FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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Norfork Lake – Day 1

I got here late afternoon and Clyde was not that far behind me.  The weather sucked, unless you like a NW wind at 25mph with temps dropping into the low 30’s, but we decided to at least give it a short go.  Just another fun early spring day in Arkansas.  There was almost nowhere to fish, as fishing in high winds at night is not really my idea of fun.  But I had a theory and was dying to try it out.

After catching hundreds and hundreds of stripers at night over the years I was sure that slow rolling the 5″ Pearl Knockin Tail would catch them, and it did.

This one smacked the snot out of it.

It was almost dark when we first got out.  Clyde caught a couple of bass on jerk bait, and in spite of the wind I threw the Honeydew Knockin Tail on a jig head and boated a 19″ walleye which ended up in the live well for supper.  It really was windy so we headed to one of the few places it was remotely fishable and started getting bites.

Hard won fish considering the conditions,

He was throwing the little deeper diving jerk bait and I stayed with the 5″ slow rolled on a 1/8th swim bait hook.  What happens, though not so much last night, is the shad come to the bank and the stripers come with them.  Both of us had a couple of small bites until Clyde boated the first one.  I had several tic it without hooking up, and then the first one smacked it and in the boat it came.

I ended up catching the 2 above and losing a little better one.  We tried to get at the banks where he has been catching bigger fish but it was just to ugly, so we called it an evening.  Today we will be fishing walleyes and crappie, and of course if a bass or two jumps on great.  Looking forward to a good day.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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I am not going to try to tell you all about Saturday and this morning, will do that when I get back but last night was insane.  I can tell you and tell you about the Knockin Tail but it was a thing of beauty.  There has never a been a bait I was more confident in for catching stripers at night than the 5″ Pearl Knockin Tail slow rolled after dark.  Without going in to much, will do that later here you go, big photo dump.  We are having fun now.

The picture sucks but this one was a bruiser we had to chase.

I can not describe how hard they slammed the 5″ Pearl Knockin Tail.

This is the same fish, it was a stud!  hardest bit I have ever had on a striper.  And then he ripped off a mile of line and the chase was on.

Most were this size.  I can not tell you how hard they smacked that 5″ Pearl Knockin Tail.

One of those nights I could do no wrong.  Moon rise and feakin’ hang on!

Once I got the speed down it was like hooking into the back bumper of a jeep.  No words.   What a way to finish a slow day.

Then this morning we hit the lake about 8 and as we cruised up a creek we saw the gulls, and my good fortune continued on the Knockin Tails.  Hybrids, a small stiper, bass, they were all eating the Alabama Rig with the Pearl 4″ Knockin Tails.  And picked up a nice bass and one of the hybrids on the Honeydew Knockin Tail.  Again they were slamming it.

Getting ready to smack em!

A small one!  Man I love my Knockin Tails!

A good hybrid on the Honeydew. 

My only jerkbait bass.

But I just can’t stop throwing the Alabama Rig.

The first crappie on the new 3 1/2″ Glass Minnow Knockin Tail.

Not near as many white bass as expected, but the stripers are taking up the slack.

To make a long story short Saturday was a continuance of the cold front from Friday evening.  Basically, the wind blew over 20 out of the north until this morning.  It was impossible to get out of it anywhere, and it was cold.  But at dark last night it laid down and as the moon rose it was why I come here if I can.  At times you might wonder why I get a little bored trout fishing, this is why.  I am spoiled, stripers at night are a thing of beauty.

We are in for a little break, and then back out tonight.  I am getting excited just thinking about it.  So it is back at it.  Tomorrow it will be off to the White River to fish to give the big brown trout a go.  The Knockin Tail beatdown will continue as we throw the new 3 1/2″, it should be interesting. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines