The grand total for the day was 53 smallmouth bass, two rock bass, a catfish, a drum, and a largemouth bass.  The fish were relating to anywhere in the river where there was still current and at least had a couple of feet of depth.  The best baits for Brad were the Pointer 65 jerkbait (this bait has been on fire for days) and the Zara spook “puppy”.  Mr. Besler caught most of his fish on Ward Bean’s jointed baitfish fly and a nice black popper.

The only downfall of the trip, if you can really call it a down fall when you catch 53 bass, was the fact that no big smallies showed up.  Brad had a big one blow up on a popper, but we were unable to coax him into biting.  We did have a quite a few bass in the 12-13 inch range.  Here is a nice one caught by the elder Besler on a black popper:

I want to say thanks to the Besler boys for a great day on the river.  Their fishing prowess made for an easy day for me…............and, thanks also to my beloved smallmouth for cooperating and making me look good.

AS ALWAYS…..........................HAIL TO THE SMALLIE

Now, fast forward to a few days ago when Dan came down.  We tackled five miles of river via the canoe.  And, boy, the bronzebacks did not dissapoint.  Matter of fact, Dan now holds the record for the most smallies ever caught by ONE angler while fishing with me - 57!!  It was truly an amazing day.  It seemed the fish just could not feed fast enough.  Dan did his damage with basically two lures - the Lucky Craft Pointer 65 and the Megabass Prop Darter.  Both baits are supreme minnow imitators.  Dan not only caught a ton of smallies, but some were mature river bronzies:

Here is the type of water that is holding alot of bass:

If you have ever thought about booking a trip with me, NOW IS THE TIME!  We have low, clear, warm water and the bass are biting.  If you are interested, give me a call at 309-399-7055.

AS ALWAYS….................HAIL TO THE SMALLIE

Hit a local flow yesterday armed with only my little, five weight fly rod.  The river was low and clear and the weather was perfect for topwater flies.  Heavy, threatening clouds and no wind made for a dream day for an angler like me who just loves to catch smallies on top.  My beloved bass did not dissapoint.

Started wading upstream throwing my new pencil popper I had just made the night before (the red and white fly in the picture above).  Had few slashes at the fly immediately, letting me know the fish were going to be receptive to top water flies.  I was targeting current runs located next to large expanses of water willow.  Moved upstream a little farther to a great riffle with large pool eddys located on the side of the river.  Water willow grows in these eddys and the smallies were stacked on one little current seam next to the willows.  For the first five or six casts I saw smallies slash out from the eddy into the current and hit my fly.  My only problem was I was a little quick on the hook set, which caused me to miss the first five or six strikes.  Finally I was able to slow down and began to hook a few bronzies on the pencil popper.

After exhausting the fish at the riffle spot, I moved upstream to a huge pool that contained good current flow and about 200 yards of water willow.  I knew they would be packed into this area.  The first key current seams produced some strikes from very small bass and then a nicer fish took a swipe and I was able to tangle with a 14 incher.  A 14 incher is not huge, but on a five weight fly rod in current was a quite a tussle.

After a slow period, I switched to the Murdich Minnow (silvery minnow streamer located on the picture above).  Caught a few on the streamer and then decided that it was too perfect of a topwater day to be fishing a subsurface streamer.  Tied on my favorite topwater fly of all time - the blockhead popper.  A few casts with the blockhead produced the smallie below.  What a fight on the five weight fly rod:

I stuck with the blockhead and kept catching smallies as I continued upstream.  Met up with a buddy of mine and he began to catch smallies on top as well.

When my day came to an end, my total was 15 smallies and 1 largemouth bass in 3 hours of fishing.  A great afternoon spent with the fly rod.

Got a guide trip tomorrow and possibly Friday as well.  Hope this rain does not mess up my rivers.  When the rivers are this low it is really hard to stay home and do the “honey do” thing.

AS ALWAYS….........................HAIL TO THE SMALLIE

17 incher.  Biggest fish of the trip.  Caught on the fly rod using a blockhead popper:

Here is another shot of that same beauty:

We just had a wonderful time.  Got a big trip with Tim Camacho and his brother tomorrow on the Mack.  Sure hope the Mack treats us as well as the Vermilion has the last two days.

AS ALWAYS…......................HAIL TO THE SMALLIE

http://animoto.com/play/Gci0oLH6aRd6vSUdcfcXDw?utm_content=challenger

Well, those pics pretty much sum up the trip.  Upper Wisconsin and the UP of Michigan are truly magical places.  Smallies around every bend….....and a few Muskies and Pike as well.  Upon returning home I was happy to see my local rivers falling quite rapidly.  Got out for the first time this morning on the Vermillion and was able to catch one and miss a few more on the long rod.  The river was low enough for wading for the first time in a long time.  The water was still a little stained but manageable.  A few more days with no rain should turn the local rivers into smallmouth producing machines….......I hope.  I have been getting a few calls from clients booking trips for the upcoming weeks….........stay tuned.

AS ALWAYS….....................................HAIL TO THE SMALLIE

We will be up in Northeastern Wisconsin for four days.  We will be fishing the same area I fished last year.  Saturday will be our travel day, but we should arrive in time for some evening topwater action on the Menominnee River.  Sunday morning we will be float fishing the Brule River near Florence, WI.  The Brule is a trib. of the Menominnee and it will be my first time on this flow.  Anytime I can fish a new river and add it to my list of rivers fished, it is an exciting experience.  Monday we plan to do a float trip on the Menominnee and Tuesday we will be fishing out of a drift boat with guide Tim Landwehr on the Menominnee as well.  Should be a whole lot of hard-core fishing stuffed into four days.

I will be fly fishing as well as using standard gear.  The buddy who is going with me does not fly fish, but is an incredible smallmouth angler.  I hope by the time I leave my left thumb will be all scarred up from the rough mouths of big smallies.

