FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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Some Rambling on a Wet Winter Day

I have pondered and pondered what the difference could have been with the 6th Sense crankbait that I and the fish on Coleto loved so much.  Thursday was a major bite, they were absolutely smoking it before I got broke off, then 4 different similar baits and I could not buy a bite.  Finally something I just did not pay one bit of attention too, but after looking them up figured out it was the silent model.  (Funny how I fished it religiously for 2 years and caught a ton of fish never realizing it was the silent model.)  It hit me like a ton of bricks when I realized it did not rattle, no wonder.  If that had crossed my mind I would have fed them another silent to see if that was it.  As usual it is the little things.  So now that I know what it was, I can buy some, just hope I find another magic bait as effective as the one I lost.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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A nice Arkansas 8pt on the ground.

My buddy Clyde is back on our old stomping grounds of Northwest Arkansas where he put a good one on the ground.  He saw 18 including a giant and a coyote but reports the fishing is slow.  And with him having at least a couple of more hunts in other places he will fill the freezer before it is over.  Pretty sure there is no such thing as too much venison.  Thanks for the picture.

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One thing I forgot to include in my last post was how the day started.  I was so all about the bite that it slipped my mind that I towed in another boat first thing in the morning.  I came around the corner headed up lake.  I thought I was the only one out there, when I saw a guy waving his ass off, he was dead in the water.  He was camping and running jugs when his motor just quit.  The second tow of a broke down boat in the last 2 trip to Coleto.  The karma from a good deed of towing him in resulted in a smashing fish catching morning.  What goes around comes around, helping folks is always a good thing.

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And I wanted to add a little to my last post fishing the creek.  To maximize my time trying to get on the fish I always have 2 different set ups with the Knockin Tail but keep the equipment (Rod, reel, line weight.) basically the same.  One is a 3 1/2″ Knockin Tail on a light 8th or even a 1/16 screw lock jig head on 8lb test, the other is the 4″ Knockin Tail on a heavy 1/8th or 3/16th jig head on 10lb test.  Color is often not as important as head weight or more specifically fall rate. Both are fished on mono so that all things being about equal, it is all about the fall rate.

To give you an example last trip they wanted it almost crawled on the bottom, more of a dragging presentation.  At times they want it jerked up aggressively, then the fall rate really becomes the key.  (One note on the smaller Knockin Tail, when they want it fished aggressively, they eat it, often with it down in their throat.) At times it seems almost the opposite of what you would expect for winter conditions.  They often want it falling quicker with the heavier jig head, even when they are really shallow.  By keeping all things the same it allows you to key in on what and how they want it.  As usual it comes down to listening to the fish, it is the little things that often make the difference between a good day and a big day.

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While watching fishing there was a segment on fishing the White River in the winter.  The guide was a friend of mine, Frank Saska who is the head guide at Gastons, though he is getting close to retirement.  Going along with my love of winter fishing that is when we really put the hurt on them on the White.  Back in the “old days” we would often not see more than a boat or two, not so today.  But it sure was cool to watch a big brown come out from a rock and smoke a jerkbait.

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And last a few good words and kind thoughts for my cousin who is fighting cancer, and one of my best fishing buddies and his wife who are also each fighting cancer.  We all are feeling for you and hoping for the best.  Life is short and when times are tough, we all need to remember what a blessing life really is.  Get up early and get out, read a good book, call a friend, just make a conscious effort to do something that reminds you the joy of being alive.  We only get one run at this and as I have always maintained it is in the doing.

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The weather report is really interesting and until I get back on the water Tuesday no idea how it has affected the creek or the river.  This weather will drive more fish into the creek as long as it does not color up to bad.  The effect on the lake should be a little more subtle as the bass are not quite as sensitive to big weather changes.  Looking at the week there will be a warmup with clouds and lighter wind so look for mid-week to be the bomb.  I intend to take full advantage of conditions whether fresh or salt.

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I spent a little time today going over my salt stuff making sure I was good to go.  Depending on conditions really looking forward to some serious wading looking for the big bite.  I have a couple of new lures to try and will keep you up to date on the results.

Now it is time for a little Razorback football.  We have definitely struggled some this year and need to win 1 of the final 2 to become bowl eligible.  Hope you have a good weekend.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines