July 6, 2008 High Water Fishing Report With Jerkbaits

[cotterboy2007]

Guys I had one of the best evenings on the White River I have ever had. Me and Doug Flippin of Cotter put in at Rim Shoals Around 6:00 PM sunday evening. The water was up & rolling as it has been for weeks now. This was my 1st outing with my new boat motor, so we ran around a little to test it out. We were interested on having the best chance to land a large brown so we both decied to throw large jerkbaits.

On Thursday 7-3-2008, I hooked the biggest trout I have ever hooked on a Lucky Craft slender Pointer 112 custom painted by Tim Hughes in the Table Rock shad color. I fought the fish for approximately 5 minutes before he wrapped me around a log and it was over as fast as it started . I have a 12# fish on the wall caught in high water and this fish fought much harder, so I hate to say how big it was. I fish baitcasters with 10# test and could not turn it or control it's run at all. anyway, back to today.

We hooked a number of Rainbows in the 15 and 16 inch range. They were fat and healthy. Around 7:30 we ran back up river to make one last drift, and I pulled in so we could cast right onthe bank in an area that is basically a submerged grass flat that is only covered on extreme high water like we have now. I was throwing my last table rock shad slender pointer and hooked a fish big enough to shake it's head, so i knew it was a decent fish. We landed it and it weighed in the 4-4.5 pound range.(picture 1). We released it and ran back to the start and I made a cast or two before brown trout #2 struck. Very stocky male that weighed in right at 6 pounds(picture 2). We released him and decided to make one last drift and on the 1st cast I hooked a 7 pounder that jumped at least 4 feet out of the water and fought hard(picture 3). We were laughing like two little kids and giving some high fives. I caught all these fish in 15 minutes or less. My wife had dinner ready , so we had to run, but I hope my new motor is this lucky all the time. Also, it is about time to send a few more baits to Tim to have painted. I always change out the front two trebles with red hooks and the back with a feathered treble(photo 4), so I don't know if that helped,or if it was the color, brand, or just one of those special days, but I wish they could all be that awesome.

[Dawgsquat]

Wow! Very nice.

[FishinCricket]

This right here is fine tuned fishing boys... When you know a stretch of water so well that you can fine tune your tackle and technique specifically for catching the monsters...

Well done Cotterboy!

Personally I have only taken one trip to your White river, but it was one I won't soon forget! I used an older fella named Dale as a guide, and he knew just what to do to put me on the fish.. The biggest fish I hooked was already dead though.. Dale still owes me a picture of me holding that fish.... Don't suppose you know dale do you?

[RiverRunner]

It's hard for me to chunk those high dollar jerkbaits at the trout, but there is a reason that they are high dollar, they work. I have several Tim Hughes painted baits, he is a real artist. I've never thought about throwing bright colors like that in high water, I guess I need to give it a shot. Very nice fish.

[snagged in outlet 3]

Man that's nice!!! Can you have trebles on in the CnR area's?

SIO3

[Dumb to fishing]

You Sir are the man!!!!!

[cotterboy2007]

I used to save these high dollar baits for bass only, but I have been converted to using them on the river for trout. they just flat work, and I hardly ever lose one. Generally, I have to go through 5 rogues to get one to run right and suspend the way i like them to. Those lucky craft jerkbaits always run right. I buy them off ebay during the off months in less than desirable colors and have them painted. I also use many of the stock colors. You can cast them like a bullet and just don't have to mess with tuning them. My last two trips i have out fished my buddies using stock rogues 10 to 1, so I am a beleiver. One last note is I really work these baits hard. if you were watching me jerk these things you would think I was crazy. I realy rip them and try to make them look as injured and panicked as possible.

SIO3, no trebles in the Rim Shoals C&R area, although i think you can use a single barbless treble onthe upper end C&R We were outside the C&R boundaries(not too far though) for these fish. I like baits with 3 sets of very sharp trebles for trout since they are such slashers. They were just hammering these baits with all these fish being hooked on the front hooks.

Cricket, I don't know Dale, but bet he would not be too hard to track down. What area of the river were you on. guides are kind of differtent around here. There are basially upper end( from wildcat up) and lower end guides(wildcat down to the buffalo). Although I don't guide anymore, bu I would consider myself a lower end type and that is most of the guys i know as well.

kevin, No experiance using flashers or smelt, but drifting dead shiners on a river rig can be a killer. one of my guide buddies has been killing them on minnows here lately. They are just too hard to catch right now for me on this high water. I don't mess too much with live bait on high water. Too much work and too messy for me as I am lazy. I would be interested to know if you ever get down here to see if those type of techniques would work here.

[Yakfly]

I always change out the front two trebles with red hooks and the back with a feathered treble(photo 4), so I don't know if that helped,or if it was the color, brand, or just one of those special days, but I wish they could all be that awesome.

One last note is I really work these baits hard. if you were watching me jerk these things you would think I was crazy. I realy rip them and try to make them look as injured and panicked as possible.

Super nice fish, thanks for sharing. My opinion, it was your presentation that was the key. I used to try and fish large cranks and jerkbaits (love Rapalas) with med/light spin gear. When I switched over to using heavy rods and REALLY slashing my presentation, I stated catching those quality fish (although NEVER 3 like that in 15 mins!) I have caught a few like that using gaudy, BIG steelhead flies fished in the same style on a 8 wt. sink tip, but that even MORE work!

Again, thanks, and congrats!

[Flippin]

Where are you going to get that Lucky Craft painted?

[cotterboy2007]

http://www.hughescustombaits.com/

I have not tried the stock lucky crafrt table rock color, but if i can find some locally, I will. I already have 5 or 6 other baits that are beat up or in unproductive colors, so getting them repainted is actually like recycling. at least that is what I tell the wife when she see them.