I have had the truck packed for two days.  The canoe is loaded and I AM READY!!!!

Of course I will report when I return.

AS ALWAYS….......................HAIL TO THE SMALLIE

Now, just a plain canoe is really not a great vessel to fish from.  But with a few modifications, a canoe can become a very comfortable, effecient smallmouth fishing machine.  Most people who have had bad experiences in a canoe lacked basic knowledge and tried to fish out of a canoe without taking the time to fully rig the boat to their advantage.

Here is a shot of my two-man canoe complete with special modifications:

This boat is made by Wenonah.  It measures fourteen feet long and only weighs 55 pounds.  It is composed of a material called Royalex.  Royalex is very light and very tough - a great combination for fishing our state’s rocky streams.  Now, a couple things you should notice.  First are the chairs.  Having backrest chairs or seats ARE A MUST!!  If you are going to spend eight to ten hours in a canoe, you better make it comfortable.  The seats pictured are relatively inexpensive at around $40 and weigh ounces.  They are made by the Crazy Creek Canoe company.  They attach in seconds with two straps running under the factory-installed seats.

Next, and probably more important than the seats, is a good anchor system.  Unfortunately, this picture does not show my anchor system very well.  If you look at the far left of the picture you will see a board mounted on top of the canoe.  On top of that board I have a pulley wheel.  This pulley wheel has a cinching mechanism that holds the rope tight.  The rope runs through the pulley wheel and is tied off right behind the back seat.  My anchor of choice is a window weight.  Hard to find, but if you know of someone who works on windows, they usually have some.  They come out of old houses when the house is fitted with new, more modern windows.  These window weights are cylindrical in shape with a hole at the top to attach your anchor rope.  In most cases on our local flows, 10 feet of anchor rope is plenty.  Now, with the anchor out the back of the boat, hanging just inches above the water surface, whenever I want to anchor in the river, I simply give the rope a pull, which frees the cinching mechanism and the anchor slides straight down to the bottom of the river.  Works so slick that most people are amazed something so simply works so well.  If you don’t have an anchor for your canoe then you are not fishing a river effectively.  I can anchor almost anywhere in the river and the act of stopping my boat in perfect positions allows me to work an area thoroughly.  If you don’t have an anchor you are going to fly by most spots and, if your lucky, get one good cast at a likely smallie hangout.

Another small modification is a rod holder.  You can see in the picture at about the middle of the canoe there are rods laying cross-ways.  The rods are held by a custom canoe rod holder made by a canoe company up in Minnesota.  River Ridge Custom Canoes makes the rod holder and it works great!  It simply attaches with large clamps.  Goes on and off in seconds.  Allows me to easily carry five rods while in the canoe.

Well, there you have it.  A few things to think about as it pertains to floating for river bronzebacks.  The canoe pictured is the canoe that I guide out of.  Clients love it!!  Super stable and super roomy.  Of course, with the modifications I have made the boat makes for a great day on the water.  Canoes are a great option when you are looking for a craft for floating our local streams.  Canoes can take you places that the casual fisherman never gets to.  Not only will you find fish that have never seen a lure, but some of the scenery you will encounter is unmatched.

AS ALWAYS…....................HAIL TO THE SMALLIE

Best topwaters were poppers and a new bait called a Hubs Chub.

So, with the morning filled with good fishing, I headed home and arrived to find my son waiting for me to take him fishing.  We loaded up his gear and hit a local creek.  Creek was a little stained but not high.  My son was all excited as this day marked his first wet-wading trip of the year.  Here he is soaking up the water:

We targeted Rock Bass and caught a few, but not too many.  After my son got tired of fishing, I tied on a bass sized spinnerbait and a few casts later, this fish showed up:

Ended up with seven fish total on our creek outing.  Jack was a little miffed that I caught five and he only caught two.  He is very competitive when it comes to fishing.  Don’t know why, but he is.  Of course, upon beating him, I had to talk a little “trash”.

AS ALWAYS…........................HAIL TO THE SMALLIE

When I arrived, I saw a beautiful man-made pond nestled in a little valley.  One thing I like right off the bat was the ample shore fishing access.  About 3/4 of the pond was accessible from the shore.  Nate, the owner of the pond, and a few of his friends boarded the shocking boat while Todd Kent, Jeff Lampe, and myself strung up the rods and hit the banks.

Jeff and Todd used standard equipment, while I rotated between two fly rods and a casting rod.  Here is a taste of what we tangled with:

The last two pictures are giant hybrid Redear Sunfish.  Impressive!!!  I have not seen Redear like that since I was a kid in a pond me and my dad used to fish.

When it came to the smallies, I caught one on top with a blockhead popper and a couple on my Casper fly.  I also caught one on my swim jig.  Todd caught all his fish on a 4 inch suspending jerkbait and Jeff caught his fish on a buzzbait.

What a great time!!  Thanks a bunch Nate.

AS ALWAYS….......................HAIL TO THE SMALLIE

Sunglasses are a big part of my success.  Why is this so?  Well, I fish fairly clear streams and the act of using polarized fishing glasses allows me to see into the water and spot the best rocks, holes, drop-offs, etc.  Without glasses an angler would be challenged to see the under water structure that an angler with glasses can spot with ease.

The only problem is which glasses are best?  There are a myriad of styles, lens colors, and price ranges.  First off, let’s deal with price.  You can spend $10 for a pair of polarized glasses, or you can spend close to $200.  While I have never owned a $200 pair, I have owned glasses ranging from around $15 to around $100.  My take on price is simple, buy what you can afford, but I have been very happy with glasses ranging in price from $20 to $50.

