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Overall, how has your fishing season been ???
William81
Member Posts: 25,332 ✭✭✭✭
This has been one of the worst fishing seasons I have ever encountered. The weather has been wierd all year. Way too much rain, long streches of hot weather, etc.
I have caught about half the number of bass I usually do. I am hoping it cools off soon so I can still catch a few this fall.
How has it been for you ?????
I have caught about half the number of bass I usually do. I am hoping it cools off soon so I can still catch a few this fall.
How has it been for you ?????
Comments
First, the bays and inlets in the lakes I usually fish in (Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley) were totally choked with aquatic weeds and algae. My best spot for huge bluegill was so choked with algae that it was impossible to get a line in without getting plugged up with the stuff. If I were a bass fisherman, with the heavier gear, it might not be so bad, but a fly fisherman is at a disadvantage in these kinds of conditions.
On the other hand, given the severe drought, the local river got shallow enough to wade easily for fly fishing, and I spent a lot of time on it. I've fished it lots in past years, but this was a banner year. Yesterday morning in fact, I dropped my first popper into the water at 6:30 a.m., and by nine had clipped 5 bass (2 pounders or so) and a lot of bream. The bream, as usual, ran from small to oh, as much as 8 inches long. With bream for me, it's not so much the fight, as the fishing; the enticing them to hit the popper or sinking fly.
And too, I live near a 4 or 5 year old, 2 acre pond, that is perfectly situated for fly casting. No trees or brush nearby, an 8 or 9 foot regular depth, and with steeply sloping banks. I managed to talk the owner into letting me fish it and let me tell you! it was awesome.
My general rule is to fish for bream, and catch whatever bass may come to the hook. In this pond, first 30 minutes, I never had a strike. And who's ever heard of a pond where the bream didn't bite? Anyhow, next thing I know, I've got the biggest fish I can ever recall online. It runs very deep, very strong, and comes to the top only to switch directions very quickly. Keeping the pressure on, I end up walking up and down the pond banks, just trying to keep up. Ten to fifteen minutes, with my 8 foot flyrod, of wonderful fighting (although I got tired, and with my flyrod butted into my sternum, kind of painful), and I managed to land a 5 pound channel/blue hybrid catfish. First catfish ever for me, on a flyrod.
I followed that up a few minutes later with one slightly smaller. Well Sir, it was my ninth (or so) trip to the pond before I failed to catch a big catfish. Even landed one that weighed over 5.5 pounds. And too, there were several 3 pound plus bass. It's slow fishing though. I might cast for an hour before getting that fateful strike. But when it comes, it comes in spades and catfish or bass.
But know what? Not a single bream. No baitfish whatsoever. I finally realized it's probably because the owner feeds the catfish commercial pellets. And, given the size of the catfish and bass, I suspect most all of the prey fish, the bream, had long been cleaned out.
Last week, at the pond, I was casting along the bank (which is my usual method) when I spied a small, three inch or so bass, jump out of the water, and about 24 inches up the bank (the pond is down a couple of feet due to drought), and then, make about three flips back into the water. "Ah ha!", says I, "I'll bet that fish was escaping a larger one". So I cast into that spot, and tied into another 3 pound bass.
So between the river, and the pond, I've had an exceptional year. I guess being adaptable to local circumstances and weather is what gave me the good times. For if I had depended upon my usual haunts in the lakes, I'd've been stymied for sure.
Fact is, even though it's 'fall' and October 8, the trees are still green, lower 90 degree temps today for instance....I figure to keep my fishing season going a good while.
Shucks, you've done it now. I'm going to the river. Catch you (and some fish I hope) later!
Sahagan
Had a huge fish fry for our family reunion a couple weeks later.
Creeks around here are close to being dried up.
Took a trip to Reelfoot, TN a few weeks ago, terrible.
Oh well, as a Cub fan's motto goes...."There's always next year."
[V][V][V]
As I write the winds are 20mph. Just came back from the keys and it was blowing there also.