Will Start 2015 On The White

[raise the motor]

Weather permitting, I will be fishing the White January 1 in the Cotter to Rim Shoals section.

We got our first river boat (a Supreme 2000) on January 1, 2014, picking it up in Rockford, IL and pulling it down to Oakland. We will start year two with the boat on the White. This will be my fourth time fishing the Cotter/Rim Shoal section and we learn something each time out. The first two times the fish were stocker size up to 10 or 11 inches max. Last time out we caught Rainbows and Browns up to 16 inches. We will be looking for one of those 20 inch Browns that show up in so many pictures.

Hope to see some of you out there on New Years Day.

Joe

[Ham]

The last several years I have started the year out the correct way with a fishing trip on the White River. I won't be out there this year so Please go take up my slack. The weather is often awful, so plan on that and for that. The trout will bite.

[raise the motor]

Ham we will give it our best shot.

The weather keeps lots of fishermen at home, but the same conditions can make for great fishing. I hope the big Browns celebrate the new year by eating everything in sight.

Joe

[Plastic_worm]

Sounds like a great way to begin a new year...good luck w/ the fish and in the new yr.

[Ham]

They bit just fine this afternoon.

[raise the motor]

They bit just fine this afternoon.

Ham what were the conditions today (water, sun, wind)? Where did you fish?

Joe

[Ham]

They were running 2500 or so CFS. Water was clear and cold. Very cloudy. Light rain off and on. Enough wind to blow the boat upstream and sideways. That was the worst part of the trip. Needed 1/8 oz jigs. My son caught on his first cast ever with a Zig Jig. Lol. He had three before I caught one.

We fished below Rim Shoals. The bite really slowed down as it got closer to dark. We fished less than 2 hours and the boat had around 40 fish. Nothing over 16 inches. One 15 inch long Brown.

[raise the motor]

Wow, quite a start with the Zig Jig in less than ideal conditions.

It reminds me of our first time walleye fishing with our son in law on BSL. Within two minutes of the first drift he says "theres sonething on my rod, I think it is stick" It was a keeper walleye. He was really excited. He had hardly ever fished in his life and hooks a keeper walleye right of the bat. He is now sold on walleye fishing.

It must have been fun with your son. Priceless!

Joe

[Ham]

He does really well whenever I can get him to go with me. He's 21 and often has a different agenda.

[raise the motor]

Got a late start due to forecast of freezing rain that never arrived. Put in around noon and fished until rain became steady around 3:00 PM. Not much water at first but flow picked up around 2:00.

Fishing was slow at first and did not seem to pick up with the increased flow. Caught 9 trout with the largest at 16 inches and the smallest a 7 inch brown. Started with brown/orange jig with full overcast skies and later swithced to black, which seemed to work better. Slow fishing but fun none the less.

Joe