I would like to express my sincere gratitude for all those Americans who gave their lives in the line of duty while serving in our armed forces during conflicts.
May they always be remembered by families and loved ones for their extreme sacrifice in order to give us all the peace and freedom we enjoy today.
Dad
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Fishing With The Chef... Daveinpa 05_28_10
Hello Folks,
Last evening, Dave Warholic gave me a call and asked if I wanted to go fishing below Harrisburg, Pa in the morning. What a great opportunity for me to reconnect with Dave and get to see and ride in his new Snyder Boat.
It was my first time out since last week and I had heard that the river had been pretty muddy/dirty since the last rains. We also had some powerful thunderstorms move through last night. I had no idea what we were going to be greeted with expect when we got on the water today. I was pleasantly surprised that the water, although not clear, wasn't too bad at all. Most areas where we fished had that dark green algae stain with a visibility of about 2.5'.
We met at 7:00 a.m. and arrived at our first spot around 7:30 a.m. Not much action at all. I did have one chew through my stick bait...
The left end is where the eye was and the hook was just above the "sawed off" half. Whatever hit that bait sure did want it!
A few cast later, I had a beautiful 18" smallie take the stick bait... Dave took a great picture of it and, when downloading it, I was used my pic editor. I went to rotate the pic and lost the entire thing. Dang!! Sorry, Dave. That bass had some nice dark markings, too.
It took quite awhile until we were able to hit a 14" smallie on a Cotton Cordell Super Spot.
Both Dave and I had fish follow our lures to the boat, but failed to even make an attempt to strike. :( We even located a smallie just cruising the shallow water. We attempted to entice the fish, but she wanted no parts of it.
We caught our next bass on a tube at the back end of an island... Three fish, Three Different Lures! We had absolutely no pattern going and very few fish in the boat by 1:00 p.m.
Out last fish came at the end of our trip. Dave had pointed out a great spot in front of boulder where he catches topwater fish in the summer. I tossed a Husky Jerk JB near that boulder and then pointed to the general location and asked Dave if that's where he meant. When I returned to retrieving the jerkbait, this fantastic 18.5 smallie went skyrocketing into the air. This fish fought like it was on steroids.
Once we got her into the boat, we noticed a big ole' scrape along her side. Not sure how she got it, but it sure looked sore!
Ouch!
We had mostly overcast skies all day long. It looked threatening a few times, but we got absolutely no rain.
The water temp ranged from 72 degrees to 75 degrees depending on our location. The air temp started at 63 degrees around 7:00 a.m. and was 73 degrees when I got back in my truck to drive home at 4:30 p.m.
Between the two of us, we threw a heck of a lot baits... tubes, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, swimming jigs, hard jerkbaits, soft flukes, and stick baits. It floored us that even the tube was not finding takers.
We saw about 20 dead bass and 2 dead carp on our short jaunts around the river. It didn't seem overly bad for the post-spawn stress period. I've been hearing reports from other sections of the river where anglers are quite concerned.
I want to say that Dave's 17' Snyder Boat is laid out very well and has a lot of space to maneuver in. He has a Merc 2-Stroke 90/65 hp pushing the 'er and it moves exceptionally well.
He had a 24v Minn Kota 80 lb. thrust bow trolling motor. This 80 lb thrust TM certainly did a fine job keeping the rig in pretty heavy current. I was really impressed.
Great boat and thanks for the day on the water, Dave.
Take care,
Dad
The
Last evening, Dave Warholic gave me a call and asked if I wanted to go fishing below Harrisburg, Pa in the morning. What a great opportunity for me to reconnect with Dave and get to see and ride in his new Snyder Boat.
It was my first time out since last week and I had heard that the river had been pretty muddy/dirty since the last rains. We also had some powerful thunderstorms move through last night. I had no idea what we were going to be greeted with expect when we got on the water today. I was pleasantly surprised that the water, although not clear, wasn't too bad at all. Most areas where we fished had that dark green algae stain with a visibility of about 2.5'.
We met at 7:00 a.m. and arrived at our first spot around 7:30 a.m. Not much action at all. I did have one chew through my stick bait...
The left end is where the eye was and the hook was just above the "sawed off" half. Whatever hit that bait sure did want it!
A few cast later, I had a beautiful 18" smallie take the stick bait... Dave took a great picture of it and, when downloading it, I was used my pic editor. I went to rotate the pic and lost the entire thing. Dang!! Sorry, Dave. That bass had some nice dark markings, too.
It took quite awhile until we were able to hit a 14" smallie on a Cotton Cordell Super Spot.
Both Dave and I had fish follow our lures to the boat, but failed to even make an attempt to strike. :( We even located a smallie just cruising the shallow water. We attempted to entice the fish, but she wanted no parts of it.
We caught our next bass on a tube at the back end of an island... Three fish, Three Different Lures! We had absolutely no pattern going and very few fish in the boat by 1:00 p.m.
Out last fish came at the end of our trip. Dave had pointed out a great spot in front of boulder where he catches topwater fish in the summer. I tossed a Husky Jerk JB near that boulder and then pointed to the general location and asked Dave if that's where he meant. When I returned to retrieving the jerkbait, this fantastic 18.5 smallie went skyrocketing into the air. This fish fought like it was on steroids.
Once we got her into the boat, we noticed a big ole' scrape along her side. Not sure how she got it, but it sure looked sore!
Ouch!
We had mostly overcast skies all day long. It looked threatening a few times, but we got absolutely no rain.
The water temp ranged from 72 degrees to 75 degrees depending on our location. The air temp started at 63 degrees around 7:00 a.m. and was 73 degrees when I got back in my truck to drive home at 4:30 p.m.
Between the two of us, we threw a heck of a lot baits... tubes, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, swimming jigs, hard jerkbaits, soft flukes, and stick baits. It floored us that even the tube was not finding takers.
We saw about 20 dead bass and 2 dead carp on our short jaunts around the river. It didn't seem overly bad for the post-spawn stress period. I've been hearing reports from other sections of the river where anglers are quite concerned.
I want to say that Dave's 17' Snyder Boat is laid out very well and has a lot of space to maneuver in. He has a Merc 2-Stroke 90/65 hp pushing the 'er and it moves exceptionally well.
He had a 24v Minn Kota 80 lb. thrust bow trolling motor. This 80 lb thrust TM certainly did a fine job keeping the rig in pretty heavy current. I was really impressed.
Great boat and thanks for the day on the water, Dave.
