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THE LATEST FISHING WORD Archive
Reports from various locations

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Previous Reports:
(Newest to Oldest)

 

 

September 3 2001-Bagnell Dam below Lake of the Ozarks, Mo.
Water is warm, actually 83 degrees F, since they are rarely running the dam, and as a result the best action is sunrise and sunset.  Fish live shad or shad strips on the bottom near the dam for blue and channel catfish 1lb-5lbs, or nightcrawlers for buffalo.  Use small spoons near the dam, or live small shinners around the islands  in the river for crappie and white bass.  Hope the first frost come soon so we can hit the main lake for white bass!
S
 

Aug 3, 2001 San Diego CA (actually 80 miles offshore southwest of San Clemente Island).
If you haven't had the chance yet, take a 1-day (or longer) Outer Banks Tuna trip out of San Diego-They are a blast!  Our boat for the 1.5 day trip we took was the Grande out of Point Loma (www.pointlomasportfishing.com), and our target was Albacore.  After departing at 10:00PM and spending an hour loading the well full of frisky anchovies and sardines, we left the harbor and cruised at speed to the fishing grounds, arriving at 5:20 AM.  The engines the slowed and as the cook started whipping up a batch of coffee and omlets (excellent cook on this boat I might add!), we began a 7kt troll. The game is troll to locate the scattered schools, then live chum the rest of his buddies to the boat, where everyone else tosses a live bait to his boiling schoolmates.  When the bite stops, trolling begins again.  While the boat provides adequate trolling tackle and lures (a 4/0 penn senator with 50lb test and a Zuckers Tuna Feather in Zucchini rigged with a double hook), if you bring your own I recommend a 40lb outfit and use the lure above or a Sevenstrand Tuna Clone in the same colors. Every angler on the boat rotates through the trolling rotation, 4 rods out the back at a time.  Upon hook-up, the mates toss in a few anchovies to bring up the rest of the tuna school,  and ready anglers (not already fighting a fish hooked on the troll) toss out and freeline a the liveliest anchovy they can find on 10lb-25lb gear ( Penn 555 or 545/535 or 3/0 or Penn 8500/9500SS or 740Z  then tie the line straight to a #4-#2  high strength, hyper sharp, live bait hook-don't scrimp on these-go ahead and pay the $3 for 5 they cost--trust me--and 6 feet above the hook add a rubber core 1/4oz sinker).  Walk with the bait as it slowly swims away from the boat, keeping your reel in freespool.  The take is lightening quick, so be ready! upon the take wait 2 seconds then engage the drag and hang on.  An albacore will blister off (literally as on of my little bros found out when he tried to thumb the spool) 50yds of line for each 8lbs of fish on the first run (i.e. a 32 lb fish will take 200yds of your line before you can gain any), and they make more than one run!  Not that Albacore are the only beasties out there, as bluefin tuna in the 10lb-100lb range often join the party, followed by yellowfins (5lbs-40lbs), yellowtails (8lbs-25lbs), and dorado (aka mahi-mahi 2lbs-20lbs).  Another set of  visitors to the boat as evening draws near are the Blue and sometime Mako sharks, who  prowl waiting for a misplaced bait or small tuna to snack on. We ended up with more than enough tuna and yellowtail for many fish dinners to come, and memories that will last a long time.  Can't wait for the next trip!!!


 
 
 

Apr 12, 2001 Jetty Park Pier, Port Canaveral Florida.
I love  a two coast trip, and if you center at Orlando, you can easily fish both the Gulf and Atlantic in a week long trip.  Thanks to warm water, Spanish Mackeral have taken up residence on the high tide in the pass, and are great fun on light tackle (4lb-8lb test) and the fly (6-8wgt, white/yellow streamers).  These early fish are leader shy, so a short(6") 20-25lb flourocarbon leader will keep your lure on most of the time.  Other fishes around this pier include silver jennys, midshipmen, and assorted small fry, with a shark or snook possible at night.  A great feature of this pier is also that is is one of the very best places to watch a rocket launch from Cape Kennedy, which is just across the pass.

    A few pics to enjoy (including two shots from EPCOT)
 

Apr 11 and 13th, 2001 Homosassa Florida.
The water is still a touch cold for the tarpon this area is famous for (though this time last year they where here), but the speckled trout, spanish mackeral,  and small cobia have appeared off the Gulf grassbeds between the river mouth and St. Martins Islands.  A Power Sand eel in pepper/charturese fished as a twitchbait (no weight, worm-stlye offset hook-3/0) will get all three species interested, with occasional whacks from Bank sea bass and ladyfish.  Up the river below the spring, the mangrove snapper are still plentiful, and on the oyster bars on the channel edges, sheepheads can be caught on live shrimp.  Offshore, black and gag grouper can be trolled up from 30 feet of water, and channel markers in 20 feet+ hold larger cobia.

    A few pics to enjoy (including two shots from EPCOT)

Lake Carlyle Spillway, Carlyle, Illinois, March 30, 2001
The winter is finally over here in the midwest, and the white bass, walleye, crappie, and sauger hae started feeding with a vengance!  Just below the suspension bridge is the payoff area, and rooster tails, and 1.5" green/silver crappie tube jigs are the payoff lures.  This is prime ultralight action, but the occasional 3 lb sauger or 7lb walleye may want to make you use 4lb gear instead of 2lb.
 

Dec 26-31 2000  San Diego CA
Escape the snow of the north and head to sunny San Diego, where the weather is 70 degrees almost every day (except in the morning when it is COLD).  Yellowtails, Rockfish, Mackeral, and Sand Bass are the ticket for the half day and 3/4 day boats out of Pt. Loma, or bonito out of Seaforth.

 
-Here are a few pics for your enjoyment!


October 00 Destin Florida (Pass, Pier, and Boats)
A lack of fresh water input into the Gulf has slown down fishing quite a bit, but if you have a flyrod and a few clousers or shrimp flies, the jetties and pass will provide quite a bit of fly rod fun.  A size #2 white marabou clouser, or a clipped back crazy charlie in #4 cast near the rocks, allowed to settle, then stripped back will get hit by mangrove snappers, baby jack crevalle, baby groupers, and bluefish. I would use a 8lb tippet to avoid getting cut off in the rocks by this catch and release fishery.
On the pier, a half-ounce jig head and power sand eel body in cajun/chartruese is the ticket for a mixed bag of spanish mackerel and ladyfish, especially at sunset.

24 September 00  Near Rosati MO-Meramec Trophy Trout Area.
Since the canoes of summer have finally given the river a breather, the browns have decided to feed full force, and the near totally catch  and release format of the trophy trout area provides ample fishing room.  The pools are deep and long and numerous release size browns 8"-14" smashed plugs (with the trebles replaced by barbless singles), cracklebacks, and mayfly patterns in late afternoon and sunset.  Concentrate at the head and tails of the pools and around overhangs.
 

19-20 August 00  Winfield MO
The slough is low and shad hard to find, but if you  put a 4" one (dead) into the main river on the bottom, the drum and cats will repond.  After two break-offs on 20lb test due to the very  sharp rocks, we landed some nice drum in the 5lb range.  Buffalo, gar, and carp abound in the shallow slough, but corn and worms will also get a reponse.

5-12 August 00 Lake Carlyle Spillway, Carlyle IL
The gates are open and for two weeks in a row the white bass are everywhere! Nearly every cast with a 1" pearl sassy shad shad on 1/32oz jig set one foot below a weighted bobber, cast out into the current, and retrieved slowly, gets wacked.  Most of the bass are on the small side, 6"-10".  Intermixed are a few goldeyes and crappie for variety. Pics next week (took with my regular camara so I I have to develop them).
 

22-23 July 00 Branson MO Lake Taneycomo
Power generation is at a lull with the generators comming online around noon, allowing for ample morning flyfishing opportunities and evening spinning opportunities.  Near the dam, beadhead nymphs in size #16-18, gnats in #20, and yarnballs (glowballs) are the payoff flies for numerous release sized rainbows 10"-20".  The browns are few during the day, but are more plentiful near dark and after dark.  In the deeper downstream waters below Falls Creek, creek chub and native shiners are brown trout candy, yielding many 12"-20" (also release sized).  Alternatively, pitching a 4" suspending or floater/diver Rapala or Yo-Zuri in silver/black at sunset near structure and weedlines also pick the browns.  I reccomend clipping off at least one point/treble on the crankbaits, and de-barbing the rest for eash brown trout release.  As always, powerbait nuggets, and worms,fished on 2# test  in the bait areas below Falls Creek (main street, and Branson parks) produce numerous stocker rainbows fit for a trout dinner.
 


12 July 00  Busch Wildlife Area Lake 34, Weldon Springs MO.
Due to good care by the MO Dept. of Conservation and careful management, many of the lakes at Busch Wildlife Area offer good fishing accessable to everyone.  Lake 34 hosts largemoth bass, hybrid bass (very few), channel catfish, and bluegill.  The bass fishing is good if you are willing to hike, or if you rent one of the row boats ($8/day) and chase the schools of surface feeding fish.  THe catfishing is excellent on the surface near sunset and after sunrise using minnows(especially dead cut shad and live green sunfish), stinkbaits, livers, and  worms around submerged trees or weedlines near dropoffs (cast about 10 yards off the shoreline near trees, fsh bottom in mid-day)..  The bluegill are pleniful and off good ultralight targets nearly all day on crickets, grasshoppers, red worms, meal worms, and assorted ultralight and flyrod lures (chartruese and black or black/gold patterns and lures).

30 June 00-5 July 00 Lake Taneycomo (Branson, Forsyth MO)
While the water was low in prior weeks, preventing stocking, rain now put the lakes at or near full pool, and water releases resumed.  The release of water from the bottom of Table Rock Lake is like a cold water injection to Taneycomo, bringing the lake temp down to the 50's and lower 60's, and energizing the remaining trout.  Also, due to the lower lake temps from the water releases, stocking of 12" rainbows resumed July 3.  Up until the third, the only way to catch trout was this: around 1:00 AM-4:00 AM, use calume sticks attched to strke indicators and drift glo-balls (yarn egg imitations), bead head caddis pupae, and scud imitations below the hatchery outlets, and toss wooly-boogers, with a calume stick 12" above,  into the the current.  These methods produced good fish, but requires a sweatshirt (yes, cold in the summer!-while the air in Branson is 80 with 90% humidity, it is foggy and 60 within 10 feet of the water's surface).  However, once the fish got used  to the regular flow of water (9:00 AM the generators came on), and the stockers began to feed, a good dry fly bite began in the morning 5:00 AM-9:00AM. Cracklebacks (chartruese w/brown hackle) floated high were easy meals for 10"-14" rainbows, while bead head caddis pupae fished 7' below an indicator was good for the first hour after the water began to rise. Now that stocking has resumed there should also be a good afternoon bite in the bait areas downstream near Main Street and the parks.
 

24 June 00 Lake Carlyle Spillway (Detect a trand here?)
With no water comming from the dam after 10:00 AM, and while dodging tornadoes and thunderstorms, the daytime fishing was not as good as normal.  The fish were not into school rigs (no flow, no school rig bites), but would hit a worm drifted on a boober along the walls and rocks.  The best action yet however, was after dark.  Large schools of buffalo began slurping insects off the surface, exposing their snouts like so many trained carp.  A good cast and drift from a 6wgt flyrod equiped with 6-8lb tippet and #12/14 popper or caddis dry fly resulted in a quick hook up and long battle with large fish!!  We each let go several fish (one of which would have nicely filled the IGFA vacancy for bigmouth buffalo on 8lb tippet, next time I bring a scale and camera!!!).

18 June 00 Chain of Rocks IL
The water is high, but the sturgeon are biting deep, and the drum are right up against the flooded grass. A cricket or baby nightcrawler on a bobber (set the #4 hook down 4-5feet) drifted next to the flooded grass will produce lots of drum and carp.

17 June 00   Lake Carlyle Spillway IL
Ditto of previous week, but a bit slower due to reduced water output.  Lots of bigheads to catch, along with a few white bass, all on school rigs as discussed previously..
 

10/11 June 00 Lake Carlyle IL Spillway
Wow.  This place made the chain of rocks look fish poor.  Live shad tossed below the dam yielded numerous sauger, drum (1-4lbs), walleye, and Gar.  Worms and small minnows dangled near the banks yielded lots of little bluegill and decent Crappie.  HOWEVER, tossing a baitfinder rig with two loops armed with #4 hooks and sm green tube jig bodies  (known as a bait rig in saltwater or a school rig in the midwest yielded impressive numbers of buffalos (to 8lbs), white bass, yellow bass, crappies, and massive bighead carp which bash the jig bodies heartily.  A hookup with the bigheads (aka chinese carp, an exotic species introduced 15 years ago accidentaly) and you will either be snapped, or enjoy a 20 minute battle on light tackle to land one (6lb-8lb test for a 30lb-40lb fish is tough but possible).  By the way, if you want to keep any fish for dinner, let go the native fishes and keep as many bigheads as you can, since they complete with the white bass and buffalo for food and space.


 

3/4 June 00 Chain of Rocks (IL side) Mississippi River, Granite City IL
Sturgeon, Flathead Catfish, Gar, Drum, White bass.
Rapids on this section of the lower Mississippi RIver are a rarity, but where they are, fish are also!  The current is extrememly strong, but casts into the whirlpool edges using 4oz bank weights, size 2 hooks, and nightcrawlers yielded lots of shovelnosed sturgeon in the 2lb-6lb range.  Downstream, live shad at dusk yielded large flatheads around wingdams, while the hsallow sandy stretches produced drums 6"-24" on worms.  The white bass were few and small, but would take small tube jigs.


26 May 00  Sand Slough, Winfield MO
Lots of Gar and carp wait the angler willing to toss fresh shad or corn into the channel.  We caught dowens of 1lb-3lb carp on corn and dozens of 3lb-6lb shortnose gar on live 3" shad.

19 May 00 Busch WIldlife Area, St. Charles County, MO
Late many sees many post spawn bass in this area, and nearly all the lakes in Busch Wildlife Area are loaded with them (especially the catch and release lakes).  the Largemouth, crappie, and redears were easy pickings on very small jigs and black woolyworms (size 6), Joes Hoppers, and poppers (size 10).  Fish windblown points with rocks and grass banks, as the fish eagerly await grasshoppers blown in from the grass.

12 May 00 A Lake Spillway in St. Charles County.
Now I couldn't give you all of my favorite spots!  This spot is accessable due to a highway easement and commuter lot, but it resembles many spillways in its fishing characteristics.  During the late spring and early summer, fish swim up the creek to relish the comparitive cooler and oxygenated waters of the spillway.  They also enjoy feeding on the fish and insects washed over the dam.  Here, there were numerous carp, crappies, and sunfish that readily hit woolyworms and poppers.

8 May 00 Above Bagnall Dam, Lake of the Ozarks MO
While fishing below the dam is slow, an on-comming low pressure system (followed by a deluge that flash flooded many fellow anglers in Jefferson County) triggered explosive action from Largemouth in the 1lb-4lb range right on top!  A 3" bass assassin (phantom colored) fished quickly along the drop offs above the dam provided constant bass action until we were forced in by the downpour.  Earlier, wolly worms provided action from both sunfish (green sufish and bluegill) and bass along the rocks.

1/2 May 00 Jefferson County Big River Public Access near Union MO
Largemouth/Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, and Carp are the targets downstream from the swimming area.   The Largemouth will take a 4" white rubber worm (texas-style rigging w/1/4oz bullet weight) tossed into downed trees, while worms fished on size #8 hooks below a split-shot weight accounted for carp and bluegill.

23 April 00  Busch Wildlife Area (Lake 33) Weldon Springs MO
Largemouth Bass, bluegill and Crappie are great fun on flyrod poppers!  The evenings (just before and after sunset) are seeing heavy 'bug' activity, making for easy pickings using a #8 Pecks Blugill Special (minus the rubber legs) tossed along the rocky shorelines near fish feeding activty (can't miss all the splashing). Short, quick strips are the key.  If you don't have a flyrod, don't fret: just use an ultalight spinning rod, and rig a small bobber or piece of floating plastic worm 2-3 feet above the popper and you will see the same result.

15/16 Apr 00 Bagnall Dam (above and below) Lake of the OZarks and Osage River, MO
With spring and and hydroelectric power comes the wonder of Hybrid and White bass feeding sprees (the hybrids are stocked annually).  While most of the big brusers hung out directly around the generators (in plain view from the look out platform above) most of the time, a good hour of rising water from the generators puts the fish with in reach of legal bank anglers and all boat anglers.  4lb-8lb test with a 1oz kastmaster (or similar jigging spoon) fished well out into the current and in close contact with the bottom (yes you will need to have several on hand as the rocks will claim their share) will produce white bass from 1lb-4lbs and hybrids from 4lbs-12lbs.  Above the dam, a sinking woolyworm or 1/32oz jig produced numerous sunfish including bluegill and crappie around rocky points and coves near deep water.


8 Apr 00 Winfield MO -Sand Slough
What fun one can have on a post cold front day with ultralight tackle and a can of corn.  First take a handful (check the legality of this before doing it) of the corn and pitch it into a likely carp holding spot, then wait 30 minutes.  Next, using a #6 hook on 2lb-6lb line and with a small splitshot 12" above the hook, thread corn onto the hook until covered.  Toss the bait into the water and enjoy!  We caught and released about 30 1lb-3lb carp a piece from this spot, turning a post cold front blowout into a light tackle bonanaza (too bad there is a fish advisory for carp from the Mississippi River, or a few of these little carp would have become dinner-as a non resident species the River could have done ok minus a few).

2 Apr 00 Otter lake IL (from Uncle Johnny)
I help catch on Otter lake with the dept. of natural resources. It was 4 inches to short for a
keeper. They have to be 48. Didn't know that there were any fish that big in Ill. Will send some of
the saltwater ones latter.

31 Mar-1Apr 00  Busch Wildlife Area
The largemouth bass are biting finally, and the big girls are hanging on drop offs near shallow flats or rocks.  In the shallow lakes, a zipper worm or bass assassin fished slow will produce, while in deeper lakes with rip-rap shorelines, jigs or 4" suspending crankbaits also fished slow work.  We c/r'd several bass in the 1lb-3lb range with one or two in the 4lb+ range on lakes 33 and 27.
 

22-24 Mar 00  Lake Tanneycomo, Branson MO:  Trout everywhere in the area below the Table Rock Dam.  While the browns are hitting well in the mornings and evening on any minnow-like lure (white and black bead head woolyboogers, 3" floating and suspending rapala husky jerks and rebel mystics), the rainbows are all day hitters.  Use 1/2" weighted peach glowballs, #18 scuds and shrimp imitations, and in the evening #18 caddises.

Feb 18-20 2000 Offshore Baja California, Mexico (Corondo Islands to Pescadero BC) aboard the Legend.
If you want true hardcore angling, winter yo-yo fishing for California Yellowtails is it!  We took off at 8:00 PM from Seaforth Landing in Mission Bay San Diego, and after hiting the bunk for a rough nights sleep (as the boat bounded through the unsettled Pacific) woke up at 3:00 am PST (a good thing about jet lag here-me and my little bro thought it was 5:00 AM) to pick off a few straggling Barred Sand Bass while the boat was at anchor behind the northernmost of the Coronado Islands on chunks of fresh sardine fished with a sliding egg sinker above a 2/0 hook.   As day broke, the captain raised anchor and we began the day search for schools of Yellow tail.  The routine is something like this: 1) The capatin slows down and spots a school 80  feet down, 2) the mate begins tossing live sardines out the back to pull the fish to the boat, 3) the boat slides to a slow drift, and you toss your 5oz Iron jigs (Salas 6x, Iron Man, Tady in Blue/Chrome or Scrambled egg) out to the side on 30lb gear, 4) your jig hits near the bottom or at a count specified by the skipper whense you begin reelling at warp 9  until your jig either is wacked by a fish or it returns to the surface 5) either you spend 5 minutes battling a 'YT' or you repeat steps 3-4 until the captain decides to move to another spot (hense the term yo-yo fishing-drop and retrive the jig like a yo-yo).  This routine goes the entire first day with only one yellowtail landed (by hans-half the fun is meeting the other hard core anglers on the boat-11 others in this case). After another ride (during which I again bunked) to Pescadero, and night at anchor, my bro and I again did the 3 am shift on the barred sand bass (about 3lbs). The sea was much rougher than the previous day with open water swells at 8 feet.  We started the day at 6:00 AM with a cruise to anchor over a few kelp beds a 1/2 mile off the beach for a few rockfish (in season south of the border but closed season in California in the US).  By noon we again were headed to the islands through a few squalls and very rough seas (It took a serious effort on my part not to be sick between fishing stops-and I NEVER GET SEASICK-IT WAS THAT ROUGH!!!).  We again yo-yo fished around the northern Coronado Islands (while grabbing the rail) with one good bite in which my little bro (the lucky dog!) landed his first YT.  By  5PM we were headed back to the good old USA and a nice real bed at a hotel in San Diego by 9:00 PM (too tired to get the door for the pizza guy!!!). We'll be back in the summer!!

--A whole directory of pics from the trip-enjoy!
---Our home for two days-the Legend at Seaforth Landing
---My Little bro with a barred sand bass
---the North Island of the Corronado Islands (1)(2)
---My little bro with his first YT-good going!
---My bro showcasing the weapons of the trade-30lb casting gear
---A baby lingcod before release (hans is in the background-thanks for the pic chris the mate)
---A mixed bag: Rockfish, sand bass, and yellowtails
---Departing for home
 
 
18 Feb 2000 Ebarcadero Pier, San Diego CA
Sand Bass.  As a prelude to our offshore adventure, we poked around this downtown San Diego pier for a few hours with little success using our 8lb tackle.   However, a wiser man with a 2lb ultralight and 1/16 oz jig w/grub tail (same kind of gear I was using a week ago for rainbows)  caught and released many 8"-12" barred sand bass.  We saw several pacific mackeral schools out of range in the middle of the bay, and large numbers of baitfish, but it was slow unless you were slinging the light tackle.

9 Feb 2000- Busch Wildlife Area-Weldon Springs MO.
The stocked trout are again hittable in the freshly defrosted lakes (21,
28,22,23,24) and all baits and lures are fair game if you have a trout stamp.
After 1 Feb, all the Urban Stocking program lakes became catch and keep, since
by May the water becomes unsafe for trout (water temp >70 F).  Small nymphs (bed
head olive #16) work, as does corn, powerbait, and mealworms.  The lakes offer a
prime opportunity for anglers to pull out a trout dinner without upsetting the
ecosystem, so now is the time.  PS Remmber to have a current license and Trout
stamp, and keep only what you can eat--see the posted signs). ONLY 3 WEEKS till
trout park opening day (catch and keep)!
 

5 Feb 2000-Meramac Springs-St. James MO
Rainbow trout, Shiners, Longear sunfish.  The ice has retreated and armed with a
'lunker' catch&release season tag, we dropped flies in the ole trout park hoping
to get a picture of a 5lb rainbow.  Unfortunately the trout had other ideas and
only a few were fooled into biting.  Lime colored glow balls, size 14-10 dry
flies (elk hair in white, grey or light brown), and grey wolly worms (#10)
picked up a few trout here and there, along with several 8" shiners and 4"
sunfish who also enjoy the relatively warm waters of the springs.  The trophy
trout area was tough and lacking waders, we skiped its usually productive lower
reaches, while the upper reaches were very cold and several backwaters were iced
over. The nicest thing however, was having only 10 anglers in all of the trout
park (talk about open spaces!).
 
 

Busch Wildlife Area, Weldon Springs MO 2 Jan 00.
Thanks to the winter stocking program, trout abound in 5 lakes at Busch Wildife Area: 21 and 28 (Catch and Release Only until end of Feb-NO BAIT!!!) and 22,23,24 (Catch and Keep-just have a trout stamp).  Fishing in the Catch and Release Lakes is excellent with small nymphs fished on light tippets (#18-22,2lb tippet), small plugs (suspending rebels and rapalas), and jigs on 2lb test.
 
 

(A couple of pictures from the 31 Dec 99 Y2K Celebration at the Magic Kindom in Orlando--Family time over fishing for this day I'm afraid!--HAPPY NEW YEAR!)
--Electric Light Parade
-- The Castle
--Fireworks over the castle
 

Port Canaveral Jetty Pier, Florida 28 Dec 99, 30 Dec 99.
Not only is this place a very good spot to watch rockets launch and Space Shuttle's land, but with a bucket of live shrimp and light tackle (4lb-8lb test) you can pull up sailors choice, very large pinfish (2lbs+, NOTE THE DISTINCTION-the locals will also call pinfish a 'sailors choice') sheepshead, and black drum.  Watch the tides and clod fronts.  An oncomming cold front will also bring in baby king mackeral and spanish mackeral (free drift a mullet on 30# mono leader off the end). After a cold front and between tides, watch the manatees and sea turtles because the fish will have lockjaw.
--A picture of a fat pinfish from the pier
--Another fat pinfish
--A black margate
--Another good nearby pier- Cocoa Beach Pier (1) (2)

Bananna River Bridge near Cocoa Beach FL 26/7 Dec 99
A couple of casts with a jig and shrimp yielded several southern kingfish (aka whiting) and specs.
--A southern Kingfish (also known as whiting)
--A picture of the bridge from the fishing area facing west.
 

Homossasa River, Florida- 29 Dec 99
As I said above, a massive winter hotspot.  $50/day rents a johnboat which can get you anywhere in the river, provided the water is deep enough not to tear up your boat bottom (you will of course be travelling at idle speed anyhow to avoid hurting the endangered manatees that also like the warmer water). In the mouth of the river, we sought out and found a oyseter bar paralleling the main channel, fed by grass-lined tidal creeks.  A toss of a 3" bass assassin w/ 1/4 oz jig head into the edies boardering the channel on the outgoing tide produced numerous 12"-26" speckled trout.  Crawl the jig along the bottom, until you find the school of fish, then return your casts to the same spot. We also encountered several sheepsheads who also took a jig.  Further up river, packs of marauding jacks and ladyfish are good sightfishing targets using the same jigs, or a  8wgt rod armed with a larger deciever or clouser.  As you get closer to the spring, there are numerous rockpiles to cast to, and manatees to look at and steer around, so be alert.
-- A good Spec from the river mouth
-- The structure that produced all the good fish: An oyster lined channel w/creek
--Monkeys in Homossasa Florida?  This island in the river is home to monkeys retired from scientific research.

(From Uncle Johnny) Skyrush Lake, IL 1 Nov 99

Tried a new lake today and the crappie are still shallow. Here are a few that we caught on jigs
only. 61'temp.10' deep in the brush.

--A couple of fish from skyrush lake
 

(From Uncle Johnny) Pittsfield IL October 99
Finally the fish are starting to come to the shore to eat. The water temp. was 57.4 about 2.5 lower
than last year when we go into them Only fish one ft. deep in the dead falls the ghost will not hurt
you.
--A nice stringer of crappies

Mississippi River, above the Winfield MO Lock&Dam, 25-6 Sep 99
Freshwater Drum, Flathead Catfish, Bowfin, White Bass, Blueback Herring.  While the warmer weather slowed down fishing in the slough, fishing in the main river above the locks was o.k.  Live shad were the ticket for the few drum, white bass, and bowfin that bit, while gar regularly blasted the surface for any shad that moved to slow.  However, in the river, the evening hatch of cadis and mayflies brought lots of activity from blueback herring, and the fish that eat them.  A small white trout jig or streamer tossed to boiling fish was whacked by the agressive herring (a.k.a. 'jack' in the midwest), and resulted in fiesty action on an ultralight spinning reel or light flyrod. The herring, in turn, made excellent bait for large drums lurking near the bottom just past where the rock bank meets the mud bottom.  An ocasional flathead will also take herring or shad or worms.

Old Illinois River, near Pittsfield IL, 14 Aug 99
(From Uncle Johnnie)Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish.  Using live green sunfish on a bankpole can prove to be very effective for a variety of catfishes, especially big ones.  Uncle Johnnie shows here what a good day of poling can produce.  The technique can also be used by anchoring a boat near heavy cover (preferably near a creek mouth) and dropping the wriggling sunfish into the structure and around it edges.

Post Hurricane fishing-Floyd: One of the downsides of living in a fishing paradise like Florida is the occasional wind-wacking by a tropical storm or hurricane. While in the days following such a beating, clean up is a priority, when you find an hour or two, pitch a line in the local insore water and you will be very suprised!  After a big storm, many offshore fish are disoriented and displaced from their normal haunts and pushed by storm surge into easy reach of the shorebound angler.  As an example, after Hurricane Opal back in 1995 (Yep, I saw this one very up close and personal from a bunker on Eglin AFB) good sized red snapper and grouper abounded in Choctawhatchee Bay around the deris and pillings in the bay.  For anyone who could get a boat out to the downed piers (an inflatable boat dragged off the beach on a very calm day did nicely) Grouper, Little Tuny, and giant redfish awaited even a month later.  So, make sure you tie down that gear, and when you aren't digging your neighbors out, take a hour an recover your sanity by catching a couple fish.  P.S. Think twice before eating these easily caught fish, as often the inshore water becomes extremely poluted form sewage and garbage-you won't be able to refrigerate them anyhow if you don't have electricity!  For those in Floyd's path-good luck and stay safe-Cfish.
 

Pittfield Lake, Pittsfield IL, week of 9 Sep 99. (from Uncle Johnny)
Crappie, Bluegill, Walleye, White Bass.  Out in the farmland of east-central Illinois lies the small community of Pittsfield, with its nearby resevoir Lake Pittfield.  This lake is stocked with a wide variety of fish from Walleye and Black Bass to Muskellunge and Hybrid Stripers.  Using fish finder locate submerged humps and structure, then drop 1/64 oz jigs on ultralight tackle and jiggle until bit.  While this technique requires extreme patience, it will payoff even in the heat of the waning dog days of summer.
 

Busch Wildlife Area, Weldon Springs MO, 13 Sep 99
Largemouth Bass.  Fall is in the air and an oncomming coldfront often triggers frantic feeding activity. A 3" shad colored bass assassin produced numerous 10"-14" bass in Lake 28, but many lakes will have similar results.   The bass are hanging along the edges of the weedlines and following schooling shad and sunfish.  Look for nervous water and cast nearby to cash in.

