yaknar

I got out on the river this week. It was pretty much how I left it last time I was on it, maybe a little lower and slower. This is not much of a report but I did catch another walleye up from Shelvin Rock. Now I'm on four trips streak, down the James, catching at least one walleye on each trip. As I was floating down I can to a little section of current with a small eddy on the other side of the river. I was standing in water about 2 ft. deep. I thought there might be a couple of goggle eyes in it. On the first cast one followed it back , but no bite. Nothing hit it until around the 9th cast and then the fight was on. I danced with this beast for about a minute, jumped a couple times, I think both her and I, before I landed her. She was caught on an 1/8th oz. lure. That made my trip but I also caught goggle eyes and smallmouths. Also there were no crowds at the put in or take out. Didn't catch a lot and only one big one but a good, quite day on the river. Took pictures of a few and released them all.

Dougie, thanks for the comment. So why did you stopped posting? I always enjoy seeing what people are catching on the James. Why do you think the walleyes are so active? BulleHead, thanks for the comment. I know what you mean, I haven't had to cut the grass in my yard for 3 weeks now.

I got out on the river this week. Cloudy most of the trip which I like but a lot of paddling . i didn't catch a lot or anything big but had a nice float. I'm now on a 10 year streak of catching a walleye in the James upstream from Delaware and Shelvin Rock. Last year I caught several and my last 3 trips out I've caught 2 per trip. My last trip was with my grandson and I was just occasionally casting across or down the river and caught two. I don't have a clue why I'm catching them. Anyone else catching them? I did catch a long cat, that pulled me around in the kayak and put up a good long strong fight. When I got to my take out point an "idiot" backing his truck with a trailer on it, down the ramp, to take out his canoe, ran into my kayak. Only his canoe and my kayak at the bottom of the ramp and he ran to mine. But I'm not upset. Just scratches no damage. His canoe, which he did not hit is ok. All in all a nice trip down the river. I did come around one bend and it looked like fall. Took pictures of a few and released them all....

Thanks for the comment Bass Yakker. Ham, I have never heard of a Checkered Mad Tom before so I had to google it. It said it is located in the upper White River System in Arkansas and Missouri, So I'm sure your right. It also said " the specie is uncommon." I found a picture of what they were calling a "Ozark Mad Tom." So my question is, do I get credit for catching one or does the bass get the credit. On a side note I took the grandkid out today. A day of swimming, rocking throwing, rock skipping, water fights and some fishing. My grand daughter caught her personal best today. She was thrilled. It jumped out of the water 3 times and she was screaming and yelling while she was landing it. That's all she talked about on the way home. Great day on the river when you can bring the grandkids. Took pictures of a few and released them all.....

Thank for the comment moguy1973. I didn’t have a clue. My guess was going to be baby Salamander.

I got out on the river this week. To start out, it was in the 50's when I put in. That cold for August . I could see my breath on the river. I had three first on this trip. I bought 3 difference types of Z Man Chatterbaits, never fished them before. So I used chatterbaits for the first time, caught my first smallmouth with chatterbait and my first walleye on a chatterbait. I've caught walleyes before but never on a chatterbait. I knew I had to leave one on my rods all the way down the river or it would be to easy to put on something I had more confidence in. Turns out I now have a new lure in my arsenal. I had a lot of fun fishing them. I'll start my next trip with one on a rod. I did catch one bass with a minnow in her mouth and another with something, don't know what, in her mouth. I didn't catch a lot or anything big but had a fun time. Took pictures of a few and released them all....Great day on the river...

Logperch was caught on a yellow Rebel grasshopper.

