An Eventful Evening of Fishing With my Grandson

Getting to fish with my Grandson last weekend was a hoot to say the least. It brought back so many memories of some of my first trips with my son and daughter. We lived in Tupelo Mississippi at the time and we would go out to the local park on Sunday’s to walk the trails and of course fish for the bluegills that were stocked in the small 3-acre pond.

Well, all of those memories came back to me when Pops and his Dad carried Bryson out for his first fishing trip Saturday afternoon. His Dad told me on the way to the small pond that I was in charge of letting Bryson land his first fish. I had been talking to him for some time about this memorable trip and he was ready and pumped to go, to say the least.

We begin the journey by digging for night crawlers or red worms in the backyard. The name didn’t matter to Bryson; all he wanted to do was grab the worm as soon as we unearthed one and pull it apart. I kept telling him we needed the whole worm to make a nice meal for the fish, but his theory was that if you break the worm into, it would make 2 baby worms. So with that sound explanation in mind, we continue to dig for worms until we had enough for the evening fishing trip. Upon arriving at the little pond I notice there was some small bluegill still bedding in the shallows near the bank. So I showed Bryson how to bait the hook and we made our first cast towards the beds. I had explained to him that once the bobber goes under he needed to start reeling because that meant he had a fish on. We were lucky to be fishing in a pond that had lots of bluegills, because, within a few seconds, Bryson had his first fish with his Pops. I must admit it was a teaching experience for him to get the hang of reeling that first fish in, but after the first catch, he got better.

We battled mosquitoes, gnats, and extremely high humidity, all afternoon, but Bryson was a trooper and so was his Dan and Pops. For me, the elements were minor on this trip, because I got to teach my Grandson about the joys of fishing and how to enjoy the outdoors. I am looking forward to our first fly rod outing when he gets a little older.

One of many bluegills fisherman Bryson landed for the afternoon.

Is this little guy excited or what????? He is already asking Pops when are we going again.
Hope all Dad's have a great Father's Day!!!

Beauty of Smith Lake+Ragin Cajun Big Trout Fishing Derby

Guys today’s post starts with the announcement of the “Ragin Cajun Big Trout Fishing Derby” which will be held on the Sipsey Tailrace June 29^th. 2013.  

 

Sign up today for the Big Trout Fishing Derby hosted by Riverside Fly Shop and KC Kayak of Baton Rouge, LA. Early Registration Entry fee is $25 and must be registered and paid by 5:00pm, June 23, 2013. Registration after that time will be $35.00. Derby Entry Fee includes lunch. Prizes include a KC Kayak, guided fishing trips (one in the salt, one on the Sipsey), Mystic Fly Rods, cash, food, plus draw prizes. See the Derby Rules and Regulations for complete details. There is also a BIG FISH pot you may participate in for the largest fish in the pot. Donations and proceeds support our Big Trout in the "Sip" project.

Fishing is not the only thing one remembers when visiting Smith Lake, my home waters in Jasper Alabama. The wildflowers, the unusual rock formations and of course the super clear water is what makes this lake the most scenic in the state. One can see as far as 20 ft. down in the gin clear water. It is by far the deepest lake in the south reaching depths of over 300 ft. in some areas. 

 

Beautiful flowers line a lot of banks. I don't know the name of this flower, it resembles a magnolia bloom.

 

The mountain laurel is in full bloom

Lots of rock ledges will challenge anyone who tries to land a lure or fly underneath the ledge. This area often holds some outstanding bass, bluegill, and crappie.

An awesome rock wall where I have landed numbers of bluegills and bass

One of the many beautiful streams that runs into the lake at various places along it's 500 miles of shoreline

The lush green forest of spruce and the hardwoods trees that line the banks

Another flower that blooms this time of year

A low rock formation that doesn't end at the waters edge, but continues for many feet below the water's surface

I landed this nice 16" Spot Tuesday morning at daylight on of all things a size 6 Moth fly. I fished over an hour with different flies landing small bluegills and no bass. I decided before I left I would tie on the Moth. I made a long cast in a small nook off the main channel. The Moth landed ever so light on the still water surface and with no movement at all; after a few seconds the fly disappeared in a surface swirl that only a bass can make. Three minutes later I landed this nice male spot using my 9 ft. 5 wt. The 4X tippet withstood the numerous runs it made as it tried to break free.

Sorry to say only one bluegill qualified for the quest on this trip. What makes this bluegill special is its size; it is the largest female I have ever landed on Smith Lake. She inhaled the Seal Leech right at the edge of a rock wall near the launch as I was leaving. It was an unbelievable fight on the 4wt. I know that the quest is only for the big male bluegills, but I am going to break the rules today and count this beautiful gill----she will put me 64 away. It is going to be more difficult to complete the quest now that the big bluegill has moved back into the deep areas of the lake; but I will continue to compete.  

 

 

 

 



http://riversideflyshop.com/

A Day on The Sipsey Tailrace Landing Rainbow

I made an epic fishing trip today, no not to fish for bass or bluegill on Smith Lake; but to finally get to cast for some rainbow on the Sipsey Tailrace below Smith Dam. This was my first trip of the year there and one that proved very productive.

I noticed as I crossed the Sipsey Bridge that the water was muddy. I was hoping as I traveled the two mile road running parallel to access 5 pump station that the water would be much clearer. When I arrived I was not disappointed; the water was super clear and there was an excellent flow.

I landed this rainbow at 9:30 which was a late start for me. I had overcast skies and one other fly fisherman in the area which is what I like when I fish the Sipsey. The first cast I made produced this bow, using Alan’s Bomber. The aggressive take and the anticipation of more dry action signaled good things to happen for me the next couple of hours.

The Bomber worked its magic again as this rainbow exploded on the pattern right at the end of a good drift. I notice it took a minute after the release for it to regain its strength, before it darted off to fight another day.

 This is one of the runs that the Core of Engineers with Alabama Power created last summer on the tailrace. It is an excellent area because of the large rocks that was placed across the bottom at the beginning of the run. The depth here is between 3 and 4 ft. deep. The rock area in the photo is about a foot deep which leads into the run next to the far bank. I was able to get some excellent drifts in the run, which enable me to land some 11 to 12” rainbow in this area.

Another nice rainbow taken on the Bomber, I really like this pattern because of the hackle that Alan used. It gives the fly the ability to float high without using a tremendous amount of floatant. I landed six rainbows from this one run. I found myself doing more false casting than I normally do; but it helped to maneuver the fly for a good drift. I will get an image of this run on my next trip. It has some really fast water to maneuver the fly through.

This is the next good run I moved to; there were some spots of sunlight peaking through the cloud cover so I decided to change flies and go with a smaller pattern. I have notice on this tailrace after some good takes on a particular pattern the trout here seem to recognize real verses fake; so onto the size 14 Caddis.  This is really an unusual run with deep pocket water and sunken logs on the bottom.  I could see some really nice trout here but I never got a take from any of the 15 to 16” size.

The Caddis connected on the first cast with this bow and the dry action continued for the next half hour from this one area.

A nice healthy bow taken on the Caddis right before the sun started taking over the area, which means the bite turned off. I hope this trip is an omen of good things to come for me this year on the Sipsey. I don't know the exact number I brought to hand but I can say it was one of my best days with dries here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Spotted Bass a Worthy Opponent on Any Tackle

I thought I would use today’s post to give you guys some information about the hard fighting Spotted Bass. To me, this fish is on the same level as the smallmouth when it comes to an aggressive fighter. Probably the major difference in the two is the aerobic action the smallmouth has over the spot. I seldom land a spot that goes airborne. This is not to say they want to go airborne, but most of the time they go deep with some awesome strong runs.

I thought I knew this fish fairly well until I read the following article.

 

The Spotted Bass

The Spotted Bass (Micropterus punctulatus) is also called Alabama Spotted Bass, Black Bass, Kentucky Bass, Kentucky Spotted Bass, Linside, Northern Spotted Bass and Redeye. It has been known as the Kentucky bass for many years, which was further reinforced in 1956 when Kentucky's General Assembly as they passed a senate resolution establishing the spotted bass as Kentucky's official game fish.

The Spotted Bass is often mistaken for the largemouth bass, though it does not grow nearly as big. It is a lesser known member of the black bass group, but this is a spunky and distinguished looking species that most anglers enjoy catching. While they jump less often as the smallmouth bass, they fight just as well.

Maturity

The Spotted Bass reaches maturity by the end of year one, but will not spawn until year four. The spotted bass can be caught with all traditional baits and lures that work with largemouth bass, though the size of the lures and hooks should be smaller as the record Kentucky bass is no more than about seven pounds. Also smaller hooks will cause less damage, which is key for catch and release in reducing the mortality rate. However, if the fish is going to be lunch, this is likely not a big concern.

The spotted bass is broken down into three subspecies and named the northern spotted bass, the Alabama spotted bass and the Wichita spotted bass. For more details on the differences between these sub species, see our description section above on the right.

Feeding Habits

Juvenile Spotted Bass adults prefer crayfish, midgee larvae while the fry feed on insects and insect larvae The adult spotted bass feed on the same food that other bass eat including worms, leeches, crayfish, fathead minnows, gizzard shad and golden shiners.

As mentioned above, use the same tackle used for catching largemouth bass, just be sure to right-size your lures for the smaller size. We recommend using smaller lures and stepping them up if required.

Spawning

Like all freshwater fish, the Spotted Bass spawn in spring when the water temperature reaches 63°F/19°C. This can happen as early as February in the southern United States. The male clears a gravel bed where the female spotted bass comes to lay its eggs. Once she lays her eggs, she is chased off by the male who looks after the nest and then looks after the fry for a few weeks after they hatch.

Fishing Methods

The spotted bass can be caught with casting, trolling and fly fishing methods. Fly fishing is recommended for more experienced anger and requires a different set of tackle. For beginners, keep in mind that even a basic set of tackle including wadding gear will cost at the minimum $300.

I landed these four keepers today to add to my quest, I am now 65 away

 Betts Popper

 Olive Boogle Bug

The Seal Leech

Another fell prey to the Leech--all four taken on Smith Lake

A Nice Surprise While Bluegill Fishing

Fog and more fog was what met me and my buddy at the launch yesterday morning at Smith Lake. I hate to try to even get on the water when the fog is that dense. After waiting for a half-hour at the launch it was time to make my first cast. I could barely see my popper near the bank, and the only evidence of a hit would have been the sound on the surface of the water.

Notice how thick the fog is right at the water's edge

Nice largemouth to get things going

I only get to count one here, which was taken on the Betts Popper--still fishing with the 4 wt. here

The surprise of the morning was this nice Spot on my favorite popper of all time the Boogle Bug. I landed this male using my 5 wt.  9 ft. with an olive green Boogle. It was a blast landing this fish because of the runs he continued to make to try to break off. The 4X tippet withstood the runs he made mainly because I was able to get the fish on the reel soon after the fight begin. This is why I love fly fishing so much because landing a fighter like this Spotted Bass will certainly test your skills as a fly fisherman.

Using the Wulff Irresistable Dry to Land Super Size Bluegills

My trip to Walker County Lake was kind of rushed Tuesday, because of yard work I had been putting aside for the past week. Does mowing grass, trimming hedges, and weed eating sound familiar to you guys? I made the most of the couple of hours I had, landing numbers of smaller bluegills to keep thing interesting and a few nice ones for the quest. I will be heading to Smith Lake on Thursday in hopes of improving my count.

A nice male bluegill on the Wulff Irresistable in size 6, I just seemed to keep coming back to this dry fly---why because it lands bluegills for me when even poppers won’t get the hit. The lake had been fertilized four days earlier so that made the fish extremely finicky. They continually splashed at the popper, missing it time after time which was frustrating.

One can always find bank fisherman at the lake either fishing for bluegill or catfish. These guys had six nice catfish on the stringer.

The Game and Fish Department has placed numerous fish attractors all over the lake and this one was holding a nice bluegill for me right after I launch my boat. I think this body of water is the best managed lake I have ever fished in the state of Alabama.

The take home catch for two hours of work, I mean fun!!!  ----4 wt. magic---I will count 5 of these for the quest---I am now 69 away

 

 

 

Vintage Antique Lure Collection & More

My wife and I made a quick road trip last week to some antiques shops we had found online in Fayetteville Tennessee. We have always been interested in antiques ever since we got married.

While we were there we discovered His and Hers Antiques that had one of the largest collections of antiques fishing equipment I had seen in quite a while. What really go my attention were the old fly rods and reels and the old fishing lures going as far back as the twenties. I am not a collector of old lures, but my nephew is and he would have had a blast in this place. I can remember as a boy using some of the old lures that were in the display cases in this place. The Lucky 13, Heddon Wounded Spook, Devils Horse and of course the Hawaiian Wiggler, were just a few I fished with growing up in rural Mississippi.
The owner told me he goes to shows all over the United States to collect, sell, and swap lures with other lure collectors. NFLCC Tackle Collectors is his favorite place to keep in touch with other lure collectors and just share information about old fishing equipment. This place got me to thinking about collecting some of those old wooden lures I use to fish with.

or

There was over 600 lures in this one shop.