Lake Taneycomo, Branson MO, 4-6 Sep 99
Brown trout, Rainbow trout, Largemouth Bass.  This lake is truely a world class fishery, and I would bet that it will produce a world record Brown in the next 5 years.  Due to heavy stocking, and a constant source of cool water (46-56 F) from the Table Rock Lake Dam, trout are extremely plentiful.  The rainbows are easy pickings (they are stocked in large numbers on a weekly basis) on a variety of lures and baits.  In the lure only area above falls creek, a white jig or small suspending/sinkig rebel or rapala swimming plug will produce rainbows and small browns, while in the 'bait' area below falls creek, rainbows will 'fall' to the same lures and orange power eggs.  While the rainbows are easy, the browns were not! Below the Table Rock dam, before the generators run, in the morning from 6 AM - 9AM , many browns in the 3lb-5lb class jumped and smacked small midges and damselflies, but only an absolutely perfect presentation would even get a swirl.  Size #20 scuds presented well got an occasional hit from the baby browns (12").  In the evening at sunset, suspending rapalas and scuds also produced small browns below the dam, while in downtown Branson, rainbows took plugs under the lights of main street.  A boat angler will also do well to cast to deep water structure such as downed trees, and to floating piles of leaves (striking similar to casting to paddies of sargassum in salt water for mahi-mahi) for crusing rainbows.  Again plugs and jigs are producting, as are #2 rooster tails in silver/black.  With all this good fishing, who needs the shows on the strip?

Current River Trout Management Areas, 27/28 Aug 99
Rainbow trout, Brown Trout, Smallmouth Bass.  While the areas below the Cedar Grove Bridge were slow due to extremely heavy canoe traffic, a few trout and smallmouth still where caught using crawdad jigs and small plastic worms, while in the river from Baptitst Access to Montauk State park was very productive.  An early morning midge hatch was ready made for #20 dry flies, and resulted in good numbers of smaller browns.  Later on, white crappie jigs and glowball flies produced larger browns and good sized rainbows.
 

Weldon Spring Wildlife Area near the KATY trail, near Defiance MO12 Aug 99.
Gars.  Hot days and low oxygen level in the oxbows and sloughs of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers can lead to only one type of fishing for the heat tolerant angler- 'Missouri Tarpon' fishing!  Sight fishing for gar using a flyrod armed with a flyrod bass popper (and stinger hook) is a blast!  Gar cruise the surface gulping oxygen and seeking out struggling shad.  First, spot a surface cruising gar that is within casting distance.  Second, drop your popper sightly ahead of the gar's nose.  Third, pop the popper hard infront of the gar's nose and be prepared for a very ferocious strike!  I recommend using a 6lb or better tippet to avoid toothy cutoffs, and if the gar are big, add a 30lb shock tippet.

Montauk State Park and Special Management Area. Near Licking MO 7-8 Aug 99.
Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout. High water and the thunderstorms of an oncomming cold front turned a camping trip into a hotel stay, and slowed the normally stupendous fishing down to a trickle.  In the trophy trout area below the main trout park, white marabou jigs worked best during the day, while small suspending plugs (3" silver/black Rebel) produced viscous strikes from browns in the 1-3lb class.  In the main park the next day, cloudy water resulted in slower catches, though black nymphs and crawdad flies fished directly on the bottom recieved occasional strikes.  However, once the water cleared in the afternoon, just about any lure became a sure thing, inlcuding crappie jigs, glowballs, weighted wolly worms, and spinners.

Hillsborough Canal, north of Pompano Beach FL 28 Jul 99.
Mayan Cichlids, Peacock and Butterfly Bass, Mozambique Tilapia, Fliers, Largemouth Bass.  If you want to experience a tropical fishing trip without travelling to the Amazon, the canals of south Florida are your ticket.  Due to numerous unintentional, and some intentional releases, several tropical species have become established in these canals that connect the Everglades with the Atlantic.  The lower, salter portions of the canals host snappers, tarpon, and snook, but the upper portion (you will know you are there when the gnats cover your skin) is like fishing in a fish tank.  Along the bottom of the canals piscostomus (?) patrol the bottom, while gar patrol the surface.  Along the sides peacock bass, butterfly bass, and largemouth bass await in ambush.  On sandy areas, mayan ciclids, fliers, and tilapia ambush any morsel that drifts by.  Occasionally an alligator will swim by, barely noticing anglers along the bank.  Along the canals, numerous pulloffs allow easy access to the water (loxahatchee road follows this canal, with pulloffs.  Bring lots of bug spray to keep the bugs at bay.  The basses are morning feeders, with 0500-0900 peak feeding times.  We used small bass assassins, small twister jigs, and small surface twitch baits to get our strikes from the bass, while crappie stingers and very small jigs (rainbow trout sized) produced for the cichlids and tilapia.  The tilapia also took worms, shrimp, and grasshoppers fished freeline on the edges of weeds.  Give this place a try for Amazon action stateside.


Florida Keys bridges- Largo to Islamorada 26 Jul 99
Barracuda, snappers (of infinite variety!), Jack Crevalle, Blue runners, porkfish, sergent majors, etc.!  No trip to southern Florida is complete without at least one foray to the Keys.   Never disappointing.  We simply cruised between each of the public pull-offs around the numerous bridges that connect the keys, and fished using live shrimp, squid, and jigs.  The bait and smaller jigs were candy to numerous smaller reef snappers, mostly grey (mangrove) snappers, schoolmasters,and  porgies.  The larger jigs (a hurricaine jig head w/bass assassin) knocked down Jack Crevalle, larger mangrove snappers, and barracuda and houndfish.  At night, squid freelined was the trick for good sized snappers.  Look out for snokellers picking lobster (they are doing real well around the bridges)!   While this was a catch and release trip, a similar trip could result in some filets for dinner, just be very carful when hooking and releasing the little guys.


Pompano Beach Pier, Pompano Beach, FL 24 Jul 99

Greater Barracuda, houndfish, Blue Runners, Atlantic Lookdowns, Palomettas.  While the big boy snook and cero look on, only the blue runners, baracuda, and lookdowns were regular biters. The 'cudas and houndfish are easy prey to a live blue runner, plugs, and spoons on light tackle (8lb mono, 27# wire leader or 30# flourocarbon). The lookdowns hung out under the pier, but hit any small yellow/chartruese bucktail or crappie jig, as did the blue runners.  Palomettas are available at sunrise in the surf using live shrimp and shrimp pieces. Outside of the time frames 0500-1000 action is very slow.

Goshen pass, Maury River, northwest of Lexington VA 5 Jul 99
Smallmouth, rockbass, redbreast sunfish, bluegill.  The hot weather has pushed the bite at even this spot to early morning and late evening.  While most bass were in the 8-10" range, a few 2lb+ fish waited in the current at the top of the larger pools, and happily took a 3" bass assassin fished on 2lb test.  We didn't see any trout, which are very few this time of year and cling close to the cool water coming from springs and Laurel Run.  We did catch lots of the standard river fare on crawdad jigs, and saw numerous big suckers and carp basking as the sun rose in the sky.  Brutal humidity and heat (fog at 80 degrees F is a bummer) drove us out of the pass (or into the water) by 1000.
 

James river resevoir between the rapids and the Hwy 501 bridge above Big Island VA 4 July 99
Smallmouth (!!).  A blizzard hatch of damsel and mayflies (so many flies they stick to your teeth and they look like snow!) at sunset near the slower, shallow sections of the river resulted in incredible surface smallmouth action.  While the young of the year sunfish eat the flies, the larger smallies ate the sunfish.  A surface plug (my choice-a rebel jointed floating minnow, 4" long with the lip removed) twitched on top resulted in numerous explosive strikes.  Even better, when one fished hit and missed the plug, another would wack it as soon as it dropped back to the water!  These were good fish in the 12"-16" range, resulting in some relatively exciting battles on 2lb test.
 

Smith Mtn Lake near the dam, 3 July 99
Bluegill, redear, longear sunfish.  A flyrod with a little yellow/black popper and 2# leader proved irresistable at sunset for pleanty of large sunfish in the 1/2lb-1lb range near the busy boatramps of SML.  A long cast out from the shoreline over gravel bottoms near points and shallow flats produced the most fish, many of which easily could go a pound. Due to the hot weather, many fish don't bite during the day, but for the flexible angler-something always bites.
 

