I fished with a lot of guides over the years during my 35-year career as a professional outdoors writer. And I will tell you a vast majority know their business.
I've had a lot of great outings.
However, there a few that didn't go so well.
In March of 1999, I got a notice from a Chamber of Commerce in West Central Florida inviting me to spend a day and participate in a number of opportunities they were offering. Of course, the objective was to get journalists to return home and publicize good things about that county.
I threw the letter in the waste basket and had forgotten the whole thing when I received a phone call a week letter.
"We'd really love for you to come up and see just what we have to offer."
I am a sucker. I'll admit it. So, I reluctantly relented and agree.
Choices included saltwater fishing, hiking, kayaking, canoeing and freshwater fishing.
I opted for freshwater fishing.
They told me who the guide would be and gave me his phone number. I called him the afternoon before I was to drive up and discussed logistics.
"Do I need to bring anything?" I asked.
"Nah, I got everything," he said.
He instructed me to meet him at a bait shop on the banks of the river at 7 a.m.
He was there when I arrived and we walked into the shop to get bait. He placed a 5-gallon bucket on the counter said, “Give us 10-dozen shiners.”
The fellow took the bucket and headed for the shiner tanks in the back of his shop. When he returned, he put the bucket on the counter and said, “That will be $150.”
The guide looked at me and said, “Pay the man.”
I was stunned and I paid. I didn’t mind paying for the bait, but I sure wish I had known it was expected.
But that was just the first of several surprises on the day. When he headed out to the dock, I discovered his “bass boat” actually was a 25-year-old pontoon. And his rods and reels were out of a 1955 Montgomery Ward catalog. They were glass rods, with ancient spinning reels filled halfway with 10-year-old monofilament.
It was plain to see that this guy wasn’t a bass guide. He really wasn’t a fisherman at all.
We didn’t catch a fish that day.
I later learned he ran river tours aboard that dilapidated old pontoon.
Another blacksheep was a fellow I named Capt. Catastrophe. Every trip I ever made with him was a calamity.
I won’t go into detail on most, but I will tell you that he lost sunglasses, bent the axle on the boat trailer and ran onto oyster bars.
A day or two before a scheduled outing, he called and asked, “What ya want to do?”
I told him that I’d do whatever he wanted. He was the guide.
“We could fish the bay for trout. I had a couple of folks out the other day who caught some nice trout on fly.
“Or we could head down south a fish for snook.”
I thought snook sounded good.
So, we met and headed south. I knew we were in trouble when it became obvious he had no idea where the boat ramp was. When we finally found it, it didn’t take but a minute before he ran the boat onto a mud flat. We were stuck. We got it off after about 15 minutes of pushing (we had to get out of the boat). But we were stuck on another in just a minute or two.
Half hour later, we ran into an oyster bar.
Don’t ask me why I fished with this fellow again, but I did. I figured out his problem was that he didn’t do what he was capable of doing. He was capable of hitting singles, but always wanted to slam a home run.
He asked me to meet him at ramp south of Venice at 1 p.m. Although I like to get on the water early, it was his trip. We head south down the Intracoastal and into a creek. There, he said, we’d fly fish for snook. I landed a 10-incher the first hour. Two hours later, I jumped a 5-pound tarpon.
That was it.
On our way out of the creek, two fellows in another boat passed by and asked how we did.
“Great!” said Capt. Catastrophe. “We got snook and we got about a 35-pound tarpon on fly.”
Hmmmmm.
Capt. Cat heads the list of catastrophe trips over the years. There haven’t been many, but there have been a few.
Showing posts with label fishing guide. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fishing guide. Show all posts
Friday, October 22, 2010
Hunker down, think positively and get ready for a battle
Sometimes life just isn’t fair.
But when something happens to you, just go out to a busy street and you’ll quickly realize that life goes on. Cars pass by and no one in them is aware of your problems.
That’s the way life is.
Yesterday, my family received some terrible health news. I don’t want to go into detail nor do I want to divulge who it is. The news was shocking. It was like a bolt of lightning going through your body. And the sudden thoughts were like darts piercing your brain.
I was at the bedside of my father when he passed on Dec. 22, 1996. It was a shock, but not unexpected. He was 75 years old and had been in the hospital for a week. I talked with him every day and was convinced he was feeling better. I didn’t think there was any urgency to fly north.
