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THE LATEST FISHING WORD Archive
Reports from various locations

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Previous Reports:
(Newest to Oldest)

 

  • Weldon Springs Busch Wildlife Area Lake 28 and Baldwin Lake IL - 18 and 25 Feb 2011
  • The last of the winter program trout are being pulled from the St. Louis Region lakes, but the same lakes now also feature early season Crappie and bluegill. A peacock feather nymph or prince nymph in #14-#18 will catch all three fish species. Powerplant lakes are still very good, and at Bladwin Lake a #6 Black Stonefly was and will be deadly for channel catfish 1-3 lbs, and sunfish to 8" long. Bass will also bite on a minnow imitator fished just off the rocks.
  • Meramec Springs Park St. James MO - 12 Feb 2011
  • The lakes at home are frozen, but spring water in the rivers to the south make for great fishing, especially during Catch and Release/fly season. Gone are the crowds of people, but fish come up from the river to enjoy warmer water, from rainbow and brown trout, to smallmouth and largemouth bass, rock bass, longear sunfish, white and northern hognosed suckers. The Smallies love to bash zonkers and streamers, while the trout take dry midges (#18 cream and olive colors), wiggletail nymphs, chennelle bugs (magenta), and stoneflies (#10...make it move!). The sunfish and suckers hit all the previous flies if presented well. First day of March, and the stocked fish and crowds return.
  • Baldwin Lake Baldwin IL - 05 Feb 2011
  • Snow? What snow. We cruised through an early morning snowshower, to find lake effect snow around Baldwin lake. That said, this powerplant lake is dynamite, snow or not. The warm water along the dam held many species, mostly Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Green sunfish, Orangespotted Sunfish, and of course channel catfish. Spinning rod wise, any bait, or a jig (AA swimbait 4" or 1" tube jig under bobber) works for all the above species. Since I like to use only the long fly rod here, for me the trusty chennile bug (red) and black stonefly (#8) worked very well, and the stone especially well for catfish from 10" to 3lbs.
  • Lake Taneycomo, Branson and Forsythe MO - 28-30 Jan 2011
  • When is the best time to visit Branson MO to fish? When all the tourists are gone! January to March is the off season, when hotels are very cheap, traffic is non-existant, and rainbows are everywhere. The water is likewise near empty (minus a few boat tournaments), and you can wade largely crowd-free. Rainbows are biting, from 20"+ models to the far more common 10"-18" size. In addition to the classic below-the-dam wading from the Hatchery down to KOA, shoreline parks with creek mouths or bays are also prime. Key flies this time were sculpin patterns such as eyed zonkers in cream, brown, white, gray; Floating/un-weighted zonkers in cream, white; Chenelle bugs (flame red); scud/sowbug patterns; midges (#20 olive body, blue/grey hackle); and olive wooley boogers. Afternoons this trip were prime, as the dam was releasing only minimal water (Table Rock and Bull Shoals are VERY low).
  • Alton IL (MS River, Waterfowl area) - 15 Jan 2011
  • With very frozen water in many places, it was a good weekend to take a drive to the Mississippi River to look at eagles. Many locks and dams along the Mississippi River from the Quad Cities to the Chain of Rocks become a feeding station for migrating eagles (Bald and Golden), and many riverside communities rely on the steady stream of bird watchers all winter to add to the local economy. In our case, a short drive to the same spots we fish in warmer months yields plenty of pictures of the feathered raptors (note of advice...cameras don't like to be cold, so keep them warm inside the car as long as possible, bring a good tripod, and a long zoom lens for pictures. Hold still or the birds will fly away). If you have the time hit many areas, as bird counts vary by day,and each locale opens resturants, taverns, and displays friendly to the birder. Alton also features an Eagle trolley to bring people around to look at the raptors from a nice warm bus. Look for areas where the ice surronds open water too. In addition to eagles you may also see Trumpeter Swans, Herons, ducks of many species, hawks, and falcons. Bring easy to use binoculars for the younger set too.
  • Busch Wildlife Area, West Alton MO and Alton IL (MS River), Meramec River near St James MO, and creeks near Bourbon MO - 03-31 Dec 2010
  • Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year (or whatever holidays work for you).December in the midwest is a time of fast weather changes, this december being no exception, as it saw highs to 70 F, and lows near 10 F, with rain, snow, ice, and tornados. Anglers must adapt to catch fish, but they can be caught. If the water is open in trout holding areas, they will bite on small nymphs below a small indicator (chenelle bug, microjig, prince, glowball). In areas near powerplants on the big rivers, warm water species will seek refuge and also bite, such as silver and bighead carp, and if you are lucky walleye, catfish, and sauger. Given the cooler water, the carp fight a bit slow, so 4lb tippet is enough to land 20lb fish if you are careful, a yellow chenelle bug (#8) under an indicator fished very slow and carefully will get very softly bit. Pre- and post- storms saw very good bites with trout until the pressure changed.
  • Busch Wildlife Area Weldon Spring MO and Sandy Slough Winfield MO - 20 Nov to 28 Nov 2010
  • Rainbows are now acclimating to the Winter Stocking Program lakes, and the catch and release lake rainbows have gotten a bit wiser, but catchable on a wide variety of nymphs and flies (#12-#16, chenelle bug, caddis pupae, prince, and bead-head peacock). For a break I also travels to Winfield to chase the last of the white bass, doing both trout and whites in the same day. Thw White bass will be in and out all winter, especially below the dams on the big rivers, joining the sauger and walleye. Baitwise, they will take a minnow, but on the fly--my fav--a bead headed white wooley booger worked fine if fish very slow.
  • Lake Taneycomo Branson MO - 12 to 14 Nov 2010
  • Interesting shifting dam releases and fronts make fishing interesting, though far from impossible. Below the dam zonkers, scuds, sowbug, glowball, and cracklebacks all worked with varying degrees, the zonker being the hottest fly. Much further down the lake, at Empire Park in Forsythe, rainbow and sunfish competed to grab chenelle bug flies below indicators during daylight, and bead headed olive wooly boogers at sunset and later.
  • Winfield MO, Branson MO, Weldon Springs MO, and Oyster Point CA - Oct-07 Nov 2010
  • OK, so I have been fishing more than posting...guilty as charged :0) Lets do a quick fall round up: White Bass and Sauger and Drum have moved into the cooler waters of slough outlets and feeder river mouths that feed the Mississippi River. Chennelle bugs and fathead minnow flies in white work for those on the fly rod, as do curly tail jigs for the spinning crowd. ZIpping out west to Oyster Point in San Francisco CA just before the crabbing season (and MAN are there lots of bait-steeling crabs in South SF Bay CA!!), pitch out a squid gob at night, and if the crabs stay away, a leopard, dogfish, or smoothound shark will grab it. (for those who are out west coast and fish piers, Ken Jone's book and website: www.pierfishing.com are a must! Tell him I sent you.) Zip back to the midwest, drive south to Branson for the Brown Run (where the low pressure system of the century shutdown the bite, though they are biting now on zonkers, sculpin flies, cracklebacks, midges, and of course, scuds...check out my book and go see Chuck at Anglers and Archery up the hill from the dam for the fly of the day). Zip back to the Saint Louis Region for the winter stocking program trout, and catch either at 12" stocker, or a 5lb stocker on a #6 olive wooly bugger, #10 stone flyon the fly or jig and bobber for the spinning rods. Whew!
  • Mississippi River in IL accross from Hannibal MO 18 Sep 2010
  • Saverton access is closed till March 2011, so tried this spot (John Day Access) before heading back to Missouri, and ended up fishing it for a while. Used the fly first, and had hits from small herrings, but the carp noses on the surface were too deep to reach with the fly. Pulled out the salt water gear I still had in the back of the truck, (Large Penn spinning reels, 50lb spectra) tied on a 3/4" (3/4 oz) white/yellow slab spoon a foot below a 2" bobber (attracts asian carp, prevents foul hooking too), and cast out to the surface fish. The black and common carp scattered (fyi this is a very good common carp spot too), but after I let the rig settle I slowly bounced it back, and the bigheads punced on it. Big, bigheads at that, pushing 20-50lbs. They made strong 'salmon-esk' runs, taking drag and punishing the shoulders and biceps, but I did land two nice fish (lost 10 others who snapped the spectra or pulled free of the hooks). The fish landed where both hooked just inside the upper jaw (yes, bighead will chase and eat a small lure, see Carlyle report below). Remeber long cast to near the center, slow, bouncing retrieve, and hold on tight. If I get my kayak in here, they will all be 8wgt flyrod fodder!
  • Winfield MO Sandy Slough (off MS River) 11 Sep 2010
  • Interstingly high water lead to good carp and drum fishing, though slow for the rest. The classic worms and doughbaits work, fly rod fishing was off due to muddy water.
  • Carlyle IL Kaskakia River (below Dam) 04-06 Sep 2010
  • Back to below the Lake Carlyle Dam, though this time the water was lower and only the white bass, crappie, and others (OK, it is never bad with a fly) wanted poppers and mysis shrimp flies.
  • Newport Beach and Belmont Shores (Balboa Pier, Belmont Shores Veterans Pier) CA 30 Aug - 02 Sep 2010
  • Back to SoCal for night pier fishing again. Remember two jigs are deadly for croakers of various species (inc. Queenfish), Mackeral, and Halibut. Add squid for many more species. One of these times I am bringing the flyrod and a clouser!
  • Carlyle IL Kaskakia River (Dam to Swinging Bridge) 13-14 and 21-22 Aug 2010
  • An overcast cool day or rising water can make the fish go insane in the Kaskaskia beow the Lake Carlyle Dam. Given such conditions, a white popper or white wooly bugger on the fly will get chomped by many, many species. Pull out the 8wgt and 8lb tippet and a bead head 'booger and swing it below the dam to spin the drag against agressive bghead and silver carp. The poppers will get hit by crappie, sunfish, white bass, and goldeyes. FOr the spinning rod set, a simple 1/8oz jig and soft plastic white tail will catch the same fishes. Make sure your drag is up to snuff!
  • WInfield MO Sandy Slough 06 Aug 2010
  • Nothing but carp is not a curse, and sometime you have to put down the fly rod (especially in chocholate milk colored water in 90F days), and grab the dough bait to get anyfish at all in the slough. A doughbait of oatmeal, strawberry jello, peanut butter, and corn meal works for us quite well.
  • Saint Petersburgh (Beach) FL 02-05 AUg 2010 (Skyway Pier and Ft. Desoto Gulf Pier)
  • A work travel means fishing in many locales, in this case from California and the Pacific to Tampa/St. Pete and the Gulf. Tries the Skyway, which did have a few Spanish Mackerel, Jacks of various types (on the speed jigs), and snappers (on baits--shrimp, squid, cut baitfish). Fort Desoto's Gulf Pier (make sure you buy that FL license FYI) also had a few spanish macs, but had many bait(Threadfin Herring-fresh or live) eating fishes in the evenings (when not storming) such as Speckled (Spotted) Seatrout, Silver Perch (a croaker, on squid), Ladyfish, and Bonnethead Sharks (all released FYI).
  • Newport Beach and Belmont Shores (Balboa Pier, Belmont Shores Veterans Pier) CA 26-28 July 2010
  • Mackeral were the order of the day on Balboa, both Green Jack and Pacific Mackeral, on 1/8oz white jigs (a 2 jig rig) tipped with white gulps. Take the same rig to Belmont Shores Pier just past the surf and short halibut (release sized) are plentiful.
  • WInfield MO (Sandy Slough,MS River LD25) 11-17 July 2010
  • High water in July is a rarity in the midwest, but one should take advantage of it when possible. Black Carp and buffalo patrol the shallows, bumping flooded plants for worms and beetles. Look for a moving plant stalk, sneak over to it, and drop a black wooly worm to the base to get bit. Lots of baby silver carp also cover the surface, feel free to cast net them for bait (the new tentaive world record blue cat--130lbs from 20 miles south on the MO river ate a fillet of carp). They will also hit a very small fly (#20) if dropped in front of the school and kept just under the surface. The bigger silvers will eat larger flies, same tactic, and fight like salmon. Near the channels where current is strong, young of the year minnows that get swept from cover (many species including silversides and Mississippi silvery minnows) take refuge in the rocks. A white/yellow wooly booger (w/clouser eyes or bead head) will catch many white bass, largemouth bass, small mouth bass, drum, and catfish. The live bait version also works. Enjoy, and congrats to the lucky STL anglers on the new world record blue cat!
  • Newport Beach Balboa Pier CA and Lake Taneycomo Branson MO 30 June- 06 July 2010
  • Back out west to California for a night, and more mackerel! These were bigger fish, so the order was a double 1/16th oz jig with white 2" gulp tails, for many good fighting pacific (chub) mackerel. Leapt back to the midwest for the Independance Day holidays down at Branson on cold lake Taneycomo. Very few browns this time (most in the lower 2/3rds of the lake likely around trees, though many fatter then normal rainbows below the dam. The generators in Table Rock Dam were running at 2 to 4 generators almost constantly, alternating between possible wading water below the dam, to 'only with a boat or from shore'. Via boat downstream, or via North Point/Beach Park, Empire Park, and Copper Creek Access, many schools of rainbows were easy picking on any marabou (ala clouser eyed fat head or marabou clouser, or marabou jig) or chennelle microjig (black head 1/80th oz, flame red body on rainy days, flo yellow on sunny days) , under an indicator on 2lb tippet. Many midge fish in the morning (#18 olive bodied) and Zonker/sculpin pattern fish all day below the dams. With the water rising, a #14 crackleback and #8 olive wolly bugger, also worked. Scuds and glowballs are also decent choices anytime.
  • Islamorada FL (Florida Keys) 17-21 June 2010
  • JUne is a warmer month then May, but still has some fishes to be caught and --in our case-- released ( most are fighters not eaters anyhow). The Mahi's were beyond the range of the rental boat for the most part (30miles > 10 miles), though once the southeast wind picked up, a few small mahi's came to the reef edge. Mostly off the reef edge (150 feet+ or -) pink or blue/pink small jet heads at 8kts could pull in the numerous schools of little tuny (8lbs+) running out from the reef. A quick rod with a jig (speed or lead-head) or fly (Chartruse, Blue, white fast sinking fathead or clouser) could convert some of the fish that followed the trolled fish. Most action was down-reef from Alligator light. Inside the reef Ceros and Jack Crevalle provided a bent rod, mostly in 50feet to 20 feet over live reef. The underwater camera spotted a very large school of jacks (100+ fish), of which we caught a released a few. The Ceros were less plentiful then on the winter trips (no suprise), but would take a live ballyhoo, jig, sinking fly, or Zara SuperSpook (spectacular surface strikes). Once the water got too rough past the reef, a troll on the edges of Hawk channel with the same jets pulled in barracuda, as did a drift with live ballyhoo under a float. In the bridge channels there were very few tarpon (a few babies near the docks), but bonnethead sharks (all released) were plentiful on the tide changes (squid, cut mullet on a circle hook on bottom = prime baits), and a few large 'cudas added to the action (ballyhoo, though try chuggers too). Lots of lane snappers also occupied the bridge channels, though most small.
  • Belmont Shores Pier CA, Dardenne Creek near Weldon Springs MO, and slough in Winfield MO 31 May- 14 June 2010
  • Yet more Travel. Weekends lead to fishing in freshwater for carp on the fly (especially below berry bushes in flooded waters, use a #14 red chenelle unweighted fly tied to look like a red berry) and quick pokes at local creeks. Weeknights featured mackerel and other peir favorites at the Belmont Shores and Balboa Piers near LA. The Mackerel bite well under the lights on a twin jig rig (1/16 oz jigs baited with yellow powerbait trout worms or squid strips). One guy on the Belmont peir caught and released a bat ray on a half mackerel on the bottom at night.
  • Minneapolis MN, Busch Wildlife Area Weldon Springs MO, Chain of Rocks near Granite City IL , Howell Island MO, KAskaskia River above Lake Carlyle IL 07 -28 May 2010
  • A conference resulted in a prime chance to fish the little lakes of the north country in Minnesota. A quick glance at the Minneapolis fishing guide on the DNR site provided the spots and the license. Unfortunately warm weather subdued the cold water fishes, but a popper and zonker lead to many flyrod bluegill, pumkinseeds, and largemouth bass. The lakes were deep, but weeds left only a foot of un-weeded water, no problem for my fly choices. Most sunfish wwere on beds as well, though I tried to leave them to making more sunfish. The bass will cruise the edge of the beds, however, and they are fair game. Back home, the sunfish were also on the beds, redears and bluegill here, with bass in the same locations scouting the beds, and non-breeding fish hanging out nearby. Again the popper did the work. We also grabbed the 'yaks and paddled down the Kaskaskia. Was slow fishing, though many very large longnosed gar surfaced to snap at the 'yak...watch those fingers. Next time I bring the 12wgt and my muskie flies to get thee beasts to fight. The Chain of rocks was high, but a well presented red chenelle bug did drag up drum from the rocks.