York RIver, York River State Park (Near Croaker VA), 28 June 99
The name of the town says it all--croakers aplenty.  A short row from the boat ramp on the afternoon tide change using mackeral chunks (saved from my Mackeral trip in Feb) produced dozens of 9"-15" atlantic croakers, and the occasional monster stingray (3 foot wide wingspan-really hard to land on 4lb test!) I used 4lb test and a 2oz weighted bait finder rig during the heaviest part of the current, then a 3/8oz yellow jig head w/mackerel strip as the tide subsided. The larger croakers also took jigs w/twisty tails or rubber worms, retrieved slowly along the bottom, when I had used up all of my bait.
 
 

Busch Wildlife Area, near St. Charles MO, 20 June 99
Largemouth Bass, Crappie, bluegill.  Mayfly hatches on the catch and release lakes have created excellent flyrod and ultra-light opportunities at sunset with small crappie, large sunfish, and mid-sized bass.  A #10 popper or Crappie Stinger Jig in 1/64oz is highly effective near sunset along the dams and rocks near the shoreline.
 

Cuivre River near Old Monroe MO and Mississippi River near Winfield MO Lock and Dam (and Slough), 17 June 99 Freshwater Drum, White Bass.  Extremely slow fishing in the Mississippi but using light line and worms in the slough, small freshwater drum and white bass can be persuaded to bite. In the Cuivre River, backflow from the Mississippi has loaded the river with baby shad and escorts of white bass in the 8"-11" range in the mornings and evenings, caught using cast netted baby shad and small white roadrunners.

South Fork Shennandoah River 12 Miles up from Elkton, VA 12 Jun 99.
Smallmouth (!!) Bass and Longear sunfish.  While this river could be a lot cleaner (heath advisories, cattle, and other assorted effluents-I wouldn't even dream of eating a fish from this river!), due to its slot limit of instant release for 11"-14" smallies, fishing was excellent.  After the previous days experience with the beast smallie of Clator Lake, I created several weighted #6 wolly worms just for this trip.  Using the flyrod with a 2lb leader, and the 2lb spinning reel w/a 3" bass assassin, action was non-stop in the swifter flowing portions of this pool with 10"-14" (no suprise) smallmouth, with an occasional 15"er thrown in. In the slower portions of the pool not disturbed by cattle, sunfish eagerly grabbed that same #6 wooly worm.  The key to this and 99% of Virginia's smallmouth rivers: 2lb test for everything!  Due to heavy fishing pressure, fish in all these areas are line shy, but 2lb test or a 2lb leader will light up your day.  By the way, the rapids above and below this pool (located next to the hwy 649 bridge) are a good ride!
 

Claytor Lake State Park, Claytor Lake, VA 11 Jun 99.
Nothing wakes up an angler like the strike and run of a 6-lb smallmouth on a flyrod!  Unfortunately, after a solid minute of blistering runs to the backing and surface antics, this big girl shook the barbless #8 wooly worm, leading to an "ah-shucks" (this is an all ages  page after all!) or two and some consolation from the gathered crowd.  Other smaller smallmouth and largemouth, along with dozens of fat 8" redears, bluegill, and Rock bass  fell prey to the very same #8 Black woolyworm. Bass assassins and tube lures fished on light lines on the points and under the docks.  A few large carp were cruising the shoreline, but after a slight poke, went their merry way without inhaling any offering.
 

Lake Robertson, VA 10 Jun 99.
Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Sunfish.  The bass are in post-spawn on this lake, with the males guarding fry on the beds, and the big females hovering in deeper water, but still not agressively feeding, partially due to a weather system. The channel cats are spotty today but were biting well the day before, and will likely bite well again as it rains on tuesday and wednesday next week in the early morning and late evening.  As usually, a flyrod is the answer for bluegill, orangespotted sunfish, and redears, which readily destroy small yellow/black poppers and black/white size 10 wooly worms.


Lake Anna State Park, Lake Anna,  VA 6 Jun 99.
Channel Catfish, Sunfish.  High traffic and warm temps here also force many fish, including the lakes Florida strain largemouths, smallmouths, and stripers into deep water and lethargy during daylight hours, but not every fish hates traffic.  Wave action here not only drops in insects from overhanging bushes, but also turns over shallow water rocks exposing crayfish.  A small crawdad imitating jig (dark colors are best) on 2lb-4lb test definitely did the trick.  Pitch the jig into 6" of water in shallow wave exposed gravelly areas and very slowly twitch it back into deeper water.  Numerous orangespotted sunfish, green sunfish, and bluegill will result, with an occasional channel cat or yellow perch (yes, channel catfish DO hit lures-mine were 14"-16" long).
 

Smith Mountain Lake, near Hardy VA, 5 Jun 99.
Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill. Note: The carp were spawning here this weekend, otherwise they arte a prime target this time of year.  While the bass are picky during the day (you would be too if you where hot and then buzzed by jet skis), the bluegill enjoy a free feed provided by wave action knocking bugs from overhanging trees, easily simulated by a #10 popper or wooly worm.  The bass fishing does however pick up at sunset, when the bass chase those same bluegill, and a few shad, up against the rocks.  Cast a bass assasin or other twitch bait right onto the rock and then pull it into the water (simulates a baitfaish that was chased out of the water, then flops back into the water) and twitch it for explosive strikes.  Small crappie (6"-9") were also present in shallow areas near structure, feeding off of breeding mayflies and other insects.  A small popper was smacked every time it was dropped on the surface.
 
 

Chesapeake Bay, near the West side of the CBBT, 30 May 99.
Croakers(!), Stripers, and Bluefish.  Like I said before, an evening bite.  Caught numerous croakers which wouldn't leave any bait alone.  A legal sized croaker, however, also makes good bait for the larger denizens of the bay, but limited range (I will only take my kayak out so far during a high traffic day, or at night!) wouldn't let me get out to the middle islands where the big fish (cobia, drum, stripers) were hitting on the tide changes.  At night under the lights of Lynnehaven Inlet Bridge small Stripers and Bluefish were plentiful on the night outgoing tide. There are a couple of flounder around, but high traffic this weekend makes it very hard to leave a line out on the bottom for long, or to bounce a jig in the channel. Next weekend will be MUCH better due to lower traffic and a waning moon.

Claytor Lake (above the State Park) 29 May 99
Sunfish, Largemouth, Smallmouth.  A full moon means a shift in feeding times for all wildlife, including fishes.  So for  mid day anglers-sorry.  The bite was definitely early morning and late evening, and the sunset angler (me) had no problem getting the spectrum of sunfishes to hit a #8 popper on 2lb leader.  Due to the high traffic and high water on the lake, several overhanging trees where splashed by waves, washing bugs into the water and providing a buffet for sunfish, including largemouth and smallmouth who are not above putting away a couple of ants and beetles.  Also, due to bluegill spawning activity the past month, numerous sunfish fry were also trying to hide in the overhanging trees-and a popper looks like these as well!  The bite started around 5PM and went to well past sunset, with activity moving to lighted docks after dark.  A good mixed bag for the first day of a long weekend!
 