But on Saturday morning, I received a call from my youngest brother that Dad had suffered a massive heart attack during the night and wasn’t expected to make it. I arranged a flight and headed for Ohio. I left the warmth of sunny Florida for the cold and gray of southwestern Ohio.
I didn’t get into Dayton until about 5 p.m. Two of my brothers were waiting for me at the airport and we hurried to the hospital. When we got to Dad’s floor, two of my sisters in law and my other brother were with my Dad.
He looked peaceful in the bed. He didn’t appear to be in any pain. He was unconscious and sedated. He was hooked up to a myriad of machines.
I don’t know if he could hear me or not, but I said to him, “Dad, Marshall won the National Championship (Div. I-AA) today. The Herd clobbered Montana.”
That might be a strange thing to say in such a situation, but I knew my Dad would want to know. He attended Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va., prior to becoming a Navy pilot during World War II. He always had an interest in the Thundering Herd. In fact, he’d attended a Marshall game just a few weeks prior and had watched the Herd pummel Southern Conference foe The Citadel.
Marshall football, for those not familiar, wasn’t something that was impressive for many years. In fact, when I attended MU, I didn’t see the Herd win a game until November of my junior year. MU had the losingest program in the nation for years.
For the Herd to be competing for national championships in football at any level was amazing.
So, I knew Dad would want to know.
He passed a few minutes later.
It was almost as if he waited until I arrived.
My mother had passed 13 months earlier. I wasn’t with her at the time, but I had spent the previous two weeks with her. We had some great talks and shared a lot of memories.
“Steve, I dream that I’m OK, but I know that will never happen,” she said.
Mom died from complications of emphysema in November of 1995.
My wife’s father passed in July of 2009. Ironically, he was in Dayton at the time, living with his wife. She was with him the last few days.
It’s always tough when you lose your parents. But you’ll always have great memories. And it’s somewhat easier to take when they’ve already lived a majority of their live.
But when you get the news that someone very close to you has that nasty, insidious disease no one wants to talk about, well, it’s just not fair.
We cried yesterday. We laughed. We took a walk. We sat and hugged.
We decided we’d fight this thing and maintain positive attitudes.
Just a little while ago, I received a call that the survival rate of this particular disease is very high and extremely curable.
“Just the type I wanted,” I was told.
Who would have ever thunk that?
We did.
But when something happens to you, just go out to a busy street and you’ll quickly realize that life goes on. Cars pass by and no one in them is aware of your problems.
That’s the way life is.
Yesterday, my family received some terrible health news. I don’t want to go into detail nor do I want to divulge who it is. The news was shocking. It was like a bolt of lightning going through your body. And the sudden thoughts were like darts piercing your brain.
I was at the bedside of my father when he passed on Dec. 22, 1996. It was a shock, but not unexpected. He was 75 years old and had been in the hospital for a week. I talked with him every day and was convinced he was feeling better. I didn’t think there was any urgency to fly north.
But on Saturday morning, I received a call from my youngest brother that Dad had suffered a massive heart attack during the night and wasn’t expected to make it. I arranged a flight and headed for Ohio. I left the warmth of sunny Florida for the cold and gray of southwestern Ohio.
I didn’t get into Dayton until about 5 p.m. Two of my brothers were waiting for me at the airport and we hurried to the hospital. When we got to Dad’s floor, two of my sisters in law and my other brother were with my Dad.
He looked peaceful in the bed. He didn’t appear to be in any pain. He was unconscious and sedated. He was hooked up to a myriad of machines.
I don’t know if he could hear me or not, but I said to him, “Dad, Marshall won the National Championship (Div. I-AA) today. The Herd clobbered Montana.”
That might be a strange thing to say in such a situation, but I knew my Dad would want to know. He attended Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va., prior to becoming a Navy pilot during World War II. He always had an interest in the Thundering Herd. In fact, he’d attended a Marshall game just a few weeks prior and had watched the Herd pummel Southern Conference foe The Citadel.
Marshall football, for those not familiar, wasn’t something that was impressive for many years. In fact, when I attended MU, I didn’t see the Herd win a game until November of my junior year. MU had the losingest program in the nation for years.
