Folly Homecoming on Little Dixie - 6/25/17

[Johnsfolly]

After being in Maryland for nearly two weeks, I had a homecoming fishing trip with my daughter Livie on Little Dixie Lake. Livie wanted to try for catfish. We had both caught channel catfish this year and I snagged a blue catfish while going for paddlefish. So I haven't counted that one on my species list for the year. We picked up a small container of chicken livers and a dozen nightcrawlers before we got to the lake. I had hoped for a flat bottom john boat, but ended up with a v bottom one instead. Also the oars were mismatched thus making the rowing a challenge. When we got out to the main lake another issue came up that would affect our fishing, the WIND. My plan was to row uplake and drift towards the dam, repeat as necessary to catch fish. This strategy had worked on past trips. We drifted chicken livers with 1/8 and 1/4 oz of weight on the two rods. I was able to adjust my rowing to compensate for the mismatched oars and overcame the wind to position the boat perpendicular to the wind for the first drift. We got a few hits on our baits as we drifted, but the wind would pick up and we drifted too fast. So no opportunity for a second bite after the first. Once we got close to the dam, I started rowing back uplake to start another drift. Again would get some hits, fight the variable winds, no hook sets, get to the dam, replenish baits and do it again. Livie started baiting her hook first with some liver and then put the worm on the hook tips, which held the liver on the hook. 

 Livie had made a fishing trophy for us to try for on our trips. The trophy is a BPS catfish fridge magnet that she painted gold. So on this trip the prize went to the largest catfish. Shortly into our third drift, my rod tip started to bend. I lifted the rod and set the hook, nothing moved. I said "crap I am snagged" then it moved. I got ready for a fight and told Livie that this was a big fish. It was a great fight. Livie recorded a bit of the fight and landing and we took lots of photos of my largest blue catfish on rod and reel. We measured it and it was 30+" since we did not completely straighten out the tail before taping the length of the fish. I estimated that it was 12 to 15 lbs.

We made a couple more drifts and again got some bites, had baits stripped, and no fish. We switched to the black green microjigs under a float to catch some sunfish. boated a couple of bluegill and then banked the boat and headed to the dock. We fished the jigs without a float and just twitched and swam the baits right off the bottom. We also cast out a liver/worm bait. The surprise was that we ended up catching white crappie instead of just bluegill. Even had a couple of doubles on little whites.

Livie caught a couple of yellow bullheads on the liver/worm bait. she thinks that it may have been the same fish and she may have been right. This was her first bullhead.

Of course the wind died down as the evening progressed. Livie caught one bluegill, 11 crappie, and the two bullheads. I caught 14 crappie, three bluegill, the one blue catfish, and a 15" channel catfish. We spoke with a dad and son that were fishing out of kayaks (dad's was outfitted with a fish finder) and they were catching larger crappie up to 11 inches in 8 feet of water with fish suspended between 3 and 5 foot depth at sunset. It was a great evening.

 

 

[BilletHead]

   Love it !   Making memories you are. Good detailed report and pictures buddy,

BilletHead

[Krazo]

Great report

[Johnsfolly]

BH and Krazo

Thanks for the compliments. Here is what was up for grabs. The coveted "Golden Catfish"!

[BilletHead]

   A fine trophy it is  

BilletHead

[Flysmallie]

I spent a lot of time as a kid drifting for catfish with my dad. Lots of great memories. Ironically the last time we ever got to fish together we ended the day drifting for catfish and put several in the boat. It was like he knew it was the last time. 

Nice job John. 

[Gavin]

Good times! Welcome back.

[Johnsfolly]

Tonight was a great night and Livie and I just fished around the dock. Again just bouncing the 1/64 oz jigs near the bottom. As the sun went down the crappie moved in. The water is about 7 to 8 feet deep. So when you got a fish you just lift it up and let the fish off the hook. Then drop the jig down to the same depth. No need to reel. We ended the night one fish shy of 40 crappie and two small largemouth bass. Better than watching fishing shows on TV☺.