Take care,
Dad
The
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Willersley castle,well it is may
Had a lovely afternoons fishing at willersley
castle with one or two mayflys fluttering
around and getting slashed at by the trout.
as you can see below the sun was shining
with most of the trout under the canopy
of the huge trees (mainly alder)
started off with a mayfly pattern favourite of
micks but couldnt get the trout intrested.
put on a detached body may (tied by me)with
the body made up with cohesive bandage,started
getting a few takes but only one fish to show for
it.
in the end resorted to my faithfull yellow humpy
which saw me catching some great fish.the one
pictured below had a right set of teeth on it which
tried to bite me finger off as i unhooked it.
brilliant afternoons fishing cant wait for may fly
in full swing.
castle with one or two mayflys fluttering
around and getting slashed at by the trout.
as you can see below the sun was shining
with most of the trout under the canopy
of the huge trees (mainly alder)
started off with a mayfly pattern favourite of
micks but couldnt get the trout intrested.
put on a detached body may (tied by me)with
the body made up with cohesive bandage,started
getting a few takes but only one fish to show for
it.
in the end resorted to my faithfull yellow humpy
which saw me catching some great fish.the one
pictured below had a right set of teeth on it which
tried to bite me finger off as i unhooked it.
brilliant afternoons fishing cant wait for may fly
in full swing.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Loading a Jet Rig In Tough Situations (Eddies, Current, etc.)
On the fishing website, Smallmouths.com, I had a fellow ask me to place this post I made onto my blog... Here you go Dave T.
I hope that this helps many in some way.
Hey Wooly Curltail, thanks for the question...
How would I load a jet rig onto a trailer in and area with back eddies?
Yes, this is a difficult job to accomplish, foe sure. But once you understand the eddies you have in these particular areas and have loaded your jet rig successfully, you'll be able to concentrate and repeat the same procedure without too much difficulty.
Prior to loading the trailer, pull an extra length of winch strap out and down onto trailer. This may be needed if you do not have enough power get the the jet rig up all the way to the roller and safety chain.
I hang the safety chain on the nut that it attaches to the trailer.
Unplug the Trolling Motor to prevent injuries!!
(I have intimate understanding and the scars to prove of the dangers of a TM!)
1. Determine which direction the eddy(ies) is flowing
2. Take the trailer and back it into the water so that the trailer is facing the direction downstream of the eddy. Return to the rig, push off the shore, and prepare to load.
3. As I approach upstream with the boat (better control), if I can take it straight onto the bunks, that would be my first choice.
4. However, if I cannot just drive up onto the bottom bunks because water pressure is exerted on the boat from different angles, I will use the bottom bunks as a swing point or fulcrum. Approach the trailer under control until you hit one or both of the bottom bunks. Once this has been achieved, throttle up and swing the boat to face the trailer straight on. Now, punch the throttle hard and take it up onto the trailer. This is not an easy step, but with practice it can be done.
5. If it's a steep ramp, I keep some pressure on with the throttle so I can leave the console, lay on my belly, reaches down and do up the winch strap. If possible, I will attach the safety chain either on the boat or on the winch strap. This is determined by how far up the bunks I was able to achieve.
6. Return to the console and shut down the boat motor.
7. Step out of boat at the bow and onto the tire or trailer itself.
8. I will winch the boat up as far as I can or until I can place the safety chain onto the trailer or boat.
I have two artificial hips and a lot of arthritis, so to winch the boat to the roller sometimes is nearly impossible for me.
9. With the boat secure, I will then drive the trailer and loaded boat to a location with a slight downward hill (if possible). From that position, I can usually finish the job of winding the boat up to the roller.
10. Finish stowing items in boat, attaching lights, and strapping down for towing boat home.
I hope this all made sense.
There are so many things to learn in owning a jet rig. I am truly surprised that dealers don't offer educational courses to show new owners how to handle jet rigs and their proper care. Just like prop motors, jet rigs have their own characteristics and should be learned to remain safe on the water.
Dad
I hope that this helps many in some way.
Hey Wooly Curltail, thanks for the question...
How would I load a jet rig onto a trailer in and area with back eddies?
Yes, this is a difficult job to accomplish, foe sure. But once you understand the eddies you have in these particular areas and have loaded your jet rig successfully, you'll be able to concentrate and repeat the same procedure without too much difficulty.
Prior to loading the trailer, pull an extra length of winch strap out and down onto trailer. This may be needed if you do not have enough power get the the jet rig up all the way to the roller and safety chain.
I hang the safety chain on the nut that it attaches to the trailer.
Unplug the Trolling Motor to prevent injuries!!
(I have intimate understanding and the scars to prove of the dangers of a TM!)
1. Determine which direction the eddy(ies) is flowing
2. Take the trailer and back it into the water so that the trailer is facing the direction downstream of the eddy. Return to the rig, push off the shore, and prepare to load.
3. As I approach upstream with the boat (better control), if I can take it straight onto the bunks, that would be my first choice.
4. However, if I cannot just drive up onto the bottom bunks because water pressure is exerted on the boat from different angles, I will use the bottom bunks as a swing point or fulcrum. Approach the trailer under control until you hit one or both of the bottom bunks. Once this has been achieved, throttle up and swing the boat to face the trailer straight on. Now, punch the throttle hard and take it up onto the trailer. This is not an easy step, but with practice it can be done.
5. If it's a steep ramp, I keep some pressure on with the throttle so I can leave the console, lay on my belly, reaches down and do up the winch strap. If possible, I will attach the safety chain either on the boat or on the winch strap. This is determined by how far up the bunks I was able to achieve.
6. Return to the console and shut down the boat motor.
7. Step out of boat at the bow and onto the tire or trailer itself.
8. I will winch the boat up as far as I can or until I can place the safety chain onto the trailer or boat.
I have two artificial hips and a lot of arthritis, so to winch the boat to the roller sometimes is nearly impossible for me.
9. With the boat secure, I will then drive the trailer and loaded boat to a location with a slight downward hill (if possible). From that position, I can usually finish the job of winding the boat up to the roller.
10. Finish stowing items in boat, attaching lights, and strapping down for towing boat home.
I hope this all made sense.
There are so many things to learn in owning a jet rig. I am truly surprised that dealers don't offer educational courses to show new owners how to handle jet rigs and their proper care. Just like prop motors, jet rigs have their own characteristics and should be learned to remain safe on the water.
Dad
Beach snook season starting out on a high note
Beach snook fishing has been good.
In three days of walking along the surf, I've caught and released 15 snook. Most have been small. The largest fish was 26 inches. I've also caught some nice spotted seatrout, blue runners, ladyfish and skipjack.I fished about 30 minutes south of Sarasota the first two days. I fished along Casey Key the third day.
I saw more snook the first two days. I estimate that I saw 300-400 snook each of the first two days. I saw maybe 90 snook along Casey Key.
I've been fly fishing the surf for snook for the last 25 years. It's certainly one of my favorite pursuits. It's great sight-fishing and load of fun.
I estimate that I've caught nearly 5,000 snook over the years. My best day in terms of numbers was 41 snook. Last season, I averaged 19 snook per trip. I'll have to have a couple of great days to get my average up this season.My best day ever took place last August when I caught and released 15 snook to 20 pounds. That included six snook of more than 28 inches. The largest was nearly 40 inches. I also caught and released three redfish to 32 inches and jumped three 100-pound tarpon.