James River between Glasgow and Big Island VA 23 May 99
Smallmouth, Bluegill, Orangspotted Sunfish, Green Sunfish.  Smallmouth aplenty! The resevoir above the dam above the Hwy 501 bridge hold large numbers of smallmouth between 10"-15".  The top end of the resevoir has large rocks in the middle of the river with surrounding deep water and current, ideal conditions for chunky smallies.  Toss a twitchbait or 3" shad colored Bass Assassin on 2lb-4lb test behind the rock and hold on for a quick grab by a fish.  The area also is known to hold lots of flathead catfish.  The sunfish were easy picks on wolly worms and bluegill poppers and a 5wgt flyrod w/2lb leader under the overhanging trees along the shoreline. Another interesting feature is the awesome rapids starting at Balcony Falls in Glasgow and terminating at the top of this resevoir. There are numerous spots to pull out a canoe or kayak and a boat ramp near the dam completes the package
 
 

Lake Robertson, Collierstown, VA 15 May 99
Bluegill, Orangspotted, Longear Sunfish, Largemouth Bass.   While the passing of a cold front can shut off fishing for most species, post spawn bluegill and longears are ready for food.  A 2lb leader with size 10 yellow/black popper on a flyrod produced many strikes and fish up to 3/4 lb.  The wind is both an enemy and ally, it can hurt cast distance and accuracy, but blows grasshoppers and other insects from trees and grassy banks into the water, provolking a feeding blitz.  Toss the popper about 10 feet from the shoreline, taking care to avoid letting your shadow or footsteps from spooking the fish, and use very short, quick strips or rod wiggles to animate the popper (just watch what a grasshopper  does when it hits the water and duplicate the motion).  Gravel shallow bottoms with nearby rushes or grass will hold the biggest fish, and the same flat with nearby drop off will also hold a bonus bass or two, who also like grasshoppers.

    -A chunky virginia orangespotted sunfish
    - A mountain laurel from the nearby alleghany mountains

Lake Moomaw, Lower and Upper Lake, 1-2 May 99
Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass, Pickeral, Yellow Perch, Pumkinseed Sunfish.  You name a warmwater fish in this lake and chances are it is biting!  Fished the south end of the lake up to Bolar Flats, and then from the Jackson River down to Bolar on saturday, but the action was pretty wide spread, concentrated largely on the shallow weedy flats with log jams that border deeper water.  A 3" bass assissin in shad color fished on 2lb test scored over 75% of the fish and all of the pickeral (12"-18").  The larger bass and perch hit a 4" floating Rapala in clown trolled on 4lb test along the edges of the flats and along loggy shorelines (w/gravel bottom).   Remeber that pickeral do have teeth, so be careful and use a long shank hook to keep your line from thjeir choppers (I still lost the largest pickeral which inhaled  the bass assasin past the hook).   A flyrod with popper or wolly worm on the shallow gravel flats at the top of the lake will pay off for the now bedding sunfish.
 
 
 

Maury River near Buena Vista VA 28 Apr 99
Bluegill, redear, longear, orangespotted sunfish.  A flyrod with 2lb leader and a popper is deadly for spring fly-pouncing sunfish.  Flip the popper along the shoreline in slower pools near sunrise or sunset and retrieve downstream with slow sharp twitches.  The strike is fast and explosive, and the sunfish can be big!
 

-A bluegill popper next to a dandylion
-Other deadly flies next to a set of hemostats: A ribbon streamer, my deady chartruese crawfish fly, a brown wolly worm, and a smallmouth sized popper.
-A fat bluegill in spawning colors
-another fat bluegill next to my 13" boot for reference.
-An overhanging tree over an undercut bank-a favorite big sunfish haunt!
-A side benefit-a beautiful sunset

Lake Moomaw 25 Apr 99
Smallmouth and largemouth bass.  A day makes all the difference in the world!  The winter fish have gone deep, while the summer crowd has come up.  Trolling 5" clown colored suspending Rapala husky jerk plugs on 6lb or 4lb test along the steeply sloping rocky banks was highly successful in scoring with numerous 1lb-4lb smallies and largemouth. This technique consistently is the year round payoff for a paddling angler like myself.  Set the lines out a long way back and troll at around 3 mph.  If you don't get snagged evey once in a while you aren't doing it right.
 

-A chunky Moomaw smallie (pic soon)

New River below Claytor Lake near Radford VA 24 Apr 99
Redear Sunfish, Carp.  An interesting float, but due to the previous days cold front only the redears and carp would cooperate.  Both are easy prey to the old standby-a freshly dug worm on a #6 hook below a 1/16oz split-shot.

Smith Mountain Lake VA (Above the Hardy Bridge 3.0 miles) 11 Apr 99
As soon as the thunderclouds cleared, every angler near this lake has one fish on their minds-Stripers!  The spawning run has begun and scattered fish have headed up river, while large groups can be spotted either by following the birds or heading up feeder creeks with gravel bottoms and good flow near deep water. I picked one of my 'sure thing' spots and drifted live 5" shad on 15# test, with the line passing through a "King Buster" (green) to a snap swivel then to a 5/0 hook.  By keeping the boat just moving enough to keep the line tight, the king buster will pulsate enough to draw attention in the muddy water (from the thuderstorm).  The one that hit this time would normally have run only around 10lbs but since it was full of roe (looked like it had swallowed a softball), it would more likely have run 13lbs.  I don't know for sure since I left it in the water while snapping the pics and releasing it.  The rig above adds the benefit of keeping the hook in the lips and not allowing the striper to swallow it (like they will if you freeline-which is sometimes the only technique that works-just chop the line at the fish's mouth before release).  Numerous black bass and sufish were also on the surface, as were some of the stripers, but the surface fish were very picky (they were eating small minnows in the 2" range-a good flyrod target for next trip!).  If the weather is better next week, multiple big stripers will almost be a certainty.
 

- a spawn swollen striper.
-King buster rig for stripers

Lake Moomaw (near Covington VA) Dam and Fortney Branch Sections 4 Apr 99
Brown Trout.  A little easter kayaking on this scenic lake is always good.  The morning was good for the little trout (8"-15") but as the day progressed and the wind picked up the trout began moving to the deeper water near the dam.  My bet is that in two weeks (unless we have a major cold snap) the trout will be deep and the summer shift fish (largemouth,smallmouths, yellow perch, sunfish, crappie, pickerel)  will start biting.  For now, the trout are located off the deep rocky points and structure on the dropoffs.  Use rapalas (4" floater worked for me) and thin spoons (hopkins/sidewinder/crocodile) in the 2" range.  Every trout I caught coughed up 2" alewives, so chances are any lure cast into this deep structure that looks like these alewives will produce.

-A little moomaw brown (pic soon)

Maury River (Chessie Trail-Lexington to Buena Vista section) VA 3 Apr 99
Smallmouth Bass, N. Rock Bass, Redear Sunfish, Pumkinseed Sunfish, Green Sunfish.  The fish are awake and out!  Wolly worms, streamers, small poppers, and marabou streamers in chartruese, orange, and black will score for the entire gambit for the fly fisher, while 3" bass assassins in the afternoon and zara pooches in the evening will get the larger Smallmouth.  The evening surface game is the most exciting fishing on the Maury-the flat calm deep pools  with downed trees that are common along the trail hold numerous good smallmouth and sunfish, though the biggest smalies are hanging behind rocks in deep pools with a slight current.  The fish are still a little line shy, so use 2# line / leader.

    - A spring Maury River Smallie

Busch Wildlife Area, St. Charles County, MO 3 Apr 99
Largemouth Bass, Redear Sunfish, Bluegill.  The bass are a little slow but can be picked off in the larger lakes using plastic worms and twitchbaits.  On the other hand, the sunfish are out!  A small wolly worm or and small fuzzy fly fish behind a spinner or with the spinning rod in the shallow flats of the larger lakes or in the walk-in ponds will score numerous 4"-10" fish. (thanks to my little bro's for the report.)

South River and Maury River, near Buena Vista VA 28 Mar 99
Rainbow Trout, Northern Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass.  The South River was just stocked and is producing a couple of trout around the larger rocks and downed trees near deeper water and pools above B.V.  A variety of baits and lure will produce for these stockers while they last, but the far wiser resident browns, smallies, and rainbows, will not be so eaisily caught.  The clear water of the South River requires a little stealth and light line to pick off trout and smallmouth regularly-just pretend you are after brook trout and use 2lb line using smaller lures and you will be aok.  Also, a light flyrod (3-5wgt) with a 2lb or less tippet and #15 or less dry flies in brown and black will also produce trout and lots of shiners and chubs as several hatches were underway in the afternoon.   The Maury has recently awakened from its winter nap, and the Rock Bass are very active in the deeper pools in the rocks. A size 6 bead-head wooly worm dipped into the rocks bordering deep water on 2lb test produced numerous small Rock Bass (4"-10"), a couple redears (6"), and a couple little smallies (8"-12").  The fish are not moving far from the rocks yet so the lure must be twitched within 6" of each promising rock, and be prepared to lose a couple of lures.  A week of warm weather will unleash havok-thus beginning the season of surface lures!

Lake Moomaw VA 27 Mar 99 (submitted by Tim Grant)
I promised you an update on our weekend return trip to Lake Moomaw.  We arrived after dark on Friday at the boat launch.  The place was deserted with the exception of one boat trailer from West VA.  It was pretty chilly out
there and stayed that way throughout the night.  I had a Coleman lantern on a pole, my brother and I set up on the cove near the entrance.  We were hoping that the light would attract some baitfish, thus attracting something to catch.  We did see lots of small shad swimming around, but they seemed a bit sluggish from the cold water.  You could actually catch them with your hand. We fished until 4:00 am with no trout to be found.  We gave up and decided to hit the Jackson River below the dam at dawn.  A short 10 minute drive later, Eddy was snoring like a chainsaw.  At 5:30 I tried to wake him, with no luck in that, I decided to set up near the channel wall for some spin casting.  The water was up a bit and the current pretty swift.  Around 6:30 I switched over to some nightcrawlers and let them flow with the current.  I got a couple of bites, but the current made it difficult to detect the nibbles.  Eddy was awake by now and showed up to see how I was doing.  We discussed my rapid depletion of bait and he suggested hooking a whole worm in the middle with a heavy sinker to get me closer to the bottom.  After the first cast had been in the middle of the pool for about 15 minutes, I decided to check the bait, about 10 yards from the bank on the retrieve, a nice 16.5" (3.25 lb.) Rainbow decided the worm was just too good to be true.  That was it for the lake and river, only one keeper for the day there (Eddy did catch some smaller trout at Lake Douthat in the afternoon).  After 24 hours of fishing we called it a weekend.  I was looking for you on Saturday, but the cool weather and cold water kept the parking lot well below capacity.
 

Lake Moomaw VA 27 Mar 99
Brown Trout.  Other than the baby browns over at  Fortney Branch (near Scruggs Flat), the high pressure system and the cold front that preceeded it shut down the fish.  On the plus note, a potential State Record Yellow perch was caught before the last cold front and the smallmouth and crappie will recover before mid-week. I got there around 10:00 am (I slept in to 0600 that day) and picked off numerous baby browns (same old 6"-13" ones near the  ramp) before beginning a long troll up the lake.  I pulled the standard 5" husky jerk and a 1/4 oz white road runner, and occasionaly tossed a suspending plug every so often to promising structure. The only hits I got were around the island about 1/4mile from the ramp to the NNW were more little trout were hanging out, and again at the mouth of the Fortney Branch on the NE side on the way back.  I trolled from the Fortney Ramp (the same ramp the baby trout hang out at) to the Bolar Flat Ramp (a very long paddle against the wind).  I saw a couple of bass up at near Bolar Flat but they really weren't that active, and when I returned to the boat ramp I played with the little trout until dark (you would be amazed how many different kinds of lures they will hit, I even had them hit the 5" husky jerk!).  One thing I noticed looking down on the babys-there are a couple 16-20" trout under the munchkins, but the munchkins are much quicker then the fat ole lunkers are.  Another note: the primary forage for all those trout in that arm that day were 4" alewives, since I saw several get wacked by the little trout and the birds, and picked up a couple to positively identify the species.  Next time I am bringing my Sidewinder spoons (which look exactly like an alewive) and am jigging that branch!  I am also going to try some frozen mackerel chunks which I will freeline drift as if for salmon (a technique some folks on the great lakes recommended).  I think this weeks warm weather will change the picture dramatically.

Offshore from Rudee Inlet, Virginia Beach, VA 19 Mar 99
Atlantic Mackeral, Atlantic Spiny Dogfish Shark.  The onset of spring has seen the beginning of the Atlantic Mackeral migration from warm tropical waters to New England and the Canadian Maritime Provinces.  On their way north, the macs pass by Virginia Beach and loiter over its humps and wrecks in 60 feet+ of water  from mid-March to mid-April.  Several head/party boats make the run out of Rudee Inlet and Lynnehaven Inlet, and the one I chose was the 'Bobbie Lee' out of the Virginia Beach Fishing Center in Rudee Inlet.  The weather was cold in the morning with a blustery east wind, and the run to the first stop was about one hour.  This is definitely run and gun fishing! Hit a promising spot, drop down your rig to the depth indicated by sonar, and catch as many macs you can until they scatter or move, then run to the next spot.  Action is either fast and furious or dead.  Action this trip was hot on about 65% of the spots we visitied and the bite typically lasted about 15 minutes/spot.   While the mackeral rigs provided by the boat are perfectly adequate when the bite is hot, you can do far better when the fish scatter using a 'jig and bug' rig on 8lb to 15lb test.  My 'jig' was a silverline 3oz silver metal jig with a red eye and hammered finish tied at the end of the line, while the 'bug' was a 1/8oz white marabou crappie jig tied on a 6" dropper loop 15" above the jig.  I found my 8lb spinning tackle (with a strong rod!) adequate and sporting, and produced 50% more fish than the default mackeral rigs.  I worked it by droping it to the bottom and slowly jigging it up and down a couple of feet for 15 seconds.  If it doesn't get hit I reel up 5 cranks (about 5 feet) and repeat until I find the depth of the macs.  Most of the mackeral ran from 12" to 24".  Swimming with the mackeral are numerous spiny dogfish sharks in the 3 foot to 4 foot range.  Most were caught by anglers who found that their mac had been eaten by the sharks on the way up.  To catch the dogfish on purpose, just use a bait finder or egg weight rig with a 20lb mono leader and a long shank 4/0 hook, and use one of the smaller macs live and whole for bait.  Drop the bait near the bottom, and wait for the shark to work its way to the bait's head (hook the bait in the nose to avoid twisting) then set the hook.
 

Montauk State Park and Montauk Special Management Area (Current River) MO 12 Mar 99
Rainbow, Brown Trout.  Did get one day of fishing in before the big snowstorm!  The keeper trout season opened 1 Mar at all the Missouri Trout Parks, and anglers who braved the cold caught some of the biggest stockers of the year.  Montauk is one of the, if not the, best of the parks, with thousands of trout released daily.  Since the limit is 5 per angler, many anglers take the hit and run approach and catch their limit and leave in the first hours after the opening siren each day.  The wise angler who wants to fish all day however, will keep only none or four, then wait till the last hour of the fishing day to pick up their limit (or just enough for dinner).  My bros and I caught and released roughly 20 trout (rainbows 13"-17") each in the 'fly only' area using 1/16oz chartruese crappie jigs, glowballs (peach-below a bobber), and 1/64oz black/yellow marabou jigs. NOTE: 2lb test or lighter is a must!  We also journeyed down to the special mangement area below montauk in the Current RIver to try for some of the legendary browns, though we only caught and released more rainbows (13"-18") using jigs and plugs (3-4" suspending).  I did get one of the 'beast' browns (25" +, around 8lbs+) to follow and swipe at my lure, but I was so stunned by his size that I forgot to set the hook.  This river is second only to Lake Tannicomo for producing Missouri State record browns, as evidenced by the mounts on the wall of the Montauk State Park Lodge.  A feature article on this place will soon follow but for now enjoy the pics!