Anybody go for the opener today?

[Seth]

I decided to play hooky from college (wasn't doing much anyways today) and go fight the crowds.

The stream was absolutely loaded with fish. I only seen one monster on a stringer though, so I am hoping there's a couple left in there for tomorrow for me to catch.

I caught probably 30-40 today in about 4 hours of fishing. FIrst one I put on the stringer was probably one of the "lunkers" they released becuase it was about 18" long. Also, I caught a tagged trout for my last fish to keep, but I caught it at 11:00am and they stopped checking in tagged trout at 10:00am

They bit on just about everything a person would throw. I would catch a few on everything I tried, but then would have to switch pretty often. Green/white or chartruese/black rubber legged jigs were my best lure for the day though.

I decided not to mess with the fly rod today due to the crowds, so I will give it a shot tomorrow probably.

Phil, I put your little flyers you mailed to me out by where everybody signs there tags and I checked them when I left and they were all gone so I hope they bring some more people to the site for you.

[shawncat]

I too hit the springs for the opener.What good weather!!!I did'nt catch as many as you but did alright about 15 maybe.Started with a orange and white plastic worm at the steps caught 3 and they turned off it {not usual that quick}.Went to a white jig 1/16 oz.Seen a 31/2 pounder caught but thats about it.Ran into Tony Salmon down below where the tree goes across the river.What a legend!He told me he still holds many line class world records.He has caught browns over 30 and rainbows over 15 in Arkansas of course not at Meramac.I have seen him catch many lunkers at the Meramac Springs though.That guy always has a lot of good stories and you can learn alot from him too.I went for coffee and donuts and seen a guy weigh a 51/2 pounder he said the fish was slamming orange bobbers so he switched to orange puff ball and wham.I went back to steps and caught 4 keepers on white.Good luck tommorow with your fly rod.

[Seth]

I started out fishing right above where that log lays across the stream. We caught quite a few and that is where I caught the 18" one.

My friends dad was fishing besides me there too and he seen the guy catch that big one on the orange globall.

I don't know the "legend" that your talking about. I wish I could have met him and chit chatted. That would have been cool to here some of his stories.

[shawncat]

Tony Salmon is a veteran angler who has many line class world records.I met him at Meramac Springs years ago.After seeing him catch three 5 lps. plus fish one derby day down river 50 or so yards from where you were today where the two rivers meet.He showed me some baseball type cards with him holding BIG trout line class world records.He taught me some good lessons like when you see white set the hook the trout has opened his mouth to take your jig before you feel the hit and spits it out. He told me his parents owned a resort down on the White when he was younger and now fishes for BIG browns at night in a boat.He is a guide and knows the river well which is a good thing because it can be dangerous!If you fish this hole on derby day,opening day you may run in to him.You can't miss him he talks alot and backs it up with catching big trout.Today he was spotting fish but did'nt see any while I was there.I told the nieghbor kid to listen up we may learn something.If you fish the steps much we probly been tangled up a few times already .

[Seth]

Not sure what you mean by the "steps". Are you referring the the steps that you walk down to get to the stream from that parking up past the hatchery that sits on top of the hill above the stream?

I usually fish the "pond" hole and the "lazy" hole, or "bathroom" hole as some call it.

[shawncat]

I wish there was a map with names of the holes like I see on Bennett and Montauk.I usually call the first hole the handicap hole because of the bench and there used to be yellow paint saying handicap.Down from there I heard people refer to the long slow mossy stretch as the pond hole.Down from there are some cut stones that resemble steps that you walk down to cross the river upstream of the tree that spans the river.Downstream of the tree is some rapids as you look downstream to your left is the shallow fast water stretch that flows from the spring by the bridge and cable that says no fishing above cable.I've always called the bathroom hole "murderers row" because the trout are stacked in there.Bathroom hole suits me fine though.Maybe we can get some more names for the holes so we can figure out which hole were talking about.Let me know how you did today if you fished.Im probly headed down Sat. or Sun. or both.

[Seth]

I did pretty well again today. Just a guess, I would say I caught 30-40 in about 3 hours of fishing. My dad said he only caught about 10, due to the fact that he had a hard time keeping them hooked.

I just hung out at the bathroom hole again today. The trout were still stacked in there too. There was one 4-5 lber swimming around in the area, but he would not look at anything.

One guy caught one about 4 lbs right by the cleaning station, just above the log that lays across the river. That's the same spot that guy caught that 5 1/2 lber on the orange globall yesterday.

I did the best on jigs again today. Right before I left, I was using an orange cheese flavored trout worm and getting a lot of strikes and catching a few.

I didn't bother with the fly rod today either. I wish I would have though, there was plenty of room to fish with it today.

I plan on getting back down there again Saturday also....weather permitting. My girlfriend wants to go do some fishing so we will give it a shot.

If you want to try and spot me while your down there, just look for somebody wearing green neoprene chest waders with a big patch of white water sealant on the right knee. That's me hehe. I always wear my vest and a yellow Hollister hat too.

Good luck to you next time you get down there.

[shawncat]

Seth

Was that you this A.M. at the 'step hole'pond hole with your girlfriend?I seen a guy with a jig.com vest but I did'nt see your previous post till P.M.You said I'll be wearing my vest???If it was I was the guy that liked your big net.Whoever that was caught a nice trout.Left there caught a few by the 'bathroom' and commenced to hammering down below the suspension bridge.Their stacked in there!!!Same pattern white and plastics but caught afew NICE ones on a small crankbait 'tadpolly'.Post if that was you.

Cat

[Seth]

Nope it sure wasn't me.

I was down there with my girlfriend though. I had a camo jacket on and a fishing vest and glasses.

It was tough for us on Saturday. We got down there around 1pm I believe. We headed right for the Lazy Hole. Dad and I caught our limit of trout, but it wasn't an easy limit. I caught seven before I put my fourth one on the stringer.

My dad helped out my step mom and she caught a couple and also had a few nice ones come off during the fight. My girlfriend hooked two, the first one was a nice one and he broke her off and the next one was a smaller one and the hook came out of his mouth during the fight.

I caught a few on jigs, one on white DD's, one of some brown bait we call "007", and two or three on orange cheeseworms.

I caught my last two up at the pond hole, one just to the right of the big tree by the handicap hole and the other just on the left side of that big tree, both on orange cheeseworms.

Glad you had a good trip. Me and my girlfriend will be down there this Saturday again as long as the weather isn't too nasty. I am trying to get one of my buddies to go too. Him and his dad went down there today in the PM during the rain and said they hammered them pretty good on that brown "007" bait.