Of course, I didn't come close to landing the tarpon. They simply were too much for my 6-weight TFO TiCRX fly rod. Still, it was fun.
I wasn't sure how this season would be. We had a very harsh winter and experienced a large snook kill because of cold water. Fisheries scientists estimate that 10 percent of the snook along Florida's west coast were killed.
It's too early to tell what affect the kill will have on the beach snook season. I can tell you there are good numbers of fish out there, and the population should increase daily.
My best months are still to come. I like June, July and August best.
If you want to try this yourself, you'll need a 6- to 8-weight fly rod, floating or intermediate line and a leader with a 20- to 25-pound shock tippet.
As far as flies go, I use nothing but my Gibby's D.T. Variation, a fly that has accounted for several thousand snook over the years. It was the fly of choice on that once-in-a-lifetime day last summer.
Other required equipment includes a cap or hat, sunscreen, quality pair of polarized sunglasses and water.
I like to arrive at the beach around 7:30 a.m. I usually fish until 1 p.m. Best sight-fishing is from 9:30 to noon.
When the summer wind is gentle and from the east, it's time for me to grab my fly rod and head for the beach.
Tiger shark sends swimmers running for dry sand
I'm certain success is not based on number of fish caught. I am certain it's based on the enjoyment you get from a particular outing.That happened to me today. This was my third day in a row fly fishing for snook along the beach. It also was my worst day in terms of number of fish caught. I totaled three small snook and a ladyfish. Not great by any stretch of the imagination.
However, I had a great day.
I saw an abundance of wildlife: ibis, snowy egrets, blue herons, osprey, pelicans, terns, skimmers, cormorants, frigate birds and others.
I also saw a magnificent spotted eagle ray gliding along in the shallows of the beautiful Gulf of Mexico.
When I first stepped onto the beach at Casey Key, I saw an angler in a skiff battling a large tarpon. I also saw three schools of tarpon. The hilite of the day was when a large tiger shark swam into the surf and made its way down the beach toward the public swimming area. I was fighting a snook at the time and I thought the shark was homing in on my fish.
By the time I got to the swimming area, the water was vacant -- except for the shark. A lifeguard was slapping his surfboard on the water in an attempt to persuade the shark to leave.
One problem: The shark obviously was sick or injured. It was lying on its back in two feet of water.
A small fish swam around the shark.
"It just gave birth," some on in the crowd said.
Wishful thinking. It was a cobia, a species that's known to hang out around sharks. I have no idea why they do that, but they do.
The scene was pretty funny. Everyone was suddenly a shark expert.
"Yeah, it's a 10-foot mako," someone said.
I overheard a fellow saying, "That shark was hooked by a fisherman just up the beach. It apparently swallowed the hook and died."
There was a shark tournament over the weekend. Although the tourney was catch-and-release, the shark could have swallowed the hook and been injured in the process.
It could have been any number of things.
"You need to get it out of the water," one man told the lifeguard. "That's shark's dead. Get rid of it so we can swim."
I was amazed by the hot tempers. People don't like to be inconvenienced at all.
Suddenly, the "dead" shark righted itself and began to thrash its large tail. It slowly swam away from the beach toward deeper water.
Last time I saw the shark, it was at least 100 yards offshore.
The red flag was still flying at the lifeguard station. Got to make sure the shark is gone.
I fish the beach quite often during the summer and see plenty of sharks. And they're not all little sharks. I've seen bull sharks, hammerheads, lemons and now tigers. I've seen them within a few feet of the beach.
One thing I've discovered is most beach-goers are oblivious to what's happening in the water. Most pay no attention.
I don't swim in the gulf. I've seen too many sharks over the years. I know the odds of a shark attack are great, but I'm not taking that chance.
Maine Striper Fishing Report May, 26th 2010
Striper Fishing Begins In Maine
After spending 10 days fishing in South Florida, I've returned to Maine and have begun my guiding season here in Maine. Our first trip out yielded severel fat stripers. We had our best fishing during the outgoing tide...Water temps ranged from 71 degrees to 63 degrees...With our warmer water temps and massive amounts of bait...i'm thinking that we're going to have a great season this year....Reports from southern Maine also support that idea.
Call us if you'd like to join us for a day or two this coming season. We'll be happy help you plan your Maine vacation!!! Depending on which region of the Maine coast you're staying on...we can provide you with info on all the top fishing guides. If fly fishing isn't your thing...no worries we're well equipped for light tackle & live bait fishing too!!!
Maine Striper Fishing Guide
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com
We still have plenty of great dates available so give us a call to setup a trip.
After spending 10 days fishing in South Florida, I've returned to Maine and have begun my guiding season here in Maine. Our first trip out yielded severel fat stripers. We had our best fishing during the outgoing tide...Water temps ranged from 71 degrees to 63 degrees...With our warmer water temps and massive amounts of bait...i'm thinking that we're going to have a great season this year....Reports from southern Maine also support that idea.Call us if you'd like to join us for a day or two this coming season. We'll be happy help you plan your Maine vacation!!! Depending on which region of the Maine coast you're staying on...we can provide you with info on all the top fishing guides. If fly fishing isn't your thing...no worries we're well equipped for light tackle & live bait fishing too!!!
Maine Striper Fishing Guide
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com
We still have plenty of great dates available so give us a call to setup a trip.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Sebarau Fishing Technique (Bait Drift)
For this fishing, patience and skill required for proper arrest. This is because of these fish prefer to stay in the water have current and highly sensitive to human presence. Fishing can also use the usual way by using the weight but it is not the best way to fish this Sebarau.
There are two best ways to fish is by using gewang Sebarau (casting) or use the live bait. However, the use of live bait is the best of the best. The use of live bait for fishing Sebarau, the technique is more effective bait drift because it makes you look like a bait fish that is free and natural. For bait fishing float, sinker can not be used because it will make the bait sink in the river bed. We recommend that main line connected to the small size of Chile and perambut fine with about 15 inch long. Use a smaller hook for the bait and thus does not cause bait to die. Hook is in the mouth should dinstall bait (fish fry) to make the bait swim normally, if the hook is installed at the top of the fish, this will make the fish swim horizontally when exposed to current, this will cut the bait, and it will make the Sebarau eat not feel suspicious baits.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
A Layman's Approach To Trailer Maintenance
Hello Folks,
I am in no way a mechanic. However, I have been a boat owner for over 22 years and have learned, sometimes the hard way, just how important maintenance of my jet rig and trailer is. I recently mentioned how I was helping a buddy learn some skills in driving his jet rig. Well, I believe before one drives their boat to the put-in, they should be sure that the trailer is safe to haul.
Here are a few suggestions that I have learned over the years...