What is most important to me when it comes to glasses is how they fit my face and the color of lenses.  Fit is very important!!  If the glasses do not fit your face, you are going to be very frustrated.  If they are too big, they will slide down your nose or fall off all together.  If they are too tight, you can actually develop annoying head aches while you are wearing them.  A nice, snug fit is what you are looking for.

Lens color can be crucial.  While any lens color on a polarized pair of glases is better than no glasses at all, buying the best lens colors to fit conditions makes the glasses even more valuable.  Simply put, most glasses either come with dark lenses (gray, green, or smoke colored) or lighter colored lenses (amber).  Both are good, but each one shines in different conditions.

Dark lenses are best when the sun is very bright.  When the sun is very bright, the dark lenses will filter alot of the light, cut down on the glare, and allow you to see better in to the water.  Lighter colored lenses are best during cloudy conditions and lower light settings (mornings and evenings).  Having two pairs of glasses - one light and one dark is never a bad idea.

Now, I will say that I do not wear dark colored lenses very often.  While I do fish on very bright sunny days, I have found that the lighter colored, amber lenses suit me fine even during those bright summer days.  So, if you were to buy just one pair of good fishing glasses, buy a pair of glasses that feature amber or light brown lenses.

If you really want to get crazy and purchase a pair of glasses for every situation, then let’s talk about those very cloudy, dark days when you are out fishing.  Very dark and cloudy conditions (or very early morning and late evening) can cause the two prior sets of lenses to only be somewhat helpful.  A set of glasses that feature yellow lenses are amazing when the conditions are very dark.  I have a pair of yellow lenses and, while they don’t get used often, when I do wear them it is amazing how far I can see into the water and the improved detail definition is phenomenal.  Last year, while fishing with a friend in very dark, daytime conditions, I let my buddy borrow my yellow lenses for a while and he was amazed at the difference between my yellow lenses and his “standard” fishing glasses.  The difference is truly unbelievable.  Now, of course, many times when the skies turn that dark rain is on the way or has just left.  These are the types of sky conditions when many anglers choose not to fish.

So, in summary, buy what you can afford, but don’t be caught on the water without some type of polarized fishing glasses.  If you can afford it, get a dark lens pair along with a light, brown, or amber set.  If you fish in many different conditions like I do, then maybe picking up a pair of yellow lensed glasses may be for you (yellow lenses are tougher to find and usually cost a little more).  Keep in mind as well that wearing glasses helps protect your eyes from strain and other bad things that UV light can cause.  It also may save your eyes when an errant fly or lure comes your way.

Last, but certainly not least, if you are going to invest in good fishing glasses, then by all means spend a few extra bucks and get a sunglasses lanyard.  Most guys that routinely lose their glasses do not attach their glasses to a lanyard.  I used to lose mine all the time until I spent a few bucks and got lanyards.  Now I never lose my glasses and will end up breaking them before I ever lose them.

Here is a list of sunglass companies that make a good variety of fishing glasses at different prices:

Suncloud (my favorite)
Solar Bat
Strike King
Cabelas
Bass Pro
Oakley (pricey)
Flying Fisherman (many, many different glasses at good prices)
H30 optics
Wiley X

There are many, many more companies out there.  Just make sure that you try them on if you can.  Also, double check and make sure the lenses are polarized.  If they are not, you do not want them.

AS ALWAYS….............................HAIL TO THE SMALLIE

AS ALWAYS….........HAIL TO THE SMALLIE

PS:  SOMEBODY MAKE IT STOP RAINING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This fly, created by Stephen May, is called the Full Motion Crayfish.  Relatively simple to tie and amazingly life-like.  Now, sometimes exact crayfish replicas do not catch as many fish as flies that imitate wounded or deformed bottom-dwellers, but I still thought, what the heck, tie a few and give them a try.  Even if they prove worthless to Mr. Smallmouth, they are were still fun to tie and look pretty cool.  The cool part of this fly, for me, was the use of two materials I had never tried before - swiss straw and furry foam.

Swiss straw and furry foam are cool materials most often used to create a “shell-like” appearance.  As you can see in the pictures, it does a good job.  Both are relatively inexpensive and provide limitless possibilities.  Below is one made with the furry foam:

Furry foam comes in a fairly large square piece.  Simply cut the amount or desired shape with a pair of scissors.  Pretty cool stuff.  Now, one thing I did that Stephen did not, was to coat the furry foam with Loon Hard Head after I finished the fly.  This made the furry foam have a hard, shiney, shell-like appearance.  It will also make the fly more durable.

Below is the same fly, but I used swiss straw for the shell:

Swiss straw comes on a card, much like chennile.  You cannot cut to size.  While it does not make as wide a shell as the furry foam, it still looks quite realistic.  Once again, I completed the fly by coating the swiss straw with Loon’s Hard Head.  You can see the shiney appearance you can get by coating with Hard Head.

If you wish to give this fly a try, you can find a great step-by-step recipe, with photos, at the following link:

http://www.grandrivertroutfitters.com/files/Download/FullMotionCray.pdf

AS ALWAYS…..............HAIL TO THE SMALLIE

I was able to do a little fishing before the rains hit on Tuesday and messed up my local flows.  Started out on the Mack using standard gear.  Caught a couple of smallies on my swim jig and had a large fish on for just a few ticks before he came off.  The Mack was in unbelievable shape before the rains.  Super clear water and very nice manageable flow rate.  Darn the rain!!

I also was able to hit the Vermilion and did a little damage.  I started my day on the Vermilion with standard casting gear.  Carried two rods - one with a Spit N Image topwater plug and the other rod had my famous swim jig.  When I arrived at my spot, the fishing was ON FIRE!!  Second cast with the topwater produced my first big smallie of the year:

18 inches of pure bronze glory.  The next 30 minutes brought six more smallies to hand while I only covered about 100 yards of river.  It seemed like I had finally picked a day when I could do no wrong and the fish were really reved up.  I continued downstream into other areas where I have had success in the past.  Unfortunately, it seemed that the bite just died.  After those seven fish in about 30 minutes, I only touched one more smallie on a crankbait.  I normally would have been downtroden, but with that big 18 incher, I still felt like I had the mojo for the rest of the day.

