FishnDave

Nice one! What did that measure?

I haven't tried the bulkhead streamers yet, but did tie a couple. Gamechangers in all types and colors and sizes have worked extremely well for Largemouth Bass. Like this Feather GameChanger: It's caught a bunch of nice bass for me, up to 21.5" (the one on the right is that fish...damaged jaw, obviously it had been caught and mistreated before): Here's a moptail Gamechanger...pretty good action: It caught this 18.5" Smallmouth in Iowa:

My bad. You are correct. It may not be a pheromone... but some other chemical. "Schreckstoff, German for “scary stuff,” is a chemical compound, glycosaminoglycan chondroitin, that some fish species release when they are injured. This “take-one -for-the-team” signal lets their conspecifics know that there is danger in the area. But more than just an alarm signal, Schreckstoff also serves as an immune response for the injured individual, warding off parasites and pathogens such as molds, trematodes, and solar radiation. Schreckstoff is utilized by fish superorder, Ostariophysi, such as minnows, catfishes, and characiformes (including piranha and tetras), and has also been documented in other species, such as salmonids." Here's more info if anyone is interested: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schreckstoff

oops

Caught bass, trout, and bluegill today... Bluegills were the first ones of the year. (FND05) Bluegill (Percus breamio)...not the biggest or prettiest one...just the first one: Also saw this owl pellet: And lots of turtles:

Right? Look at that slime just dripping off!]

I think brown bullheads are often splotchy. (picture from online) Even some black bullheads are sort of splotchy to a lesser degree:

10"-11" Chubs...some big ol' boys! They live in the same water and eat the same foods trout do. Or Smallies. I've never notices them being slimy or stinky. Gizzard shad, on the other hand, are slimy and stinky. Great bait and cut bait, though. And their oily meat makes for some really healthy bass and crappies and white bass & hybrid striped bass and catfish! Northern Pike are also slimy and stinky...."snot rockets". I wonder if rubbing your lure or fly on a fish works more because it helps get rid of the human scent, or if its really the fish scent they like? I don't usually intentionally rub the fly on a fish, because some fish when caught release pheromones that make other fish swim away.

The guy with the job description, "Horn Blower"... he's gotta get bored, right? Boss was on vacation....So he was probably having the time of his life, just waiting for you to get closer to the middle of the river before blowing the horn and watching you scramble back to shore. 😁

Nice fishes, Al! Good luck today! 👍

I'd posted elsewhere about this one particular channel catfish that had a ginormous head. I just found another picture of it from a different angle. Check that out!

Best. Trade. Ever? 😬

Tiger Trout are a cross between Brook Trout and Brown Trout. Interesting fish...a cross between fish not even in the same genus. One is a char, one is a trout. Different number of chromosomes in each of the parent species. This hybrid does occur in the wild...NE Iowa has produced some. But the ones I've seen pictures of from there weren't very big. They can get pretty big. Some places "out west" have some really nice ones!

I've been tracking you via the Fed's website for the past 3 hours. You had dinner, stretched and farted in the living room, and have been sitting on the upstairs toilet ever since. Are you ok? 😆 Seriously though, I hope the whole shot stuff all goes well for you and everyone else...and me when its my turn.

That's some nice looking water there!

Topwaters are great fun! One could start a new life-list of fish they've caught on topwater! That would be interesting. Just freshwater fish here: Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Kentucky Spotted Bass, White Bass, Hybrid Striped Bass, Northern Pike, Muskellunge, Walleye (!!), Channel Catfish, Bluegill, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Longear Sunfish, Rock Bass, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, Crappies, Grass Carp, Creek Chub, Hornyhead Chub, Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout.... that's all I can remember at the moment. Even this Rainbow hit an aggressively-worked Blockhead Popper (and check out those perfect fins!).

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/15-year-old-latest-texas-angler-to-land-record-largemouth-bass/ar-BB1e9XRj

NE Iowa Brown Trout

same pond as above...

Ahh. I used to go flyfishing local ponds during my lunch hour. There was a pond I would fish maybe once/year because there just wasn't much in it. Then I discovered there was a good population of carp and catfish in it. Not always easy targets, bit it sure was fun on the fly rod when I could coax them into striking.

Ha, yes! Or like casting a wet sock! It certainly absorbs and holds onto water. Probably feels fairly real when the fish chomps it.

DING DING! We have a winner!

Did you? Great minds.... 🤓 Many species were named after discoverers or by morphological features. These stodgy scientists didn't know the fish as intimately as anglers do. This is our chance at naming the fish by something that makes sense...to us. If I said "Micropterus creekinvasivus"....what would you guess I was referring to?

I've decided to make up a latin name for each of the species I catch this year. Just all in fun. 😁