1. Make sure that the U-bolts that attach your bottom bunk boards onto the trailer are solid and safe. A few years back, I noticed that a few of my U-bolts were cracked. So, I took the trailer in for maintenance and through inspection, they found that all but one was cracked! Why? Because when I would load my boat onto the trailer, the weight of the boat and the pounding those bolts took eventually weakened them and they failed.
At the same time, it was time to replace my bottom bunk boards. I choose to buy the "Ultimate Bunk Boards" that were composite and not wood. I no longer have to worry about the wood rotting - A big peace of mine.
I asked the boat dealer to find me the biggest and toughest U-bolts to keep my boat safe while trailering, which he did.
Also check your side bunks for rotting. I have had side bunks actually fall off as I was trailering my boat. I had failed to check them on a regular basis and lost them and the bolts.
Each year during the coldest winter months, I take my boat and trailer to the dealer to have routine maintenance done. The dealer usually isn't as busy during these months and can get to the job rather quickly.
2. I have them check my wheel bearings. If they need replaced, they will do it. Remember, Bearing Buddies are a great thing to have. But keep in mind, if you grease your own bearings, only give them a small squirt and do not blow out the seal! I made that mistake and had to have the whole package done. Not good and a bit more expensive overall.
3. Check your springs and make sure all bolts are secure. You can do this by taking the time to check... slide under the trailer with the correct tools and go over everything you can see that needs to be tight.
4. Check the rollers on the front of the trailer that the bow seats upon. Once that roller has worn down from landing the boat and the wear and tear of trailering the rig, it's time for a replacement.
I boat a nice heavy duty roller from BPS and did my own replacement. It's easy and quick to do.
5. Trailer jacks are a big help. I've seen some boat owners un-hitch their rigs and place the front of the trailer onto a concrete block. If this isn't an accident waiting to happen, I don't know what is.
Buy a heavy duty trailer jack and make sure that it is maintain. They all have a grease nipple that should be used to grease the jack on occasion. You can clean the jack before applying a new shot of grease.
Check the wheel on the trailer jack after each trip to make sure that it is still tight and not cracked. That hard plastic will eventually wear and crack over time. If so, it's time to replace the wheel.
6. Two tow chains in excellent shape are needed in case you trailer jumps the ball hitch. This will keep the trailer and boat attached to your vehicle at all times. I use huge carabineers to attach my chains to. When these are hooked onto the tow vehicle there is an added safety factor over just hooking them onto the hitch.
I have actually seen two rigs jump the hitch ball in the past few years. There are a lot of sparks flying, but the safety tow chains did their job. Both rigs were held to the two vehicles and no one was harmed.
7. Strap Downs for your rig are essential to hold the back end tight to the trailer. You can judge when the strap is worn enough to warrant new straps. I have to laugh at how many times I and friends have forgotten to remove these straps before launching... it's confusing until you figure out just what went wrong. :)
8. Light Maintenance is crucial. Think about how many times you have driven and seen trailers that were not adequately lit... light out, brake light(s) doesn't work, or turn signals are not functioning. I see it almost daily.
I actually saw a fellow driving just two weeks ago in front of me to the ramp with a trailer that only the brake lights were lit and he had no turn signals... all the time! I'm not sure if he knew this and I mentioned it to him at the ramp. He gave me that, "So what!" attitude and I walked away from him - So much for trying to warn him of a potential safety problem and traffic ticket from the local police.
If you have a conventional lighting system, always carry extra bulbs in case of a burned out bulb. To help prevent burn outs, unplug your lights from the tow vehicle and allow the lights to cool a bit before placing them into cold water.
I have gone to LED lights two seasons ago and I love them. Even though unplugging is not supposed to be necessary, I still find my self unplugging my LEDs just as religiously as I did my other lights.
Light plugs can be sensitive creatures. When I kept my boat outside, I would spray silicone on the male and female plugs to prevent rusting. You can also put a plastic baggie over the boat's plug and spray some silicone inside the bag... It worked well for me and I can't remember ever having a problem.
Also, the hitch ball needs to be free of rust. I achieve this by always having a hitch cover on when I'm not towing. On top of that, I give a small shot of the marine grease onto the ball that helps it from rusting.
Having a rust free hitch ball is extremely important for good light grounding!
7. Poly Straps for Motor... I use two heavy duty poly straps with metal hooks to assist in holding my motor in place while towing. I am positive that the motor/steering could end up having a major problem flopping back and forth in turns and while taking curves while towing.
I used to use one strap, but I found that they would break rather quickly. Since I went to two of the cords, I've had zero problems.
I'm not saying that the straps hold the motor in one position, but they keep the motor from erratically swinging and always return the motor to a resting position.
8. Tires should always be checked for wear and tear. Proper inflation will prevent a lot of problems. I've had close boat friends fail to maintain their tire pressure and paid the price by needing to purchase new tires way before they needed to.
A spare tire should always be ready to place on the trailer in case of a flat tire while towing. Whenever you check and fill your trailer tires, be sure to do the same for the spare
9. Trailer and hitch locks will provide safety of theft while you have the tow vehicle and trailer parked at the ramp. I've know boaters who've had horror stories about returning to the ramp only to find that their trailer was stolen. Don't allow this to happen to you!
10. Keep in mind - Safety First!
Dad
I am in no way a mechanic. However, I have been a boat owner for over 22 years and have learned, sometimes the hard way, just how important maintenance of my jet rig and trailer is. I recently mentioned how I was helping a buddy learn some skills in driving his jet rig. Well, I believe before one drives their boat to the put-in, they should be sure that the trailer is safe to haul.
Here are a few suggestions that I have learned over the years...
1. Make sure that the U-bolts that attach your bottom bunk boards onto the trailer are solid and safe. A few years back, I noticed that a few of my U-bolts were cracked. So, I took the trailer in for maintenance and through inspection, they found that all but one was cracked! Why? Because when I would load my boat onto the trailer, the weight of the boat and the pounding those bolts took eventually weakened them and they failed.
At the same time, it was time to replace my bottom bunk boards. I choose to buy the "Ultimate Bunk Boards" that were composite and not wood. I no longer have to worry about the wood rotting - A big peace of mine.
I asked the boat dealer to find me the biggest and toughest U-bolts to keep my boat safe while trailering, which he did.
Also check your side bunks for rotting. I have had side bunks actually fall off as I was trailering my boat. I had failed to check them on a regular basis and lost them and the bolts.
Each year during the coldest winter months, I take my boat and trailer to the dealer to have routine maintenance done. The dealer usually isn't as busy during these months and can get to the job rather quickly.
2. I have them check my wheel bearings. If they need replaced, they will do it. Remember, Bearing Buddies are a great thing to have. But keep in mind, if you grease your own bearings, only give them a small squirt and do not blow out the seal! I made that mistake and had to have the whole package done. Not good and a bit more expensive overall.