I got on the river this week but I didn't have the luck that Flysmallie had, previous post. I had a hard time finding them and didn't catch a mess of anything. Every hole I came to, I only caught one fish out of. It could have been a smallmouth, goggle eye, cat or pumpkinseed. I caught two pumpkinseeds on the same lure but one flipped of before I could get the picture. I caught three catfish, small, medium, and large. The large one was about 22 inches long and put up a long and hard fight. She made my day. The "paddlefish" is about the size of the smallmouth I was catching. I have caught them before and I know a lot of you "wish" you could catch one but I caught a logperch. He was caught on a Rebel Grasshopper. Everything was caught on cranks. This year I have been taking all my pictures with a iphone, that's water resistant, hanging on a lanyard instead of a camera. It seem to be working pretty good. I also had 2 eagles watching me fish. Fishing was slow, river was down, but it was a great day to be on the river. Took pictures of a few and released them all to fight another day....

I had a stowaway when I went floating this week. I get my kayak from the barn. It sets in the garage overnight. I took it to the river and floated 5 hr. When I got home and took the hatch off to dry out there was a mouse inside. And it smells bad. I have since made a cover for it while it drying out. And when I got home and walked behind my truck, my paddle was barely hanging on. I don't know how long it was like that. No one honked the horns to warn me. As for the fishing it was a very good day. I caught some nice bass and normally I might catch a couple whites a year, I caught 5 in one day. caught one walleye but when I got him unhooked in the kayak he flipped out before I could get a picture and a mess of goggle eyes. I used crankbaits all the way down the river and they either hit it as soon as it hit the water or they wanted it on a "fast" retrieved. It was a great day on the river, took pictures of a few and released them all...

I forgot to post a picture from my Monday float. I don't know if you can see them but, I had 3 deer come down to the river to visit.

I have been out several times since my last post, by myself and with the grandkids. Well it finally happen to me, i buried a treble hook in my finger and one in my leg. The first happened when I was trying to remove a lure that got hung up in one of the bungee cords on my kayak. As I was trying to removing it from the kayak, I buried in my finger, passed the barb. I'm standing waist deep in the river with one hand stuck to my kayak. So I walked the kayak over to the bank and got to work. I decided to yank it out. I knew I had to be committed to the yank. After two yanks it came out. Wasn't pretty but it came out and bleed pretty good. I carry a zip lock bag of first aid stuff, but I now carry a can of 'spray on bandage.' Next trip out was with the grandkids and it happened again, this time in the leg. I tried the yank but that didn't work so I pushed it through and cut off the barb. It did take a little effort to push it on through, but it worked. I have been carrying carry a pair of small needle nose pliers just for this. Bleed a lot less this way. The grandkids got to watch so now when I tell them to be careful .......I was fishing another time and thought I had a fish, set the hook, and nothing. When I reeled it in it had a big old scale stuck on the hook. It was bigger on the river then in the picture. It dried out when I got home. Don't know what it was. And finally, I caught my biggest fish this year. Caught her on a 5 foot, Light action, Ugly Stik. I assume it's a redhorse? She put up a real good fight. Lot of fun.I also caught smallmouths. Released them all.....Great days on the river This post has been promoted to an article

I got out on the river this week. The last time I was out I caught fish, just none picture worthy, but I did have a deer come down to the bank to check me out. This time I caught a bunch of average size smallmouth, nothing big, on shallow crankbaits, and soft craws, and a few pumpkinseeds. I couldn't find any goggle eyes. I also caught a gar but when I got it to the side of the kayak she got off. But the fish of the day was the walleye. My streak now is 8 years in a roll with catching a walleye in the James, just bragging. I got hung up in a tree hanging over the river, paddled over to get the lure , and while I was over there I made one cast upstream and had a nice fight on my hands. I caught it up stream from where Wilson creek flows into the James. I did lose one lure but to make up for that I caught a rod and reel, won't tell what lure catches rods. The catfish pic is to show where I was fishing. Great day on the river....All were released to fight again......

Seth, the river conditions sounds a lot like what you had...even with the wind. I did the same float too.

ollie, thanks for the comment.....MNtransplant, when I first moved down here I tried fishing from the banks or fishing around an access, didnt catch many fish. Not to offend anyone. I'm sure there are a lot of anglers that enjoys bank fishing but my advice is to buy a canoe, kayak or rent a canoe from one of the canoe rental places on the river.

