Ham

I only fish Bennett Springs during C&R and I hope for miserable weather to keep the crowds down. Good Luck!

That’s Good Work

Good Luck Catch something weird!

So MRRBRBT?

80) McCloud Rainbow I went to Crane Creek and got a for sure MRR RBT today. I make things harder than they have to be, but I got it done. but still I caught these from a small creek that shall go unnamed. Last stocked decades ago. These little guys are as close to wild as necessary. I only catch the babies. The bigger ones laugh at my crude attempts to fool them. I’m actually going to be back up that way soon and will add another couple of pics.

Ahhh, the common name confusion thing. I love Longear Sunfish. They are a fine little fish. I wish we had Pumpkinseed too, but we don’t.

Are you seeing very many Cutthroat? Where would be my best option to try? I’ve tried State Park and Norfork River. maybe I just have to pay my dues

I am a Man of My Word. I quit at 11. Of course, I caught two more yesterday on the Norfork.

Man, that’s tough news for sure. I wish him comfort.

You didn’t Catch pumpkinseeds. Just sayin. Longear Sunfish most likely. Pics?

79) Brook Trout @FishnDave had to go home eventually . I gathered gear while he packed up and while he was driving home. I made good on the intell @netboy provided. I caught my first one in 15 minutes (I was starting to press a bit). I quit taking pictures after the eighth one. I tried for a Cutty, but caught two decent Rainbows and lost another nice one. I tried to walk out, but the Broookies kept showing off so I changed to a size 10 Pistol Pete and educated a few more. I think Dave had 12 so I quit at 11 Brookies to let him have the title.

78) Bigmouth Buffalo What a crazy day Saturday was. I was just enjoying the heck out of catching bowfin on fly. I started striping my fly to make another cast and became aware that a fish had my fly. It fought differently from bowfin and I was seriously confused about what it might be. It pulled super hard and just did not want to come up. I was so worried about losing it especially after I got a flash of color that mad me think it was a Buffalo of some sort. Thank Goodness that @FishnDave got the net under it.

And Dave caught at least 4 species I did not catch. Warmouth, White Bass, Ozark Bass, and Drum. I think i got a Carmine and I got a Brookie in OT.

So, Sunday rolls around. It’s put up or Shut Up. No more delays for the White River at Batesvillie/Oil Trough. Keep in mind that both Saturday and Sunday morning we loaded our gear and hooked up the boat in the rain. We drove through the rain most of the way to the lake Saturday and we launched in the rain on Sunday. because of the rain, I chose to launch at Batesvillie and swing streamers in heavy current hoping for White Bass and Stripers. The rain waned to a close without any big guys playing. We switched over to skipjack. I caught the first one and then Dave got one. Not big numbers, but he got one. I tried some wing dams hoping for a walleye or sauger, but I only got a small Longear Sunfish. Further down river, Dave got a nice drum that used the current to his advantage. I looked up and saw numbers of Mooneye feeding in the main river. Eased over to try for them. I managed to get Lucky and get one and then we missed a couple strikes. I’m still learning about Mooneye. I didn’t think they were that noise sensitive, but I’m rethinking that one. we relocated to Oil Trough. I have the Mooneye figured out better down there. Dave force fed them his micro jig down there to great effect. He caught a bunch. We tried a few spots for Gar. Nope. We rolled up in my best spot and saw a fish strike. Good sign. Usually, we can get big bluegill, bass, White Bass, Gar, and Skipjack there. This time, it seemed like it was mostly Skipjack. Dave got some White Bass. Skipjack are a really fun fish and we got pleasantly distracted by them. I was Happy Dave got his Mooneye and Skipjack. I like to honor my commitments. I wanted to show him the entire river, but we only had a few hours, and the water quality wasn’t as good as normal. So, it is what it is. Another Fun, crazy, whirlwind trip that I enjoyed a bunch. I look forward to the next adventure.

Thanks, but you’re being too kind. I’m just a guy.

Beautiful Downtown San Antonio Texas! man, you make me want to plan a trip

So, Northern Arkansas had a significant rain event Wednesday morning. I did a couple of brief stops in NWA Wednesday morning/afternoon and that stuff stayed clear, but the ground was dry and stuff moved thru quicker. We had more rain and additional rain after the ground had become saturated and I became concerned about water quality. I had intell from a guy that lives in Batesvillie and he said the White had muddied up. So, I called an audible and pushed the White River trip back to Sunday and threw out options to Dave. We decided on Portia Bay/ Lake Ashbaugh, and a community Pond in Missouri. A series of manageable drives and a long drive home. it was my second trip ever to Portia Bay, but I felt like it was a multispecies option for us with lots of gar available. I wasn’t wrong, but as I have been told. Gar are unreliable. oddly enough, we each caught the first Shortnose Gar we presentes Flys To, and then never landed another one despite lots of eats. so, I had seen a small pocket I was interested in and I hope a gar might be loitering there. None were, but Dave spotted something strange on the way in and again on the way out. What the heck? A Flathead up near the surface just hanging around. Heck Yeah I want to try to catch that. Honestly, I did not know it was that large and I expected to get broken off. We both got opportunities at it, but I got Lucky and got a better opportunity. I was laser focused on that gaping mouth and when the fly disappeared in there I got a quick set. The fish was obviously not at 100% with that other fish lodged in its throat. Too big to fit all the way in its stomach. I did try to remove the fish and I was not able to do so. I think we might have helped it clear some gas from his gut and I was actually able to get a little more of the fish in his gut. I hope the Flathead is able to finish its meal and not die from it. We got frustrated with the Longnose Gar, the mosquitos, and the rain and decided to call another audible and drive to Manilla, AR and try for Longnose over there. I was worried that we would not have enough water, but instead we had about 6 foot too much. 🤨 I was hating how this was working out, but I decided to cut the losses and go to Lake Ashbaugh. Yes, more driving. we get to Lake Ashbaugh and it was too low to launch the boat. Too shallow to really fish my Orange Spotted area and mosquitos were still chewing on me. i had several areas I wanted to try and we did the logical progress through those options and fortunately we found a spot that had some fish and we staged a rally. I was starting to feel like such a jerk, but it all worked out. we saw lots of fish moving around and it was a little tough to reach them from shore so Waldo got launched again. Dave got the party started with a really nice Female Bowfin that really did not want to be captured. It did a Polaris launch out of the net after I scooped it up TWICE, but Dave caught it anyway. It was just my Lucky Day I Guess. Things went really well for me. I hooked like 7 of the 10 Bowfin Bites I had and landed 5 is the 7 I hooked. That’s crazy Good for me with Bowfin on fly. our Bowfin flurry was like 90 minutes long. I really enjoyed It. Somewhere towards the end of it, I stripped my fly and a fish had it already. I was worried it was a Bowfin that I was fighting w/o getting a good hookset, but the longer the fight went the more I realized this wasn’t a Bowfin. It pulled hard and did not want to come to the surface. I was desperate to catch it because I was pretty sure it was gonna be a Flyfer. I hung on for dear life and Dave got it in the net. My Lifer/Flyfer Bigmouth Buffalo! My second Happy Accident of the day.“Boy, you got a Purtty mouth” despite my desire to fish until dark, I eventually call it and we headed for home.