  • Provo River near Orem UT, then Busch Wildlife Area Weldon Springs MO, then Newport Beach Pier and Belmont Shores Pier CA 26 April to 5 May 2010
  • Lots of travel for work means lots of variety for fishing. First up, a conference in Salt Lake City, and a little footwork to get maps and a license, resulted in decent brown trout fishing each afternoon after the last session in the Provo River near Orem (just above the avalanche areas above Bridal Viel). Drive was a 45 minute door to door run, I used a 3wgt rod rigged with 5 wgt fly line and 2lb tippet, my buddy used a 4 piece spinning rod with 2lb mono. He used 1/8oz Kastmasters and White/sivler rooter tails to land many nice browns, I used a #20 white midge and #4 bead head white wooley booger to catch many of my own (with many near misses), all over 3 afternoons of fishing, all fish still swimming (no place in hotel to cook them). Look for calmer backwaters near beaver dams, and look for dimpling fish near sunset for the evening midge hatch, and undercut banks with good cover of downed trees. Next, fished for sunfish and bass on the popper in the shallows of many ponds in the local wildlife area. Any popper or nymph under indicator will catch redears, crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, and largemouth bass a plenty. Last, had to hit So. Cal. for another work trip. Started at the Newport Beach Pier (doubles for dinner due to a Ruby's diner at the end, yum!) and saw no fish actvity, lot of sea stars. Water was clear and very cool (do to an upwell?). The last eve traveled to Long Beach to fish the Belmont Shores Pier, where corbina were being caught by one guy in the surf (need mussels or clams for bait..maybe a good fly target next time from the beach), and later I found a few small barred sand bass near the end on jigs tipped with squid.
  • Sandy Slough, Local Ponds in MO, Busch Wildlife Area MO, and Newport Beach Pier CA - 26 Feb to 23 Apr 2010
  • Ok, so I have been lazy :0) Spring has sprung in the midwest with blooming trees, warming waters, and spawning fish. Sauger, Walleye, Drum, and Crappie start the parade, and began biting when the water warmed to 52-55 degrees F (a submersible thermometer is your most important tool this time of year). Productive flies are chartruese and pink clouser-eye 'fathead' patterns for the drum and sauger,and #8 mysis shrimp for the crappie. Spinners using a 1/8oz jig and chartruses curry tail managed some sauger too. When the water hit 60 in a few ponds, the bluegill also started feeding well, and black, grass, silver, and common carp began feeding in earnest in any feeder to the MIssissippi river. The carps hit a #14 chartruse chennelle bug 6" under an indicator cast (very carefully!) in their direction of travel. Slap the line or let your shadow hit the water first and you will be carp-less. The sloughs also began producing a few smallmouth and white bass, though that bite will pick up seriously in the next two weeks. Took a business trip to So. Cal./O.C., and took some time to eat dinner and catch a few mackerel on the Newport Beach pier on a scaled down jig and bug rig on the spinning rod under the lights each night. Fun and easy fishing for smaller fish.
  • Alton IL, Mesa AZ, and Titusville FL Jan-Feb 2010
  • This will be a bit of a wandering report since it has been a very cold winter. Starting with Alton IL: Lots of birding activity with Eagles, Trumpter Swans, and a few white pelicans (many more in few months). If the river isn't frozen below the dam, many Silver and Bighead Carp sit where the rocks and softer bottom intersect, and may hit a small tube jig. A few catfish are around in Winfield and Alton as well...use small baits look for a light take. Of course trout bite well in the cold if they are reachable. If you are in the mood to travel south, Arizona has the Salt River, and one of my sibs enhanced his business trip with some catch and release trout. I fished Titusville in early february and due to colder temps (and no boat) caught only puffers on my fly rod. That said I should have brought a spinning rod and fished the surf for blues and jacks.
  • Branson and Forsythe MO (Lake Taneycomo) 26 Dec 2009 - 02 Jan 2010
  • If the water is liquid, it can be fly fished, and due to 46 degree constant flow from the bottom of Table Rock Lake, and many springs, Lake Taneycomo is always liquid (mostly). The winter season sees a variety of flow levels from the dam, from all generators at night, to just a couple to almost none in the days. If you are fishing near the hatchery, gone are most of the browns that have spawned and now sit at creek mouths and in structure from Cooper Creek down (mostly). Gone also are the heavy stocking inputs of rainbows in the cold months. Instead, the fishery now features smarter fish that have survived multiple seasons of pressure, mostly 10"-20" rainbows. The winter in the upper section also features many midge/dunn hatches, and the sculpins enjoy a chance to move about. As a result, in the area beow the dam, #18-#20 olive bodied midge patterns (emerger or dry) are deadly, as are olive and black streamers such as the bead headed wooley booger or salmon streamer (good sculpin imitations). In the main lake, mouths to creeks and bays hold many bigger trout such as 15"+ rainbows and browns, as baitfish flee the freezing creeks for the warmer lake water. Roark, Turkey, Bull, Cooper, Fall creek mouths are all productive for either a large mysis fly (like this one ) under a large indicator, a zonker or for the spinning rod crowd a slender crankbait in silver, rainbow trout, or sculpin colors will work.
  • WInfield MO and Busch Wildlife Area 04 Nov - 06 Dec 2009
  • The fall in the midwest brings wild swings in temperatures, as low pressure systems and cold fronts swing through, and in the space of a month or so, the weather goes from almost comfortable fall-like to down right cold winter. The upside of the dropping temperatures and roller-coaster weather are the Winter STocking Program, which results in plants of 10 inch to 17 inch rainbows (with a few bonus fish) in many lakes in the Saint Louis Metro region, and the migration of warmer water fish to the larger, deeper, waterways. White bass and walleye evacuate the soon to be frozen, bald eagle infested, sloughs for the main big rivers. Ditto for non-spring fed creeks. The trout aren't the only fish that bites a fly in the stocked ponds in the transistion month, with largemouth bass and other sunfishes competing with the newly stocked trout for nymphs, minnows, and occasional hatches. Almost any fly on 2# tippet will work, though focus more on nymphs (chenelle bug, #14 peacock herl,#12 mysis,#12 prince, etc.) as the water temp drops.
  • San Diego CA (San Diego Bay and Pacific Ocean near Islas del Coronados) 29-31 October 2009
  • Always interesting to fish San Diego, though it was a challenge to find a 3/4 day that was going out (not enough anglers). We ended up taking a bay skiff on thursday, catching many Spotted and Barred Sand Bass near the Port of San Diego docks and Embarcadero (1/4 to 1/2oz jig and soft plastic...couldn't get my fly down on intermediate line, going back to the sinking line next time!) Friday and Saturday, we took the Mahilini out of HandM Landing (good captains, cook, and crew btw..very professional, patient, and talented). Friday, the boat took the hour long drive to the Islands (North Island, east side mostly) and we caught a few bonito in the 7lb range (at least the one the sea lions did get...nice that they leave you just the head), on 2oz to 3oz Sardine Freestyle jigs (Bass Pro) fished mid-depth on spectra, and on Tady and Salas yo-yo jigs in Scrambled Egg fished full depth.Midday we fished for Rockfish and the captain found a nice 300 ft deep 'stone' we drifted twice (the boat has a rule...no matter how good the spot, it only gets hit twice), where we caught 5lb-6lb Vermillion, Bocaccio, and other rockfish, largely on 3.5oz glow Bethos jigs on spectra, and 4"-6" soft plastics/Gulps (yellow/white/glow) on dropper loops above 6oz sinkers. Saturday, we started on the 'rock cod' right away just south of the on the water border, in 330ft of water, where my bro nailed the jackpot fish, a 10.3lb Bocaccio (fyi..we had a Fish and Game biologist w/calibrated scale on the boat...very handy) on a 6" glow swimbait on a dropper loop 3 feet above an 8oz torpedo weight. Also tusseled for a while on a large Black Sea Bass that inhaled my 3oz freestyle jig though this denizen won its freedom 36 minutes into the battle (would have released it anyhow). In the afternoon we pulled up close to the west side of the north island for bonito again, and the 2oz freestyle jig and small tady's caught plenty of tough fighters. (Yes, I did get to Anthony's Fish Grotto on the bay for dinner as well. No, the universe didn't implode from the bliss at eating at my two favorite seafood places--the other is Dixie Crossroads-- inside of 7 days). (BTW..if you like rockfish (Sebetes et al.) see this book, it is awesome: "The Rockfishes of the Northeast Pacific" by M.S.Love et al. ages, weights, life history and everything you ever wanted to know about them).
  • Titusville FL (Bananna River) 24 October 2009
  • This is the beginning of a hit and run, today Orlando/Titusville, next week San Diego. Dixie Crossroads for lunch this trip, Anthony's fish Grotto next :0) The Mullet Run is in Full Force, with 4"-8" mullet everywhere near Titusville, from the rivers, to the lagoons, to the beach (Playa Linda), and the predators are with them hoping to get a mullet dinner (in addition to Dolphins). Around the rocks near the soon to be reconstructed Veterans pier, are Gray (Mangrove) Snappers and Sheepsheads by the ton, most snappers 8" to 15" and perfect for #6 to #4 sized flies (clousers and fat head minnow used for white bass the week before) and 5wgt to 8wgt fly tackle. Likely the ladyfish would be around also, but the construction has that part of the brige covered. The beach also has pompano and jacks around, if you can handle casting into the wild surf and riptides (just don't get wet past your ankles and BE CAREFUL). The Ares I-X on the pad is also interesting as well (see my Space Page), and baby Tilapia abound in the lagoons now.
  • Sandy Slough (Mississippi River) Winfield MO 3-17 October 2009
  • Cooler weather, now that fall is here, and variable water, bring White BAss, but send other fish out of the slough into the deeper river. At high water, the White Bass are under the bridge, while at low water they are near the mouth of the slough near the Lock. Fly-wise, a #4 fathead minnow (flo. yellow chenelle, white marabow, small eyes) worked well, as did a #6 mysis shrimp under indicator, and #12 white/green crackleback pattern. For the spinning rod, a 1/16oz jig head w/white or green soft plastic body paddle tail works well.
  • Portage, Chesterton, and Porter Indiana 25 to 27 September 2009
  • Moon and rain timing are major keys in determining the salmon run in the Illinois and Indiana lake front and creeks. The biggest tides in the salt water are on the major phases of the moon (i.e. New and Full). Add in rain upstream from the lake, and a healthy age class of fish, and in come the fish. Fresh fish are very nervous once they enter the shallower water, and only the exact presentation that catches their fancy will work. A #3 black bodies/silver-green bladed blue fox is one example if it is cast just right. On the fly, a magenta or orange zonker (8 to 14lb tippets a must), or a floating glowball presentation, if you can cast (roll casting a must), may also work. Skip the deep open stretches, and look for obsticles like bends, sand bars, and log jams. As the fish become acclimated they get very mean (hormones, think 16 year old human), and then many presentations work. Mixed with the salmon (coho and chinook) in the creeks are rock bass, pike, chubs, and steelhead. I would encourage release of the non-salmonids, since they don't get stocked. They will eat the flies destined for the salmon too.
  • Sandy Slough Winfield MO and lakes near 370 in ST. Charles MO Mid Sept 2009
  • Adaptation yields fishes in the tail end of summer. In the low water sloughs, gar are plentiful and readily smack a floating zonker fly (remember a bite leader of 20lb floro). Very underrated a flyrod fodder gar, are agressive, hit lots of flies, jump lots, and fight well (and can save a fishing day!). Alternately, any stream or pond with tall grass will be experiencing lots of grass hopper action. Sunfish, bass, and other fishes (trout in cold waters) line up near grass banks to reap fat grasshoppers sent swimming by the wind. A popper, joes hopper, or any yellow fly/indicator will elicit instant action from the shore-oriented fish.
  • Prairie Lake, Sandy Slough + Cuivre Island Mississippi River, and MO river ST. Charles MO 26 to 30 Aug 2009
  • Lots of fairly slow local fishing. Bass, Crappie, and Bluegill are active in ponds and lakes, a popper or thread-jig fly will work fine. In the rivers, the rising water has inundated grass along the banks, and the grass carp are tailing and poking the stalks to flush beetles and terrestial insects. A Black Wooley Worm works well, though great stealth is required to approach the fish, and the cast must put the fly within 12" on the fishes nose. In the main rivers and side chutes, big head and silver carp are about, so drift a small fly to them (my fav is the red chenelle fly on 1/80th oz jig head under an indicator). Gar of course are about, and if you aren't eating them, release them unharmed since they are one of the few native fish that eat carps.
  • Lake Michigan/Burns Ditch Harbor Portage IN 7-9 Aug 2009
  • Dragged the kayaks up to Indiana Dunes to try our hand at Salmon and Steelhead fishing in the lake, but the weather was rough! The new park is very pretty and well maintained, with 3 fishing piers and a beach, a good lunch counter and bathrooms, though with limited parking. We saw a few jumping steelies in the harbor, and we did catch one (released) in the open lake on a silver dodger and blue green howie fly the day we could hold position out of the harbor. The south wind put the upwell in full gear and I would bet Monday was a good day, but we got nixed on salmon after trolling all day. In the harbor we did catch a few small perch, and a few smallmouth, largemouth, catfish, and rock bass. There were insane numbers of 25-45 foot boats all afternoon that put down the fish we saw in the inlet. We also paddled up the Little Calumet to near the Salt Creek entrance, but saw only one steelhead. Storing this spot for next year this time. BTW...never buy a kayak without also buying a wheeled cart LOL.
  • Branson MO Lake Taneycomo and Forsythe MO Bull Shoals 24 to 26 July 2009
  • Again back to Taneycomo! Friday the water was high, and in lieu of the normal boat rental for the shools of rainbows, we decided to fish Bull Shoals, where sunfish abounded on the red chennelle bug and poppers, but everything else was slow. The Next day, however, the water was on for only a few hours, and T-como's rainbows were biting. In the morning cracklebacks and scuds produced, in the afternoon zonkers, of both the sinking and floating variety worked well, top to bottom of the wadable areas. As it darkened, there was good mouse fly action in the shallows, with larger rainbows. Move it fast at sunset and watch the fish shark over to it and explode!
  • Winfield MO and Howell Island MO 18 to 19 July 2009
  • Grass carp are a blast on the dry fly in Winfield Slough, and are tougher to make bite on top then the trout of last week. A #14 black coachman or anything with black hackle worked well on 4lb tippet for the 1-4lb fish. Cast carefully infront of the feeding pods of fish (look for their noses on the surface). The take is soft, so the hook set is not easy either, but they fight hard. Another good fly (other then the red chennele bug) was the #4 fathead yellow chennelle w/white marabou (a good bonefish fly fyi), which caught drum near the rocks. BTW, if you are more of a bait angler and hitting the slough, drop by R&S Bait hit the 'bait hotline' if the small shack is empty. It is literally a mom and pop operation (they live in the elevated trailer next store). Howell Island near the Spirit of Saint Louis Airport on the Missouri River is also an interesting spot in the summer and fall, though it is gar heaven (good if you like to fly fish for gar--I do, bad if you don't). A few white bass like to show below the waterfalls, on spinners, live shad (no weight), or jigs.
  • Lake Taneycomo Branson MO and Bull Shoals Forsythe MO 02-06 July 2009
  • Every tripto Taneycomo yields new experiences, and this Independance Day trip was no exception. While the rainbows and a few browns bit readily near the Table Rock dam on zonkers, #18 dry flies (caddis, orange/black crackleback), and yes, the #18 scud, or the same and a 1/80th oz chennelle jig in the main lake, it was also an opportunity to target 'non-trout' species on the fly in Taneycomo and in the top of Bull SHoals. As per usual, my favorite warm water species fly (1/80th oz chennelle jig in flame red) under an indicator and 2lb tippet proved workable for large white suckers (if you could avoid the trout :0). The suckers in the clear top section of T-como are not exactly easy, and rate in the same catagory here as tailing permit on the flats. Cast well ahead of the feeding suckers, spotting your target fish, and make sure the fly hits the bottom no more than 10" in front of the fish. A short hop as the sucker gets within 6" will let the sucker decide to bite the fly. The take is VERY quick, and there is only a very short window for hook set before the sucker spits the fly and darts off. Many nymphs 1/4" to 1/2" long on the normal trout menu work for suckers, but the fly must hit bottom and stay there, so a tugnsten bead, split shot, or in my case a very small jig head are required. The fight is also very strong and comparable to that of the stronger, wild rainbows of the same size. Drive to Forsythe and hit the top of Bull Shoals, and the exact same fly rod, indicator, and nymph will yield many species (and yes maybe a trout) including white bass, bluegill, longears, rock bass, spotted bass, etc. etc. A popper will favor the bass. With a boat, add in the stretch of T-como between Cooper Creek and DOwntown Branson, and either use the same nymphs/indicator, zonkers, woolly buggers; or use a spinning rod (2# or 4# test) with a crankbait or jig, and collect a few stocker bows as well. Oh yeah, if you stop by Anglers and Archery for those zonkers tell Dave 'hi' for me. :0)