The fly rod display in the background was special; in fact the fly rod reminded me of my Dad's old Pflueger

Wonder how many fishing trips this old Evinrude has made??

Not a bad price for the entire collection

 

                                              

Continuing The Bluegill Quest on Scenic Smith Lake

My first trip on Smith Lake today was wind out the east and bluebird skies, and we all know what that means. According to the old timers back in the day, they would always say “wind out of the east fish bite the least and wind out of the west fish bite the best” I know this has some merit because one is actually fishing behind a front that has just passed through when the wind is out of the east, and from the west the front is approaching, which means the fish are more active. The bluebird skies derive from the front that has already passed through meaning clear skies with no cloud cover, hence bluebird skies. Another factor that really plays into this scenario is the barometer. In my opinion a good fishing barometer is essential for any serious minded fisherman. I know a lot of you guys don’t have the luxury of picking and choosing the times you go fishing, which makes the wind direction and the barometer a none factor; but for individuals like me who can fish anytime during the day and year, then the wind and barometer play a big part in when I take to the water. This is not to say I don’t go on lousy days, like today but when one has the time to fish as I do, why not make the most of it chasing those bluegill, crappie, bass and trout.

 



The end result of a very slow morning--the bigger bluegills were not in the nooks and not bedding, this big bluegill was on the rock wall--I landed some smaller females but this was all I could muster for the morning--I will count this guy putting me 74 away from my quest

 

Barometer Guide

 

     High Pressure (30.50 +) = Clear Skies = Fishing Medium to Slow = Fish slowly in deeper water or near cover.

Medium Pressure (29.70 – 30.40) = Fair Weather = Normal Fishing = Test lures, baits, and techniques to see what works.

Low Pressure (29.60 -) = Cloudy/Rainy Weather = Fishing Slows = Fish slowly in deeper water or near cover.

Rising Pressure = Improving Weather = Fish Slightly Active = Fish slowly in deeper water or near cover.

Stable Pressure = Fair Weather = Normal Fishing = Best time to test lures, baits, and techniques to see what works.

Falling Pressure = Degrading Weather = Best Fishing = the fish will attack anything you throw at them. (well, pretty much)

So, what is the best barometric pressure for fishing? Answer: When it’s    between about 29.90 and 30.90 and the pressure is rapidly falling. This is when you will find the fish most active and feeding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fishing For Some Beautiful Bluegills With The Betts Poppers

I have spent a few days in Mississippi this week fishing with my brother landing crappie "future Post", and some colorful bluegills that were left behind by the bobber fishermen. Thursday afternoon was best with the temps in the lower 70’s and no wind at all. In other words it was a glass water surface perfect for some fantastic popper action with the fly rod. The water temperature was still in the cool stages from a number of cold nights they had experienced a couple of days earlier. The bite was not explosive but one could differently tell when the popper was being taken. Soft hits are usually the case when you fish after a cold front. I never used anything but the Bett’s popper all afternoon; with a variety of colors used to entice the hits. It just seems one color would not suffice.

This is one beautiful bluegill, notice the orange belly--taken on a white dot Betts Popper

Another counter with the cream Betts Popper

Nice fat dark bluegill on black legged Betts Popper

Another counter on the white legged Popper

The last counter of the afternoon, with the white legged popper stuck in the throat--I count five here making me 75 away from my quest.

 

 

 

Hiking The Appalachian Trail Georgia to Maine

Thought you guys might enjoy following the adventures of Nathan Gressett one of my former students who is hiking the Appalachian Trail. He started his epic journey in Georgia 3 weeks ago and will complete the hike in Maine sometimes in late September or early October. He has not posted anything for the past couple of weeks because he got his cell phone wet and lost all contact. He will be back on line in a couple of days so if you would like to keep track of his journey just type his name in Utube search and it will give you his progress.

 

The beginning of the trip

 

Second day of the hike

 

Springer Mountain

 

Bat hunting on the trail

 

Neal's Gap

 

Blood Mountain

 

Dick's Creek Gap

 

Cow Rock Mountain

 

Low Gap Georgia

 

Low Gap is his last report