wasn’t muddy. Wind was brutal, but we bundled up. 
    First freaking cast of the trip, Johnny catches a 4 plus LMB on an A rig. As it turns out, That was the only A rig fish on the week, but still. Fish was holding in 15 FOW on downside of wind blown point. 
    We move inside the pocket a little bit and first freaking cast with a Wart he catches a 6 lb 9 oz Largemouth. I’m freaking out over the fast start and the quality of the fish he caught. Before too long, I got a > 3 lb Largie on a crank. 
    Warts, RK’s, and the like would occasionally catch a fish the rest of the day. It was a grind, but quality of the fish was Excellent and we were Happy to be getting bit at all. We almost didn’t fish and assumed we might zero. We planned.on quitting a little early, but stayed to almost dark. 
    Monday was colder and almost as windy, but no snow and no clouds. It felt a little warmer, but water temp was slow to respond. Fish were slow. Crankbait fish were not biting. Johnny got a Goo on a jerkbait to get us started. I got a non keeper on a Ned.
    We headed into Quarry area to get out of wind. Johnny got a couple little guys on Ned. I was trying a GYCB 4 inch Twin Tail Hula Grub in 236. Throwing tight to rock wall and hopping it down the ledges. No much happening, but I stuck with it. So, I lifted it up after a cast and it felt heavy. A sharp lift up for the hookset and there was no response just got heavier and heavier. Johnny asked what was up and I honestly did not know. Finally, I got some slow kicks deeer and deeper under the boat so I knew I had something heavy. Eventually, I worked it up to the surface and we got a big flash of color as it drove down again and Johnny asked if that was a Musky. I realized it was a Musky. Holy Crap! I’ve got a Musky hooked up. 
    Johnny got a big net out and helped me get the beast in the net. It had been caught before and didn’t look pristine. The fight was fairly subdued for a fish just under 38 inches which was good since I had 8 lbs line. Woot Woot! My day was made andda new fish added to Lifetime list. 
    Monday afternoon we continued to search around and caught a few more fish primarily on Ned rigs. No more crankbait fish. Saw water temps approaching 56, but most places cooler. 
    Tuesday Morning was warmer with fun temps forecast for afternoon. We packed shorts in the boat. We launched in Pittsburgh Public Use area. That ramp is fairly far up Lindley Creek. That ramp is long and steep with a poorly designed and executed turn around area. All parking on top of hill so there is a long walk back to boat. 
    Another windy day, but out of south. It warmed nicely. The fish did not care. It was still a grind. 
    Ran around lots of places, but finally Johnny said let’s go back to dirty water up river. We found warmer water and a few fish in some wood cover. I got a 4 lb ad a 3 lb LMB pitching Baby Brush Hogs, Johnny got a few chunky bass as well. We got to wear shorts. Life was Good. 
    Wednesday the forecast was for even heavier winds from NW again with falling temps. We opted for lauching at Boliver and going as far up Pomme De Terre river as we dared.
    we got a couple of nice fish in shallow dirty water off river channel. We kept heading up looking for a wind break and exploring the river. We went far enough that the water got clear and the river bottom got rocky. Johnny said no more when electronics said 2 FZoW under keel. We expected smallies, but caught everything else except smallies. Using a variety of baits we caught LMB, Drum, White Bass (Small), crappie, and a little walleye. It’s beautiful up there and we caught fish, but quality was gone. We talked it over during the day and decided to head in a little early and load up. We fished BSL Thursday and caught almost 30 bass with a lot of keepers including some smallies. 
    All in all a good trip. Fishing was slow because of water temp, but quality was excellent. I know they must have good numbers of fish, but you would know it by the numbers we caught.
    I was surprised at how small all the White Bass were. What’s the deal with that. 
    I was stunned by the amount of used fishing line we caught with our lures. At least 11 times we got tangled in lost or discarded fishing line. 
    Id love to go back to Pomme De Terre in early Summer or Fall.