3. Check your springs and make sure all bolts are secure. You can do this by taking the time to check... slide under the trailer with the correct tools and go over everything you can see that needs to be tight.
4. Check the rollers on the front of the trailer that the bow seats upon. Once that roller has worn down from landing the boat and the wear and tear of trailering the rig, it's time for a replacement.
I boat a nice heavy duty roller from BPS and did my own replacement. It's easy and quick to do.
5. Trailer jacks are a big help. I've seen some boat owners un-hitch their rigs and place the front of the trailer onto a concrete block. If this isn't an accident waiting to happen, I don't know what is.
Buy a heavy duty trailer jack and make sure that it is maintain. They all have a grease nipple that should be used to grease the jack on occasion. You can clean the jack before applying a new shot of grease.
Check the wheel on the trailer jack after each trip to make sure that it is still tight and not cracked. That hard plastic will eventually wear and crack over time. If so, it's time to replace the wheel.
6. Two tow chains in excellent shape are needed in case you trailer jumps the ball hitch. This will keep the trailer and boat attached to your vehicle at all times. I use huge carabineers to attach my chains to. When these are hooked onto the tow vehicle there is an added safety factor over just hooking them onto the hitch.
I have actually seen two rigs jump the hitch ball in the past few years. There are a lot of sparks flying, but the safety tow chains did their job. Both rigs were held to the two vehicles and no one was harmed.
7. Strap Downs for your rig are essential to hold the back end tight to the trailer. You can judge when the strap is worn enough to warrant new straps. I have to laugh at how many times I and friends have forgotten to remove these straps before launching... it's confusing until you figure out just what went wrong. :)
8. Light Maintenance is crucial. Think about how many times you have driven and seen trailers that were not adequately lit... light out, brake light(s) doesn't work, or turn signals are not functioning. I see it almost daily.
I actually saw a fellow driving just two weeks ago in front of me to the ramp with a trailer that only the brake lights were lit and he had no turn signals... all the time! I'm not sure if he knew this and I mentioned it to him at the ramp. He gave me that, "So what!" attitude and I walked away from him - So much for trying to warn him of a potential safety problem and traffic ticket from the local police.
If you have a conventional lighting system, always carry extra bulbs in case of a burned out bulb. To help prevent burn outs, unplug your lights from the tow vehicle and allow the lights to cool a bit before placing them into cold water.
I have gone to LED lights two seasons ago and I love them. Even though unplugging is not supposed to be necessary, I still find my self unplugging my LEDs just as religiously as I did my other lights.
Light plugs can be sensitive creatures. When I kept my boat outside, I would spray silicone on the male and female plugs to prevent rusting. You can also put a plastic baggie over the boat's plug and spray some silicone inside the bag... It worked well for me and I can't remember ever having a problem.
Also, the hitch ball needs to be free of rust. I achieve this by always having a hitch cover on when I'm not towing. On top of that, I give a small shot of the marine grease onto the ball that helps it from rusting.
Having a rust free hitch ball is extremely important for good light grounding!
7. Poly Straps for Motor... I use two heavy duty poly straps with metal hooks to assist in holding my motor in place while towing. I am positive that the motor/steering could end up having a major problem flopping back and forth in turns and while taking curves while towing.
I used to use one strap, but I found that they would break rather quickly. Since I went to two of the cords, I've had zero problems.
I'm not saying that the straps hold the motor in one position, but they keep the motor from erratically swinging and always return the motor to a resting position.
8. Tires should always be checked for wear and tear. Proper inflation will prevent a lot of problems. I've had close boat friends fail to maintain their tire pressure and paid the price by needing to purchase new tires way before they needed to.
A spare tire should always be ready to place on the trailer in case of a flat tire while towing. Whenever you check and fill your trailer tires, be sure to do the same for the spare
9. Trailer and hitch locks will provide safety of theft while you have the tow vehicle and trailer parked at the ramp. I've know boaters who've had horror stories about returning to the ramp only to find that their trailer was stolen. Don't allow this to happen to you!
10. Keep in mind - Safety First!
Dad
Friday, May 21, 2010
Another Day, Another Trip to Lake Aldred 05/21/10
What a beautiful spring day! The air temp was 60 degrees when I arrived this morning at the ramp and it rose to ~83 degrees by 1:45 p.m.
The water level was high once again. It was up on the macadam of the parking lot which is about a 2' rise since yesterday. When the dams do this, the water tends to be murky in those areas that have muddy banks on islands and shoreline.
I started the day out by catching a small, but healthy, 12" smallie on a Husky Jerk. I was switching back-and-forth between the hard plastic jerkbait and a soft one (Winco's Creek Darter with chartreuse tail). They only seemed to want the hard JB today.
I also caught fish off of large rock chunks and ledges in about 3.5' to 4' of water with a crankbait. The big number catcher was a 1/2 oz. War Eagle spinnerbait in Green Shad. This spinnerbait was also able to bring in two smallies in the 15" range.
My numbers were down a bit from yesterday and I'm not sure why. I was only able to bring in 13 smallies in a four hour period. There were periods of time when the flow slowed a bit. However, I heard the warning siren wail around 12:30 p.m and the flow picked up quite a bit afterward.
One highlight today for me was I got to see three eagles flying overhead - 2 mature and 1 immature. The two mature eagles were flying together... It's cool to see them returning to the Susquehanna River after the ban on DDT.
Take care,
Dad
The water level was high once again. It was up on the macadam of the parking lot which is about a 2' rise since yesterday. When the dams do this, the water tends to be murky in those areas that have muddy banks on islands and shoreline.
I started the day out by catching a small, but healthy, 12" smallie on a Husky Jerk. I was switching back-and-forth between the hard plastic jerkbait and a soft one (Winco's Creek Darter with chartreuse tail). They only seemed to want the hard JB today.
I also caught fish off of large rock chunks and ledges in about 3.5' to 4' of water with a crankbait. The big number catcher was a 1/2 oz. War Eagle spinnerbait in Green Shad. This spinnerbait was also able to bring in two smallies in the 15" range.
My numbers were down a bit from yesterday and I'm not sure why. I was only able to bring in 13 smallies in a four hour period. There were periods of time when the flow slowed a bit. However, I heard the warning siren wail around 12:30 p.m and the flow picked up quite a bit afterward.
One highlight today for me was I got to see three eagles flying overhead - 2 mature and 1 immature. The two mature eagles were flying together... It's cool to see them returning to the Susquehanna River after the ban on DDT.
Take care,
Dad
Carsington insect soup
had a nice afternoon at carsington yesterday
,took the mrs along (just sunbathing)
the surface of the water was covered in loads
of insects with the fish just cruising along sipping
the soup down at a leisurely pace.
fish were rising all day long even in the flat calm.
it was quite hard to approach the pods of fish
but i did manage a few to dry flies (claret bumble,
bibio )
my best of the day went to 6lb which was quite a
battle on 4lb tippet.
nice day in the weather but hard fishing.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Solo Trip to Lake Aldred 05/20/10
It had been almost two weeks since I visited my home waters. I had a doctor's appointment today and didn't get on the water until 11:00 a.m. It was a late start on a gorgeous "Blue Bird Sky" day!
