Two Completely Different Days

[Terrierman]

Took a float trip on one of my local spots on Friday with a couple of guys who I have regular contact with at work, and on Saturday on the same stretch of water with two grandsons, their dad and one of my buddies.

Friday it was overcast and threatening rain all day. That watershed got a little rain on Thursday and the water had pretty good color to it, that great emerald green. Probably caught about 40, mostly smallmouth and maybe 10 goggle eye, several nice ones of each species. One of the guys that went with also figured he had about 40 but his were mostly goggle eye. He had a 16" plus fish break him off right at the boat. The other buddy had maybe 10. One spot later in the day I had eight smallmouth on 10 casts. They were eating a green magic fluke and doing their best to swallow it down to their guzzler. I knew we were in for a good day Saturday with family and friend.

On Saturday, the weather and the river were both completely different. The forecast was for scattered showers but they never showed where we were. Partly cloudy at best and actually pretty bright, humidity was down and there was a nice breeze. The river had cleared up a lot overnight, and I mean a lot. Not gin clear but easy six foot visibility. The fishing was completely different too. Of course I started out with what was working on Friday. Nothing, not even a sunfish messing with it. Tried a bunch of different plastics, nothing. Spinnerbait, nothing. Crawdad crank, nothing. Topwater, nothing.

I could not buy a bite. It's a good thing the creek is pretty and the weather is nice, everybody is having a good time nonetheless. Finally later in the day, the boys got into a few smallies using white grubs tossed up under an overhang. One of them hung one big enough to break him off.

Had two great days on the river with friends and family, but wow what different conditions and different results.

From Friday:

[Seth]

Nice report. I've never fished a fluke on a jighead like that. May have to give it a whirl some day.

[Quillback]

Yep looks like a good idea on that fluke.

[Justin Spencer]

Sounds like you educated them pretty well on Friday Rick!

[Terrierman]

Nice report. I've never fished a fluke on a jighead like that. May have to give it a whirl some day.

I never did either. Ran out of the worms which they were hitting earlier in the day, looked through the plastics folder for something similar and the closest I could come was the fluke, which it turned out they seemed to really like that particular day. If you notice, every fish that you can see the belly on it is pretty well full. When fish are feeding like that, even I can catch them.

[sean c]

Nice rick! You need to start getting after those dudes with your fly rod.

[Al Agnew]

Of the three species of "goggle-eye" in the Ozarks, your pics are of the Ozark bass... Tells me the watershed where you were floating

[Terrierman]

Of the three species of "goggle-eye" in the Ozarks, your pics are of the Ozark bass... Tells me the watershed where you were floating

They sure are pretty little devils aren't they?

[LittleRedFisherman]

Looks like a great time Rick. That one pick of the Gravel bar looks a lot like where Ham floated awhile back?

[Terrierman]

Looks like a great time Rick. That one pick of the Gravel bar looks a lot like where Ham floated awhile back?

You noticed that too huh? I almost asked Ham where he was because I thought I might have recognized it. I thought he might pop in on this thread and mention it as well. But overhangs like that aren't exactly rare either.