  19. Like
    Ham got a reaction from MOPanfisher for a article, Fishing Report 4/15, 4/16, 4/17, 4/18   
    So CajunAngler and I headed North for our annual Spring Fishing Trip. This was a terrible year to decide to try a lake further north, but that’s how it goes.
    I was pushing to go back to Oklahoma, but he bamboozled me with talknof catching a Musky. Pomme here we come. 
    Sunday AM I’m driving thru snowy sub freezing temps with heavy clouds and a pretty stiff wind from NW. Things didn’t look so Great, but we’re hard headed and reasoned that the weather would steadily improve as the week wore on.
    We stowed our gear inthe rental place and launched at an unimproved ramp in Decker Creek. Water temp was 51 or so. Water had a Lot of stain, but wasn’t muddy. Wind was brutal, but we bundled up. 
    First freaking cast of the trip, Johnny catches a 4 plus LMB on an A rig. As it turns out, That was the only A rig fish on the week, but still. Fish was holding in 15 FOW on downside of wind blown point. 
    We move inside the pocket a little bit and first freaking cast with a Wart he catches a 6 lb 9 oz Largemouth. I’m freaking out over the fast start and the quality of the fish he caught. Before too long, I got a > 3 lb Largie on a crank. 
    Warts, RK’s, and the like would occasionally catch a fish the rest of the day. It was a grind, but quality of the fish was Excellent and we were Happy to be getting bit at all. We almost didn’t fish and assumed we might zero. We planned.on quitting a little early, but stayed to almost dark. 
    Monday was colder and almost as windy, but no snow and no clouds. It felt a little warmer, but water temp was slow to respond. Fish were slow. Crankbait fish were not biting. Johnny got a Goo on a jerkbait to get us started. I got a non keeper on a Ned.
    We headed into Quarry area to get out of wind. Johnny got a couple little guys on Ned. I was trying a GYCB 4 inch Twin Tail Hula Grub in 236. Throwing tight to rock wall and hopping it down the ledges. No much happening, but I stuck with it. So, I lifted it up after a cast and it felt heavy. A sharp lift up for the hookset and there was no response just got heavier and heavier. Johnny asked what was up and I honestly did not know. Finally, I got some slow kicks deeer and deeper under the boat so I knew I had something heavy. Eventually, I worked it up to the surface and we got a big flash of color as it drove down again and Johnny asked if that was a Musky. I realized it was a Musky. Holy Crap! I’ve got a Musky hooked up. 
    Johnny got a big net out and helped me get the beast in the net. It had been caught before and didn’t look pristine. The fight was fairly subdued for a fish just under 38 inches which was good since I had 8 lbs line. Woot Woot! My day was made andda new fish added to Lifetime list. 
    Monday afternoon we continued to search around and caught a few more fish primarily on Ned rigs. No more crankbait fish. Saw water temps approaching 56, but most places cooler. 
    Tuesday Morning was warmer with fun temps forecast for afternoon. We packed shorts in the boat. We launched in Pittsburgh Public Use area. That ramp is fairly far up Lindley Creek. That ramp is long and steep with a poorly designed and executed turn around area. All parking on top of hill so there is a long walk back to boat. 
    Another windy day, but out of south. It warmed nicely. The fish did not care. It was still a grind. 
    Ran around lots of places, but finally Johnny said let’s go back to dirty water up river. We found warmer water and a few fish in some wood cover. I got a 4 lb ad a 3 lb LMB pitching Baby Brush Hogs, Johnny got a few chunky bass as well. We got to wear shorts. Life was Good. 
    Wednesday the forecast was for even heavier winds from NW again with falling temps. We opted for lauching at Boliver and going as far up Pomme De Terre river as we dared.
    we got a couple of nice fish in shallow dirty water off river channel. We kept heading up looking for a wind break and exploring the river. We went far enough that the water got clear and the river bottom got rocky. Johnny said no more when electronics said 2 FZoW under keel. We expected smallies, but caught everything else except smallies. Using a variety of baits we caught LMB, Drum, White Bass (Small), crappie, and a little walleye. It’s beautiful up there and we caught fish, but quality was gone. We talked it over during the day and decided to head in a little early and load up. We fished BSL Thursday and caught almost 30 bass with a lot of keepers including some smallies. 
    All in all a good trip. Fishing was slow because of water temp, but quality was excellent. I know they must have good numbers of fish, but you would know it by the numbers we caught.
    I was surprised at how small all the White Bass were. What’s the deal with that. 
    I was stunned by the amount of used fishing line we caught with our lures. At least 11 times we got tangled in lost or discarded fishing line. 
    Id love to go back to Pomme De Terre in early Summer or Fall.



