FISH CATCHING TRAVEL
The Wade Right Fishing Belt
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The Best Wading System on the planet
Not sure why I pay that much attention to the weather forecast. Today they missed it by a mile. It was cloudy, for the first couple of hours then it cleared off and got hot and humid. When I put it on the trailer the truck said it was 94 degrees and the wind was barely blowing, not the 15 mph+ they forecast. But in spite of it all it was a good day.
Weather
89/76. Cloudy with 55% chance of showers early, humid. Wind SE 5 – 20mph.
Lake Level
Today 95.12 msl. Last Tuesday 95.22 msl. (And the decline continues.)
Solunar Times
Minor 7:07 am to 8:07 am. Major 1:11 pm to 3:11 pm.
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The new Knockin Tail Lures are coming soon.
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The big boys were moving about today. Broke a big one off on that stump the minute the gator swam off.
When I dropped the boat in it was barely cracking daylight and it was dead calm and cloudy. The water temp at the ramp was 78 and the highest I saw all day was barely 80, a 6 to 8 degree drop over the whole lake, and the bite was consistent.
Nothing like watching them appear out of nowhere and smoke the Controlled Descent Jerk Shad.
With it dead calm the pearl Controlled Descent Jerk Shad was the logical choice. Running it in a walk the dog cadence on a 1/16th swim bait hook it was just a matter of tossing it past wood and working it over and watching them flush it. The first couple of hours it was consistent up lake and I had a bunch of hits.
The best one was a really good one, no where near brush, on the first pull right on the bank. I set the hook, she rolled, and promptly broke off. You would think after 45 years of this I would retie, but of course I didn’t and paid the price. After a couple of hours I headed down lake to fish some deep points.
Of course they will still hit the Pit Boss near wood. I have been catching them on it for over a month, and I finally got a chance to really test the new one, which they claim the fish will hold on to 18X longer.
The best of a dozen or so on the Pit Boss.
During the last month at times they would pull on the plastic, even swimming with it, and when I would set the hook no hookup, no plastic. I can honestly say that they hold on to the new one much better. And not only hold on to it, but swim away with it. On the first main lake point with timber 3 jumped on. The next, 4. They were smacking it. But I wanted to fish the pearl jerk shad some more, it is just to much fun to fish, so I headed back in a creek and started catching them even though it was hot, basically still, and sunny.
The Jerk Shad getting it done!
They bit all the way until I quit at 2:00, 94 on the truck when I took out, it was just getting to hot for this old man. But no complaints today. Until the last place I hit before quitting I had bites from 1″ deep out to 10′ deep on the timber points. Clear water, or water with a little bit of color, it did not matter. There just had to be a little bit of cover, make a good cast, get a bite. With the water temp on the decline it should only get better. And as you all know, I love the visual bite, and the jerk shad is just that. And fishing it a couple times now the hook up ratio is improving. Just had to let them eat, drop the rod, catch up to them, and stick them. Big fun!
This girl let me get right next to her.
Along with the fish the wildlife was out in force. Saw lots of big gators. In fact when the one above moved off the stump I stuck a big one on the Pit Boss, and broke my line. One thing about pitching it right in the cover, you have just have to retie more often. I saw 3 big gators in the same area with the one above and finally figured out what they were doing, and why they were right on the bank not wanting to move off. That area has lots of pigs, and they were at the water today. But hey, one nice big pig and they are good to go for the month.
Good day, lots of smalls and just enough better ones to keep it interesting. If not for operator error on failing to retie would have added the 2 biggest ones of the day, all on me. But the bite is on and with another front on the way things are looking up.
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Good to hear from Michael, owner and designer of the Controlled Descent line, and I may actually get my grubby little hands on a few of the prototype Knockin Tail soon. I really am looking forward to it, of course for the salt, but also for the Alabama Rig when the full line comes out. Adding rattle to that “school” of plastics should be killer. I have been thinking about an early spring trip to my old stomping grounds of Bull Shoals and Norfork and early is prime time for the Alabama Rig. Early spring on those lakes the Alabama Rig will put bass, whites, stripers, walleye and even the occasional big crappie on the deck. Ok, I’m going.
And congratulations on Coastal Angler Magazine Editor’s pick of the Knockin Tail as one of their “Hottest New Fishing Gear” products at ICAST 2019. Every company in the fishing business is at ICAST and the competition is fierce so that is a big accomplishment. There is nothing like the Knockin Tail on the market and it is coming to a store near you. For now hit the link above for a picture of things to come.