So, Dave’s Day Two trip was pretty cool. He caught a lot of Brookies and made me nervous that he was sore mouthing too many of them and I wasn’t going to be able to get one after he left Monday morning (spoiler- I should not have worried). I wish he had gotten that Lifer/Flyfer Cuttie, but that leaves something for next time. Special Thanks to @netboy for the Brookie Intell. I know where they hold after they are stocked, but I wasn’t sure if any where in there yet. Bob assured me that they were there and were quite agreeable. He told me where to try and what fly to throw ( “you can catch on any fly you want).

Because of the distances involved, I’m the fishing equivalent of a P-51 Mustang before they got belly tanks. I’m just not able to fish as long as I want once I reach the fishing spot (unless the spot sucks and then I can’t wait by move on.) So, we hit the Current River. It seemed a little low, but I don’t know it well enough to be sure. And yet the clarity was only a 10 instead of the usual 11. I wanted to launch at Logyard and run up just below Powdermill. I have some proven Shadow Bass spots that set up well for fly. I don’t think you can easily launch a river boat at Powdermill anymore and I was concerned about running all the way up from Powdermill and back taking too much time. I was also concerned about running long riffle with big rocks that is like a mile up from the 106 bridge. So, I convinced myself we would be ok and would get Shadow Bass on the section from Two Rivers to Powdermill w/o running that riffle. We did, but it wasn’t easy. I for one and Dave got one, but missing accomplished. Dave caught 3 or more Hornyhead Chubs on Thursday and I had not gotten a sniff. and I still needed one for the year. So we needed to quit early so I could take my wife and Dave out to Rapps Barren in Mountain Home. I gambled that we would still be ok if I stopped at the Jacks Fork access in Eminence. I immediately caught a colored up Northern Studfish, but soon saw Hornyhead Chubs Looking peckish. It only took a little convincing to get the first one and a little more to catch the next two. I couldn’t stop at one and wanted to stay another hour, but we flew along home and even had time for a quick shower before a nice meal. we caught a variety of fish pretty steadily, but I failed to catch a Chain Pickerel or produce Mooneye or Skipjack on the Current for either of us. #scrublife I think the Current River is Beautiful and full of beautiful fish. I hope Dave enjoyed the brief first visit.

77) Flathead Catfish I had invited @FishnDave down for fishing trip to try to add to his fly fishing Lifelist and his 2023 Fly Fishing species list. Dave is gonna do a thread (I hope). His wife was out of town and my wife was out of town, it was meant to be right? Huge rain event on Wednesday hurt us on multiple fronts and made me scramble for some viable options Saturday. One of the Saturday spots was Portia Bay for Longnose Gar. Saw plenty, but caught none. However, Dave spotted something weird behind the cypress teees and eventually we got a better look at it and I figured out it was a Flathead acting weird. Clearly, this fish was acting abnormally, but let’s try to catch it. We both had spots at it, but I had a better shot and managed to get a roll cast in front of the beast and when the fly disappeared into its maw, I set. I should have gotten wrecked, but didn’t and Dave was somehow able to fit it in the net. Boom! I want more Flathead on Fly, but at least I have this one. I do kinda wish Dave had caught it since he spotted it first. here’s the fly that caught the Flathead

👀

76) Hornyhead Chub well, I misspoke. The Push for 100 started in January, but the intensity ratchets up even more. I’m a little surprised it took me this long, but better late than never. I caught three in just a few minutes once I was in the right spot. these were from Jack’s Fork near Eminence, MO photo upgrade on my Hornyhead Chub. This fish was caught within sight of my house.

75) Redspot Chub Flyfer!! I had business in Bentonvillie so naturally I hit a spot on the way and a spot “on the way” home. There is an awesome creek in Bentonvillie that really needs a FULL day. I was able to give it an hour which turned into 30 minutes cos I got this guy my main target and I had a Snafu and felt pressured to head home. I’m excited to hit 75! I reached my stated goal. Now, the push to 100 begins.

I caught several

74) Steelcolor Shiner feom War Eagle south of Huntsville, AR