DPR Pike Fishing. Need we say more?

After crappy weather all of this spring and just bad overall timing, I finally got the chance to meet up with buddy Dan Sims to fish his little stretch of the river which was discovered along with a friend, with success earlier this year. He was accompanied by his friend, Mark, whose photos have been seen in some previous posts of mine.

I went into this outing with the mindset that I wouldn’t catch much to begin with and I was in it more for the overall fun, aesthetics, fishing and exploring the new spots, and good times. I left all of my usual Pike fishing gear up north stored away in my boat, so that might explain the story or lack of one for me. So I had to make the best with what I had and what I wasn’t really accustomed to Pike fishing with.

We saw the fish they’ve caught here in the past few weeks. I knew this outing would be good even if nothing was to be caught at my end. Although I didn’t catch a single fish from the river, the fishing was as good as advertised.

Woke up at 630, left right before 7am, and was out on the water with Dan and Mark by 745. Fished from then until 12-noon before we decided to finish up the remaining time we had left (until 2pm) over at Hickory Creek.

Like it was reported in the weekly report, these are the best wading conditions we have experienced so far this year. Levels were good, water was slightly brown and stained from yesterday’s rain, and water temps were around 70-degrees.

Only one stretch of the river produced well for us, and it was maybe the first quarter to half mile we waded. Casting shallow diving crankbaits or Mepps spinners, we had fish on our lines every 10-minutes or so. As for the rest of the river we had fished, we caught nothing other than treacherous wading, mosquito bites, and getting stuck in mud.

Dan and Mark were on the fish early and it stayed that way for the entire time we were at the river. Casting crankbaits or inline spinner, they were catching Pike, Channel Cats, and Largemouth Bass.

Shortly after one of the first few fish brought in, Dan hooked into a 4lb Channel Cat on the Mepps spinner, followed by a few 26-30 inch range Pike.

The places most fish were being found at were mid-river in current with hard bottom, and weedbeds like these.

These weeds were mostly along certain stretches of shoreline and if there was some nearby depth, fish would be present.

No measure, but somewhere between 26-30 inches.

In this particular area, Dan had to quit fishing just so I got the chance to catch something. Within three consecutive casts, I had lost three fish. Two Pike came loose at the surface and another bit me off. They might have had size to them.

After my misfortunes, Dan got back to work again and followed up with another from the same weedpatch.

Mark did the same as well.

It was one of those mornings where you just couldn’t buy anything.

At around 10am, the fishing started slowing down to some degree. We decided to keep working upstream and past Dan and Mark’s usual wading territories. The further upstream we went, the wider and deeper the river became. In consequence, wading became treacherous yet the water looked really really good for a big fish. However, this area appears to be better off suited with a boat and motor.

We eventually avoided a drowning through this new water, I was bailed out from getting stuck in deep shoreline mud by Dan that almost went up to my waist, and the three of us bushwhacked our way through the dense jungle, and returned back to nearby the access area.

It was then close to 12-noon and we were growing tired of the river and for the fact that we had not caught a single fish for a few hours now.

We strategized a fishing formulation. Dan and I had until 2pm to catch fish. We decided to take the 20-minute drive to fish this place called Hickory Creek - a small inflowing tributary of the DPR. Never been there before and figured this would be a good opportunity also to explore some new water.

I was guaranteed by them that I would not get skunked there.

I took their word and went along with them.

We found the creek to be stained greater than usual, and in some stretches the shoreline was littered by discards.

Along these creekside travels, we ran into Dan’s buddy Rudy, two homeless men living beneath bridge we accessed the creek from, and a few smaller Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, and a Largemouth Bass that made me avoid the complete shutout.

By then, it was time to leave and call it a day. Didn’t catch anything really to begin with, but it was fun as hell fishing at these places. I’d like to return again to the river again at some point this weekend to retry this Pike fishing stuff.

Mark and Dan, if you happen to read this, thanks again for showing me around and allowing me to see the proof and success found within this little gem of river (The DPR). It was worth the trip and a fun morning.

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