faded

hello?

Sounds like a pretty good trip to me...Having lived in Fort Collins area for a rear or so I can attest the weather in CO is hard to figure....Never quite sure what it will end up doing....I have been thinking about the Thompson lately...made that drive up to Estes quite a few times and was always intrigued by the little cabins on the side of the road with the Thompson running right in front of them....Never fished out there but would love to go back and give it a shot...

spent the fourth up north..an hour or so north of K.C. on a private lake...needless to say the water was quite active with boats and people, making for a less than ideal fishing expedition. i did manage to hook up a few: 4 small mouth, 2 large mouth, 3 whites, and the strangest for me a 3.5# ( i think blue cat) caught from a peddle boat in a cove on a mepps black fury. I thought i had finally caught a keeper bass (19 inch min) but when it broke the surface all i could do was laugh and hope i did not break line before getting back to the dock and getting a net...did not want it flopping around in the boat with me

Had some luck wading today before the heat set in... Got on the water around 7 and was done by 11:30...landed a couple dozen including two smallies that were in the 14 inch range, and two more right at 12...most caught on a green/chart tube, some on a brown hard plastic craw...was a good escape and a welcome change of pace ( the James has been few fish for me thus far).

Well you had better luck than I...Float fished from Shelvin to Hooten on Tuesday (in record time as the water was moving pretty fast....) Managed a couple of small smallies while my buddy got into the perch...my daughter she caught a stick, some leaves, and a few rocks... I would not have posted such pathetic results typically but the mention of the snake prompted me to post pretty close to Hooten we were working on freeing a snag from a low limb over the water and I found myself nearly eye to eye with what could have been the same snake stretched out on a forked limb just watching..... startled me for a moment...

sounds like a good trip... good enough to help shake that grumpy feeling that can sink in after not getting to hit the water for a week or more...It has been 2 weeks for me but I should be putting in shortly after 8 in the morning...Not sure I can manage a haul like you had today, but i will be givin' it a darn good effort to do so thanks for the report RSB...and in case I have failed to mention it in the past I enjoy reading your blog

Thank you, Kerr to Galena sounds much more manageable..Hoping this break in the rain holds through tomorrow (when I plan on fishing).

thanks for the insight....I plan to float this week but will have to save that trip for another time when my schedule is a little more wide open. Having looked at the paddlers guide it looks around 16 miles (a long day) Like I said I have not ventured much further than Hootentown... will try calling the canoe rental (was not even sure they were still operating after last years flooding).

RSB I was searching some old posts and saw a response you put up about floating from Hootentown to H.L. Kerr...Looking at my map that looks like a long float (maybe all paddle and no fish..not my type of trip.) Would you be so kind as to give me some info on that particular float (how long, some input on fishing that area would also be greatly appreaciated). I have not fished below Hooten and would like to try this float this year but can't seem to find much about it online.....Thanks in advance to YOU (or anyone else in the know) .....

not exactly sure where you are talking about.....Shelvin rock access is off of M, of Nicholas, or farm road 141, or Cox road, (why do things have so many names?????????????????) there is also a bridge between Shelvin and Hooten town that may be the spot...........As for bank fishing it will be tough at Shelvin (lots of traffic).....If it is the bridge I have seen signs of bank fishing as I have floated through this area but have not done any fishing from that bank...I know not much help.....But more than you had before

Standard rig....weighted hook into tube....I use tubes rather frequently and this brand seems to be a thinner plastic...had 3 rip on me on Sunday...Either on removal from a fish or after a couple of cast and retrieves...might have simply been a bad batch not sure but not nearly as durable others I have used.....

might very well be a mink just had not thought of that until today had a buddy telling me how he had minks stealing his stringer of trout on the White River .....thanks for the advice on bait....Tubes do all rip but these ZOOMS seemed to be much more fragile than most I have used....will look into your suggestions

thanks for the input....The area I typically see the bodies in I have never seen a catfish ( very clear water).....Quite a few Heron but these are larger than the bird could manage... upon doing a little research it seems gators in Florida will eat them... I am sure it is humans none the less...Seems kind of a waste just to leave them.......I understand fishing and hunting ( catch and release, eat what you catch or kill, hell even make a mount, or use the remains for somethingelse ....I don't understand killing just to kill....

Spent the afternoon wading and fishing the Swan...I love that place....Cool rocks and clear water... Always seems to relax me just to get there...Caught a couple of perch, a goggle eye, and 15 or so smallies...Best fish was a 15 inch small mouth that hit behind a rock and put up a good fight before coming in....All catch and release....A 15 inch smallie on this stretch of water is a pretty big fish..Have caught a couple larger in there but not a lot....most in the 7 to 10 inch range.... I used some ZOOM tubes for the first time and I love the color ( I think it is a watermelon crayfish) and they caught some fish but they do not hold up well...Seem to rip and tear pretty easily...Probably won't invest in any more of them..... Beats my morning on the James getting SKUNKED.... Speaking of the James anyone seen otters on there??????....I am pretty sure I have ( at least I can't figure out what else they could be)

Just wondering what eats gar in the wild...I know they are fished by man but does anything else go after these fish.....I ask because I have noticed a trend on dead Gar bodies laying on gravel bars....typically they are gutted and just left....Looks like the work humans but got me to thinking about other predators.......