  20. Like
    Ham reacted to netboy for a article, Caddis swarms today   
    Since it turned out to be such a pretty day, I took a quick trip up to the White river after lunch. They turned the water off at noon so it was low when I got there. As soon as I got out of the truck I could see fish rising fish everywhere and lots of caddis flying. Caught a nice brown on my second cast. For about 2 hours it was a fish or a strike every other cast (all on dry flies). Probably caught 30-40 rainbows and a couple smaller browns. The hatch slowed down around 3 so I headed home. Here's a couple pics of the better browns....
     
     


  21. Like
    Ham reacted to Steve McBasser for a article, Shell Knob area.....   
    Hit the water yesterday at noon. Water temp at the ramp was 50.7. The water was stained but not muddy. Visibility 4-5 feet. We fished for about 3 hours with no luck. Couldn't find any water over 51.2*. Finally stumbled onto a pocket that was 55* and started catching some fat female brownies and spots. It was a glorious day to be on the water.....






  22. Like
    Ham reacted to Phil Lilley for a article, Line Class Record, Brad Wright's Story   
    Brad Wright was experimenting and tied a jig the night before the big day. Knowing that the trout bit on cracklebacks and woolys, he thought a small jig made with both a tail as well as hackle palmered on the body would work.
    It was a rainy, foggy 40-degree Wednesday morning with winds blowing out of the northeast and no water running. He started about 7:20 in the morning by outlet #1 with a rapala. “I jerked and twitched, jerked and twitched, and nothing ever bit,” he said. He switched to the jig and float. First he tried the jig with six-pound line on his spinning rod, then switched to four-pound spool with two-pound tippet tied past the indicator. On the first cast he caught a rainbow, about 18 inches long; consecutive casts yielded another rainbow and then two or three browns, approximately three pounds. He then re-tied his knot to the jig and continued casting. On the second or third cast, the big bruiser hit, taking off downstream. As Brad followed, he slipped and fell onto a big rock. “I lost my footing and my right elbow hit on the rock – but I didn’t drop my rod.,” Wright recalled.

    The fish continued its run, and headed right in front of a man from Kansas. As Wright was regaining his balance and in pursuit, the other angler called out,”Son, do you know how big this fish is?” About 10 pounds, Wright ventured. “Try doubling that,” the man replied.
    The race was on. After a joint downstream, the fish led him back upstream past outlet #2 and to the far side of the lake. Before catching up with him, Brad managed to fall several more times in his pursuit. He and the fish were all the way past the cable when the horn blew, warning that generation was starting. Once the whistle blew, to Brad’s surprise, the fish headed back downstream. Wright knew he had to get back to the hatchery side of the lake and at that time the fish had reeled off over 80 yards of line. As the water level rose, he started across, bobbing up and down trying to keep his feet beneath him.