Not the best of conditions to be fishing under, but I was going to give it my best shot.
I got on the board with a beautiful 12" smallie on a jerkbait. One may say, that's no big deal, but after the fish kills we had over the past five years, I just love seeing these smaller fish making a come back on my home water.
Al Winco had sent me a couple of samples of several styles of "new creations". One that I have been waiting to try was his Tastee Tube. Al sent me one with a sickle hook and double flexible weed guard. There was one color that caught my eye and I'm not quite sure what the name of it is. It was a laminated two colored tube in a green pumpkin/purple flake with a mustard color bottom. Good enough to eat! On my second cast with this tube I found one bass that found the tube irresistible. Check this one out...
19.25"
Sorry for the quality of the pic... I'm still learning the little nuisances of my new camera... sensitive little bugger.
Here's a video of that new color tube:
The water temp was 58 degrees at 11:00 a.m. and rose to 60.1 degrees by 2:30 p.m. AS I mentioned earlier, we had a Blue Bird Sky. There was a wind coming from the northwest at about 7-10 mph. The water level on the lake was on the higher end of top level making it easy to negotiate into some normally tight spots.
Here's a crankbait video I took back in a favorite cove. I have caught several fish in this cove during the 2010 Spring. It has been a good producer.
I met up with Jeff (Tracker_120) around 1:00 p.m. Jeff was fishing the York County side of the river. We talked for a few moments and the started to fish. We kept far enough apart that we both could hear one another and cover a greater area with our cast. He was tossing a War Eagle spinnerbait and I had on my favorite "Ugly Lure", the 3/8th oz. Big O in FireTiger. Together we were able to catch three bass and a cattie. After doing this for about 20 minutes or so, we parted ways and I headed back towards the Lancaster County side of the river.
Once in a clear lane to run my engine, I was up on plane and heading back to the ramp.
It was a great day and the temperature rose into the low 80's. I was able to catch 17 bass mostly in the 14" range. here is a beautiful 17.5" I caught. The second pic shows the type of area I pulled her from... Water was actually moving from east to west and sideways... Cool!
Take Care,
Dad
Not the best of conditions to be fishing under, but I was going to give it my best shot.
I got on the board with a beautiful 12" smallie on a jerkbait. One may say, that's no big deal, but after the fish kills we had over the past five years, I just love seeing these smaller fish making a come back on my home water.
Al Winco had sent me a couple of samples of several styles of "new creations". One that I have been waiting to try was his Tastee Tube. Al sent me one with a sickle hook and double flexible weed guard. There was one color that caught my eye and I'm not quite sure what the name of it is. It was a laminated two colored tube in a green pumpkin/purple flake with a mustard color bottom. Good enough to eat! On my second cast with this tube I found one bass that found the tube irresistible. Check this one out...
19.25"
Sorry for the quality of the pic... I'm still learning the little nuisances of my new camera... sensitive little bugger.
Here's a video of that new color tube:
The water temp was 58 degrees at 11:00 a.m. and rose to 60.1 degrees by 2:30 p.m. AS I mentioned earlier, we had a Blue Bird Sky. There was a wind coming from the northwest at about 7-10 mph. The water level on the lake was on the higher end of top level making it easy to negotiate into some normally tight spots.
Here's a crankbait video I took back in a favorite cove. I have caught several fish in this cove during the 2010 Spring. It has been a good producer.
I met up with Jeff (Tracker_120) around 1:00 p.m. Jeff was fishing the York County side of the river. We talked for a few moments and the started to fish. We kept far enough apart that we both could hear one another and cover a greater area with our cast. He was tossing a War Eagle spinnerbait and I had on my favorite "Ugly Lure", the 3/8th oz. Big O in FireTiger. Together we were able to catch three bass and a cattie. After doing this for about 20 minutes or so, we parted ways and I headed back towards the Lancaster County side of the river.
Once in a clear lane to run my engine, I was up on plane and heading back to the ramp.
It was a great day and the temperature rose into the low 80's. I was able to catch 17 bass mostly in the 14" range. here is a beautiful 17.5" I caught. The second pic shows the type of area I pulled her from... Water was actually moving from east to west and sideways... Cool!
Take Care,
Dad
Fishing With Steveinpa 05/19/10
Hello Folks,
I was sitting at the chiropractor's office getting a treatment when I got a call from Steveinpa asking me what the condition of the water was. I asked him if he was planning on heading out to fish because that's what I was planning to do as soon as I broke free. He said he had his boat loaded and ready to go, but was waiting to hear what I had to say.
So, we made arrangements to meet up at the ramp. I needed to go home first and pick up my tackle and gear since I already had my boat prepped and ready to go out fishing for the day.
No big deal... I got home and loaded the car and off I went. I met Steve around 10:45 a.m. and we were off to a favorite grass bed where Dell and I had caught six bass on Monday.
The grass bed didn't let us down. We had six bass on tubes before we packed up and moved on. Steve picked up this nice 17.5" within his first few cast... Nice!
Check out the dorsal fin on Steve's bass. It was broken and the front half was missing some pieces... I thought maybe a bird got hold of it while it was growing(?).
The sky was overcast and the water temp was in the upper 50's. There was a northeast breeze blowing and the water was dingy on the east shoreline and nicer towards the middle and as Steve put it "Big Bass Color" on the west shoreline.
We hit a couple of Steve's favorite spots, but the water quality wasn't the best and we decided to move onto an eddy behind the front end of a nearby island. Sure enough, we nailed a few more bass there.
Once we finished with this spot, we headed further north to a shoreline eddy that is a great spring hole. we proceeded to nail our last four fish of the day. Although we didn't know that, we did move onto three more spots where we tossed spinnerbaits without a hit.
It was 2:00 p.m. and time to call it a day. So, we packed up our great and tackle and headed back to the ramp.
We ended our three hour outing with 14 bass. The biggest being Steve's 17.5". Here's a nice healthy 14" chunk I caught off the one grass bed.
I believe Steve has been studying abstract photography because I found this pic tucked away on my camera. I think he caught his finger on the lens quite well as I was preparing to release the smallie back into the water. Great Shot, Steve!
Take Care!
Dad
I was sitting at the chiropractor's office getting a treatment when I got a call from Steveinpa asking me what the condition of the water was. I asked him if he was planning on heading out to fish because that's what I was planning to do as soon as I broke free. He said he had his boat loaded and ready to go, but was waiting to hear what I had to say.
So, we made arrangements to meet up at the ramp. I needed to go home first and pick up my tackle and gear since I already had my boat prepped and ready to go out fishing for the day.