Next, I hit a small creek on my way home.  I had a definite game plan for this creek.  I would get out the five weight fly rod and tie on a small boogle bug and go after the Rock Bass that call this creek home.  When I arrived at the creek it was low and very, very clear.  I knew I would have to be stealthy.  First cast on top with the boogle bug produced a strike from Mr. Rock Bass.  I knew I was going to have some fun.

And fun I definitely had.  One Rock Bass after another all on topwater….......lots of fun.  As is normally the case in the spring in this creek, the Rock Bass are of nice quality size and put up a nice battle on the five weight.  Here are a couple of pics:

I must have caught 20 Rockies in about 30 minutes.  What joy.  Then a surprise….....as I was tossing my boogle bug, my favorite fish made an appearance:

Sixteen inch smallie on the five weight…...........what a battle.  Probably one of the prettiest smallies you will ever see in Illinois.  When he hit I thought it was another Rockie as he made little or no surface distrubance when he struck.  Just a little sip and the boogle bug was gone.  That fish was a real capper to a great day spent on three different flows.

AS ALWAYS….................HAIL TO THE SMALLIE

I hit the water around 3:45 and planned to hit at least two areas.  The water clarity was good, but with all the wind the surface of the water was littered with debris from the surrounding trees.  Area #1 was a bust (as it has been for the past year), so I traveled to spot #2.

With all the wind and debris, I chose to leave the fly rods in the truck and just carry one casting rod and one spinning rod.  I basically went with two lures - the swim jig and the spinnerbait.  I had a new spinnerbait to try out.  My buddy Jim sent me a couple of innovative spinnerbaits from a company called SOB Lures.  They are definitely unique in the fact that the wire arm is bent so as to have the blade(s) right above the hook.  You can check out their baits online.  They are not cheap, but each one is made to your specifications.

Alright, back to spot #2.  After fishing some fringe water, I concentrated on a rip-rap shoreline that has been good to me in past springs.  It only took a few casts with the spinnerbait and a nice 15 inch smallie came a calling.  A few minutes later, another nice smallie jumped all over the spinnerbait.  Hey, things are looking up.  Only problem was the fact that it was getting darker and I could hear the “boss” in the back of my mind telling me it was time to travel back to the homestead.  So, just two smallies, but both were nice specimens.

Saturday came and it was time to get serious.  My buddy, Jim, and I decided it was time to take our first canoe trip of the season.  We chose the Vermilion as the water levels were just perfect.  We met around 12:30 and fished until dark.  We fished my “bread and butter” guide stretch.  Jim had never seen this stretch of river - he would be in for a treat.

Had a feeling right away that the day was going to be worthwhile as I caught two little smallies right by the bridge while waiting for Jim.  Jim arrived and we got all the gear down by the water and then shuttled my vehicle down to the take-out.  I had told Jim that I would not bring any fly rods on this trip.  Jim is not a fly fisherman and also has a belief that the fly rod in the canoe is a jinx.  Well, I had to break my promise.  I told Jim that I would stick with the three standard rod/reel combos unless we were not catching any fish at all, or if we were just killin’ them.  He hesitantly got into the boat and we were off.

We both started with fast moving baits.  Swim jigs, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits.  It started a little slow with Jim catching a couple of small fish and me losing a nice smallie on the spinnerbait.  Our luck began to change when Jim decided it was time to fish the top.  Jim is the maestro of the popper.  He tied one on and he began to catch fish, including this nice bass:

The popper bite basically contined all the way up until dark.  Sure, they continued to hit some other baits, but the popper reigned supreme.  Of course, that fly rod laying in the bottom of the canoe just had to get some “play”..........right?  Finally, with about a 1/2 mile left in our trip, I got the fly rod out and tied on the Boogle Bug.  I caught a couple and had a few “swing and misses”.  Tied on my favorite blockhead popper and caught one or two more.  Jim continued to get bit with his popper as well.  Here is another nice Vermilion River Bronzeback:

All toll, we landed 18 smallies and lost at least another half dozen.  Basically, a good trip.  Anytime you can get a topwater bite on May 1st, you have to be happy.  In addition, the scenery is so awesome that catching bass is just the icing on the cake.  Here is a photo from a few years ago of a client on the Vermilion. 

Pretty cool bank in the background….......eh.  The Vermilion is full of banks that have bluffs like this one.  It is truly one of Illinois’ treasures.  Anyone wishing to do a float trip on the Vermilion should give me a call.  I am booking trips right now for 2010.  My price for an eight hour float trip is $175 and that includes use of my gear as well.  We can spin fish, fly fish, or both.  You will catch some smallies in the most beautiful surrounding Ilinois has to offer.  I can be reached at 309-399-7055.

AS ALWAYS…................................HAIL TO THE SMALLIE

Dave and Clif are fellow bloggers who read my blog and often leave comments.  I believe they both work for Cat and also love to fish with the “long rod”.  We had met up by accident once before about a year or so ago.  This time we would meet on the Mackinaw and see if we could get a few bronzebacks on the fly rod before the really yucky weather hit.

We met at 4:00 and were fishing around 4:30.  The first area we hit was bust.  I had one smallie flare at my fly, but did not commit.  The second area saw Dave connect with a Rock Bass.  We figured not bad, we are getting closer to the desired specie.  We continued to fish out the evening.  The last area we fished saw Clif connect with the venerable Smallmouth Bass.  Here is the photo:

I don’t know, but if it was me that caught that fish on a fly that I created, I would have been all smiles.  C’mon Clif, show some teeth.

