Multi species report 5-22-18

[BilletHead]

                       Did not get an early start this morning Got launched and made my first cast around 7:30. I built the fly rod and started throwing it first. Wanted to prove something to myself. Found the fish in 5 to 12 foot of water. Used a sink tip with a four foot leader. The predator X I tied in the bass fly swap and then a pine squirrel thingy with a couple of rubber legs.  

  Caught a few and then put the fly rod down and started throwing the short worm on a jig head. Now known as the ned rig. Many years ago we were doing this but times have changed with super tough stretchy colorful worms and specialized lead heads. Back then we used what we had.  Last three trips including today I was throwing the same head and PB&J rig. Darned near indestructible .  Got tired of this and decided it would be nice to take a few fish home this trip. Wanted to do some exploring and messing with a new to me used Helix 7 depth finder. I put on a flicker shad in fire tiger and began to troll. I go pretty nuts just trolling if the bite is slow. I have even been known to doze off doing just this. I had not went thirty feet and had a keeper walleye. Hum I thought and proceeded to catch another soon afterword. Rigged up a second rod and worked down the bank to find a crappie. Then a nice fat channel cat about four pounds that just about took the rod out of the boat.  Of course it wouldn't be a real trip if I didn't catch a drum ,   I tried to stay in 10 to 15 foot of water. My baits did not run deep and the only time I felt bottom is if    I strayed into less than ten foot. Caught fish out to 18 foot so I know the fish were off the bottom and very aggressive.  I messed here and there for a couple of hours. A good day with totals of 10 walleye, eight crappie, the drum and channel cat and bunches of the green stinkin bass plus more of the pretty brown bass. Kept four of the walleye that ranged from 17 to 18.5 inches and four of the crappie that were 11 to just over 12 inches.  Water  temps 72 at start and 75 when I quit at noon. Used the big motor when trolling. Not a slow speed either. Slowest I could get it to go was 2 MPH and at times I was moving at 2.7 MPH  When you fish alone you have plenty of time to think. I thought a lot of my fishing partner Richard I lost to cancer. The boat I used today he bought new then he sold it to me and later he bought it back. Then when he passed I was gifted it back again to me from his wife. We spent many, many hours together on this lake and other places in this rig and I felt he was watching me today. I could hear him saying. Hey would it hurt you to take some soap and water and was the boat once and awhile? Other things too. The way he would laugh out loud when fishing was good like today,

  Pretty good mess of fish and fillets

     Everybody have a safe and fun holiday weekend off and on the water,

     BilletHead

[Skeeter ZX190]

13 minutes ago, BilletHead said:

              I thought a lot of my fishing partner Richard I lost to cancer. The boat I used today he bought new then he sold it to me and later he bought it back. Then when he passed I was gifted it back again to me from his wife. We spent many, many hours together on this lake and other places in this rig and I felt he was watching me today.

     Everybody have a safe and fun holiday weekend off and on the water,

     BilletHead

I went fishing on Monday with 2 good friends.  They weren't there in body, but in spirit.  Two friends that I fished with quite often.  I lost one of them in 2006 and the other earlier this year.  I thought about them a lot while on the water Monday.  Interesting that you tell a similar story.  

[blacknoseddace]

Great catch! I had a friend who passed in th 90's and we used to fly fish the little Sac together on his friend's land. We caught lots of Whites up there and had a great time. One time he got an 80th ounce jig caught in the cartilage of his ear while he was casting, right after we got there. I tried to get that thing out but couldn't so we fished until we caught our limit and then headed home so he could get it taken out by a doctor. His wife wasn't too happy with us for staying and fishing while that hook was in his ear. She said he might've got blood poisoning, and we weren't going to argue with her.  It's hard to leave when the fish are biting.  😟

A few weeks ago I caught some Crappie on my four weight fly rod near Aldrich. Lately I've been fishing the upper end and catching bass on streamer flies on my six weight.  I use an intermediate sinking line. I'm catching a few on the wiggle minnow too. Last week I killed them on the Ned.  Caught one small walleye on the flyrod too. I switch back-and-forth between fly and conventional tackle and that keeps things real interesting. The fishing has been unbelievable this year!  Thank you for your report. 

[Ham]

Darn it Marty, I hate you live so far away. Looks like you had a fabulous day on the water. Good on you Buddy. 

[Johnsfolly]

Marty great trip! Thanks for sharing your thoughts about Richard. 

You got me jealous for those walleye and that drum☺!

[Johnsfolly]

8 minutes ago, Ham said:

Darn it Marty, I hate you live so far away. Looks like you had a fabulous day on the water. Good on you Buddy. 

Ham I agree about both of you guys being such a distance even when I was in Columbia. 

[BilletHead]

11 minutes ago, Johnsfolly said:

Marty great trip! Thanks for sharing your thoughts about Richard. 

You got me jealous for those walleye and that drum☺!

           Oh I could probably fix a brother up on all the drum he wants. The only secret to catching them is not to want to catch one . 

22 minutes ago, Ham said:

Darn it Marty, I hate you live so far away. Looks like you had a fabulous day on the water. Good on you Buddy. 

 

11 minutes ago, Johnsfolly said:

Ham I agree about both of you guys being such a distance even when I was in Columbia. 

       Yea I know .

BilletHead

[blacknoseddace]

2 hours ago, BilletHead said:

                       Did not get an early start this morning Got launched and made my first cast around 7:30. I built the fly rod and started throwing it first. Wanted to prove something to myself. Found the fish in 5 to 12 foot of water. Used a sink tip with a four foot leader. The predator X I tied in the bass fly swap and then a pine squirrel thingy with a couple of rubber legs.  

  Caught a few and then put the fly rod down and started throwing the short worm on a jig head. Now known as the ned rig. Many years ago we were doing this but times have changed with super tough stretchy colorful worms and specialized lead heads. Back then we used what we had.  Last three trips including today I was throwing the same head and PB&J rig. Darned near indestructible .  Got tired of this and decided it would be nice to take a few fish home this trip. Wanted to do some exploring and messing with a new to me used Helix 7 depth finder. I put on a flicker shad in fire tiger and began to troll. I go pretty nuts just trolling if the bite is slow. I have even been known to doze off doing just this. I had not went thirty feet and had a keeper walleye. Hum I thought and proceeded to catch another soon afterword. Rigged up a second rod and worked down the bank to find a crappie. Then a nice fat channel cat about four pounds that just about took the rod out of the boat.  Of course it wouldn't be a real trip if I didn't catch a drum ,   I tried to stay in 10 to 15 foot of water. My baits did not run deep and the only time I felt bottom is if    I strayed into less than ten foot. Caught fish out to 18 foot so I know the fish were off the bottom and very aggressive.  I messed here and there for a couple of hours. A good day with totals of 10 walleye, eight crappie, the drum and channel cat and bunches of the green stinkin bass plus more of the pretty brown bass. Kept four of the walleye that ranged from 17 to 18.5 inches and four of the crappie that were 11 to just over 12 inches.  Water  temps 72 at start and 75 when I quit at noon. Used the big motor when trolling. Not a slow speed either. Slowest I could get it to go was 2 MPH and at times I was moving at 2.7 MPH  When you fish alone you have plenty of time to think. I thought a lot of my fishing partner Richard I lost to cancer. The boat I used today he bought new then he sold it to me and later he bought it back. Then when he passed I was gifted it back again to me from his wife. We spent many, many hours together on this lake and other places in this rig and I felt he was watching me today. I could hear him saying. Hey would it hurt you to take some soap and water and was the boat once and awhile? Other things too. The way he would laugh out loud when fishing was good like today,

  Pretty good mess of fish and fillets

     Everybody have a safe and fun holiday weekend off and on the water,

     BilletHead

what rod did you build?

 

[BilletHead]

14 minutes ago, blacknoseddace said:

 

           The rod I built . I just meant I put the rod together. 10' Orvis Clearwater 8 wt. Hope I did not lead you to believe I am a rod builder. Man I have too many hobbies as it is now!

BilletHead

[blacknoseddace]

Ok, misunderstood you. Lol!...nice rod.