No big deal... I got home and loaded the car and off I went. I met Steve around 10:45 a.m. and we were off to a favorite grass bed where Dell and I had caught six bass on Monday.
The grass bed didn't let us down. We had six bass on tubes before we packed up and moved on. Steve picked up this nice 17.5" within his first few cast... Nice!
Check out the dorsal fin on Steve's bass. It was broken and the front half was missing some pieces... I thought maybe a bird got hold of it while it was growing(?).
The sky was overcast and the water temp was in the upper 50's. There was a northeast breeze blowing and the water was dingy on the east shoreline and nicer towards the middle and as Steve put it "Big Bass Color" on the west shoreline.
We hit a couple of Steve's favorite spots, but the water quality wasn't the best and we decided to move onto an eddy behind the front end of a nearby island. Sure enough, we nailed a few more bass there.
Once we finished with this spot, we headed further north to a shoreline eddy that is a great spring hole. we proceeded to nail our last four fish of the day. Although we didn't know that, we did move onto three more spots where we tossed spinnerbaits without a hit.
It was 2:00 p.m. and time to call it a day. So, we packed up our great and tackle and headed back to the ramp.
We ended our three hour outing with 14 bass. The biggest being Steve's 17.5". Here's a nice healthy 14" chunk I caught off the one grass bed.
I believe Steve has been studying abstract photography because I found this pic tucked away on my camera. I think he caught his finger on the lens quite well as I was preparing to release the smallie back into the water. Great Shot, Steve!
Take Care!
Dad
Misty Summer
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| Martin's lure river fluke |
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Jeff's Warning To All Lake Aldred Smallies 05/16/10
I was talking to Jeff Sunday before he and his wife went fishing on Lake Aldred, Susuqehanna River. I told him to warn the bass that I hadn't forgotten about them and I would soon be down to the river to seek them out!
Here's his warning!
Here's his warning!
The Drought Is Over! 05/17/10
Hello Folks,
Yes, the drought is over. I'm not talking about a rain drought. No sir! It's been raining here in Pennsylvania about 3-4 days per week for the last month. I'm talking about the fishing drought I've been in. I had not been on the water since May 7, 2010. In fact, it rain on us yesterday while we were on the water... LOL! That's a whole ten days of no fishing for me. I was definitely in one of those withdrawal stages, for sure!
My buddy, Dell, contacted me on Saturday, April 8, and wanted to go fishing. He recently had back surgery for three messed up vertebrae and needed some "therapeutic lotic water rehab". I had just the right answer... Fishing!
However, the rains started and we had to cancel our first scheduled trip. I didn't want a recovering back surgery patient on the water in that damp and dreary weather. I'm sure his back was hurting enough and he didn't need the poor weather and high winds to make it any worse.
So, we finally got together yesterday after my early morning chiropractor appointment. It was time to head north to the Susquehanna River. We took Dell's boat for it's maiden 2010 voyage. He bought a used 17' G3 a few years ago and I've helped him each year get his boat and motor up and running. Two seasons ago, he bought a used jet to replace the prop and we worked together to develop his skills as a jet boater. He's doing quite well and runs it often on the North Branch where he has a cabin along the river.
The boat and motor ran great yesterday. Dell had lakeside Marine place a new water separator in over the winter. We made sure that it was primed and ready to run. It worked fine and now Dell's motor is better protected from moisture damage.
We weren't going to stay too long because of Dell's circumstance. The clock was ticking because I was running a bit late from my morning appointment and the nasty weather was moving in on us from the southwest.
We made it to our first honey hole around 10:35 a.m. I jumped up front on the trolling motor and Dell was on the back deck. This is our normal mode of operation even on his boat. He likes to sit back and enjoy the ride as I control the boat from the front deck.
The water was dingy, but that didn't stop me from trying a Boogerman buzzbait over the grass bed. The water had risen from our recent rains and had just crested. Dell selected a small crayfish pattern crankbait and immediately hooked into this great looking 17.5" smallie:
As you can see, he was a happy camper with his first 2010 smallie.
Just prior to Dell's catch, Steveinpa had texted me and asked if we had caught anything. Of course, I had to text him back and let him know about Dell's success. :)
What a great start!
As the drizzle began, we continued to fish and that particular grass bed yielded 6 smallies to us. The other five came from tubes that were thrown tight to the grass line. That's right where they should have been with the water rising over the past few days.
We finally moved further north and hit a few more islands without a single tap. However, on our fourth island stop, we nailed five more bass with a few misses thrown in. This was the perfect way to end our "therapeutic lotic water rehab" session. By now, we had a pretty steady, but light, rain falling that required us to wear our rain suits.
The water had a brownish tinge to it on the east shoreline. The middle and west shoreline had better color and you could actually see the dirt separating from the clearer water. We had green pockets starting to show in what was once solid dingy water.
I didn't get a water temp since we were on Dell's boat. The air temp only held in the 50's and when the rain moved in around 1:30 p.m., there was a stiff wind developing from the southwest.
All in all, it was a pretty successful trip. (1) Dell's boat and motor ran great, (2) We caught fish, (3) Our backs held up, and (4) the major rain stayed away until our time to return to the ramp.
We had a productive 3 hour trip and it felt good to feed my addiction once again.
Take care and stay safe,
Dad
Yes, the drought is over. I'm not talking about a rain drought. No sir! It's been raining here in Pennsylvania about 3-4 days per week for the last month. I'm talking about the fishing drought I've been in. I had not been on the water since May 7, 2010. In fact, it rain on us yesterday while we were on the water... LOL! That's a whole ten days of no fishing for me. I was definitely in one of those withdrawal stages, for sure!
My buddy, Dell, contacted me on Saturday, April 8, and wanted to go fishing. He recently had back surgery for three messed up vertebrae and needed some "therapeutic lotic water rehab". I had just the right answer... Fishing!
However, the rains started and we had to cancel our first scheduled trip. I didn't want a recovering back surgery patient on the water in that damp and dreary weather. I'm sure his back was hurting enough and he didn't need the poor weather and high winds to make it any worse.
So, we finally got together yesterday after my early morning chiropractor appointment. It was time to head north to the Susquehanna River. We took Dell's boat for it's maiden 2010 voyage. He bought a used 17' G3 a few years ago and I've helped him each year get his boat and motor up and running. Two seasons ago, he bought a used jet to replace the prop and we worked together to develop his skills as a jet boater. He's doing quite well and runs it often on the North Branch where he has a cabin along the river.
The boat and motor ran great yesterday. Dell had lakeside Marine place a new water separator in over the winter. We made sure that it was primed and ready to run. It worked fine and now Dell's motor is better protected from moisture damage.
We weren't going to stay too long because of Dell's circumstance. The clock was ticking because I was running a bit late from my morning appointment and the nasty weather was moving in on us from the southwest.