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Here You Go Vets – A Big Thank You for Your Service?
Here is the response from GBRA on my comment on the price increase.
Good afternoon, Mr. Coppernoll. We understand your concern about the increase in the day use fee at Coleto Creek Park. The increase was necessary to keep up with the rising cost of operating and maintaining the park’s amenities and facilities throughout the 40 acres currently developed at the 190-acre park. While the park currently does not have a senior discount, veterans will enjoy free entry to the park for the Veterans Day weekend. We appreciate your feedback.
There you go Vets. Payback for being gone from your families, sacrificing much, and risking you life in foreign lands to protect this country. Enjoy your weekend. Guess that says it all about where retirees and vets stand with the GBRA. But hey, they appreciated my feedback.
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Hope I Live That Long!
One thing about having a wife who literally could be a professional travel agent is the planning stage. She starts way in advance, does her research, and it has served us well. We always kick ideas and places around, come to a consensus, and then a plan starts to take shape. So today we solidified the basics of our next big trip, and now I will have trouble sleeping for the next year! She has been to Africa twice, me once, and we both loved it. We have decided to go back next year late summer or early fall, which gives her plenty of time for planning. My end is simply deciding where or what I want to fish, and that was easy.
There is just something about seeing a lion in the wild. This little guy was as interested in us and we were in him.
First up will be Krueger National Park in South Africa for safari. We love the wildlife, Africa is no zoo. Then the good part, if anything could be better than lions, elephants, and the rest – Mozambique. I have heard and read about fishing the coast for years, and the fishing can be spectacular along with fabulous beaches. Even typing this is making me all giddy. Looks like it will be 3 days of offshore fishing on the boat that has caught more grander Black Marlin than any boat in Africa! One of the great places on this planet to catch a slam, or even a super slam, all the billfish are available – Blacks, Blues, Spearfish, Sails, Swords – a dream trip. So now I have to wait a very long year. But that is how dreams are made and I can never thank her enough.
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Weekend Football
Give Texas credit, they hung in there. My only comment, you call that an offensive line? They couldn’t block my mama. But give the Sooners credit, they may be the best team in college football.
A&M on the other hand reminds me of the Dennis Green’s meltdown – “We are who you say we are!” They did not give up, but no matter how you spin it they are a 50/50 team. Of course it was Alabama, who will probably beat Arkansas by 50, if we are lucky.
The Hogs – First “thanks” A&M for Starkel, no wonder you let him walk. Want him back? We are terrible and not even close to a D1 football team. No matter what no program has ever really been successful playing quarterback musical chairs. Hell I would take Houston Nutt back, at least we were competitive. Embarrassing.
How I will watch Arkansas the rest of the year!
The Cowboys played like crap last weekend against the first good team they have played this year. They looked like the old Cowboys. And Sunday the absolutely looked uninspired. They lost to the worst time in the league. So guess I will have to wear the bag on my head for both the Cowboys and Hogs. I love football but this weekend was embarrassing.
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And I just can’t resist this guys attempt to sell his Skeeter.
boat in good condition
Everything working as it should
motor runs but needs power head
That might be the dumbest ad ever. Works like it should? Good condition? It only needs a $5000 repair, if you are lucky! And I have one last comment on attempts to sell boats with a serious problem. If you can not afford to fix and keep, or fix and sell, you have no business buying it in the first place. When I look back over my fishing life I have wasted $10’s of thousands on boats so I am qualified to comment. I love boats, I can not live without one, but as I have said so often in the past, the boat does not make you a fisherman. It just makes you someone who can make a payment.
I learned my lesson when later in life I went back to law school. Moving from a normal house into an apartment I sold my bass boat and bought a 14′ with a 25hp which I was not afraid to leave in the parking lot. And guess what, I still caught the same amount of fish. Not having the ability to haul ass miles away for the next spot I fished what I had, and it made me a better fisherman.
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Not sure if I am going tomorrow, but will definitely be back on the water on Wednesday as we have another front on the way and the fishing should be off the chain. Hopefully won’t get blown off the water like last time. Love fishing those fronts. And with being gone later this week and then Florida time to hit it. Once back from Florida the bay fishing begins in earnest starting with 4 days with the Austin Boys and then a trip to the Upper Laguna. Fall is here, let the serious fishing begin. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