  • Winfield MO and Creeks in MO 23/27 June 2009
  • Flooded weeds and warmer temperatures move carp (grass, black, common) and catfish into a a tailing mode in the rivers, much like redfish or bonefish in saltwater. A dry fly (i.e. #10 black woolly worm floated) that looks like a struggling terrestrial, presented carefully, will get hit on the surface, and you will have a fight on your hands. These fish are digging in the flooded ground for worms and beetles, and a well presented initation will be slurped off the surface in a very trout-like fashion. If you find gulping schools of bighead or silver carp,usually on the surface on channel edges, the same technique works. In the creeks, springs provide a cool water refuge for many species (drum, smallmouth bass, white bass, sauger, sunfish, redhorse), all will respond to poppers and chennelle jigs (and many other flies), or on the spinning rod, a teeny torpedo or 3" soft plastic jig.
  • Saverton MO , Winfield MO and Creeks in MO 06 June-18 June 2009
  • For those who have somehow decided to wait to fish this year, the time is now. High water has brought catfish, carp, and drum, along with white bass to any obstruction, bridge or dam, on the big rivers (Mississippi and MO). Look for places where the water rolls off rocks or concrete into deeper water, and you will have an ambush point for a variety of fishy predators, especially freshwater drum. Flywise, a 1/80oz chellele jig fly, a #4 chennel and marabou (fathead similar to bonefish fly), or 3" chartruse bead-head zonker will work fine, as will many other nymph patterns. Spinning rod-wise, a tub or curly tail jig on a 1/8oz jighead works dandy. Keep the lure/fly within 10 yards of the waterfall (and even better for the fly, within a foot). Young of the year and silversides are on the menu so 1"-3" offerings are too. Creekwise and small riverwise, the bass will still bite, but now green sunfish run more common, practice C+R for the bass on these waterways (small populations = senstive to pressure). Subdivision and park ponds are also prime time now, as the bass are post spawn and HUNGRY! A 4" assassin, twitchbait, or curlytail worm will work for the spinners, but larger poppers, floating zonkers, and wooly worms will get them for the fly-slingers. Oh, and take those kids fishing now before it gets too hot!
  • Winfield, Busch Wildlife Area, and Creeks in St. Charles County MO 22 May to 5 June 2009
  • Many fishing opportunities in May. First, the Kids Fishing Day at Busch Wildlife area is a perfect chance to introduce the small fry to fishing. While there, the redears and bluegill are on the spawn and the bass are off the spawn and hungry! Next, the rivers are host to many young of the year minnows (watchout for jumping silver carp though) and the smallmouth bass, white bass, gar, and catfish all want to cash in. If that doesn't wear you down, put on the wading boots and enjoy good catch and release fishing for a variety of species in the creeks (just excercise caution for property and conservations sake -- know your water and release these critical fish...small fisheries = easy to overfish).
  • Pittsburgh PA (Southside Park, Mongahala River) 20-21 May 2009
  • The Steel City is a place I visit lots, and as you could guess, I always bring a rod, in this case a 4 piece 8 wgt flyrod. The place abounds with spots, though due to time, I confined myself to the park on the south side of the Birmingham Bridge. Look for rocky points swept by current, and look even more for mayflies. In my case caught chunky short smallmouth bass on both a classic yellow bodied wooley worm, and more so on a #12 joes hopper (minus wings) under an indicator. The place is also home to hoards bread-eating ducks (fed by the locals to pest levels).
  • Central Florida (Orlando,Titusville,Cape Canaveral, Merritt Island and Cape Kennedy, Fort Desoto Park St. Pete. FL) 03-10 May 2009
  • Central Florida make a great jumping off point for a wide variety of outdoors and fishing adventures. In addition to the drought stressed Florida Largemouth, a hours drive puts you on the Indian River in Titusville (visit Dixie Crossroads...very yummy) for Ladyfish (any minnow fly or soft plastic) under the bridge near the old Vets Memorial Pier, and other inshore favorites, or Jetty Park in Port Canaveral for spanish mackeral, large pinfish, snook, and watching baby loggerhead and green sea turtles. Two Hours west of orlando, and Fort Desoto Park offers a good gulf pier for spanish mackerel (many! Many! jigging spoons or jighead/soft plastic in white, 3' 40lb floro leader, 8lb line), a few tarpon, and blue runners. On the bay side, same park, Topwater Kayaks (727-864-1991 or http://www.beachhunter.net/kayaking/fortdesoto/) rents kayaks for the mangroves and bay where you can catch many speckled trout, redfish, ladyfish (fly: bent nosed white/chartruese marabou fathead minnow fly under an indicator ala steelhead).
  • Kaskaskia River in Carlyle IL and Sandy Slough Winfield MO 25 and 29 April 2009
  • Normally a high Kaskaskia River below Lake Carlyle in IL signals Walleye and Sauger, but it looks like the White BAss decided it was their time instead, along with Carps of many varieties (silver, bighead, common, grass) and Buffalo (Smallmouth, Largemouth, Quillbacks). Any charturese or white jig (or #8 Mysis shrimp fly) you can get to the bottom near the dam will work, IF you can get it past the shad and carp! They are thick enough to blacken the water in many places. As a change of pace we pulled out the kayaks and fished Sandy Slough near Winfield MO, where silver carp were jumping, bass were hitting, and paddlefish were swimming. Water is up at normal spring levels.
  • Busch Wildlife Area, Weldon Springs MO 18 April 2009
  • Early spring means prespawn bass, crappie, and for those with insane persistance and the right lure, Muskies! In this case after 20.5 hrs of fishing time, one of us finally landed the fish of 10,000 casts (~1800 casts in this case), with witnesses and a camera to prove it. The fish, a 2002 stocker of the Kentucky Strain (looking up the freeze band pattern here: Show-Me Muskie Project by the MO Dept of Conservation) , smashed a #6 vibrax spinner w/bucktail behind a short cable trace, was quickly subdued, posed for a quick picture and tape measure (34.5"), revived, and released healthily back into the lake. If you also get so lucky, please send in the form from the MO site (or your state/province) to allow the biologists to track the health of the fishery. I had one smash a similar lure (#6 vibrax rigged with barbless hook and octopus skirts), but alas it did not get hooked. Only 8145 more casts for me, I hope!
  • Baldwin Lake IL 10 April 2009
  • Baldwin Lake is a steady producer all through the cold months, and even into spring. FLyfishers can pitch a variety of flies on 4lb tippet to catch redears, catfish, bluegill, crappie, and bass. A #14 bead-head stonefly was irresistable to the channel catfish (again, one of the only lakes where channel cats are regular fly-munchers) and sunfish. Put on a live minnow and catch the same species but add in a better shot at nice hybrid stiper/white bass.
  • Busch Wildlife Area, Weldon Springs MO 03 April 2009
  • On comes the spring cold front, and the crappie, bass, and trout bite! All three will eat a #8 bead mysis (see pic below) 3 feet below and indicator near wind-blown structure on points. Spinning-wise, any 3" dark grub-worm fished weightless and weedless will also work.
  • Busch Wildlife Area, Weldon Springs MO 15-21 March 2009
  • Early spring Crappie and Pre-Spawn bass are around again, and a popper in warming shallows will catch plenty! Just flip the popper between flooded stalks in backwaters that have shallow and warmer water. Move the popper in slow pulls, and wait for the unique 'phloff' sound of a slurping crappie. While out, enjoy the blooming trees, moving birds, and amorous turtles.
  • Busch Wildlife Area, Weldon Springs MO 7-8 March 2009
  • Late Winter Warm spells can bring spring variety action in small bodies of water, since they collect heat fast. The last of the Winter Trout Program Fish are still to be found, though much harder to catch as their numbers diminsh, but warm water species start to take up the slack. Browns like minnow-like lures, so white zonkers and wooley buggers will pay off. The crappie are beginning to get ready to spawn, and are feeding heavily in in shallow structure near drop offs on warm water days. With the crappie, a mixed bag of channel catfish, other sunfishes (bluegill, redear), catfish, and largemouth bass are feeding while they can as well. A cold snap will temporarily slow the action, but it will rebound as the weather stays warmer. My favorite flies for the mixed bag: 1/128th oz black jighead, silver thead body, or a #12 mysis shrimp pattern tied with white flashabou. 4lb to 2lb tippet. Both under an indicator, pulled slowly and stoped near surface weeds.
  • Belmont Shores Pier, Seal Beach Pier, (near Long Beach, or Los Angeles) CA 30-31 Jan/13 Feb 2009
  • Classic business trip where I squeezed in a little fishing afterwork or before flying out. Do yourself a favor and look over Ken's site here: http://www.pierfishing.com/ and get his book, it is definitely worth the money (and is phone-book sized). Using squid and anchovy pieces on a #6 hook plenty of white croakers and queenfish came along, with a few walleye surfperch off the Belmont Pier at sunrise and sunset, but almost a dead zone in the day. Seal Beach was tough but hooked and released a few short halibut on a yellow gulp behind a 1/4oz jighead fish SLOWLY on the bottom. In both cases, parking is by the hour, so bring 1's and 5's for Seal Beach (and bait) or a credit card for Belmont Shores.
  • Islamorada Florida (Gulf and Atlantic) 6-9 Feb 2009
  • Wind and Cold make fishing even here a bit tough. Cold water (55 degrees) forced the tropic and near tropic fish out to the depths, on the Atlantic side out to the far edge of Hawk Channel where it jumped over 65 degrees. On the deep side, the strong winds made 3-6 foot waves, making small boat fishing a wet experience. Dispite such adversity, fishing the temperature contours, and in the 'bowl' down reef from the preserve in 40-80 Feet produced Ceros and Little Tuny, with a few Kings for spice. When we were confined to Hawk Channel, jet heads and 6" crankbaits trolled in and out of the temperature shift produced nice Ceros. A few shots with the fly (sinking line, chartruese clousers and fatheads) or jiging spoons also caught fish when we could drift w/o the motor off the reef. By the last day the incomming tide brought enough warm water to get a few reef ifsh active near the bridges. All that said, any trip to the Keys beats Missouri in winter anyday.
  • Busch Wildlife Area MO and Baldwin Lake IL Dec 2008 /Jan 2009
  • Outside of days where the water was frozen, the trout stocked in the Urban Stocking Program Winter Trout Lakes can be caught with #14 peacock nymphs, wooly buggers, and a wide variety of flies. When the water freezes, Baldwin Lake kicked out small channel catfsh by the ton (and even on the fly...stoneflies, zonkers below an indicator).
  • Lake Taneycomo, Branson MO 08-09 Nov 2008
  • Normally this is prime brown trout time on lake T-Como, but due to wild fall water inversions on Table ROck Lake, the normally optimal 46 degree water is now replaced by 60 degree smelly water, making the browns head back to the depths, and making only dropping water periods a prime bite for the rainbows. That said, a bad day at T-Como is better than over 90% of the rainbow trout fishing in most of the US. A #14 crackleback on a long leader, sub surface or surface, worked well, as did wiggletail nymphs, zonkers, and on occasion a mouse fly (always a fun fly to use :0). Look for rising fish below well below outlet #3, especially on colder days.
  • Indiana Creeks and Chicago harbors 2008
  • The Salmon in the creeks are gone, only a few browns remain. On the lakefront, however, a crafty angler with large minnows or just the right clouser can nail non-spawning cohos feeding up for th winter. A bobber w/6foot of leader and a razor sharp hook to a live shiner always works. Duplicate the fly equivelent with a white/silvery #4-#1 fly under a large indicator and be persistant.
  • Indiana Creeks 26-27 Sept 2008
  • A flash flood and wild fishery dynamics (prey crash?) make for interesting tiems to catch salmon in the creeks of Indiana. The trick this time was to look for those fish comming up on the moon phase in the low end of the creeks. These silver fish are picky but want fast moving noisy lures like spinners and wide flies like zonkers and clousers. Look for the deep pools near where the creeks hit the lake and look for jumping fish.
  • Saint Louis Region: Busch Wildlife, Winfiled, Carlyle, Washington, and unnamed creeks Aug 2008 to Oct 2008
  • Now with the new upgraded space I can again make long overdue updates :0) Catfish, crappie, and white bass were the big fly rod and spining rod targets in this whole quarter. To start with, lake 33 produced many nice bluegill and crappie on 1/80ox chennel jigs, including a nice catfish or two. White bass again returned o Sandy Slough in force, after a many year slowdown (triggered by the floods...floods are important to the river fisheries), and were joined by skipjack herring and release-sized flatheads in a feeding frenzy. Any small jig or white minnow-type (fathead minnow, clouser #4) fly produced well for weeks on end until the water dropped low in mid-October. In the small creeks and small rivers, smallmouth and longears nailed poppers and jigs. Overall, not a bad fall.
  • Mongahala River new New Eagle PA (near Pittsburgh) 01 July 2008
  • If you haven't noticed, Pittsburgh has pulled me in travelwise for the month of June, but any trip is a fishing trip to me. In this case, armed w/a map, I went up-river from the Steel City past the mills to find the little town of New Eagle PA and the Tubby Hall Riverfront Park (maintained by donations, drop some green into the donation box if you go here please). Knowing that silt+gravel+rain=big nymphs, I pulled of the #6 stonefly and fished it below an indicatior to the tune of 10"-14" smallmouth bass a plenty in the high murky water.
  • Current River below Mountauk State PArk in MO and Bourbourse River near Union MO 21 June 2008
  • The massively high waters of the bigger rivers have forced (:0) a trip to the trouty Current river below Montauk. A perfect opportunity for a direct comparison with PA rivers belwo. Missouri has a strong trout program and good COnvervation Department, and the trophy area below the trout park at Montauk is a year round hot spot for flyrod fish. A #14 crackleback in the morning, and a white zonker in the afternoon, will always produce if drifted well here, and as expected we caught and released over 20 trout a piece from 12"-16".
  • Youghlogheny River (Yough for short) Ohiopyle and Connellsville PA 16-27 June 2008
  • If you haven't had a chance to look over the very pretty, and high, rivers in the SW PA region, now is the time. Scenery aside, the 'Yough' river has acceptable fishing for three trout species (Brook, Rainbow, and Brown) and Smallmouth Bass. Ohiopyle State park and up to the dam are better trout waters, while near Connellsville PA smallmouth are a better option. Dry flies (#14 Crackleback in chartruese) worked in Ohiopyle for smaller trout, while a stealthy angler fishing near the shorelines in Connellsville with a popper will get many smallmouth in the 10"-14" range. I would wadger stoneflies would work well in both places also. Also, don't skip the brookies in the feeder creeks! (NOTE WELL: WATCH FOR SIGNS and Whitewater...wading is VERY dangerous on the Yough!)
  • Salt River near New London MO 7 June 2008
  • Any obstruction in the current of any tributary or channel on the MIssissippi River system will hold many species looking for dinner in the soup of 1" minnows from the latest spawns. Bighead and silver carp are no exception, and right now will eat (yes eat) any small jig in chartruese (or the fly equivelent, 1-80th oz jig head wraped once with flo. yellow chenelle) fished near the obstruction. In this case, the retention dam on the salt river (the last dam before the Mississippi River) is a stew of carp, buffalo, and gar, with a few black bass and white bass tossed in. Pull out the 7wght fly rod and 8lb tippet, and see if you can handle the big fish fly action. Remember those 'chinese' carp are quite tastey and fry up well, and can be kept by the ton. They will also run you into the backing, leap high, and test the drag on your reels too.
  • Winfield MO and Busch Wildlife Area 20-30 May 2008
  • Rain, and more Rain. Sandy Slough near Winfield is finally producing a few fish after the big spawn of many species. Micro-minnow are everywhere, and catfish, smallmouth bass, walleye, and drum are taking advantage. A 2" silvery minnow or chub will work well as bait, as will a few small flies. In the lakes and ponds, warm weather has meant fat bluegill, who will take any small nymph or popper presented carefully at sunrise and sunset.
  • Islamorada FL 9 to 13 May 2008
  • You can never count of weather to put the fish where you want them. In this case the Mahi-Mahi were deep offshore, but luckily ISlamorada always has something biting, usually many, many somethings. In our case, a minor change in tactics (longer drop back, slower troll) yieled tons of Little Tuny from 3lbs to 10lbs on jet heads, and a big King around 30lbs on a Yo-Zuri-Bonito, all in 50 to 100 feet of water. Add in superbraid line and jigging spoons and we added more Little Tuny, and Blackfin Tuna in 200 feet of water. Look for logs and add a few almaco Jacks, and a stray mahi or two. Go to the channels, use squid (for the snappers) or crabs and mullet (everything else), an toss in releases of bonnethead sharks, tarpon, and larger snappers.A few other species even showed for the automatic underwater camera (2nd prototype). Bridges added even more species and you get the idea!
  • Busch Wildlife Area, Rabbit Run, Lake Whetzell, and Kaskakia River below Lake Carlyle 13-26 April 2008
  • A warm spell finally brough the pond temperatures into the sixties, making bluegill, bass, and crappie respond to nymph, and in a few cases, poppers. The #10 peacock nymph worked will under an indicatior in most cases at the ponds, with a few extra bass on a #6 floating white zonker. In the Kaskaskia the water is very high, and will stay high for a while. FIsh near flooded roads and trees below the dam in the shallows with anything that looks like or is a worm and you will score with catfish, carp, buffalo, drum, and gar. Dont forget creek flooded areas that will hold bullheads and carp aplenty. Below the dam itself, white bass will respond to 1" florescent green jigs or flies fished close in the fast water.
  • Baldwin Lake IL and others 08-22 Mar 08
  • Lots of spots were too cold, but again Baldwin Lake kicks out fish, even on cold early spring days. It is also one of a few places to catch channel catfish on the fly. A white zonker under an indicator took the honors for the the catfish, though a popper worked well for bluegill. Using spinning gear and shad or silversides, Bass and Catfish responded.
  • Baldwin Lake IL 23 Feb 08
  • Finally decided the gas expense was worth finding a sure thing, especially when every lake and river is ice covered. This powerplant lake never dissapoints, and it provided plenty of action with catfish (in extreme numbers), bluegill, drum, and bass. In addition to the classic red chenelle fly tied on a black jig head below an indicator, resulting in catfish on the flyrod, any bait will work, including minnows, worms, and anything else sitting in the trunk. Spring hurry up!
  • Clarksville MO LD 23 Mississippi River 24 Jan 08
  • Happy New Year! and man is it cold up here! All the lakes except Baldwin are frozen, as are most of the rivers and creeks near my home, so it is Eagle time. We tripped down highway 79 (a.k.a. Little DIxie Highway) to Clarksville Missouri on an especially cold afternoon (12 degrees F w/o wind chill, -11 w/wind) and took a peek below the LOck and Dam for these large feathered raptors. Any lock and dam with churning water from Chain of Rocks north to Iowa will hold plenty of bald eagles and clouds of river gulls. The camera started to malfunction after about 20 minutes in the cold, but there were about 20 in flight looking for shad and another 100 or so in the trees on the Illinois side trying to stay warm. Hopefully it will warm enough for walleye next weekend.
  • San Diego CA 26-31 Dec 07
  • For those who have had enough of the MIdwestern Winter already, a trip to 'SoCal' and in particular San Diego will warm the body a bit. It is not warm all the time, but warmer for sure, and the Bays and Ocean hold many biting fish this time of year within easy reach. For the non-anglers, Grey Whales are around, as are harbor seals (go to LaJolla Cove) and sea lions. Not to mention excellent food (and many fish Taco places). In the bay, rent a skiff from Seaforth at Coronado or Mission Bay (though we focused at Coronado) and run out to the grassbeds and channel edges with your favorite bass rod or fly rod (4lb to 10lb test spinning/baitcasting, 8-10wgt flyrod w/full sinking line 700 grains+/-) and bring softplastics, a good crankbait (for trolling) and/or shrimp imitating flies and clousers in brown/white/pink. The spinning rod has the edge by far since it can drop either a 1/2oz-3/4oz jig head with gulp or soft plastic to the bottom quickly. Failing soft plastics, a 1/2oz kastmaster in silver works well. For the fly rodder, sinking line is very key, since your quarry likes to sit right on the bottom. In both cases set up a drift (while watching for big boats and restricted zones) along the sloping depth contours, ones that go from 10ft-30ft in a hurry and sit near grass beds. The green bouy near Seaport Village/Embarcadero is one area, the beaches to red bouy off of Corornado are another. Catch and Release Spotted Sand Bass will pounce anything near their nose, as will Jacksmelt, Mackerels, and halibut. Never forget to swing a straight running crankbait (a yo-zuri crystal minnow 4 inches to 6 inches long is an example) behind the skiff when running between drifts to nail the occasional bonito. Off the beach, via a half-day from Point Loma, before the end of the year, rockfish, sculpins, and barred sand bass will nail a classic drop shot rig (the one favored by bassers) using a 4oz weight and soft plastic in chartruese and white fished in 60feet or less over rocks and kelp, or sand near rocks and kelp. Remember your fish ID book and venting tool for any bloated rockfish, so that the old rockies can make it back to the bottom safely (fyi. most 'short lived' rockfish, are at least 1 year old per inch length, and some much older to the tune of 80 years old to 200 years old for a 15 incher, so release them if possible, and avoid fishing too deep in areas w/them when out of season, your grandkids will thank you).
  • Lake Taneycomo Branson MO and Busch Wildlife Area Weldon Springs MO 17-18 Nov 2007
  • The standard crowd split two ways to catch trout this time, a few staying near home to hit the catch and release lakes of the Urban Stocking program at Busch Wildlife Area, and a few heading to Lake Taneycomo to try for the last of the spawning/post-spawn browns and fat rainbows. The local boys caught two nice fish stocked in the Busch lakes on wolly worms, nymphs, and glowballs. The T-como group nailed fat rainbows 12"-19" on unweighted nickle-sized glowballs and #18 scuds, with only a few browns taking any offering.
  • Busch Wildlife Area Weldon Springs MO 10 Nov 2007
  • Had to skip opening weekend of local trout fishing due to the Missouri Wildlife Art Festival (slow traffic but some nice folks got some of my photographic work and books), but the fishing on the 10th made up for the lost time. Nearly every fly had a shot, my choice was the #14 crackleback fished on the surface or just below. Many trout were caught and released, with a few fish using schooling to knock nymphs and amphipods from the shallow vegitation (I bet a scud or caddis would work also).
  • Retention Dam on the Salt River near New London MO 27 Oct 2007
  • Sneaking in a bit of warm water fishing before cold weather trout season can reap rewards. In this case a trip to the spillway below the dam below the Mark Twain Lake dam (say that 5 times fast) resulted in many fish such as nice white bass on spoons and crappie and largemouth on poppers, nymphs, and dry flies.
  • Indiana Creeks and Chicago Lakefront 19-21 Oct 2007
  • Very few salmon anywhere, with cohos being the predominant species. While the weather was great, the fishing was very slow, and the fewest salmon yest seen on one of our trips to the creeks and harbors. Whether due to moon phase, weather, or fish population density is not certain, but it was tough fishing for the few fish around. The one coho kept was skinner than expected, and hit a 1/8oz little cleo, with hits also comming in on #6 glowballs on the fly, and clouser headed wooly boogers. Other species were hitting, with plenty of large chubs and a few bass, including a decent largemouth caught and released near Shedds aquarium, on many lures and flies.
  • Howell Island and Perquque Creek MO 09 Oct 07
  • Two things that make fishing in October interesting from a big river perspective: one--all the fish need to fatten up for winter and two-most years the weather is nice. Hot temps are around this year, but carp were feeding well in the smaller tributaries. Black Carp and Grass Carp are surface feeding and will taste any florescent yellow or chartruese fly, or any leaf that looks like one. Bluegill are also on the feed even in the warm afternoons and will hit a variety of flies. On the bigger waters, like the slough near Howell Island, shad are feeding heavliy on phytoplankton bringing in gar, drum, catfish, and all the basses. A twitch bait or similar will work, though a live shad will work best, especially fished on light line and using a small hook and split shot well above the hook.
  • Mississippi River, Chain of Rocks 02 Oct 07
  • Warm days make for tough fishing except in the mornings at Chain of Rocks. Those who got there early (not me--I slept in :0) caught lots of white bass, those who slept in caught a few herring and smaller drum. Both hit #8 stonefly and #6 black wooly buggers fished near the bottom on weighted line or with split shots.
  • Creeks and Cuivre River in St. Charles County MO 23 Sept 07
  • The dog days and low water make fish very wary in the smaller creeks and rivers, but they will still bite on a woolly worm fished on a long leader or a twitch bait on an ultralight spinning rod.
  • Mississippi River, Winfield MO 08-15Sept 2007
  • The big river broken record is playing all the dog days of summer and early fall. In the Mississippi River above the locks, large freshwater drum feed on zebra mussels, shad, and blueback herring. A live or fresh shad pitched into the deep water on stout tackle will attract these under appreciated fish. The bigger the shad (or herring) the bigger the drum, with 3lbs to 15lbs very typical. A heavy barge traffic day only makes them bite better, as the drum feed heavily on the opening of the locks. A rotten shrimp or ball of worms on a circle hook may also get a few channel and flathead catfish as a bonus. Use circle hooks to allow easy release, and sash style weights to minimize hang-ups (though those will still happen).
  • St. Charles MO Riverfront 23 Aug, 25 Aug,1 Sep 2007
  • The old wingdikes and riverfront near the Lewis and Clark departure point in Saint Charles Missouri offer lazy catfishing and carping for those who want to dare the walk out on the slippery rocks (yes they can be dangerous, be careful) or from the safer mud banks. The classic catfish and carp baits work for tightlining, freelining, or bobbering into the current. The Carp typically sit near the numerous ditch and creek mouths, and love corn and red worms, while large catfish can be caught in the current eddies using larger baits, such as cut fresh shad. In the main current on the bottom, shovelnose sturgeon and drum will eat a worm. Big weights are the rule in the current, but many large fish are present, and if you get skunked, you can always clean up and stroll the shops a block away on Main Street in Old Town.
  • Columbia Bottom St. Louis County, MO 11 Aug 07
  • Hot weather means catfish at night and early morning, though during the day those cats are a might bit smaller. JUst above the confluence channel catfish from 8" to 15" were legion, and using an ultralight and a circle hook (to avoid deep hooking these pints) with worm they can be fun for as long as you can stand the heat.
  • Meramec Springs and Meramec River St. James MO 28 Jul 07
  • Trout parks are all about competition, so I like to not even start fishing till around lunch, and use a flyrod at that :0) Large Globalls and cracklebacks proved irresisable to the stocker rainbows, and when I moved to the trophy area, the same #18 crackleback proved very effective, with many catches+releases. Canoe jams, aside, this is a good trophy area.
  • Chain of Rocks 22 Jul 07
  • Dropping water finally exposed the sand bar, and a jig on the sprinning rod or chenelle fly under an indicator for the flyrod caught a few small white bass and drum. The dog days have indeed arrived here.
    • Middle and South Boulder Creeks, Boulder CO 16-19 Jul 07
    • Boulder Creek above Boulder proper produces small browns and cutthroats quite regularly, and a white streamer or dry (#14) on 2lb tippet will get hit. Likewise, little cutthroats inhabit the waters of El Dorado canyon and also hit white streamers. Fish them slow and wiggly and they will get hit there too. If you fish Eldorado Canyon, just remember the foxes show up at dark!
    • Saverton Dam (IL Side) 07 Jul 07 (its 7-7-7 day)
    • Its a lucky day for one of the best spots on the Mississippi River, and the white bass are biting! White was the color this time, and even in 98 degree heat white bass, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, and hybrids (along with goldeyes, catfish, and herring) bit on white/silver spoons and jigs or flyrod heaved #6 streamers and zonkers. Bring lots of water!
    • Lake Taneycomo, Branson MO 30 Jun-04 Jul 07
    • Its a classic spot to celebrate Independence Day, and firecrackers aren't the only thing popping. Table Rock Dam is doing daily early releases, but not all releases are enough to totally chase off the waders by the dam. Cracklebacks and zonkers again produced well every morning, with the bite going strong till around 2PM. Downtown Branson is now nearly complete, and a mall straddles the old downtown waterfront, but a set of docks above Roarke Creek are re-fishable. Boatwise, Roarke Creek to Cooper Creek had schools of biters on the surface, and they hit everything from glow-balls on the fly to powerbait on the spinner and everything in between. The new hatchery stream is almost done as well with a fish ladder and new raceways!
    • Saverton Dam IL side Miss. River 24 Jun 07
    • This place was so good we had to go back the following weekend. We were NOT disappointed. Initially, we were a little concerned with the sudden rise in water over the dam, forcing us to fish near the parking lot, but the flowing water also brought on a bite along the entire length of the dam, and as the water receded, we fished and caught all the way out to the locks. The fish concentrated within a few feet of the waterfalls created by the flow over, and blasted silversides and silvery minnows with abandon. Clouds of 1lb-4lb drum formed between the white waters, herring blasted in the outflow, and white bass fed everywhere. A simple red chenille wrapped 1/80th oz black jig head fished below an indicator caught everything, while a jig head with a white drop shot minnow caught fish on spinning gear. A silvery minnow fished on a jig head also caught fish every cast, and added catfish to the tally. Once the water retreated, a trip out to the locks produced all the bighead carp you wanted to catch, provided you had 50lb spectra available to pull them out of the current. Catfish were boiling everywhere, and would have probably hit anything on the surface...but a person can only fight so many fish :0
    • Saverton Dam IL side Miss. River 16 Jun 07
    • The water dropped below the high water side of the dam, exposing and drying a place to walk out to the maelstrom near the gates of the lock itself. Despite the 98F 90% humidity, the walk was worth it. Silvery minnows and silversides were being blasted by a wide variety of gamefish, making a legendary day of fishing. A spinning rod with culy tail jig pitched to the water whirlpooling from the open gates was pounced by drum, white bass, and flathead catfish. Switch to a small zonker with tungsten bead on a flyrod and get herring, drum, and white bass. A 2"-3" spoon pitched far into the fast water and reeled VERY fast was hit by much larger white bass(2 to 3lbs+) and very large bighead carp (8lbs+). If you weren't catching (and releasing in our case) over 30 fish this day, you weren't there. It was very fast paced all day, and only an empty water supply at 3PM drove us back to the parking lot, though the fish were still blasting the surface. Too bad every day isn't this good.
    • Creve Coeur Upper Lake MO and Creeks 08 Jun 07
    • If you like catfish, now is the time! While boats raced on the main Creve Coeur lake, I took my sis and niece to the much quieter, though fairly unfished (though well walked around) upper Creve Coeur lake. Fill a #8 hook with whole kernel can corn on 4lb test, and NO weight, and pitch 10 yards off the bank near any structure. Bread works also. In a few minutes bullheads and 10"-14" channel catfish zoomed in and ate with abandon, allowing even a novice angler to catch a few fish even mid afternoon. Why corn? Surrounding this lake are hundreds of acres of prime cornfields, which flood every spring and let the lake and creek resident fish have a corn dinner each high water. In the big rivers, a barge loading area has a similar corn-fed catfish and carp crowd. Using a fly rod, a #14 black thread jig or streamer will get crappie and bluegill in the same spots. We nailed and released (too many fish already in the freezer) 5 catfish in under 50 mins...they bite that fast. In the creeks the bass are slowing down and heading to deeper water, but bluegill and green sunfish will still hit a well placed fly.
    • Winfield MO Sandy Slough and Perque Creek 1-3 Jun 07
    • Warm waters coupled with a rise in water levels to pre-drought conditions and a full moon lead to excellent fishing almost anywhere you dropped a hook. In the sloughs of the Mississippi River a boom in silvery minnow and silverside populations resulted in a feast for a wide range of piscatorial predators from herring and white bass, to rock dwelling small and largemouth bass. The rising waters also made omnivores like catfish, drum, and carp put on the feed bag as well. For the bass and catfish, you had to match the hatch very closely, and a live silvery minnow on a bobber worked excellently. For the drum, the standard cut shad worked wonders, including for the monster we caught late in the day. For the carp, whole kernel corn from the can on 4lb to 8lb line as usual lead to fine carp catching. As in the sloughs, the creeks have also returned to full levels, and beastly bass have run up the creeks from larger waters as well. These creek bass will nail any fly or soft plastic that looks like a meal and is presented on light tippets of 2 to 4lb.
    • Boulder Creek, Barker Resevoir,Gross Resevoir, CO 14-19 May 07
    • High rains turned the creeks into brown races, but the revevoirs were clear, but tough. Boulder creek at the lower ends was the domain of kayakers, who finally had enough water to float this normally small creek, and they could have it, since the fish had more than enough real food comming in that a fly was lost to them in the turbid waters. Therefore, I took a trip up the Barker Resevoir near Nederland, and commensed decoding the fish there. A ton of flies and methods later, the way to get the very picky fish of Barker ceneterd around a very small indicator, 4 feet above a #18 tan scud fished near the rocky points. Using determination and patience, a few rainbows responded. Gross Lake, on the other hand hand much more aggressive fish, which tapped the scud, but also tried to eat the indicator. A little experimenting, and lots of observation, lead me to believe that the trout of Barker were munching dark colored minnows (sculpins, small trouts). A bead headed black wooly worm on a long 2# leader was the ticket, and while the trout were still hard to hook, they did smash that fly with relish. Moral of the story, patience, observation, and experimentation!
    • Indian Creek MO 12 May 07
    • Sometimes a very small creek can hold excellent catch and release fishing, and a wadable creek at a new park nearby was such an example. This creek is a tributary to a tributary to a tribuatry of the Mississippi River, with no obstruction seperating it from Old Man River, and therefore any species of fish can swim upstream on a wet spring like this one. These moving fish complement resident species like many minnows, bluegill, green sunfish, bullheads, and large and smallmouth bass. Larger black basses move up from the bigger waters to feed followed by drum, walleye, sauger, suckers, carp, and gar. In other words, a fly or lure pitched into this creek can be eaten by anything! In our case, we caught many smaller to decent (on 2lb test or tippet) black basses, a lone walleye, and huge numbers of other sunfishes, punctuated by shiners, studfish, and gar. Since these are fragile systems, care must be taken to avoid tromping through spawning beds, or keeping any of the core resident species. Find a good creek near you, pick up the lightest gear you have, and enjoy a day in nature.
    • Carlyle Spillway and Lake Carlyle IL 5 May 2007
    • Anywhere is a good spot when the weather is good in the spring, and both spots we checked produced. In the spillway, sauger, white bass, and drum all hit jigs or flies fished slow on the bottom. Also, small nymphs fished under an indicator then twicthed slowly produced a wide wavriety of fish. In the main lake, the same flies and techniques produced bluegill, bass, and crappie, while cut fresh shad worked very well for mid-sized channel catfish.
    • Busch Wildlife Area MO 28/29 Apr 2007
    • The spring pattern has settled in, with popper pouncing bluegill and bass and streamer smashing crappie in every pond and creek. Spawning carp are afoot with bass sitting on the edge of the rolling activity, and a lure or streamer will get pounced! Spring this year has also brought an increase in water for the midwest, and all the waterways are pushing back to normal levels. In short, get fishing!
    • Perquque Creek, MO River, and Busch Wildlife Area, St. Charles Co, MO and Carlyle Lake Spillway, IL 14 April-22 April 07
    • Wild Weather and high water made fishing the past two weekends trying but possible. The small creeks boast a wide variety of fishes, especially those that hit one of the big rivers, and a little creek near home had a few channel cats to catch. A week later, warm weather made fishing a much better proposition, and the walleye and sauger, along with crappie, finally made a showing in the river below Lake Carlyle, hitting small curly tail jigs, or alternatively, a white/chartruse wooly bugger behind a split shot for the flyrodder. The big MO and MS are still very high and only a few small drum could be talked into biting, though the shad were very plentiful. The small ponds, however, are the stars rgiht now, as crappie, bluegills, redears, and bass all are in full feeding mode. A popper flipped on the surface behind a 2lb flourocarbon tippt will be smacked with abandon along gravelly shallows and shorelines as spring frogs and hoppers are around, and the sunfish clan is near spawning and very hungry. On less than popper days, pull out the #6 wooly worm/bugger on the fly, or a small jig for bass action aplenty.
    • Islamorada FL 28 March-2 April 2007
    • Tide and Weather wait on no man, and on this trip wind and Tide/Moon Phase were key. Normall I plan around moon phase and look for optimal weather months, but sometimes you just have to plan time when you can get it. The wind prevented any trip to the reef edge on the Atlantic side 3 out of 4 days, with even Hawk Channel out of reach (safe reach in a 21' Center console rented at Budn'Mary's) 2.5/4 days. That said, if you are going to be 'stuck' fishing inshore anywhere, Islamorada is about as good as it gets. The day we did get to the deep stuff a few Mahi's popped into the spread, but not the monster schools that will appear in a month, and both small sharks and a few ceros and snappers could be caught between 55 and 75 feet of water (sharks, mostly sharpnose, in 120 feet of water). On the inshore days, anchoring near the edges of the channels around the bridges allowed catch and releasing of smaller snappers and groupers, and an occasional shot at tarpon from 20lb to over 100lbs. The tarpon during the day preferred fresh mullet, which could be obtained with a large cast net. Remeber there is a big difference between hooking a tarpon and landing one, and our hook-ups rarely made it past the first jump, though each hook-up raised the heartrate by quite a bit! When fishing in the full moon, whihc is good tarpon and snapper fishing, remeber to also look around for the sea snails swimming near the surface, very interesting animals to watch. And as always take an eating trip to Mangrove Mikes for breakfast :0)
    • Kaskaskia River Old Channel and Main Channel in Carlyle IL, 24 Mar 07
    • Only a few very small sauger were present in the main channel, but it won't be long until they are legion. Meanwhile, the old channel is shallow and warm and loaded with small white bass and crappie. THis weekend, the white bass readily ate any lure 1"-2" long in white/chartruese such as 1/32oz jig and curly tail, rooster tail, or or for they flyrodder wooly boogers and streamers. The bass were not monsters, but fun catch and release fish to break into spring.
    • Lake Wetzel, OFallon MO and Chain of Rocks, Mississippi River, IL 10-11 Mar 2007
    • Still no walleyes, though saw lots of migrating American White Pelicans, but the warm spell did open up the pond nearby long enough to take my niece out to catch and release a few early bluegill on wax worms, and a few myself on #18 dry flies. Next weekend should be the real start of the sauger/walleye run.
    • Alton Lock and Dam and Winfield Lock and Dam, Mississippi River MO, 27 Jan and 3 Feb 2007
    • Courtesy of some of the coldest weather in 5 winters, fishing was out on the rivers (though we did poke for a short while for Walleye-none caught), but Eagle watching is in. Since it is a colder winter this year, Bald Eagles come south, and use the opportunity to feed off of the Gizzard Shad that have trouble coping with the cold and rapids below the dams. Eagles take station on trees overlooking the river near these dams and build nests. Hundreds of eagles can be seen on a good day with a good set of binoculars and strong zoom lens, either on nests, zooming over the water, or plucking dinner from the frothy rapids. A few eagles even station on ice flows and then dip down to nail an unwary fish. I hope it warms soon!
    • Homossasa River, Merritt ISland NWR Beach Near Titusville, Bridges over Indian and Banana Rivers near Port Canaveral 25-31 Dec 2006
    • Happy New Year to all. A trip to Orlando FL over the big break provided a full mixed bag of fishing on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Starting at the bridges over the Indian and Banana rivers, we caught very few fish, mostly sea robins, puffers, etc. and saw thousands of big mullet speeding to the deeper ocean water. Normally a soft plastic on a 3/8 jig head produces well, as do live shrimp and shrimp peices, all on 4lb-8lb gear, but due to cold water-not happening here. We hit the Homosassa River for a little manatee viewing and fishing, however, and found pay dirt...tons of ladyfish on anything from soft plastics to spoons, to flies 1"-3" in size (on 6wgt to 8wgt gear). Shrimp and crazy charlie flies near the spring at sunset also produced black drum, grey snappers, and sheepshead. Bouyed by the good fishing at Homosassa (where we returned in two days) we hit the beach at Merritt Island and fished the warmer Atlantic on the incomming tide. Whiting and pompano were present for shrimp pitchers who used 4oz pyramid weights and small hooks, but pitching a chartruese slab spoon (1oz+/-) on a 25lb flourocarbon leader and spectra or 10lb mono main line produced small bluefish and small jack crevelle while the waves allowed the fish to come in close. There is no wading deep in that surf however, due to strong wave and current, so stay short (knee deep or less preferably) and avoid the man-o-wars drifting everywhere.
    • Chain of Rocks 9 Dec 06
    • While we waited for the lakes to thaw and roads to clear out at the Urban Stocking Program trout ponds (that was an impressive ice and snow storm) we tripped over to Chain of Rocks to pitch jigs for Walleyes and Sauger (another good alternative would have been the 1.5 hr drive to Baldwin lake for catfish o'plenty, but I was time constrained) and while seeing plenty of gulls and pelicans (with a few eagles for good measure) we were skunked. However, it is always good to get out on the river to dodge cabin fever.
    • Busch Wildlife Area near Weldon Springs MO and Lock and Dam at Saverton MO 17 and 20-26 Nov 2006
    • As per usual the stokcer trout are ready to play at Busch Wildlife Area in the catch and release lakes 21 and 28 (fly/lure only till 1 Feb 07), and a wide variety of flies work. Dry flies #14 work at sunrise and sunset while wollyboogers in #8-#10 olive w/bead and nymphs under indicators (anything #10-#18). The locka nd Dam at Saverton is also loaded with fish, primarily saugers, carp, and flatheads, with saugers and flatheads falling to persistant cast and very slow retrieve of soft plastics on jig heads (rigged drop shot if current is bad). Carp will eat worms and corn and Drum will eat fresh shad pieces. Fish before freeze out! Once the lakes freeze, hit the powerplant lakes like Baldwin Lake for catfish aplenty (and a few blues), or fish for the big Blues in the river is the ice is not too bad.
    • Chicago IL Harbors-Shedds, Belmont, Montrose 5-6 Nov 2006
    • The last salmon trip of the year usually features sightings of many large schools of salmon and a few steelhead in the harbors (see 5/6 Nov 2005 and previous below). This year the run seems to be 0ne month ahead of schedule, and most of the mature salmon have met their maker in the backs of the harbors (Pacific Salmons are semelparous..they live just 3-5 years, spawn once in the place they were hatched or stocked, and then die. In Illinois, the spawning is not good in the harbors where this run of salmon were first released...which is ok because they aleady released the run of 2009/2010 in the harbor--and they and the steelheads need the protien of a few carcassas for pre-winter food). We saw less than one-third of last years fish schools. With live shinners, we eaked out 2 Chinooks and one 10lb male steelhead (they ignored flies, etc.--kept only one chinook for fresh dinner, released the other chinook and steelhead). Next year's run shoul be stronger, but even so, it is always fun to take in the fall scenery and the Chi-town skyline.
    • Chain of Rocks (Mississippi River) IL 28 Oct 2006
    • The white bass are now few and far between on this big river spot, and the walleye and sauger have not quite appeared yet, but if you toss small soft plastics rigged above a 2oz weight and work the jigs slow, you never know what will bite. This time, we caught white bass (a few), blue catfish, golden redhorse, bigmouth buffalo, among many species.
    • Boulder+Broomfield CO-23/24 Oct 2006
    • Ahead of the big snow of 26 October I snuck in a few minutes fishing Boulder Creek with the white/chartruese #14 dry fly, and as per usual, it surrendered a few small cutthroats and browns for catch and release fun on the 3wgt fly rod. Pitch it over a likely looking pocket of water and if the fish are there they will jump it.
    • Indiana Creeks-Salt, Little Calumet between Porter and Valparaiso IN 20-22 Oct 2006
    • What a difference low pressure and a month make. While we nailed the moon phase, we did count on a direct overflight by a low pressure systme (see last years Chicago Harbor trip). While the salmon were present in smaller number than in September, and were moving as predicted by the moon phase, their desire to bite waned as the pressure dropped. Even so, the 2-4 lb cohos and 8lb-12lb chinooks hit #8 black flies, #6 green butt skunk with hour-glass eyes on 10lb flourocarbon tippets on the fly and 1/8 oz little cleos and #6 spinners on the spinning gear. Always fun to match skills against these creeks and fish, even if they are less than anxious to bite. As a consolation prize, before the system hit, a few rock bass provided a nice warm-up from the harbors on small crankbaits and jigs.
    • Chain of Rocks, IL Side 14 Oct 2006
    • THe cooler weather has created a feeding frenzy for white bass and hybrids. The boiling waters of the Mississippi River below the Chain of Rocks are not to be taken lightly, but by pitching a white Krockodile (1/2 oz) on superbraid or 4lb mono, one can catch many 1-3lb white bass, and 2-4lb hybrids in the mornings. They fight VERY hard, so keep that drag well adjusted!
    • Near Boulder and Nederland CO 19/20 Sep 2006
    • Now for salmonids in the Rockies (I think I may travel a bit much?). Boulder Creek as per usual granted small browns and cutthroats, but for a change of pace, take a trip to Gross or Barker Resevoirs. Contrary to popular belief, both are fishable with a flyrod, though Barker is more fisher frendly with easier access. On eithe lake, try and indicator with nymph such as the mysis or chenelle bug patterns on winder days, and dry flies or wolly boogers on less windy days. Also, The branches of Boulder Creek below each dam are good spots for good trout, just avoid the cougars.
    • Portage, Valpraiso, and Burns Harbor IN 16-17 Sept 06
    • Back to the fish. Using the weather and New Moon as a guide, and guessing the correct spot and method to pick off the early migrating Lake Michigan Cohos and Chinooks, and dodging munchkins and wizards, we selected a spot on the upper portion of a certain creek to catch lots of salmon. Muddy waters did not stop 5lb-9lb Cohos and 10-16lb Chinooks from ingesting #6 skunk pattern flies and #8 flo-yellow glowballs on 14lb flourocarbon tippets (with a split shot 10in above the fly). Likewise downstream a spinner did the duty for a few scattered biters in the chocolate milk waters behind logs. The next day clearer water required a drop in tippet to 10lb, but the same flies still produced, as did small cleo spoons and spinners fished slowly.
    • Lock and Dam 22, Mississippi River, near Saverton MO 28 Aug 06
    • Again, a trip to Saverton proves good, and for more than just the herring, bass, and drum. A migrating swarm of Monarchs dropped by for a photo opportunity also!
    • MO River -Weldon Springs MO and Columbia Bottom 23/24 Aug 06
    • The water has come up, then dropped again, and a try for the flatheads in the MO river yielded goldeyes and drum instead. Silver Carp of many sizes were also around, and have become a very numerous invasive!
    • Mississippi River Chain of Rocks and Saverton Dam 12 Aug 06 and 19 Aug 06
    • Low water has definitely slowed the river fishing down, but fish are still to be had for the persistant. Saverton again had lots of drum for jig or flyrod w/zonker catch and release action (they do have worms this time of year but fight well). The Chain of Rocks has lots of baby herring which can be fun on the fly, and if so inclined, make AOK bait for catfish in the rapids if you can reach them with a boat or cast in the early morn or late evening. (and hold it in them) Rain and cooler temps should improve conditions greatly heading into mid September
    • Lock and Dam 25 (Winfield MO) Mississippi River and Sandy Slough 05 Aug 06
    • LAst weekend was local ponding for bluegill with the 4wgt, but this week was back to the mighty Miss. for the big freshwater drum of the dog days of summer. First a little detour for a few pics at the very low Sandy Slough for pictures of birds enjoying the shallow water feeding: Gulls, Blue and White Herons, and Canadian Geese. The low phase of the slough is critical for not only these birds, but to oxygenate and fix nitrogen into the sloughs mud and sand bottom. The rejuvinated, grass covered bottom, will hold many small fish and invertebrates in the spring of '07, leading to good fishing in the future. For now, the trickle of water holds silvery minnows, small shad, and silversides, and legions of long and short nosed gar. A few hardy common carp and bowfins alos stir the bottom, since these fish can each obtain oxygen from the air above the low oxygen warm and turbid waters of the slough. The river above the dam was fairly clear (as clear as the Mississippi gets-even with zebra mussels) and shad and shrimp were gobbled up by 4-8lb drum and 1-3lb channel cats. Worms lead to carp and buffalo, and small drum. We made many attempts at tossing small wolly worms and yarn bugs on the fly to the fast cruising 10lb-30lb bighead carp, but they were only interested in zooplankton (this time :0).
    • Lock and Dam 22, Mississippi River, near Saverton MO 22 July 2006
    • While quite a drive up Hwy79 or Hwy61 to Hannibal,this lock and dam has good fishing always for something, usually for Skipjack Herring. This time however, the herring were gone, but the low water concentrated silvery minnows and silversides for a feeding frenzy for drum, white bass, hybrid striped bass, and smallmouth bass. For me, a zonker fly on my 6wgt flyrod got drum and smallmouth, but for my brother either a freelined silverminow or 1/8th oz curlytail jig produced everything, including an 8lb hybrid. A grass carp also decided to inhale first my strike indicator, then inhale and run off with my orange chenelle bug. Lots of hard fighting fish make this a fun trip anytime. Also, don't forget to pitch corn or worms near the shoreline along the banks for carp and channel cats a'plenty
