Sunday, August 24, 2014

I Got to Remember I’m Not Thirty Five Anymore

I had planned on making a trip to the tailrace Friday and fish for some of the nice stocker trout shipped from Missouri on Thursday. The Missouri trout are larger than the ones the tailrace gets from Dale Hollow out of Tennessee; but my plans got sidetracked by a pulled tendon in the calf of my right leg, which occurred at the gym three weeks ago. My doctor informed me that I had to stay off the leg as much as possible and no more uphill treadmill walking for at least 3 weeks. I’m taking medication and using ice packs for the swelling, which comes and goes, depending on the amount of standing or walking I am doing. He told me that I got to remember I’m not thirty-five anymore. So wading and standing for 3 or 4 hours on the tailrace is out for a while. At least I can look forward to some great tailrace fall fishing soon.
                                                                       
Not to be outdone by this setback I decided I would do some sitting and fishing, which means casting from my boat on Smith Lake for some more bluegill to add to my quest. Fishing during late July, August and September can be tough because of the drawdown that occurs during this time of year on the lake. The fish go deep and one has to have a lot of patience to land quality fish during this time.
This is one of my favorite spots to land bluegill early in the morning using the popper. As stated it is slow fishing this time of the year because one has to let the popper sit there for some time to entice a hit, but looking at this beautiful area often outweighs the hit. I love the huge rock formations on this lake.
Patience paid off with this bluegill that showed the rigors of the spawn, with a slim body and light color. The spawn takes a toll on the big bulls, during the spawn; they seldom eat anything, because they are too busy guarding the bed. The ferrous fight the fish puts up in the spring on the fly rod is not present now because of weight and strength loss during the spawn.
If one fishes cover during the drawdown, it is usually good for a bluegill or two. This old submerged tree didn’t disappoint.
The end results of a short morning trip and a good meal for later on in the week. I never stay on the lake after 9 AM during this time of year because of the heat and horrible humidity. It gets worse as the day progresses causing one to have trouble breathing at times. Funny, during those three hours the tendon pull never enter my mine.--------Almost forgot I counted two in the cooler for the quest, I am now a long shot 27 away.

17 comments:

  1. Good Morning, Bill. Hope you take care of yourself and your tendon heals promptly so you can be more active in your Fall fishing. Congratulations on knocking two more off your Bluegill quest. That lake is beautiful for sure!

    By the way, hope you get the time to update my blog link on your blogroll. Look forward to your visits.

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  2. Mel
    Standing or walking for any time or distance can be very painful, so I am going to have to take it easy for a while. I sent you an email concerning your new address for your blog. Thanks for the comment

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  3. Good going Bill! Don't let your mind set keep you from your quest. Your water is beautiful and that in itself makes the trip worth it.

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  4. Keep that leg rested, and enjoy some early mornings on the peaceful waters!

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  5. Being able to adapt is the key..and you did great..

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  6. Gotta love having the means to adapt when needed! Great stuff, Bill

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  7. Howard
    The lower the lake the clearer the water--thanks for the comment

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  8. River
    I think the ice pack helps more than the medication. Thanks for the comment

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  9. Al
    I'm lucky to have a great lake to fish, if the tailrace doesn't pan out---thanks for the comment

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  10. Lester
    I'm to the point now that I never celebrate a birthday anymore---hate getting older--thanks for the comment

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  11. Brook
    The quest may be gone for this year. Thanks for the comment

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  12. Way to slay the gills! I have always thought that the lake you post is gorgeous! those rock formations are amazing!

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  13. Juan
    The scenery is an added plus--thanks for the comment

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  14. Way to still get out there and get some fishing in, even if it wasn't what was originally planned. Few more of those outings and you'll have 27 in the bag!

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  15. Justin
    27 super size bluegill will hard to accomplish before the end of august---thanks for the comment

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  16. I bet you eat well. Do you have fish fries with the family?

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  17. Josh
    Those bluegills fillets are as good as crappie, especially with all the fixings. Thanks for the comment

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