I really enjoyed the time Clif, Dave, and I were able to spend on the river.  We will definitely be hooking up again in the near future.  Nice to spend the evening with a couple of fly rod junkies.

AS ALWAYS….......................HAIL TO THE SMALLIE

It all started on Friday evening.  We buzzed home as fast as we could trying to save as much daylight as possible.  My son was ready to go back to “his” spot on the creek.  We got there around 6:30 PM, and armed with his new spinning rod/reel, he went to work with his puke colored tube.  Did not take him long before a real, creek dandy bit his jig and gave him a fight he won’t soon forget:

I could not be more proud of him.  He is casting like a champ and setting the hook HARD.  He had a few more on, but they were able to get off.  We only fished for maybe an hour.

On Saturday we hit the turkey woods.  Turkey hunting is hard on a six year old as sitting still is not in my son’s repetoire.  He hung on for about two hours and got to hear many toms gobbling, but none came close enough for a shot.  We quit around 8:30 and headed back to my in-laws house, while my buddy, Stan, continued hunting.

The plan was to meet my buddy, Gabe, after lunch for a serious wade up the creek.  Jack was supposed to go with us, but he fell asleep prior to lunch time.  It was hard not to wake him up, but I decided against it.  I knew when he woke up and realized I was off chasing bronze, he would not be happy. 

So me and Stan met Gabe around 1:00 and were fishing around 1:30.  We decided to walk a short mile stretch of creek.  We had a great time and caught some DANDY creek smallies.  I will just let the following pictures tell you the tale:

All caught on standard spinning and casting tackle.  I would have taken the fly rod, but the wind was howling.  Effective baits were:

#1 swim jig
#2 3.5 inch tube jig (puke)
#3 spinnerbait

All toll we landed 28 smallies in just a few hours.  We lost a few more.  What a great day spent with friends.  When I got back to the in-laws, Jack was waiting at the door.  He told me in no uncertain terms that we had to go fishing.  So, I took a rest for 20 minutes and headed back out with Jack.  Jack was able to catch one more smallie and I caught the nice smallie above that has the spinnerbait hanging out of her mouth.

Great weekend…................plan to hit the Mack or the Vermillion tomorrow.

My very first cast of the night resulted in a 10 inch smallie on the swim jig.  He was laying in an eddy right next to very fast water.  I figured what a way to start the evening.  A few more casts into the same area resulted in nothing.  I moved downstream and hit a few more dynamite eddies but got nothing.  On my way back upstream to my truck I switched to the spinnerbait and hit all the same areas I had hit with the swim jig - no takers.

Finally I got back to that first spot that gave me a 10 incher on the first cast.  I saw one lone minnow jump out of the water.  I put my spinnerbait over there and a smallie came up and swatted the bait, but I was too quick on the hookset and missed him.  I tied the swim jig back on and worked the fish again with no luck.  I was about ready to get in the truck and go to area #2, but gave it one more cast and this 14 inch smallie was the result:

Not a bad way to end spot #1.  I got into the truck and headed upstream about three miles.  For this area I carried the casting rod and the fly rod.  As I approached my first area I heard a strange hissing noise.  I stopped and scanned the area and finally realized I had happened to stand right next to a goose on the nest:

I took a few steps back and the mama goose calmed down and let me share her space.  The current in this area was just too much for the types of flys I had with me so I stuck to the swim jig.  No takers at the first spot so I walked up by the bridge and hit some very deep water eddys….........no luck again.  Finally I walked a mere 30 yards upstream and hit a bank that is covered in rip-rap rock.  I can usually catch a nice smallie or two along this bank in the spring.  Unfortunately, Mr. Smallmouth Bass did not show up, but a real nice Rock Bass did.  You gotta love Rock Bass.  They will go after anything they can get their mouth around.  Though I cannot recall ever catching one on a 3/8 ounce swim jig.  Here is the photo of that big, hungry Rock Bass:

That was it.  Two smallies and a Rockie.  Not bad, but I thought with the warmer water the smallies would really be chompin’

AS ALWAYS….....................HAIL TO THE SMALLIE

Picked up the younguns, along with my father and father in law and we headed to the creek around 9:00.  For the first few hours I spent most of my time helping my son and daughter.  The bass just would not cooperate as all five of us were blanking after a few hours.  Then the kids go tired of fishing and headed to a set of swings and slide - now it was time for me to fish.  I went to the truck and grabbed my six weight and went to work hitting all the areas that had produced nothing for the last few hours.  After trying a few streamers, I finally tied on a clouser minnow and caught my first bass of the day - a short 11 incher.  We all decided that bass was all we were going to be able to muster.

The kids headed back up to the house with gramps, which turned me loose to go exploring.  I decided to head out of town and fish a slough I used to catch smallies in back in the “good old days”.  I heard some rumblings that a few smallmouth had been taken underneath a bridge that contained some rock and wood cover.  The slough, for the most part, is just that - a slough filled with carp and catfish.  When I was a kid it was a phenomenal bullhead factory.  Upon arriving, I first stopped in and asked the landowner if he would mind if I fished.  Lucky for me, the landowner was now a guy I graduated high school with.  We had a good talk and he gave me the go-ahead to fish away.  Getting down by the water under the bridge was a real adventure.  The banks next to the bridge were HEAVILY covered in vines, branches, weeds, etc.  But, the water was clear and upon inspection I knew there had to be smallies there. 

First cast with a tube….......BANG….....smallie.  Next cast…..........BANG….....another smallie on the tube.  After a few more casts another brown bomber introduced himself to me.  Three smallies in about seven casts.  Now that is more like it.  All three smallies were in the 12 to 14 inch size range.  I did have a few more bites that I missed due to the fact that there was so much “stuff” around me it made hooksets very tricky.  I did not take my camera with me to this spot (though I wish I would have).  Here is a shot of the slough.  The picture is taken while standing on the bridge (does not look like smallie habitat…....eh?)

