On a Mission from God - Follies on road Again

[Johnsfolly]

There has been a calling in our family to make a trip out to Ft Riley Kansas. That calling came from a small unheard voice.

So the car is loaded and we are on the road again.😁.

Have plans to make stops at several water bodies along the way. So more to come.

[snagged in outlet 3]

Congrats @Johnsfolly!!!   Micro calling I would say.  

[JestersHK]

Safe travels my friend!  Such a cute new member of your clan.  Congrats again. 

[FishnDave]

Longtime fan of the Blues Brothers.  

[Johnsfolly]

1 minute ago, FishnDave said:

Longtime fan of the Blues Brothers.  

I just hope to not have to perform behind a fence nor get chased by 100s of police cars on this trip.🙄

[FishnDave]

But the fence is there for YOUR PROTECTION! 😄

[Quillback]

National Lampoon's Vacation - YouTube

[Bass Yakker]

Congrats!  Enjoy the trip!

[Johnsfolly]

First Fishing stop was a quick trip to Lake Shelbyville. One of my life goals is to catch all of the species for several fish groups, e.g., all of the Lepomis sunfish, all black bass, all rock bass, all bullheads, etc. So I have been trying over the last couple of years to catch a yellow bass, which was the last of the temperate bass species that I have not caught. We have fished Lake Shelbyville last year and did not catch any yellow bass. However, I have really enjoyed the number of different species that we have caught there previously. We got into Effingham IL around 5 pm on Thurs. We had driven through 2 hours of steady and sometimes heavy rain before getting to the hotel. By 6:30 pm the rain had stopped and we made the half hour trip to the spillway. The water level had been running high the previous week but it was reasonably clear and was not running too fast.

We tied up high low rigs and soaked some worms. I tried to catch some fish on lures, but kept getting more hits on the worm rig and just sat and fished that one rod only. Glad that I did since my second fish was the long awaited Yellow bass!

Livie followed suit and caught her first yellow bass.

She also caught a couple others while I was catching bluegill and channel catfish. We only had about 30 to 45 mins to fish before it got too dark. As it got dark, we left the spillway and headed back to the hotel.

Friday morning we had about two and a half hours to fish. Back to the spillway with all of us. Goal was for Livie to catch a buffalo, Sue to catch a yellow bass, and for me to catch some new fish for the year. We chummed up an area with chicken feed and canned corn for the carp and let it sit for a bit before Livie tossed out a kernel or two of corn on a #10 octopus hook on a fish finder rig with a 3/8 oz egg sinker. Sue was fishing one of the high/low rigs with worms. I was fishing a Nuegasser silver shad spoon with a 3/8 oz egg sinker pegged about 14 inches in front of the spoon. I missed a couple of strikes then got a strong hit and pull to the bottom. Then was able to land a 12+ inch white bass, my first for the year.

Sue had been catching bluegill and a black crappie before she hooked and lost a yellow bass before we could get a photo.

She moved closer to where I was fishing and I had her cast upstream near the concrete wall of the spillway. She got bit and pulled in her first yellow bass!

I switched rods with her so she could try for a white bass. While I had the high/low rig I caught my largest yellow bass and another decent white bass on a worm.

Sue followed suit with a white bass as well on the spoon. Turns out that she had now completed catching all of the Morone species as well. 

Livie was getting bites on the corn but no hook ups. Since I knew that she still needed a white bass, I had her come down to fish closer to the spillway. I manned the carp rod and Livie got it done after catching a few yellow bass and bluegill before the white bass.

After completing the temperate bass Slam, Livie was all business on the carp or buffalo fishing. Meanwhile Sue had a fishing encounter that she may not forget. As she was winding in a bluegill double, a large musky came up and tried to eat one of the bluegill. I tried to entice it but never saw it again.

Livie was getting quite a few bites on the corn but no strong commitments and one lost hook up. We were seeing small carp in front of us and she didn't give up. She cast out a little further from shore and we chummed the spot again. It wasn't long and she got a good bite and the line wasn't moving and seemed hung. Livie gave it wa tug and set the hook on the unseen fish. As soon as it came near the surface I knew immediately that it was a buffalo! I got the net and Livie was able to get her first smallmouth buffalo into the net. I followed it up soon after with a carp that took out a bunch of line from the baitrunner reel before I engaged the drag and set the hook.

@snagged in outlet 3 if you are reading this you may want to go wash your hands 🤣

We had a little rain throughout the morning, but after catching that carp big drops started coming down no sooner than we decided to pack up and head to the hotel. It was a heavy rain by the time we go to the car. Even with the rain we had a couple of good hours catching at the spillway!

[snagged in outlet 3]

Nice, @Johnsfolly!!   Poor child.  Get her some hand sanitizer.  😂