Stream Stalker

A Beastly Bronzeback

Tue, June 04, 2013

Did a float trip yesterday with Jim.  4.6 miles of new water.  Exploring new stretches of river is always exciting.  It is a gamble…........you never know if you will find good habitat and good fishing, or find nothing.  Yesterday was a little bit of both.  We did find some good habitat along with parts of the river that were not good.  We did not rack up big numbers, but I was able to tangle with one of the biggest river smallies I have ever caught.

We measured the fish twice and it measured between 21 and 21.5 inches!!!  What a fish!!  Here are a couple more pics…................

What always amazes me about huge smallies is how big their back tail is.  The back tail on this fish was so long and wide…..............very cool.

The fish was caught on Bob Park’s Raptor Spinnerbait.  3/8 ounce, double, gold willow blades.  I buzzed the spinnerbait just under the surface and this fish came from the side of the bait and layed a wake as he approached the bait…......very exciting….............kinda like Jaws.

All in all, numbers-wise it was a slow day.  Jim and I only mustered around 10 smallies.  Except for the giant, the rest were small fish.  But, hard to be too disappointed when you get a chance to tangle with a TRUE trophy specimen.

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

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It’s Alice Cooper Time

Fri, May 24, 2013

As I sit here, just about an hour away from a much-needed vacation, I cannot get Alice Cooper out of my mind….....................“Schools Out For Summer”!!!  Great song.  The subject matter of this epic song could not ring more true right now.  I know I am ready. 

No more getting up early to get to work.  Now, when I wake up early it will be for one thing…...................fishing.  Here are few things I am looking forward to this summer:

1.  Fly fish more
2. Taking PM naps (I love afternoon naps and then hitting the stream in the evening)
3. Watching my son play baseball
4.  Trying to get both of my kids more into fishing and the outdoors (getting the daughter out into nature has proved difficult….....think diva).
5.  Guiding and meeting new anglers (trip bookings have been on the rise the last few days) .
6 Get the Coosa Kayak on the water at least once a week
7.  Make sure to fish at least one new stream this summer (I have one selected for sure).
8.  Keeping the “boss” happy…..........everyone knows how important that one is.
9. Blog as much as possible.  I have tendency to “slack off” my blogging obligations in the summer months (I don’t even like computers in the summer).
10. Get my dad back on the streams (we have not fished together much the past few seasons)

Well, there you have it…...............top 10 goals for this summer.  If I could accomplish 60 percent of them, I would be happy.  Talk at you later…..............

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

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Rough Start to the Guiding Season

Tue, May 21, 2013

This past Sunday I was able to get on the river for my first guiding trip of the season.  I guided a fellow named Harrell Townsend.  Harrell is from Joliet and is relatively new to the river smallmouth game.  He is a great guy who was very receptive to all of my ideas.  Unfortunately, my beloved smallies were not receptive to my ideas.  The bite was basically non-existent.  We floated five miles and Harrell caught 4 stinkin’ smallies.  He did catch a largemouth and a few rock bass.  His low number of bass caught was in no way a reflection of his fishing prowess…..............the smallies were just not biting.  I have no idea why???  Just one of those days.

As we approached the take-out, I told Harrell he might have one shot at a nice fish.  As we approached the same spot where I caught a 17 incher a few nights prior, Harrell threw a spinnerbait across this little pool (about the size of a small kitchen table).  The big boy immediately bolted for the spinnerbait, but missed the bait.  Of course, he would not come back for that spinnerbait.  So, I knew what to do…..............tie on a soft plastic jerkbait.  We ran back to the boat, got Harrell all set up with a jerkbait and….....................bang, that fish came out from his hiding spot and Harrell was able to watch the fish eat the jerkbait.

This one fish kinda made the day a little less painful:

Definitely the same fish from a few nights prior…..........same length.  Here is another picture of it…......................I know, I kinda embellished the picture by having Harrell hold it way out to the camera, but we were excited!!

Really hoping that this poor day was just one day and not a signal of the summer to come…......................

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

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