First real trip of the year 1/4/24

[Ham]

We travelled down to Louisiana to visit friends for New Years.We drove back on New Year’s Day, but we got back in time for me to catch a few fish in Cotter just to start the year off right. 
I jousted with Windmills in Louisiana on 12/30 and 12/31. The Windmills won so it was nice to put that behind me.

@FishNDave is going to be fishing with me at the end of the month so I needed to scout the area more. It was a chilly morning, but I knew it would warm so I took off through the mountains to get south to the Arkansas river. It’s pretty fun to trailer a boat on Hwy 7.

I got there and the boat parking lot was almost full. What the heck? I’ve never had much company there, but whatever, I dove three hours to fish so I’m gonna fish. I wanted to learn more areas and I was gonna get my chance.

Lots of boats, but not much catching. I felt like they would thin out and I was right. 
I picked out a spot and got bit right away. I got some White Bass, Yellow Bass, and Sauger. I know they were small.I’m still not tried of Sauger on fly.

When I had room, I went up to one of “my” spots. It was slower, but I got a small spotted bass and some Schoolie Stripers. Good to see the Stripers, but they weren’t in a great spot for a fly guy. There is an adjacent area that is better for them, but it had a boat there all day. Casting over and over and over to same spot. 🎉🥳

I had wanted to catch five species and 50 fish. I had counted on catching a bunch of skipjacks, and they were there, but not playing. 1/2 the boats there were after skipjacks. Most left with a few, but far less than they were after. Well, I was way off my pace for raw numbers of fish so I slipped back down with current and started learning the areas better. I had my 9 foot Cajun depth finder and felt around for the edge of the flat etc.

I had brought a 3 weight, 6 weight, 8 weight, and 9 weight flyrod. I made sure to catch fish on all of them. The skipjack started to fire up a little. I hooked less than half that bit and landed way less than half that I hooked, but I did catch a few. While I was screwing around with those guys I started to pick up Bigger Whites and I even got a schoolie Striper and then another Striper. And these fish could be targeted with fly.

Once I got my 50 burger, I put the other gear away and got my 8 wt and 9 wt rods ready. I repositioned the boat back up in the higher flow. Adjusted the TM to run on constant but with just enough juice to make sure that my fly line with drift downstream just faster than the boat. Literally the first cast with the 8 wt, I had a schoolie try to take the rod away from me. Rude! I really took my time with him because I really wanted to land him. After all that excitement, I finally made another cast and BANG another fish. Lengthy fight etc. Another cast and BOOM I got a blow up, but I missed em. No worries, Next cast another Striper! So, I had to call Dave. 
I bought a sink line for my 9 wt and I have used it successfully in other areas, but I wanted it to work here.

I swapped to the nine weight and started working. Nothing, nothing, nothing, missed a good tap. Changed fly. Missed a tap. Missed a tap. Nothing. Missed a tap.

I finally woke up and moved back to where I started with the 8 weight. Boom! Hard take on the first cast. Hung one on the next cast and he came off. Missed a hard hit on the third cast. And caught my final fish of the day on the fourth cast. I finished with 55 to hand. I literally left em biting which sucked, but I had that long road home to deal with.

Awesome day on the water and I feel even better about helping Dave get a Striper. 

[Quillback]

I did not know that people fished for skipjacks, outside of you species guys.

[FishnDave]

2 hours ago, Ham said:

I feel even better about helping Dave get a Striper. 

You DO know by now, that I never make it EASY for you to put me on fish, right?  I mean...you DO put me on them...but making me CATCH them is the real challenge! 

I appreciate all the effort you put into figuring out how to put me on certain fish.  It requires significant road time, and I can tell you don't really enjoy all the fishing and catching you have to do. 😜

[Ham]

8 hours ago, Quillback said:

I did not know that people fished for skipjacks, outside of you species guys.

Oh yeah, there are guys with commercial licenses that catch them for resale too. Guys are catching them for catfish bait. 

[Quillback]

2 minutes ago, Ham said:

Oh yeah, there are guys with commercial licenses that catch them for resale too. Guys are catching them for catfish bait. 

I thought they might be doing it for cat bait.  

[Ham]

They are a really fun fish if caught on appropriate gear. These are jumbos and can and do break you off even when I pushed leader up to 10 lb fluro. 

[Quillback]

4 minutes ago, Ham said:

They are a really fun fish if caught on appropriate gear. These are jumbos and can and do break you off even when I pushed leader up to 10 lb fluro. 

Wish it was closer, I might fish for them once just for the heck of it.  

[Ham]

I’d bet they are available within a certain driving range. I’m about 2 hours away from the nearest ones to me. 
Use the same gear that you bluegill / Redear fish with and you will be surprised how sporty they can be.

Tandem crappie jigs or small Swimbaits. 

[Quillback]

Did a search and came up with this article:

Don't skip the skipjack | The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette - Arkansas' Best News Source (arkansasonline.com)

[Johnsfolly]

19 hours ago, Quillback said:

Wish it was closer, I might fish for them once just for the heck of it.  

Hey Jeff - I have been trying for years to catch one (same with sauger 🙄). Went on a couple of trips with Ham on the Current and White rivers. I had follows on the Current and nothing on our last trip on the White. I tried for them in TN back in March, but there was no water flow below the dam I was fishing and only caught one yellow bass. Closest from us currently is about a 5 to 6 hour drive to a dam or two on the Ohio River. My buddy used them for striper baits in Old Hickory lake in TN and lots of folks use them for catfish.

They are likely to be one of my target fish in 2024.