I then tried another spot, but to no avail.  It was time for a break.  I headed back to the in laws to see how the kids were doing.  After a short break and a temperature warm-up, I just knew I could catch some more fish.  I asked the kids if they wanted to go back the creek and fish.  My daughter took a pass, but my son was primed and ready.

I had about three more areas I wanted to try.  Area #1 we never even got the rods out.  We took a look, but we just did not have good vibes about the water level and the clarity.  Area #2 is the mouth of another slough where I have caught smallies while fishing out of a boat on the Rock River.  The wind was blowing right into our face at around 20-30 mph.  My son and I gave it a shot, but blanked.  All that wind had the water churned up and the vibe was just not there.  Here is a picture of where we were:

Now it was time to get serious.  Jack was ready to tangle with some bronze.  I saved the best spot for last.  We hit a spot way up a Rock River tributary.  This area was one of my “secret spots” when I was just a wee lad.  I used to ride my bike out to this spot and catch some dandy bronzebacks.  The spot is highlighted by an abondoned railroad bridge.  When I was a kid the bridge still stood.  A few years after I left the homestead, they blew the bridge up.  But many remnants still lay in the creek.  Here is what it looks like:

I armed Jack with his deadly weapon - the 3 inch tube jig.  We spyed a great looking eddy just upstream from the old bridge and after a few casts, Jack was in business.  He set the hook and fought this bass like a champ.  His little 4’6” ultra-light rod really got a workout.

I was as proud as a peacock.  We calmed down and got reloaded to try the same eddy again.  After a few casts and a wonderful job of Jack working his tube ultra-slow along the bottom with short hops, another smallie decided to play:

Now we are really pumped!!!  Two nice sized creek smallies in just the first good eddy.  I knew there were three or four other prime areas within sight distance.  The next cast Jack hooked up again right at his feet.  The bass “short lined” him and Jack got a little too anxious and tried to go “Bassmaster” on him and the hook came flying out.  We talked about how you just cannot do that.  I told him that when a smallie pulls, you let him pull and do not try to reel when a bronzeback is flexing him muscles.

A few minutes later Jack was hooked up AGAIN!!  He handled this fish like a pro:

We then decided it was time to move to the next good eddy just a few yards upstream.  I got out my rod and finally got on the board with a little ten incher.  I knew right then that the “apprentice” was going to catch all the largest smallies.  After a few more, we headed around the bend and spyed a great little spot across the creek.  I threw in first and a big dark shadow came out and hit my spinnerbait and I swung and missed.  Whoa!!  I told Jack that we were dealing with a jumbo smallie.  My son, being a big fan of pro wrestling, immediately called the fish the “Big Show”.  Both Jack and I had that fish on numerous times and lost it each time.  I began to get a little upset and went a little “Ike” on my gear….................MAN, I HATE TO LOSE BIG FISH.  The big smallie finally quit striking, though I caught few smaller bass in and around that larger specimen.  Both Jack and I decided that we will come back this weekend and catch the “Big Show”.  I am already salivating about Jack tussling and landing that beauty.

So, all toll, Jack and I landed 13 smallies in about three hours of fishing.  Jack’s fish were by far the nicest.  I caught more fish, but they were juvenile compared to the little “stream stalker”.  Last night I introduced my son to a true spinning reel/rod combo.  He is casting wonderfully in the yard with his new rod.  We have also been practicing hook sets and fish-fighting scenarios.  Good thing I don’t have many neighbors, as they would think we have lost our minds.  Jack makes a cast and then I go pick up the jig and give it a little tug to signify a strike.  Then Jack practices reeling out his slack and setting the hook quick and hard.  Next, I continue to hold the jig and pull real hard, trying to emulate the hard charges of our friend, the bronzeback.  Jack, upon feeling the surge, is practicing NOT reeling, but just holding the rod high and keeping the line tight.  Then I move towards him so he will have to crank quick to keep up the “yard” bass.  My wife thinks we are “sick” in the head.  I love it!!!!

AS ALWAYS…......................HAIL TO THE SMALLIE

I decided to hit a spot on the Mack that has always been good to me - especially in the spring.  It is really a unique spot.  What makes it unique is the fact that it has two rock penninsulas that come off the bank and go all the way out to the middle of the river.  Both penninsulas I believe were man-made probably years ago.  The furthest downstream pennisula is the best one as it has a good drop-off on both sides on the penninsula and off the mid-river tip.  The bass have access to shallow, rocky areas (on top of the penninsula) and also deep rocky drop-offs.  In short, the whole area is a “smallie playground”.

I started out fishing the best penninsula first.  I tied on the jointed minnow that I spoke of in my last blog entry.  I fished it rather fast just about 12 inches under the surface.  River clarity was good so I was able to see my fly dart over the drop-off.  After only a few casts, a smallie came up from the drop, turned, and smashed my fly.  After a short battle, my first smallie of 2010 was landed.  Not a huge one, but a start:

It is amazing how a 12 inch smallie can get my blood pumping.  Catching it on my new fly and watching him strike made it even better.  I continued to work the area and also switched flies four or five times.  I tried the upstream penninsula with no results.  I went back to my original drop and caught one more ten incher on a Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow.  After about an hour, I decided that I was just not going to catch anymore at this spot.  I reeled up and headed to one more spot.

I knew I did not have long at this spot as I knew it was about time to get home and make sure the “boss” stays happy.  I spent about 30 minutes at this spot with no luck.  So 90 minutes of fishing resulted in my first two smallies of the year - not bad.  I really had the feeling with the warmth of the day that a larger fish would show up.  Still, those two small bass recharged my fishing batteries.  Too bad about the rain that is coming as the river would have been prime this weekend.  Guess I will just have to grit my teeth and get through the weekend.

By the way, I am selling my original 8 weight fly rod.  It is a Redington Crosswater, nine foot, two piece model.  It is Redington’s introduction/value series of rods.  A great 8 weight rod for someone who has never fished with an 8 weight but wants to give it a try.  My price is right at $50 and that includes shipping.  It comes with a protective rod sock as well.  Anyone interested can email me at grahamj@district87.org.

AS ALWAYS…..................HAIL TO THE SMALLIE

Ward’s new fly is called the Jointed Minnow.  Here are the first two that I was able to tie:

What makes this fly unique is the fact that it is an articulated fly.  That means there is a hinge (made out of thick mono) in the fly that makes the front and back portion of the fly seperate from each other.  I know it is tough to see the hinge in the finished fly, but if you follow the link below, you will see how Mr. Bean makes the whole fly, including the hinge.  http://www.warmwaterflytyer.com/patterns3.asp?page=32

This was my first attempt at an articulated fly.  I was surprised how “painless” it was.  Of course, I would have never been able to do it without the great, step-by-step instructions (with pictures) provided on the website.

I have thrown the fly in the water a little the past few days and it looks good.  Instead of giving detailed instructions, I will just let you visit the link above.  When you get done checking out the jointed minnow, make sure you take some time and peruse the whole site.  The home address is:

http://www.warmwaterflytyer.com 

AS ALWAYS….....................HAIL TO THE SMALLIE

I have a buddy named Craig, who is a transplant from Illinois to Georgia.  Craig is what you would call an expert fly fisherman.  He has done it all and has done 99% of it with the fly rod.  You name the fish, he has caught giants with the long rod.  Since picking up fly fishing a while back, Craig has been one of my gurus.  He has been so helpful!  Ever since Craig moved to GA, he has been telling us “flatlanders” about this river bass called a Shoal Bass.  He would send us photos of him holding these beautiful creatures and the awe-inspiring settings they live in.  Finally, this year I knew it was time to grab the fly rod and head to Dixie.

I arrived last Tuesday in Atlanta.  Craig picked me up the next day and we headed South about 2 hours.  Our first river would be the Ocamulgee River.  The game plan seemed simple - get in kayaks and paddle upstream about a 1/2 mile and fish a set of shoals that is a real winner.  Only problem was the fact that the Ocamulgee was like no other river I have ever shared company with.  This river would KICK MY BUTT!!! 

The Ocamulgee was not wide, but it had alot of current and the trickiest, rockiest bottom I had ever encountered.  Every step and paddle stroke was an adventure.  Our initial upstream paddle took 90 minutes.  We would paddle, get out and pull the kayaks over trees and rocks.  With the current so strong, the upstream paddle was causing my shoulders to “burn”.  Then climbing over trees, while trying to keep my feet under me was a real challenge.  Finally, we reached an area called Smith Shoals.  And what a beautiful spot it was:

Yes, hard to believe, but this is the types of areas that Shoal Bass live in…...............pretty wild…..eh?  After I got over my initial exhaustion from the 90 minute trek to get to the shoals, it was time to get down to business with the long rod.  I must say half my mind was concentrating on staying upright, while my other half was trying to focus on catching a Shoalie.  Wading around these shoals was an adventure.  Every step had to be taken with caution.

Finally, after a couple of hours of fishing, Craig broke the ice with this beauty.  3.5 pounds caught on his world-famous Hairy Fodder fly:

Try as I might, I could not get any mojo going on the Ocomulgee.  Craig ended up catching one more Shoalie around 1.5 pounds, and, about 3:00 or so, we called it a day.  While it took us 90 minutes to get upstream to our spot, it only took us five minutes to go back downstream to the truck - that tells you how much current we were “bucking” all day.

After that first day on such a tough river, I was exhausted!!!  Never had I met a river that I had so much respect for.  I wore my life jacket AT ALL TIMES!  The act of wading and paddling in this river made me feel like I was 90 years old.  They should train Marines on this river.  So, as a result of my body aching all over, I politely requested an easier river for day #2.  Luckily I got it.

Day #2 we fished the Flint River.  Out of all the streams that hold Shoalies, the Flint is probably the best known.  It was a beautiful stream as well.  Rocky, fairly swift water with tall rock bluffs and the most beautiful timber bordering its shores.

The Flint was more my “style” (easier to wade).  We did not do a float trip, but chose to wade the whole day.  I was chompin’ at the bit to get on the scoreboard after the big goose egg the day before.  I kept my spirits high and my focus strong, and finally after lunch I caught my first bass of the trip - a small Spotted Bass around 12 inches.  About an hour later I threw my fly in along a root ball and was rewarded with a 13 inch Largemouth.  No shoalies yet, but at least I was on the board.  By the way, these same rivers produce Spotted Bass up to four/five pounds and Largemouth Bass over 8 pounds.

We continued on upstream looking for a Shoalie.  Craig caught a little spotted bass, but even he was scratching his head.  Then we decided to get out of the faster water and see if the Shoalies were still slumbering in slack-water eddies.  The water temp. was only 50 degrees, which is downright chilly for GA in late March.  We found a spot where half the river was a large eddy.  I began to work my Menominnee Mud Bug slowly along the bottom and BANG, I had a fish.  This fish pulled much harder than those little “spots” and Largies….........this was a SHOAL BASS!  After a few powerful pulls I could see the fish in the water, and a few seconds later I had a death grip on my first Shoal Bass.