We made it to our first honey hole around 10:35 a.m. I jumped up front on the trolling motor and Dell was on the back deck. This is our normal mode of operation even on his boat. He likes to sit back and enjoy the ride as I control the boat from the front deck.
The water was dingy, but that didn't stop me from trying a Boogerman buzzbait over the grass bed. The water had risen from our recent rains and had just crested. Dell selected a small crayfish pattern crankbait and immediately hooked into this great looking 17.5" smallie:
As you can see, he was a happy camper with his first 2010 smallie.
Just prior to Dell's catch, Steveinpa had texted me and asked if we had caught anything. Of course, I had to text him back and let him know about Dell's success. :)
What a great start!
As the drizzle began, we continued to fish and that particular grass bed yielded 6 smallies to us. The other five came from tubes that were thrown tight to the grass line. That's right where they should have been with the water rising over the past few days.
We finally moved further north and hit a few more islands without a single tap. However, on our fourth island stop, we nailed five more bass with a few misses thrown in. This was the perfect way to end our "therapeutic lotic water rehab" session. By now, we had a pretty steady, but light, rain falling that required us to wear our rain suits.
The water had a brownish tinge to it on the east shoreline. The middle and west shoreline had better color and you could actually see the dirt separating from the clearer water. We had green pockets starting to show in what was once solid dingy water.
I didn't get a water temp since we were on Dell's boat. The air temp only held in the 50's and when the rain moved in around 1:30 p.m., there was a stiff wind developing from the southwest.
All in all, it was a pretty successful trip. (1) Dell's boat and motor ran great, (2) We caught fish, (3) Our backs held up, and (4) the major rain stayed away until our time to return to the ramp.
We had a productive 3 hour trip and it felt good to feed my addiction once again.
Take care and stay safe,
Dad
Monday, May 17, 2010
Weekend off
C O D 34cm
Shutter speed set at 5sec- Oleg looks like a ghost
Sunday, May 16, 2010
HRBT, ES shoals, then HRBT again
HRBT Friday night, blues, croakers, dink flounder, stripers, storm with lightning, off the water at midnight.
Saturday, WRO demo day. It was cool to see all the big names. Kevin, Routh, Lozier, Hoover, TKAA, & POL came to represent.
Then went to the Eastern Shore shoals for 5 and a half hours to try for the Bulls. No love. Bite to eat, then HRBT again for the light line action.
Shad
Previously injured 22" striper
Strong, healthy, fat 28" striper
Had two other 22" stripers flop off while trying to take pictures.
Saturday, WRO demo day. It was cool to see all the big names. Kevin, Routh, Lozier, Hoover, TKAA, & POL came to represent.
Then went to the Eastern Shore shoals for 5 and a half hours to try for the Bulls. No love. Bite to eat, then HRBT again for the light line action.
ShadPreviously injured 22" striperStrong, healthy, fat 28" striperHad two other 22" stripers flop off while trying to take pictures.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Lure Flatties
P.S. Something more about it :)
Situation.
It is a summer evening. I fish one of my my mark at '' sunset boulevard'' in Arklow. Busy road is behind me. One of the passing cars stops. This is a very common situation in the ''urban fishing''. Typical question .
-Hi there! Any luck?
Being a polite person, I answer honestly.
-Howya? Not bad at all. I had a couple nice flatties.
-Flatties??? In the river??? But i see U do lure fishing.
-Correct. Imo this is the best method to fish flounder in this spot.
-Idiot. Those were the last words I heard before the car left :)
I think, my answers like that ''I hunted here for the swans'' would sounded more seriously for him ;)
Why? Coz peple still don't believe in regular fluke fishing.
Facts.
European flounder are very common fish in our waters. It is present within a casting distance of the shore, but the distribution, like the other species of fish, may be local. It resides mainly in low sanlinity waters like an estuaries. But is the only one, from the flatfish family, able to live in freshwater for some periods, and penetrate upstreams rivers. Because, it cannot spawn there as the eggs will not develop, must return to the sea. Spawning season in most cases, is starts in January and continues till February, sometimes longer.*
Flounder are the real predator. Big eyes and mouth, strong teeths. Perfect camouflage and flattened shape allows them to become nearly invisible on the bottom. They are hunting like a pike, wait for the prey to come within striking distance before attacking . But it happen very often, that they can chase lure for some distance.
*source-Wikipedia
Season.
My fluke season starts in May and continuos till September. This is interesting but flounder appear and dissapear in Avoca River at the same time as other common species- mullets.
Gear.
At the beginning I used to fish flounder on my light pike rod. It was old good ABU 9'er, cw up 25g, reel size 3000, with mono line 0.22mm. On this set I caught a lot of fish. After that I went into more light tackle. Perch rod 8'6''- c.w up to 10g matched with Shimano size 1000 reel, become a perfect combo for a river flatties. I also reduced line diameter to 0.18mm, but it strenght is refered still for about 10 lbs. Avoca River is full of hidden treasures alike: shopping troleys, old bicycles, traffic cones and similar stuff :) So 10lber mono line gives me a chance to straighten jig hook and save lures.
Lures.
Typical perch soft plastic lures and small spinners (mepps 0-2 size) and plugs (smallest version of Salmo Hornet's S). Plastics are mounted on jig heads range 1.3g up 5g, hook size up to 2/0. Lure size from 1'' to 2.5''. I prefer 2 brands, both american-Mann's and Relax. Colours-various .
How to fish?
It is very similar to perch fishing. After cast I let my lure fall to the bottom. In many cases flounder attacks during the first drop. If this didn't happen I start to retrieve, very slowly, with many breaks. All the time I observe rod tip. Sometimes bites can be very delicate, then the rod tip is bent only slightly. In such cases, I let the fish to swallow my lure deeper. Strike should be delayed.
Tides.
Avoca's tides belongs to one of the smallest in Ireland. Difference between min and max, while the largest amplitude, is less than 3ft. During high tide, flounder become more active. This is IMO the best time to fish. When the water begins to fall , flounder just disappear. I suspect that they are retreating to the riverbed. High tide is just as good if it occurs in day or night.
Night fishing.
 | |
| This is fruit of 30min nite fishing |
Distribution.
Estuarine section of Avoca River is only 1 mile long, from the Nineteen Arches Bridge to the sea. Flounder are present throughout all this mile, but there are places, where fish density is larger then in other. These places change over after each flood. Finding them is the key to success :)
My conclusions.
Lure flatties are not myth. Howewer, regular fish for flounder on artifical lures, can be possibile only when they are congregate in large numbers in one place. This is the case of Avoca River. My experiences are based on that. IMO catching flounder in such a way from the shore will be rather incident, but maybe I'm wrong. Howewer, it is a great fun if you use light tackle. I can recommend to anyone-if only you can find the right place:)
. |
| Pause of several seconds during the retrieve, allows the fish to better take the lure |
 |
| Sometimes bites are very delicate |
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| I see U |
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| Competition |
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