    • Lake Tanneycomo and Bull Shoals near Branson MO 1-4 July 2006
    • In addition to stars and stripes, fireworks, and Sousa music, US Independence Day offers a good time to kick back with the family and share some prime fishing time. Due to low flows from Table Rock Dam, the trout were slower than normal (which is still good) in T-como, with the usual 8"-17" rainbows and browns below the dam biting at first light and before mid-day on zonkers, glow-balls, cracklebacks, and wiggletails. In the main lake, trout activity was uplake from the green, phytoplankton rich, waters of Branson proper, from the bridges to Falls Creek, on the typical crankbaits, powerbaits, and kastmasters. Since the dam was sometimes running, another spot in Bull Shoals also became active with nice hybrids Wipers, Brown Trout, and Rainbow Trout, on live shad and jigs. In short, good relaxation was had by all.
    • Boulder Creek near Boulder CO 28/29 June 2006
    • For a change of pace, I hauled the fly rod out on a business trip to Denver, and using the handy guide "Fishing Close to Home" sent to me by the Colorado DNR I took a 20 minute drive up into the canyons to try for a few wilder cutthroats. While any white fly seemed to get bit and shook, only my #14 white crackleback fished subsurface was attractive enough to hook the feisty 6"-10" cutthroats and browns.
    • Islamorada FL (Florida Keys-Atlantic and Gulf) 17-23 MAy 06
    • Just can't avoid the draw of the clear waters, big fish, and laid back attitude of the Keys, especially when you can get a low cost room at the Sunset Inn, eat Breakfast every day at Mangrove Mikes, and rent a 21' Mako from Bud n Marys. It really is a doable trip for anyone. We brought our handheld GPS, charts, 12# flygear, and 15-20lb trolling and spinning gear to this Valhalla of fishing, and it did not disapoint! We left the dock each day, made bee line for the reef edge (after buying a few blocks of chum), caught a few ballyhoo as insurance, then hit the 60-90 foot contour reef edge, with a few forays into the electric blue waters and sargasso bed in 200 feet of water. ON the contour were legions of 20"-30" mahi-mahi around the scattered sargassum, and they readily smashed a little stubby in purple trolled at 8 miles per hour. ON each hookup, chunks of ballyhoo and chum were used to bring in the rest of the school, and a pandamonium of screaming drags on fly gear and spinning gear ensued. Once board with the schoolies, a deeper trolled nailed larger mahis, as did a chum and drift. For the real beasts, we journeyed to a weedline in 225 feet of water due east of Alligator light, and set of a drift with the live ballyhoo, chunks of ballyhoo, and a chum bag, and again brought in fly-roddable schoolies, but also a 30lb cow mahi, king mackerel, and blackfin tuna. If that wasn't enough, the reefs in 25-60 feet of water still held the standard ceros and snappers for a jigger or fly rodder to catch. Still not enough, well just ditch the boat and head for the nearest bridge on slack tide, and bring fresh chunnks of ballyhoo, or live mullet or pinfish and catch tarpon and snappers till the armns hurt. It just doesn't get any better :0)
    • Lake Taneycomo, Branson MO 21-23 APr 06
    • Wow does Branson need rain! The lakes are the lowest seen in 20 years, but Taneycomo still provides spectacular trouting. WHite Zonkers, Wiggletail nymphs, glowballs, and cracklebacks fished sub-surface caught jillions of 8"-12" rainbows,and a few 15"+ browns and rainbows. Triple digit catch and relase flyfishing every day near the upper boat ramps. In other words, get on the waders, grab a novice flyrodder, and get them here to catch fish.
    • East Chicago and Portage IN; Salt, Trail, and Little Calumet (East Branch) Creeks,24-28 Mar 2006
    • Landed no spring steelies (they were too interested in mating mostly, but we did hook 3 that escaped), we did catch tons of large white suckers (1-4 lbs). Likewise, it was early for the harbors, but a few cohos snuck in on the days that had south winds (for future reference wind from on shore = upwell = clear water = lots of fish!). For the steelies, small flies in #10-#8 in black or mysis patternson 8lb leader caught the legions of suckers and hooked the few steelies willing to bite. The cohos off the Jerose pier and in the Harbors hit #4 Panther martins when present fished on 4lb test.
    • Chain of Rocks IL side 28/29 Jan 2006
    • While there are still easy to catch trout at Busch Wildelife and other parks due to the Winter Stocking program, and baby catchfish a plenty at Baldwin Lake, we hit the Mississsippi River for walleye, and while tough fishing, the 12"-24" Saugers and Walleyes did bit for those who use patience, a 2oz weight, and double twister tail jigs, fished very slow.
    • Pompano Beach and Islamorada FL 26-31 Dec 2005
    • With the Christmas seaon, the family all heads to a warmer clime for a week, and I again get to fish the fishermans Valhalla of the Florida Keys. After a run up and down the coast from Jupiter to Miami, we had only caught a few blues and spanish mackeral off the piers (small spanish on small jigs, medium blues on cut bait), we took the drive to Islamorada, caught breakfast a Mangrove Mikes (a must do) and rented a center console from Bud'n Mary's to fish the reef. After setting up a drift in 20-50 Feet on the reef edge south of the lighthouse, and deploying a bag of chum, ceros, snappers, and yellow jacks became easy pickings on anything from trolled rapalas to flyrod tossed clousers and fathead minnows( White/Chartruese, flo-yellow), to crappie jigs on light spinning gear. A ballyhoo(sp) pitched with a small egg weight netted a wide variety of fun to fight and release fighters in the form of grouper and sharks (and more mackerel). Sails were busting the 'hoos all over, but we couldn't get ourselves to leave the mackerel (maybe next time?). The fish were all returned to the reef to challenge someoneelse next time. Top it off with all you can eat stone crab claws from any of the eateries on the way back north, and it is a day better than any mortal deserves in this life.
    • Chicago IL (Shedds and Burnham Harbor) 5/6 Nov 2005
    • Never have a seen so many salmon, yet caught so few. We saw many schools 20 fish strong of chinooks and cohos, each school shadowed by a large steelie or brown, but while it rained hard, we were skunked on fly, spin, and bait. The next day however, with drier weather came dumber fish, and a whole nightcrawler or cooked shrimp below a drop float caught nice fat salmon to rescue the trip!
    • Valparaiso IN, Salt Creek and Little Calument 1/2 Oct 2005
    • Lots of Salmon in the Creeks days before the new moon, and the #6 orange rabbit strip zonker got them well. For my spinning brothers, the 3/8oz little cleo in silver and orange worked for them, as did the pink power worm/yellow jig head. Tons of small to medium Cohos and Chinooks using a slow twitch on the bottom and 10lb line or tippet. Use a rod with backbone or these fish will own you in a small creek like the Salt.
    • East Chicago IN, Portage IN, and Trail Creek/Michigan City IN 21-23 July 2005
    • We gave a shot at landing a few of those husky Skemania Steelhead on the full moon, but ended with just 1 steelie due to rain four days before, lots of channel catfish and bluegill, Northern Rock Bass, a few Crappie and chubs, and of coarse gobies. The lone steelie came on a pool with a steep undercut on Trail Creek near Hwy 20, using a 11wgt rod (using 8 wgt floating level fly line) 10lb flourocarbon tippet, and #6 white mysis shrimp pattern behind a 1/32oz splitshot. The 28" 10lb male put up a valiant effort and after landing and a quick pic I attempted revive and relase, but the warm water didn't let the fish recover and after he belly-uped I put him in the ice chest (and performed a dissection, had only a few small shrimp in the largely empty gut, orange meat, but otherwise very healthy). We saw only a few other steelies that day, and ended up fishing the Trail Creek Harbor using shrimp, butterworms, and nightcrawlers only to land bluegill and 1-2lb channel cats (all released). The Little Cal in Indiana Dunes was free of steelhead, but had crappie, chubs, and rock bass that were fun to catch as incidentals. Relocation to Jerose Park in East Chicago resulted in good action for Rock Bass which pounced any lure the big gobies didn't get to first. We also got bit off (likely by small pike) on goby strips on a weight cast into the cooler deep water. Once the heat hit 103 the fish stopped completely and we headed home.
    • St Andrews SP, Panama City FL and Big Pine Key FL 31 May-10 June 2005
    • Mostly a Biology Research Trip for me, but I did sneek in a little fishing here and there :0) Big Pine had lots of small tarpon in the harbors, larger tarpon, small 'cudas, and Gray Snappers under the bridge supports and surrounding grass beds, but watch out for the Goliath Groupers who sit near the pillings and eat snappers for lunch! on the deeper reefs Jolthead porgies and snappers (YT and Gray) provided plenty of pics and fun. Add in a snorkel trip to Looe Key preserve to see the fish and coral at home. In deeper water (600ft) mahi-mahi and wahoos prowl the Plentiful Sargassum.
    • Chain of Rocks , Mississippi River, IL 7 May 2005
    • Flyrod Catch and release fun at its finest with many, many Skipjack Herring that jump, fight , and flip, and readily and very swiftly devore any minnowlike fly moved VERY fast. 4lb tippet (they are not line shy!) and a weighted mylar minnow, white and yellow marabou or flashabou streamer, or brown wooly worm all were prime. Waders are a key but use LOTs of caution as the current is VERY dangerous here. Soon the 8lb to 50lb carp and drum will make an appearance (Did get snapped off once on this trip) and the 11wgt and shooting head will have to come out, as these big fish can run you ragged in the current, and will take a well presented fly (lots of skill on pursuit and fight)
    • East Chicago IN and Waukegan IL 23/24 April 2005
    • Cruising Browns at Jerose Park and a few cohos were the fishes on this trip. The Cruising browns, moving along the rocks were munching the super-sized gobies since the alewives were yet to arrive. They did however hit large roaches, and we caught 2, one at 8lbs and one at 5lbs. The next day after going fishless on the pier and south rocks at Waukegan we again hit Jerose and while we saw and hooked several 1-2lb cohos on orange speedtrap minnows, we landed none (VERY frustrating!)
    • Lake Carlyle Spillway Feb, March, April
    • Lots of white bass but no real monsters (8"-14" mostly) and strangely very few walleye or saugers (usually a hotbed of fish!) all on curlytail jigs (chartruese body, 1/16oz head, 2lb-4lb test--very slow on the bottom).
    • Islamorada FLorida 28Jan-1Feb 05
    • Back to the sun and sea after multiple months of fishing for stocker rainbows(Busch Wildlife Area Lakes 28 and 21) and little powerplant channel catfish (Baldwin lake IL). Not that those fish werent fun and plentiful, but it does a body good to get a full dose of a world class fishing spot midwinter with my brothers. After a dirt cheap direct flight into Miami where we were greeted by 70 F temps and sun, we took a nice drive south to Islamorada and the Sunset Inn where we stayed (not a bad place, run by the same folks as the Bluefin Inn as well, and right next to mangrove Mikes for the best breakfast in the keys bar none). Within one hour of dropping off the bags and getting lunch at the Islamorada Fish Co. (another excellent eatery with an outstanding deck over the Gulf complete with pet snappers and nurse sharks), we flopped our lines under a bridge and tied into numerous 4-6lb Jack Crevalle and 1-2lb Mangrove Snappers (the Jacks on Pilchards and Spoons, the snappers on the fly witha #6 Crazy Charlie and #6 Mysis Shrimp). The next day a boat rental from Bud n Mary's got us out to the reef where we caught and released Grunts, Snappers, and a decent Grouper, before the wave chased us into the Gulf. The Next day the wind was horrendous, so we parked near one of the grass flats (the previous cold front sent the Tarpon, Trout, and Bonefish to deeper waters) where we flyrodded Bluerunners, Jack Crevalle, a few Macks, and Leatherjackets all day (#6 clousers white/chartruese, 4lb tippet). The Last day we got back out to the reef, saw one sailfish (no hookup), caught and released another nice grouper, and many ceros and snappers. We each had snap off my unseen foes. The reef action was south of allegator light on a drift over 45feet. All in all, lots of small fish but a great break from the snow...Salmon and steelies in Lake Michigan in 2 months.... Yellowtail Snappers and Baitfish behind the boat in 45 feet (very clear waters!!) Black Grouper comming up before release (didn't want to lift him out of the water) An interesting Reef fish with a mean pull --The Yellow Jack Another beautiful January Sunset in the Keys over the Mangroves
    • Trail CReek and Little Calumet Creek (MIchigan City Indiana) 15 Oct 04
    • Made two exploratory trips to MIchigan City after the last run in with the Skemania Steelhead. The september trip saw us fishing 8 spots, and we covered Trail Creek from top to bottom (Ridge Park access to the Harbor), The Port of Indiana, and Little Calumet CReek on the edge on Indiana Dunes, and Portage Harbor. In all we knew septmber would be early, but wanted to scope our spots before the bigger run in October. On the september trip, a few steelies were still around, and a few small cohos made appeareances. The Steelies again were fooled with the softshell crawfish pattern tied on #6 hooks while the coho wanted rabbit strip flies and #4 Pathern Martin spinners, but in both cases fish were scattered and few. On the new moon in October (which is when Salmon really make their run-- think like a Pacific Coast fish in its home turf-- it is dark so you can evade bears and seals, the tides are large so you can slip accross the mouth of the creek easy, though there are neither brown bears or seals around Lake Michigan) we returned and as predicted the run was in full swing on both Trail and Little Calumet. The chinooks and cohos both hit 3/4" nuclear white glowballs, and rabbit strip flies in magenta or orange. In spinning tackle, the 1/2oz silver/orange little cleo was the ticket, with the #4 panther martin running second. The runs are quick on these creeks and lasted from the day of the New Moon to 2 days after, slowing dratically by that Sunday. All said we took home a 15lb and 6 lb chinook and 3 lb coho, which is all we needed, though we caught 6 fish total (and got snapped or tossed by a dozen more). These two creek have earned a place in my next book for sure!
    • TRail Creek INdiana- July 2004
    • Finished the Second Book, and to celebrate made a trip first to South Bend then to Trail Creek in Indiana for a bit of summer Steelhead action. The fish in the St. Joeseph River in Mishawaka and South Bend were very leary though easy to see and due to the warm water (70+/-) where also noin a biting mood. The walleye however were, and using a 6" floater/diver crankbait I caught a nice 24" fish, along with numerous smaller walleyes and suckers on worms. Since this was a steelhead trip we hit Trail Creek on the way home, and it tunred out to be a totally different story-- we saw many fresh silver steelies from 4lbs to 20+lbs, that were engulfing any unfortuate crayfish that stumbled thier way. This creek however is very small and every pool has a log pile on each end, so while we hooked several on mysis shrimp aptterns (size #6) and crayfish patterns (softshell craw in size #4), landing them proved quite difficult on our undergunned leaders (4# and 6#--who knew?). Next time the 10# and 14# tippets are comming out!!!
    • Destin FL June 2004
    • While this trip proved doom to my boat (now it is a donation to the American Cancer Society, the motor ate a little sand and 2 cylenders wnet south :0( ) there were lots of fish, from ladyfish and spanish mackeral that ate 4" white streamers with abandon, to 100lb blacktip sharks at the outside end of the pass, to big Spanish mackeral on the Pier (a #3 west coats style iron in flo yellow and green was the ticket), to line snapping red snappers 10 miles out (a calm day trip-- 50lb+ leaders a must!!), there were fish a plenty
    • Waukegan IL May 2004
    • While the water was ROUGH!! a few hours a day was all it took to load the coolers with fresh coho. They were sitting in 25 feet just outside the harbor mouth, and the 50 degree water had them and many brown very active. We used 3oz bannana weights 8feet above a, orange 3/0 dodger and green fly to nail most, though many also hit the small Speedtrap crankbait trolled on 4# line. Watch the conditions, but the 2.5 mph troll just past the buoys was all that was required to catch fish from sunup to 11AM (the water was too rough to stay out any later).
    • Baldwin Lake IL 24 January 2004
    • Finally finished with my first book The Combat-Fishing Guide to Bransons Lake Taneycomo and did some prime winter catfishing at this powerplant fed lake. The trout from the urban stocking program are still around, and catch and release season is well underway at the trout parks (Note My buddy caught and released an estimated 12lb rainbow at Roaring river-congrats Mike D.), but as far as the trout lakes in the St. Louis Area are concerned, an ice blanket is giving the trout a rest. That is AOK with me, as Baldwin lake gets even better as the bitter cold sets in, and this weekend was no exception. Lots of 9"-14" catfish will readily bite any bait, though the threadfin shad that carpet the underwater rocks on the north dam are prime. Downsize the gear to 4lb test or less, use #4 hooks and small weights, and just pitch the small shad 10 yards off the bank. You will catch tons of catfish, and you are doing the lake a great favor by taking home a dozen for a fish fry (this will allow the population to thin out and grow up). You can also flip a nymph on a flyrod for crappie and sunfish that are in summer mode. Dress warm and be prepared to walk 1/4 mile to hit the prime spots