    Suddenly the big brown made a beeline for a log just below the first outlet and stopped. At that point, Wright and the onlookers who had been witnessing the chase for and hour and a half, gathered around. Brad wanted to see where the jig was hooked now that the brown was resting. Positioning himself over the fish, he put his hand into its mouth; he could see the jig was caught between two front teeth. Later he surmised if the jig was anywhere else the 2-pound line surely would have been cut. With his other hand he grabbed a gill plate and slung the huge brown onto dry ground.
    Brad took the brown trout up to Angler’s Archery for Chuck to inspect. Unofficially it weighed over 26 pounds. Chuck, after looking up the current world record for 2-pound line, told Brad he needed to take it and get it officially weighed so off they went to Consumers grocery to be weighed on one of their meat scales. By the time it was weighed on the Consumers grocery store official scales, two hours had elapsed. Wright figures the fish probably actually weighed about 30 pounds right out of the water.
    After it was all said and done, Brad’s brown trout is in the record books as the biggest, recorded fish caught on 2-pound line in the world. The fish was mounted and now is on display at Bass Pro Shop in Springfield, Missouri.
  23. Like
    Ham reacted to Quillback for a article, Indian Creek, March 13   
    Yesterday was a cold morning, so I fished banker's hours, 9:30 to 4:30.  Sunny day with a fairly strong breeze kicking up early in the afternoon.  Enough wind that fishing a Ned rig deep became a little bit of a problem on the exposed banks.  
    All of the fish I caught came on the Ned, PB&J on a 1/8 head.  Dragged it slowly on the bottom, maintaining bottom contact as much as possible.  Best depth range for fish was 10 -20 FOW.  The bass are on some banks, but not on others, it's hard to graph them as they are locked on the bottom and don't show up well - you just have to pick a likely bank and try it out, if you catch one you'll want to fish that stretch of water hard as there likely more than one there.   The smallies are liking the sunny banks with chunky rock and/or ledge rock.
    I caught a dozen bass, 10 of them being smallies, 4 of the smallies were in the 15-16" range.  Caught a 16" spot and a keeper sized walleye.
    Water is stained green up the Indian Creek arm, and clearer as you approach the dam.  WT 47-49.

  24. Like
    Ham reacted to netboy for a article, Windy day on the Norfork   
    Made a trip to Ackerman access early this morning hoping to beat the predicted wind. I had planned to fish the area downstream from the access but that plan quickly changed as the water was too high from backflow of the White river, which has been running water bigtime 24/7 for last few days. I had to walk up above the first island to get away from the high water. Fishing was pretty good with 4 cutthroats, 2 browns and about a dozen rainbows. Fished an egg pattern with a ruby midge dropper. Wind really started to crank around 10:00 so I called it a day shortly thereafter.
    Here's a pic of a pretty cutthroat...
       

  25. Like
    Ham got a reaction from magicwormman for a article, 2/27/18 Trip Report - Diamond City   
    With the recent rains and warmer weather, I was hoping I could find a Wart bite. I did not. 
    Water is now >660 up over 8 feet in 10 days. Lots of debris in the water. Not the best time to be running WOT. I’d suggest running low 40’s in MPH to give yourself time to dodge stuff. 
    Water temp was basically unchanged from pre rains. Mid 40’s to 48 degrees max. 
    Water color was stained to pretty dingy. MASSIVE amounts of threadfin in the creeks and lots of gulls feeding on dying Shad. I feel like the bass are too. 
    I get that Shad struggle with cold water. I dont get why they are struggling with mid 40’s. I still have a lot to learn about fishing Shad kills. My preference is to run away to areas without dying Shad. I could not get away from the dying Shad yesterday. 
    I threw a lot of different stuff, but minimal to no response. I swung a couple times with odd stuff on Ned, but no sure thing looks. I swung a couple times when the Football Jig got heavy, but it was loaded with algae. I felt A rig plowing through Shad, but no bites. It’s a lot more fun throwing jerk bait when it gets a bite every now and again. 
    Wart and or RK bumped and ground through good stuff and every once in a while stuff felt “alive”. It was odd, but I eventually tail hooked a monster carp which explains the live feel. It was full grown and tested my gear pretty good for a long time. It Pulled the BassCat around which was interesting. 
    That was the only fish of the day. I am working up a serious animosity towards Fish in general and BSL bass in particular. I will get a lot of payback. I won’t slow up and I won’t quit until it gets dark or I catch 100 that day. I’m still going to catch and release most of them, but I’m going to try to sore mouth ALL of them. 
    I’m ready for Spring and 50 something degree water. 
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