I got out on Monday even though the river was a little higher and faster than I would have liked, but the worst part was the wind, a lot of paddling while the wind was trying to blow me upstream. But who can complain when it was a beautiful day and the fish were biting. I started out with the right lures on my rods and didnt change them the rest of the way down the river. The only two lures I used was a shallow and a deep crankbait. The big fish wanted it deep, and in the current they put up a good fight, and the rockbass and small smallmouth wanted it shallow. I now have a green kayak.I got tired of patching my yellow one. Someone told a while back my yellow kayak scared the fish away, although I never had a problem catching fish out of it. It was a great day on the river and they were all released. Now here's some pictures of a few....

A friend of mine caught this fish below Springfield Lake dam last week. I have caught a few fish in my time but never caught one that looks like this. So I thought I would post the picture here so all the master anglers can tell me what it is, it was about 9 inches long.......or should I go to a pet store and ask them?

I got out on the river last week. I think I'm turning into a pumpkinseed - google eye fisherman, with a few smallmouth thrown in. I don't know if its the time of year, lure or water level but I'm having a hard time finding any smallmouth. I can tell you what the pumpkinseed are hitting though. I had a nice float, a lot of low water, but I did find one hole that did have a nice smallmouth in it. I made a long cast down the river with a crankbait. Sometimes I catch my biggest fish on these long cast. I felt something hit it, I thought, and when I set the hook a branch with leaves on it came to the surface. So I just started reeling in when I saw my line going to the center of the river. She must have been hiding under it. I think everyone needs to experience catching a large smallmouth and feeling the power of the fish, while setting about 4 inches above the river in a kayak and a fish turn your kayak around and the pull it down the river. She was released back to the river with a big tail splash. I got to my take out point and pulled my kayak up on the ramp. As I started to walk up the ramp I heard a loud pop....And that was the end to my fishing this year. Long story short I broke my foot, we're talking screws and 8 weeks off from work. But thanks to that one fish I ended my season on a high note. This post has been promoted to an article

I got out on the river this week. My report is short. I think the river could use a good hard rain to wash it out. I started out watching two deer swim across the river down from the Hwy 14 bridge. I got a picture of one of them standing on the bank watching me. With the river being low I was set up with a topwater, subsurface and a lure that ran about 3 foot deep. I caught nothing on the topwater and all I could catch was small hand size bass, a lot of them, and goggle eyes on the subsurface lure. Whenever I did get to "deep water" I had a little better luck. Fishing was slow with more walking then last time I was out. Still a good day on the river...Took a few pictures, lost a few lures, and Released them all....... This post has been promoted to an article

SGFChief , I have not notched my paddle yet.But can you tell me how it gets tangled in your line.

Thanks for all the comments. Maybe I'll notch my paddle to see if it can save a couple of lures. Seth, I don't fish for suckers or catfish, but I usually catch them on crankbaits. I don't know why I catch them.

I got out on the river this weekend. I was have a pretty average day. Caught average size smallmouths, average size goggle eyes, a crappie with a black mark on its head and half of its tail missing, I have only caught about 10 crappies total ever, and a sucker. But I came upon a section with a nice current and a still pool on the other side of it. On the second cast it hit. I had to fight it back through the current while trying not to lose it. A 21 inch walleye makes it a "better day" and keeps my streak alive. I couldn't use anything that ran too deep because I was pulling up to much off the bottom. I was trying a bunch of different lures and ended up keeping a Rebel grasshopper and bumble bee on one rod. I caught a lot of fish with them. The picture of the small smallmouth is to show where I fished so on one needs to ask. The river was low, had to drag a little and it was hot but it was a good day on the river . Released them all....And has any of you kayakers used or seen one of the Bending Branches paddle with the hook retrieval system that’s built into the blade. I have stuck my paddle down in the river plenty of times trying to knock a lure off something. I wonder if this would work and should I try to notch mine.

Mzrealfish and Flysmallie thanks for the comments, Seth, I floated down to Delaware.