16.5 inches and 2.5 pounds.  I WAS THRILLED!!  I think folks back in Illinois may have heard my cry of excitement.  Here is another shot:

Around 5:00, it was time to head back downstream to the truck.  I took the lead and arrived back at the truck early.  Since I did, I figured I might as well fish around the truck.  I spyed another eddy and began flinging a Hairy Fodder.  To my amazement, another Shoalie decided to show up:

Day two came to an end with four bass, including my first two Shoal Bass.  I was ecstatic and ready for day three.

Day three we decided to hook up with one of Craig’s local buddies.  He is a resident expert on Shoalie rivers.  He simply goes by the name, Shoalieman.  I figured with a name like that, how could we go wrong.  We decided to fish a new river called the Tolawiga.  This river was about as wide as the Mackinaw, but with much more flow and many rapids (shoals) that contained what we in Illinois would call, small waterfalls.  Definitely made for an interesting paddle.

On this day we would do a classic float trip.  Park two cars and float downstream in our kayaks.  The weather was nice and the river was in great shape.  Unfortunately, the fish did not think so.  Three experienced anglers caught a grand total of 0 fish…........not even a bite.  Even Shoalieman had no idea what ws going on.  I still had a great time fly fishing such a beautiful flow.  I got to shoot some awesome rapids in my kayak.  Made everyone too!  I was proud that I never flipped my kayak all week.  Here is a shot of one of the rapids I shot in the kayak:

After day three it was time to pack up and get ready for my flight back to Bloomington the next day.  We first had a great buffet lunch/supper with Shoalieman where we discussed the finer points of Shoal Bass fishing.  Shoalieman has caught many Shoal Bass over five pounds in his lifetime.  My plan is to go back again next year, but may go during the summer months when the flows are lighter and the Shoalies are busting topwaters.  Next year I would also like to try for another specie of bass that Georgia has - the Redeye Bass.

On the plane flight home to boring central Illinois my thoughts turned to my beloved smallie.  I am ready to catch my first smallie of 2010.  With the warm weather, it may hapen in a few days.

AS ALWAYS…...........................HAIL TO THE SMALLIE

The above combo (in many different color schemes) has been a consistent producer for bass and walleye (yes, walleye) the past three seasons.  I have customers who feel the same way all over the country.  Simple technique - deadly on game fish.  Almost totally snag free and comes through wood and vegetation with ease.  You can “burn” it high in the water column, or slow down and “slow roll” it on or near the bottom.  GREAT SEARCH LURE FOR ACTIVE FISH!  In addition, the number of small bass vs. large bass caught on my jig combo is truly phenomenal.  I say this as I have tons of pictures of clients holding up big bass caught on the swim jig.  Many customers have told me (and I have noticed the same thing) that the swim jig may not catch all the fish on any given day, it usually catches the largest ones.

Hope this clears up any questions folks might have about how I fish a swim jig/trailer combo.

AS ALWAYS…..................HAIL TO THE SMALLIE

As anyone who hangs around me knows, I am not a big fan of Largemouth.  Why?  Well, they are so plentiful and I caught so many of them as a kid in farm ponds that I grew tired of them.  They put up such a poor fight compared to smallies and, in my opinion, they are not as pretty.  Now, if I could find Largies in a true river environment, my opinion may be different….................maybe.

So, I hit this pond near my house armed with only one bait…............my swim jig.  More specifically my bullgill colored swim jig trailed with a swim bait trailer from Big Hammer baits (http://www.swimbait.com).  This pond has great shore access with only about 10 sapling trees around the pond (great place to fly fish as well).  The water right now is quite clear and the pond is only about 6 feet deep or so.

I knew my time was limited (about 20 minutes each day), so I quickly worked the pond.  First day I caught one two pound specimen and then yesterday I caught another one in the same 20 minute time period.  Yesterdays fish might have been a shade over two pounds.  I have never caught a bass from this pond that would go over 3 pounds.  The pond is covered in under-sized bluegills with a few larger green sunfish as well (hence the reason for the bullgill colored swim jig)

Both of the bass the past two days have just “smoked” the swim jig when they hit.  Matter of fact, they always hit it hard no matter the season.  I was throwing the swim jig on a custom made rod built just for my likings when it comes to swim jig fishing.  It is a casting rod with 20 pound braid.  Braid is crucial when throwing a swim jig.  You can use spinning tackle without a problem…......as long as you have braid.

Here are two bad pictures of the bass I caught yesterday.  I did not want to take more time to take a better picture as I did not want to put undue stress on the fish.  This pond seems to have limited numbers of bass in it so I did not want to subtract from the population due to poor handling practices.  If you look close in the picture you can see the swim jig/swim bait.  I know it is not the best picture:

There is a pretty fair chance that me and a buddy are going to fish this same pond today, but only armed with the fly rod.

I wish I had a bunch of river reports to post here on my blog, but I just have not been hitting the rivers and looks like I won’t for awhile.  My big plans are possibly going back home this weekend and maybe fishing a tributary off of the Rock River.  That hinges upon how high the creek gets.  I also plan to hit a local pond with the long rod hoping to tease a few dumb Largemouth Bass.  Of course, I will report what I find or don’t find.

In the meantime, I thought I would post a few websites that I visit on a daily basis.  These are great sites and worth a few minutes of viewing:

http://www.tightlinesflyshop.com
http://www.theflyfishers.com
http://www.tacklewarehouse.com
http://www.flybass.com
http://www.illinoissmallmouthalliance.com
http://www.riversmallies.com
http://www.feathercraft.com
http://www.flyfishohio.com

These sites are a wealth of free information and many have some of the best products out there for sale.  If any of you have some great sites I have not listed, feel free to add them within a comment below.

Later this week I will try to post some new fly patterns I have been working on.  In addition, I plan to write a short instructional piece on different ways to fish a tube jig.

Stay tuned….......................

AS ALWAYS…......................HAIL TO THE SMALLIE