Who's ready to go fishing???

[HICKMAN]

We went to Hardy Lake, place is full of stumps and timber, but not impressed. Caught a few short bass and the boy didn't even have luck with a bobber/worm.

 

[DarkRose]

We went to Hardy Lake, place is full of stumps and timber, but not impressed. Caught a few short bass and the boy didn't even have luck with a bobber/worm.

My dad and I used to go there off and on many years ago, never really had much luck.
We really like Brush Creek Reservoir when the crappie are hitting in the spring. We might catch small ones (sometimes tiny ones) but catching 50 or so fish in a few hours is still a blast, especially for a kid. That's where we plan on getting my soon hooked for good, lol. He gets bored FAST not catching anything.

Trying to go fishing again either today or tomorrow, but also trying to check weather and prioritizing yard work and such too... Hate having stuff that NEEDS to be done on a long weekend, lol.

 

[kickbacked]

I got out this evening for about an hour of bank fishing. Hooked into a small mouth with a chrome/blue rat l trap. Everyone around me was getting skunked so i felt a little like bill dance out there....

 

[DarkRose]

I got out this evening for about an hour of bank fishing. Hooked into a small mouth with a chrome/blue rat l trap. Everyone around me was getting skunked so i felt a little like bill dance out there....

Never had any luck with Rat L Traps... Fast or slow retrieve? Twitch retrieve or just straight reel it in?

 

[kickbacked]

Never had any luck with Rat L Traps... Fast or slow retrieve? Twitch retrieve or just straight reel it in?

Well i had a lot of submergent vegetation so i fished it probably 1-2 ft deep Medium retrieve just enough to feel the vibrations of the trap at work. Id occasionally stop it but other than that i was working it extremely simple.

 

[bwframe]

Bass are fun;

...after the freezer is full ;

 

[RobbyMaQ]

first time out this year, this morning. 5 small largemouth. too many people keeping around these parts

 

[BiscuitNaBasket]

Has anyone ever poked around large mouth bass fishing with a fly pole? I tie flys and am looking to make a few that would be scrumptious to one of those guys.

 

[RobbyMaQ]

anything is possible, but i would guess you'd have better luck with smallmouth/river fishin

 

[Zoub]

Bass are fun;

...after the freezer is full ;

So the cable guy yesterday, who knows our landlord, tells me 30" catfish are not uncommon off our back patio. The interesting part was he knew why they are here. The freezer will be full, hopefully with good eaters like yours!

 

[HICKMAN]

Caught a pretty good 4.5# at lunch the other day

 

[sig shooter]

So I bought a new fishfinder this season, a Humminbird 598ci HD SI, has GPS, Sonar, Down Imaging and Side Imaging. It's a pretty amazing little gizmo.

So we went out today to fish for crappie while also doing some scouting for a bass tournament at Starve Hollow tomorrow.

Side Note: USA Bassin has a Next Generation series, which is a adult/youth tourney series, pretty cool for me and the boy.

Anyway, my goal was to find something away from the bank with fish on it that we couldn't see and wouldn't know was there without the fishfinder.

So here is a stump we found with fish around it:

with this image, we set our bobbers to float the tube/jig at 2.5 feet and started casting at the spot we marked.

My 2nd cast over the spot:

I gotta admit, I love technology and have a lot to learn with it, but I'm pretty happy that it worked.

Thanks for the Gps reading I will have to try that spot. Lol nice looking fish

 

[Hookeye]

Heading out in an hr, with Cartel/Sage recurve and AMS

 

[Hookeye]

OK, learned some stuff in the quick time out.........

1. My balance sucks, and a slippery ledge made for some spooky moments (water not deep but cement can be hard). Didn't go down, even when I had to jump to a gravel spot to go around guy netting shad from ledge (cell and camera not baggied, dang I'm brave).

2. Snap shooting a 45 recurve won't push an arrow through a fish all the time, so 50# IMHO is min for a trad setup. Lost a couple that way (came off). Cement bottom means short distance /steep angle shots can't be done at full draw. OK, they can, but shouldn't (see item #3).

3. Fin finder arrow worked, but is cheap. Tip damaged quickly. See if a Muzzy tip can screw on. This arrow is merely a backup arrow now, I'll drop $30 each for the AMS/Muzzy carbon, whenever Bass n Bucks opens (closed Monday IIRC).

4. Shooting a lined arrow sucks (freestylin' this area is way better) and..........an elevated rest sucks. Took me too long to adjust to that stuff (translation: bad string of missed shots).

5. I shot at a carp and hit a fish following behind. Another fisherman said it was a "drum" and a "no-no". It was a buffalo, and I shot 2 more

Best of the 15 shot (measured at 25 inches).

Guys I met.

Now I have a rubber tub of bloody stinkin' fish I have to drop on a bud's farm field.......my old lady just went out to the Jeep to check on 'em, laughed her head off. Said "leave the deer alone and shoot fish, they smell as bad and the weather's nicer".

 

[CBR1000rr]

I got out twice last week. Day #1 was very slow. Caught two small large mouth bass and lost what was likely a 3 - 4 pounder at the bank. It was fun getting to that point. Hooked it on a spinner out at Martindale State Fishing area. Thursday, I hit Middlefork Resivoir and caught a 2 pound bass on 5 in Senko rigged whacky style.

Won't be able to get out for a couple weeks but here's to the thought!

 

[Hookeye]

Better shot of the Cartel/Sage/AMS early in the run..............yummy.

 

[bwframe]

So the cable guy yesterday, who knows our landlord, tells me 30" catfish are not uncommon off our back patio. The interesting part was he knew why they are here. The freezer will be full, hopefully with good eaters like yours!

So, why are they there?

If you can weed out the BS, most folks will tell you ALL they know about the fishing in the area. I am the same way, but I'm actually working on keeping my mouth shut if I don't know who I'm talking to, at least a little.

I happened on to the cats just this way. I tried a nearly forgotten old lake I hadn't been to in years. After waiving at the only other boat on the lake a few times, we spoke as the guy was loading up. He told me the bait and where to catch them. Next trip, I put a limb line to work as I was fly fishing for 'gills.

I've ate a bunch of crappie this year and more recently bluegill. I haven't eaten catfish for a few years, they were a pleasant surprise, not to mention much higher yield. I had to knock the dust off of the cat cleaning board and skinning pliers.

 

[phred]

Caught a pretty good 4.5# at lunch the other day

Nice!

 

[Zoub]

So, why are they there?

I left that part out on purpose, I will IM the answer. I cannot recall the last time I cleaned a catfish but I have some Zatarains in the kitchen, ready to go!

I have run into one small problem. If I am not catching fish, it is hard to tell my buddy no. She is training hard for the upcoming bird season, swimming up stream is one of her favorite exercises. Hopefully soon I will have some fresh fish pics instead of dog pics. I need to finish unpacking!

 

[danielson]

awe... good girl...