      •  

      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!
       

      Smith Mountain Lake (Roanoke River/Hardy area) 27 Feb 99
      The stripers are not out yet, but the water is back up.  Live shad are still hard to come by, but if you have access to the frozen variety (I froze 4 zip lock bags full last fall) the Channel Cats are very active!  Find a sand/mud flat near current and deep structure (like those around a bend in the upper part of the lake), and cast onto the flat with a lightly weighted bait finder or even better-no weight at all and drift over the flat.  Use smaller shad (#2-2/0 hook, 3" shad) and freespool the bait. Let the cat yank a few times, then when it runs set th hook.  Believe it or not, for these cats the hook will be in the lips when you land them, since they test the bait before actually taking it.  There are good numbers of 2lb-8lb fish, though I am not that confident in the water quality (and therefore don't keep them).  If shad are out, try a 3" shiner (fresh or alive) fished as above.

      Lake Moomaw (yet again!) near Covington VA 21 Feb 99
      (click here to see the Feature Article on this lake)
      Damn cold day but that's exactly what trout love!  The water has come up a bit (about 5 feet), re-flooding some of the rocks near the feeder creeks, and making lots of food available for catch and release class browns (under 24").   The wind was strong and cold but my 8wgt line with a 2lb leader and bead-head black #8 wooly worm could be coaxed out far enough to draw strikes.  Look for the recently submerged rocks and flats in the mouth of the feeder creeks and cast near them, then quickly strip the fly back.  Chances are you will see the numerous 4-6" trout swiping at it, but keep it moving and the bigger 10"-16" browns will emerge to take it.  Keep the casts low and the ice out of the guides and you will have a blast.

      Sandbrige Beach (state park pier), VA 13 Feb 99
      Croakers, Striped Bass, Skates.  Yes it is cold and so is the water, but action can still be had.  Casting out a hunk of squid on a bottom finder rig (Size #4-#2 hook) on 8#-15# line  off the end of the pier will yield a variety of species, especially on the changing tide, primarily Horned Skates and Croakers. They aren't glamour species but they do fight and a couple of croakers can make a meal.  The stripers are few and far between but can be caught off the end of the pier using the techniques in the 12 Feb report below.

      Hampton Roads VA (Back River-Langley AFB Pier, Ft. Monroe Piers) 12-13 Feb 99
      Striped Bass (Anadromous).  While action for most species inshore has shutdown, you can still have excellent light tackle catch and release action with 4lb-8lb stripers!  These smaller beasts are feeding heavily on 1-2" silversides and anchovies under the lights at night and during tide changes.  Look for surface boils and diving birds and cast small white jigs on light tackle, using light spinning gear.  I found 4#-6# line and a 1/8 oz shad style plastic tailed jig or a 1/16 oz white road runner worked well, jigged very slowly near the bottom around the lights and pillings (and of course cast into the school).  You may need more weight if the wind is up-up to 1/2oz, but trim the jigs and use tails that simulate the small baitfish.  I am sure an 8wgt sinking line with a small white streamer or mylar minnow pattern would also be highly effective, but I forgot to bring sinking line so I couldn't test the theory. Remember this is Catch and Release fishing only, since stripers will not be in season for a long while. Take pictures and wait for them to grow to 30lbs.

      Maury River and Irish Creek near Buena Vista VA 8 Feb 99
      Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout.  The Maury is an excellent smallmouth river, even though I would not eat anything from it below Lexington VA (sewer discharge). Cold weather forces the legions of 8" smallies into hiding but doesn't overly discourage the big boys and girls (14"+) from hitting.  Find structure with a whirlpool or large current break near deep water (8 feet + in the river, 30 ft+ in a lake), and use light line (I use 2#, or sometimes 4#).  My payoff was a 3" shad colored Bass Assassin fished with a heavy hook (makes it sink a little faster than the usual worm hook) on 2#.  Focus on the prime feeding times (see any 'table', but morning and evening are always good), cast the bait with 6" of the structure and let it sink to near the bottom, then twitch it slowly and erraticly.  This fishing is not for the faint of heart, as the fish hit suddenly and run hard, plus the fact that they are usually over 2 lbs, putting you a disadvantage (and making it great fun!)  make sure your drag is set well, and that you know how to steer the fish (requires practice).  The other opportunity is the Virginia Winter Stocking program rainbows in Irish creek, which are easy to catch once located, and meant to be kept.  Release any browns or brookies you catch however, since they usually make it through the summer and may be residents, just take the 10"-12" stockers. A chartruese 1/16oz crappie jig on 2# gear will payoff, as will any chartruese weighted streamer or creyfish imitator on 2# tippet.

      Smith Mountain Lake, VA 7 Feb 99
      While this is one of Virginia's premier striper lakes, the water is cold and these big fish are a little skittish.  To top it off, live shad (the bait for stripers-4-6" freelined) are hard to find (likely deep-30 feet +).  On the other hand, while the stripers are skittish, the yellow perch are active.  A small live minnow, or live mealworm fished on 2# test near structure (roots primarily) overhanging deep water will hold many of these tasty fish. Next time I'll try using a live yellow perch and see if that pays off-I keep you posted. Also, in two months it will be a TOTALLY different story (Can't wait!!!!).

      Lake Moomaw, VA 31 Jan 99
      Moomaw pays off again!  Same as last week, but the trout are a little smaller and holding tight to the feeder creeks.  The water has come up 5 feet, making the payoff for smallmouth at the 30 foot range.  Jigs and jigging spoons in coffee, blue, black, and gold are the payoff baits for smallmouth, while the trout payoffs were suspending 3" black/silver/red plugs, 1" crawdad jigs, and #10 black/red streamers, marabous, and wollyworms.

      Lake Moomaw, VA 24 Jan 99
      Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Smallmouth Bass.  While the bass remain in 20ft+, a blue/black 3/8oz jig&pig will pay off on the drop offs, however the trout are a biting!  Look for any stream pouring into the lake, either near the boat ramps or in the feeder creeks, especially during and after a rain.  The trout will swim up into the streams and sit directly below where they enter the lake, picking off any minnows, insects, or worms washed in by the rain.  Any 1"-3" sinking chartruese lure jigged and jerked on 2# to 4# test will produced numerous releasable trout (24" minnimum here).  My payoff lure was a Rapala Clown colored 3" countdown plug on 2# test.

      Sand Lake, Orlando, FL 26 Dec 98 - 2 Jan 99
      Largemouth Bass.  These central Florida lake offer a nice warm break from the northern winter and offer good clear water fishing for big bass.  Pre cold front fishing is excellent using a carolina rigged rubber worm (read "egg weight rig") fished with a slow twitching motion in the deeper spring holes and near structure.  A live golden shiner (6") fished 3 feet under a bobber and cast to shoreling weed patches and near hydrilla and lilly pad will get the biggest bass-some pushing 10lbs+.  Light line is the key for lure fishing and don't fear the weeds or you will be fishless.


      -A couple of Ibis watch\


      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!
       

      Smith Mountain Lake (Roanoke River/Hardy area) 27 Feb 99
      The stripers are not out yet, but the water is back up.  Live shad are still hard to come by, but if you have access to the frozen variety (I froze 4 zip lock bags full last fall) the Channel Cats are very active!  Find a sand/mud flat near current and deep structure (like those around a bend in the upper part of the lake), and cast onto the flat with a lightly weighted bait finder or even better-no weight at all and drift over the flat.  Use smaller shad (#2-2/0 hook, 3" shad) and freespool the bait. Let the cat yank a few times, then when it runs set th hook.  Believe it or not, for these cats the hook will be in the lips when you land them, since they test the bait before actually taking it.  There are good numbers of 2lb-8lb fish, though I am not that confident in the water quality (and therefore don't keep them).  If shad are out, try a 3" shiner (fresh or alive) fished as above.

      Lake Moomaw (yet again!) near Covington VA 21 Feb 99
      (click here to see the Feature Article on this lake)
      Damn cold day but that's exactly what trout love!  The water has come up a bit (about 5 feet), re-flooding some of the rocks near the feeder creeks, and making lots of food available for catch and release class browns (under 24").   The wind was strong and cold but my 8wgt line with a 2lb leader and bead-head black #8 wooly worm could be coaxed out far enough to draw strikes.  Look for the recently submerged rocks and flats in the mouth of the feeder creeks and cast near them, then quickly strip the fly back.  Chances are you will see the numerous 4-6" trout swiping at it, but keep it moving and the bigger 10"-16" browns will emerge to take it.  Keep the casts low and the ice out of the guides and you will have a blast.

      Sandbrige Beach (state park pier), VA 13 Feb 99
      Croakers, Striped Bass, Skates.  Yes it is cold and so is the water, but action can still be had.  Casting out a hunk of squid on a bottom finder rig (Size #4-#2 hook) on 8#-15# line  off the end of the pier will yield a variety of species, especially on the changing tide, primarily Horned Skates and Croakers. They aren't glamour species but they do fight and a couple of croakers can make a meal.  The stripers are few and far between but can be caught off the end of the pier using the techniques in the 12 Feb report below.

      Hampton Roads VA (Back River-Langley AFB Pier, Ft. Monroe Piers) 12-13 Feb 99
      Striped Bass (Anadromous).  While action for most species inshore has shutdown, you can still have excellent light tackle catch and release action with 4lb-8lb stripers!  These smaller beasts are feeding heavily on 1-2" silversides and anchovies under the lights at night and during tide changes.  Look for surface boils and diving birds and cast small white jigs on light tackle, using light spinning gear.  I found 4#-6# line and a 1/8 oz shad style plastic tailed jig or a 1/16 oz white road runner worked well, jigged very slowly near the bottom around the lights and pillings (and of course cast into the school).  You may need more weight if the wind is up-up to 1/2oz, but trim the jigs and use tails that simulate the small baitfish.  I am sure an 8wgt sinking line with a small white streamer or mylar minnow pattern would also be highly effective, but I forgot to bring sinking line so I couldn't test the theory. Remember this is Catch and Release fishing only, since stripers will not be in season for a long while. Take pictures and wait for them to grow to 30lbs.

      Maury River and Irish Creek near Buena Vista VA 8 Feb 99
      Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout.  The Maury is an excellent smallmouth river, even though I would not eat anything from it below Lexington VA (sewer discharge). Cold weather forces the legions of 8" smallies into hiding but doesn't overly discourage the big boys and girls (14"+) from hitting.  Find structure with a whirlpool or large current break near deep water (8 feet + in the river, 30 ft+ in a lake), and use light line (I use 2#, or sometimes 4#).  My payoff was a 3" shad colored Bass Assassin fished with a heavy hook (makes it sink a little faster than the usual worm hook) on 2#.  Focus on the prime feeding times (see any 'table', but morning and evening are always good), cast the bait with 6" of the structure and let it sink to near the bottom, then twitch it slowly and erraticly.  This fishing is not for the faint of heart, as the fish hit suddenly and run hard, plus the fact that they are usually over 2 lbs, putting you a disadvantage (and making it great fun!)  make sure your drag is set well, and that you know how to steer the fish (requires practice).  The other opportunity is the Virginia Winter Stocking program rainbows in Irish creek, which are easy to catch once located, and meant to be kept.  Release any browns or brookies you catch however, since they usually make it through the summer and may be residents, just take the 10"-12" stockers. A chartruese 1/16oz crappie jig on 2# gear will payoff, as will any chartruese weighted streamer or creyfish imitator on 2# tippet.

