The Creek, Revisited

[Al Agnew]

When I got back from my abbreviated trip to the creek the other day and told my wife about it, she said, "Well, I guess you'll be going back there soon."

Yep, today.

I wanted to start out at the same spot, and see if hot, stable weather instead of approaching thunderstorms would make a big difference in the fishing. So I began by tying on my homemade twin spin to see if it would get anything in the water I'd already fished the other day. Nope, nothing but one half-hearted strike in the first two pools. So I went back to a topwater lure, but this time a popper. It worked somewhat better in the "used" water. By the time I'd covered the half mile or so where I'd caught 30 fish in an hour the other day, I had caught 9 fish today. And they didn't average nearly as big. But I figured that was to be expected; after all, in this small water I'd probably caught a good percentage of the fish the last time.

So once I got into "new" water, I figured I'd start catching more fish. I did, but it still wasn't as fast action as before. And I was getting some investigations and refusals from the bigger fish. Maybe it was the popper. I put on the walk-the-dog topwater I'd used the other day. It wasn't the right choice...half-hearted strikes that mostly didn't result in hook-ups. So, since I didn't feel like fishing something slower, and that pretty much exhausted my lure supply for the day (I don't carry many lures on wading trips to these little creeks), I just figured I stick with the popper, since it was working fairly well.

I ended up wading about three miles of water. Lots of it was really marginal habitat, but I saw some good fish and caught a couple of 15-16 inchers. Saw a few big largemouths. Had a couple of smallies strike and not stay hooked that looked to be around 17 inches. One decent pool had a bunch of nice fish, and I caught a couple. The next pool was even better looking, but it was right at an access on a county gravel road, and apparently somebody had been pounding those fish. Finally, after hiking up through a water willow jungle where the creek split into two weed-choked channels, and emerging to a long straight stretch with no good water in sight, the sun sinking low, I decided it was time to start the long hike back to the car.

I hiked much of it without fishing, before deciding, on a whim, to try the one lure I had carried along but not given a shot before now. It was my homemade "Subwalk", a wooden stick bait that I'd weighted to sink slowly. It's designed to be an underwater walk-the-dog lure. When I'd started back downstream, my running total of bass for the day was 26 smallmouth and 9 largemouth. I first tried the new lure in the pool where I'd seen a couple of nice fish that missed the popper going upstream. First cast, and I caught one of them, a smallie of about 17 inches. Second cast, I caught the other, a 16 incher! Next cast, a 10 incher. Geez, the fish were nuts about this lure! The next pool was the farthest upstream of my original "used" water, the water I'd fished the other day. In the 40 minutes or so it took me to get back to the car from there, my running total of fish climbed to 39 smallmouth and 12 largemouth. Which just goes to show you that it's always possible that you're not using quite the right lure!

[joeD]

We ARE using the right lure Al, the smallies just don't want it, the snobs! Hah! Thats why we carry those various lures, like the senko, "just in case..." It's the Boy Scout and the sport media's mantra of being "prepared." Well, at least you're fishing. I'm not. By the by, when you say "popper," you mean like a Pop-R? Not a fly fishing popper.

[RSBreth]

I haven't used that "SubWalk' from Rapala, but any of the shallow suspenders like the XRap series or the small pointers have been awesome producers on

days when fish are aggressive and picky.

Good report.

[Al Agnew]

Yeah, Joe, Pop-R type (actually a Lucky Craft G-Splash--of all the popper types I've tried, this one is the easiest to get to walk the dog and spit).

I've never been a fan of the jerkbaits in the summer for some reason, and the problem with suspending jerkbaits on this creek is that the more you twitch them the deeper they go, and when you're fishing in two feet of water, three twitches and the thing is dragging the bottom. Nice thing about this lure is that the more you twitch it the shallower it goes, so you can twitch it pretty fast and keep it a foot or so under the surface, or move it slower and let it sink. It does fill a niche that no other hard bait does. You can get some of the same effects with a soft jerkbait like a Superfluke, but it's more difficult to keep the fluke type baits zig-zagging without diving or popping to the surface when you work them aggressively.

However, the fish hit it much like a jerkbait, often fairly gently and with precision.

[joeD]

Ah yes, Lucky Craft. I wish I didn't like 'em, because they can become a nasty habit. Speaking of topwater, I have not had a good topwater bite all year (especially the Meramec). In fact, it doesn't even seem if they're in a summer pattern, or any pattern, at all. I haven't fished a ton, but I have been out there. What gives? Water temp? Water level fluctuations? My angling skills (don't answer that, leave my delusions alone)? Weird year so far.

[creek wader]

Nice post, Al. Sounds like you did well, changing baits.

I finally made it back to Jeff. City, after 4 wks. vacation, and had time to fish. I came armed with a couple of spinnerbaits, crankbaits and a few Pop R's. I couldn't wait to try them. I stepped off the engine and it was 98 degrees. I opted for a movie, and some sleep instead.

But, I will try it again next trip.

After reading your posts and others. I've noticed that most anglers are using spinnerbaits or some kind of crankbait, and doing well. I'm always open to something different. So, I'm going to take the challenge and try to catch smallies on spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and top water. I want to see what I'm missing out on. Your right, I can catch 8" - 12" smallies off soft plastics, anytime. ... Of course, I'll carry a couple of Yum Dingers as back up, just in case.

I'll keep you posted. ... wader

[Al Agnew]

Wader, like I said in the Senko thread, if you are fishing small, very clear wading creeks, you may NOT do well with normal crankbaits and spinnerbaits. I fish such lures only in bigger or murkier waters. Crankbaits often don't work well if the water clarity is more than about 4 feet. Normal spinnerbaits often don't work well in little creeks. My twin spin is an exception to this "rule", but even with it I don't always feel confident in really small waters.

Topwater lures, on the other hand, are a great choice in small, clear waters. You gotta give them a real chance.

[Guest]

deleted