All good things...

[Al Agnew]

Well, today was probably my last day of fishing in Missouri for a while; heading out to Montana this week.  I have to say that the last 2.5 weeks has been some of the best big smallmouth fishing I've had in a very long time.  My pattern was declining last week as the water got lower than normal for this time of year, and too clear.  But before that it had been pretty much magic.  The river got a nice 2 foot rise yesterday, and today Mary and I went to fish a few hours on a stretch I hadn't fished, one that hasn't been all that good for a number of years.  We ran up the river for a few miles, stopped at a nice spot for the pattern, and I immediately caught an 18 incher on a crankbait.  The rest of the afternoon was pretty slow, catching a fish here and there.  But I was glad to get one more; that brought my total of 18 inch or better smallmouth to 18 (plus a 21 inch largemouth) in 10 trips.  And included my personal best, which I talked about in a previous post.  It has been a heck of a run, but all good things come to an end (temporarily, at least).

I usually love this time of year in Montana.  The fish are coming out of winter and hungry and the crowds haven't arrived yet.  But since I'm in the boot from the Achilles tendon tear,  I'm not going to be doing any wading.  If I get in any fishing, it will be from the drift boat with Mary rowing or with my buddy out there.  If fishing was always the priority, I'd stay in Missouri!