      Smith Mountain Lake, VA 7 Feb 99
      While this is one of Virginia's premier striper lakes, the water is cold and these big fish are a little skittish.  To top it off, live shad (the bait for stripers-4-6" freelined) are hard to find (likely deep-30 feet +).  On the other hand, while the stripers are skittish, the yellow perch are active.  A small live minnow, or live mealworm fished on 2# test near structure (roots primarily) overhanging deep water will hold many of these tasty fish. Next time I'll try using a live yellow perch and see if that pays off-I keep you posted. Also, in two months it will be a TOTALLY different story (Can't wait!!!!).

      Lake Moomaw, VA 31 Jan 99
      Moomaw pays off again!  Same as last week, but the trout are a little smaller and holding tight to the feeder creeks.  The water has come up 5 feet, making the payoff for smallmouth at the 30 foot range.  Jigs and jigging spoons in coffee, blue, black, and gold are the payoff baits for smallmouth, while the trout payoffs were suspending 3" black/silver/red plugs, 1" crawdad jigs, and #10 black/red streamers, marabous, and wollyworms.

      Lake Moomaw, VA 24 Jan 99
      Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Smallmouth Bass.  While the bass remain in 20ft+, a blue/black 3/8oz jig&pig will pay off on the drop offs, however the trout are a biting!  Look for any stream pouring into the lake, either near the boat ramps or in the feeder creeks, especially during and after a rain.  The trout will swim up into the streams and sit directly below where they enter the lake, picking off any minnows, insects, or worms washed in by the rain.  Any 1"-3" sinking chartruese lure jigged and jerked on 2# to 4# test will produced numerous releasable trout (24" minnimum here).  My payoff lure was a Rapala Clown colored 3" countdown plug on 2# test.

      Sand Lake, Orlando, FL 26 Dec 98 - 2 Jan 99
      Largemouth Bass.  These central Florida lake offer a nice warm break from the northern winter and offer good clear water fishing for big bass.  Pre cold front fishing is excellent using a carolina rigged rubber worm (read "egg weight rig") fished with a slow twitching motion in the deeper spring holes and near structure.  A live golden shiner (6") fished 3 feet under a bobber and cast to shoreling weed patches and near hydrilla and lilly pad will get the biggest bass-some pushing 10lbs+.  Light line is the key for lure fishing and don't fear the weeds or you will be fishless.


      -A couple of Ibis watch


      Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, FL 31 Dec 98 (in the Canals)
      Snook, Redfish, Speckled Trout.  The incomming tide is the key! Use a shallow diving red/white/yellow plug about 4"-6" long, and cast it near the submerged rocks near the canal walls and retrieve it with a quick twitching motion-the snook will whack it hard!  Use live pinfish or jumbo live shrimp on a bottom-finder rig near bridge pillings (the eddie behind them) and near points and deep structure for the reds and trout.

      Crystal River (near the springs), Crystal River, FL 29 Dec 99
      Jack Crevalle, Small Tarpon,  Mangrove Snapper, Speckled Trout, Largemouth Bass. Quite a mixed bag! Look near trenches and deep spring feed hole in the main spring bay (king spring, etc.) and near three sisters and magnolia spring and use live shrimp for the very plentiful mangrove snappers on 8# to 4# test using a drop-loop rig.  Cast a 4" glowing bass assassin on a chartruese 3/8 jig head in the deepest holes (Magnolia spring near the Manatee Area), rigged with a 40#-50# mono leader, on a large capacity 15#-20# class spinning reel (Penn 704Z, Pen750, Penn850) or baitcaster.  Let the jig sink to the bottom and retrieve with sharp jerks, and any nearby Jack will inhale it.  The tarpon were present but very picky and we were unsuccessful in hooking one.  The largemouth hit a variety of lures fished near shoreline weeds and structure-the best was a root beer colored 6" powerworm on 4# test. The Specs were easy prey at sunset at the mouth of the river using DOA Shrimp imitators (4" size).  Remember to get all the appropriate licenses, read the regs, and BE VERY CAREFUL TO AVOID HURTING OR HARASSING THE NUMEROUS MANATEES (GO SLOW!!)

      -A 10lb Jack Crevalle

      Crondolett Park, St. Louis, MO 23 Dec 98
      Rainbow Trout.  The Missouri Dept. of Conservation stocks several lakes in the St. Louis and Kansas City area with 10" rainbows during the winter.  Arm yourself with 2# test, a small jig (1/32oz), or trout bait (check regs first!) and someway to crack the ice (on colder days).  The water was frozen 23 Dec, but not frozen thick enough to walk on (at least 5" for me to feel safe!).  Using a tire iron, we cracked open a few holes and dropped jigs but were unsuccessful.  On previous trips here, on warmer days, sunrise and a small jig will allow you to limit out quickly.  Feel free to keep what you can use of trout from this park, since the trout that evade capture in the winter will die in May due to warmer water.

      Goshen Pass, Maury River, near Lexington VA 13 Dec 98
      Rainbow Trout, Chubs.  Now stocked for the winter, the upper Maury now has enough rain in it to make the stocker rainbows brave. Use a 2" sinking clown colored Rapala, chartruese 1/16oz crappie jigs, or #2 gold panther martins jigged off the bottom on 2lb Spinning tackle. For fly rodders- use a  5wgt w/a 2lb leader to drift #10 chartruese crayfish imitators or #14 to #18 scuds justoff the bottom with a bite indicator. Remember to have a trout stamp and National Forest stamp in addition to your VA license to be legal.

      Mississippi River, Winfield Lock and Dam, Winfield MO 28 Nov 98
      White Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Channel Catfish, Freshwater Drum, Carp.  AOK, (the Bald Eagles will soon arrive-good for viewing, bad for fishing in the main river as the bank above the dam will be closed to access-the slough will however still be open). Use live nightcrawlers on a #6 hook in the slough near the dam or above the dam for Cats, Drum, and White Bass.  In the river above the dam use shad guts (fresh only) and nightcrawlers for Drum, Cats, and Carp.  Below the Dam (boats only) use a live shiner or shad on a bait walker rig or hooked behind a 1oz jig head and bounce the bait near the tailrace (BE CAREFUL AND SAFE-STAY BEHIND THE POSTED LINES!!!!!) in the current for walleye and saugers.

      Lake Moomaw VA 14/15 Nov 1998
      Brown Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Pickerel, Northern Pike.  Pre-Cold front the fishing was excellent using a 4" clown colored floating Rapala on 4# line, trolled fast enough to submerge the lure 2-3 feet. Also, cast this lure, or a 3" bass assassin near trees near dropoffs, and over flats near creeks.

      Smith Mountain Lake VA 31 Oct/1 Nov, 7 Nov. 1998
      Channel Catfish/Striped Bass. Live shad are the key for both species.  Go downstream from the Hardy Access, find a mud flat with surrounding deep water and pitch out 3"-4" live shad hooked through the nose (2/0 hook) Use no bobber or weight and let the bail open for a few minutes after casting. 4lb-2lb cats are plentiful but only seem to want live shad right now.  The big stripers have started biting (2-4 bites/day).  Head up the Roanoke River from Hardy and use live 5"-8" shad hooked as above (no weight/no bobber, just a hook tied to the line) on a 5/0 hook and slowly drift through productive areas (deep water/sandy bottom with nearby creeks).  They hit hard and are big enough to require 20# class tackle. 3pm-8pm are good feeding times.

      Lake Tanicomo, MO 24 Oct 98
      BROWN TROUT AND RAINBOWS USING A WHITE JIG FOR THE BROWNS AND GLOWBALL FOR THE RAINBOWS on 2# spinning gear

      Claytor Lake, VA 18 Oct 98
      Smallmouth, Largemouth, Bluegill.  Same advice as below.  The payoff lures here were 'clown' colored (red, yellow, silver) 2" sinking rapalas and 4" jointed gold rebels.  Work the rapala by casting into the structure then jigging it slowly away from the structure.  Be prepared for high speed strikes as it leaves the structure!

      Threasher Lake, Amherst Co., VA 19 Oct 98
      Largemouth Bass, Bluegill.  A small but pretty lake nestled in the Blue Ridge. Use light line and 3" Bass Assassins or Jointed Silver 4" Rebels.  Cast the lure under overhaging limbs near the cliffs or any sharp dropoff overhung by shoreline structure (this advice will work almost anywhere for bass in the fall) and retrieve with a slow jerking motion.  Don't fear snagging or you won't cast close enough to the structure to get the fish to bite!  Ditto for the Bluegill except use small flyrod poppers or size 8 wooly worms and a 4# tippet.

      Montauk State Park, Missouri 12 Oct 98
      Brown/Rainbow Trout.  An excellent trout park stocked daily, located at the headwaters of Missouri's Current River (a darn good smallmouth/trout river in it's own right!).  Use 1/32oz black/yellow marabou jigs bounced off the bottom in pool headwatrs and tailraces, use a swifter retrieve in pool centers. Also, use 2# test mono or you will have more followers than takers.  Use a rubber crawdad imitator jig (see Virtual Tackle box for cold water) or a #6 silver panther martin jiged in the larger pools near structure for the big fish as browns here can get up to 25 pounds!

      Lynnehaven Inlet 13 Sept 98
      Black Sea Bass, Weakfish, Speckled Trout, Flounder, Spot, Croaker, Grunts.   FIsh the incomming tide near the bridge or back in the marsh. A 1/2oz blade lure or 1/8oz white crappie jig (trim the tail to avoid short striking sea bass) on 4# test will do the trick. An 8wgt flyrod with intermediate sinking line, 4lb tippet and size 6 shrimp imitation will also pick up the croakers and sea bass back in the marsh. For bait, a bottom finder with squid will pick up the croakers, while a live menhaden will get the sea trout and flounder.

      Buckroe Beach Pier, Buckroe Beach VA 13 Sep 98
      Incomming tide in the daytime with fresh shrimp will produce croakers & spot  (but they are few and far between), while those trying to pick up the last of the Cobia use either half a keeper croaker or spot, or a live keeper crab, spot, or croaker.  AT night, the trout run under the lights along with a few schooly stripers.  Use a flyrod (7-8wgt, 4-8lb tippet, white streamer) or light spinning rod (1/8-1/32 oz white crappie jig, 1" bass assassin).

      Lynnhaven Pier,Virginia Beach VA 12 Sep 98
      Spec. Trout, Bluefish on the incomming tide using live or freshly dead menhaden ONLY.  They are mostly undersized but fun to catch and release. Use an egg weight rig with a 1oz weight, 8#mono, and 3 foot 10# or less leader, 2/0 hook.

      Smith Mountain Lake, Vinton VA 29 Aug 98
      Bluegill, Flathead Catfish. The bluegill are very small but are easy pickings on a #16 mosquito fly or #10 popper.  Use one of your bluegill on a small egg weight rig and 2 foot leader (2/0 hook) to catch one of the numerous 1-10lb flatheads that frequent the upper part of the lake in the Roanoke River.

      Lynnehaven Pier, Virginia Beach VA 23 Jul 98
      Weakfish, Speckled Trout, Flounder, Spot, Croaker, Grunts.  Many fish, but all were undersized and released. The flounder, trout, and weakfish were line shy, but when we used 8# or less line, a basic bottom finder rig,  and peeled shrimp they were easy to catch using a 1oz weight and a #6 or #4 hook.  We also picked up some trout and flounder on 1/8oz chartruese jigs and 2" silver blade lures jigged very slowly on the bottom. The crabs are also plentiful so bring a crab net!

      Virginia Beach Pier, Virginia Beach VA 22 Jul 98
      Bluefish, flounder, whiting (=southern kingfish='roundheads').  The bluefish were small (6"-12") and plentiful in the morning using gotchas, small white marabou jigs, and 3" to 4" plugs in white or chartruese. The whiting come in on the high tide and were 10"-14", and caught on a basic bottom finder, 4#  test, 1oz weight, and #6 hook with peeled shrimp.  The flounder were undersized but were caught and released using 1/8oz white crappie jigs on 2# and 4# test, twitched slowly off the bottom.

      Claytor Lake -Claytor Lake SP, VA 19 Jul 98
      Smallmouth Bass, Rock Bass, Spotted Bass, Redear Sunfish, Bluegill.  We caught several Smallmouth in the 10"-13" range, and even more of the other sunfish (6"-10")  on small white/chartruese jigs  and bass assassins.  Fish by casting to rocks near sharp dropoffs (cliffs) that are shaded by overhanging trees in the daytime and fish by casting parallel to shoreline rocks and docks at sunset and early morning with jigs or surface plugs.  I also had moderate success with mid-sized bass poppers and a 4lb tippet on my 8wgt flyrod at sunset.  Watch for the stripers-keep a 8-15lb rod ready with a surface plug to cast at the roving schools at night!

      Lexington Reservoir, Jefferson National Forest, VA 18 Jul 98
      (Out in the woods a bit!) While this lake is annually stocked with brook trout, and is very lightly fished since it requires a 5 mile drive on single lane rock/dirt roads and then a 2.5 mile hike to get to it, the brookies hate hot weather and therefore they wouldn't bite.  This is a very deep lake for its size and we caught several large Chubs and Alewives on small plugs, jigs, and spinners. It should be an excellent lake once the weather cools.
      (Don't forget to get a permit for $1.00 at the Lexington VA city hall before fishing!)

      Lake Moomaw SP Covington VA 13 Jul 98
      Normally a good spot for brown, rainbow, and brook trout-a very deep lake (150 ft), only the smallmouth bass were biting in the main lake.  Below the dam on the Jackson river, small browns and rainbows hit white crappie jigs and black marabou jigs but they were also fewer than normal-must be the heat and low water.

      Old Severn River Bridge- Annapolis MD  12 July 98
      Fishing was pretty slow as the fish are between seasons.  We caught numerous 'spot', croakers, and white perch (a small member of the temperate bass family) in the 4"-10" range on clam snouts and bloodworms using an egg weight rig with 4# to 8# test for leader and main line, a 1 oz weight, and a size #4 hook.  I will try this spot during striper season this fall hopefully.  If you hit this area check out  'Angler's' tackle store off Hwy 310/50 near Sandy Point SP- they give good advice and were very helpful.

      Shenandoah National Park-Elkton VA 29 June-3 July 98
      Brook Trout aplenty in the small streams in the park (Doyle River is a good example) but the best strams require a very strenuous 2 mile hike each way.  We caught and released around 20 brookies a piece using 2 lb line and de-barbed bead head wooly worms, pistol petes, and 1/16th oz crappie jigs in chartruese and white.  Remember to exercise maximum stealth when approaching the small pools that host the brookies or they will spook, and remember to use single hooked barbless lures only in the park.

      Lake Robertson-Virginia 24 June 98
      Largemouth/Redear Sunfish on #8 black/green Wooly Worm flies, let sink 2" deep and retrive with a swift stripping motion.  Make casts parallel to the shoreline. (Flyrod 7WF , 4lb tippet/leader)

      Gulf of Mexico-4 Miles off Destin, FL 20/21 June 98
      Mahi-Mahi (Dolphin), Little Tunny, King Mackeral, Bonito, Northern Mackeral-Start with a 7kt troll using 7" Rapalas and 5" Rebel plugs in silver, red/white, and chartruese.  Drift and chum-fish with weighted fly-lines live bluerunners, menhaden, or cigar minnows (scad).  The kings and mahi's are a little spotty but the little tunny and northern mackeral (true bonito) are plentiful and fun on 15lb-20lb tackle. 
       
       













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