For the Herd to be competing for national championships in football at any level was amazing.
So, I knew Dad would want to know.
He passed a few minutes later.
It was almost as if he waited until I arrived.
My mother had passed 13 months earlier. I wasn’t with her at the time, but I had spent the previous two weeks with her. We had some great talks and shared a lot of memories.
“Steve, I dream that I’m OK, but I know that will never happen,” she said.
Mom died from complications of emphysema in November of 1995.
My wife’s father passed in July of 2009. Ironically, he was in Dayton at the time, living with his wife. She was with him the last few days.
It’s always tough when you lose your parents. But you’ll always have great memories. And it’s somewhat easier to take when they’ve already lived a majority of their live.
But when you get the news that someone very close to you has that nasty, insidious disease no one wants to talk about, well, it’s just not fair.
We cried yesterday. We laughed. We took a walk. We sat and hugged.
We decided we’d fight this thing and maintain positive attitudes.
Just a little while ago, I received a call that the survival rate of this particular disease is very high and extremely curable.
“Just the type I wanted,” I was told.
Who would have ever thunk that?
We did.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
BIG Blue in Sea of Cortez Almost Wins Bisbee Tournament
From the watery desk of Mark Daugherty
800lb. blue marlin landed in the Sea of Cortez almost wins the Bisbee Black and Blue Tournament.
Read more...
I tell all my clients, "YOU HAVE TO BE READY FOR THE BIG FISH YOU HOOK, NOT THE FISH YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO HOOK."
Check out Bisbee.com for the full story...
Buena pesca,
Mark
EastCapeGuides.com
Read more...
I tell all my clients, "YOU HAVE TO BE READY FOR THE BIG FISH YOU HOOK, NOT THE FISH YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO HOOK."
Check out Bisbee.com for the full story...
Buena pesca,
Mark
EastCapeGuides.com
Fishing Above The Fuel Spill, Susquehanna River 10.21.10
Hello Folks,
I used the above title to make all my blog visitors aware that on the night of October 20, 2010, there was a fuel spill just above Harrisburg, Pa. that left a nasty odor in the surrounding area. A Hazmat Team responded and placed two water surface boons out to prevent any further damage. One boon was placed at the Market Street Bridge and the second boon one was placed at the Turnpike Bridge. The Steelton, Pa. Water Treatment Plant was closed until DEP could identify the cause... They never did! To trace such a problem in the dead of night would be next to impossible.
Josh Kreider and I were talking on Tuesday and decided to either give today or Friday a shot on the river. We chose today and met at 7:00 a.m. Josh had been working all evening hauling milk and was quite hungry. So, we stopped at Gus's Family Restaurant in Mt. Joy, Pa. for a "Special Quickie" and some good hot coffee.
It was already breezy outside when I left my home at 6:15 a.m. It got progressively windier as the day wore on. In fact, the winds rose to 25 mph by noon with even greater gusts.
Another cold front was moving through as we launched. It was cloudy, but the sun was trying to come out. As the front moved past us, the skies became mostly sunny with the addition of this tremendous wind. The air temp rose to 62 degrees, but this wind chill made it feel like 55 degrees on the skin.
We saw Dave Shindler's (Jst Fishin' Guide Service) van at the access parking lot. I gave him a quick call on my cell phone to see how his morning was going. He and his client had some decent size fish in the morning, but not many.
Our day wasn't quite as good. The fish were very uncooperative. Possibly, the front had a negative effect(?). We only boated three bass in our four hours of fishing... Very poor showing in a usually productive area.
We were able to nail this beautiful 19 1/8th inch smallie on a deep diving crankbait in about 9.5' of choppy water.
She weighed in at 3.5 lbs on the Boga Grip scale.
We called it quits around noon so that Josh could get home and catch up on some sleep before heading back into work tonight.
A big thanks to Jst Fishin' Guide Service, Dave Shindler, for heading us in the right direction on lure selection. In fact, in my picture above, that is Dave and his client n the boat just over my right shoulder. :)
Dad
I used the above title to make all my blog visitors aware that on the night of October 20, 2010, there was a fuel spill just above Harrisburg, Pa. that left a nasty odor in the surrounding area. A Hazmat Team responded and placed two water surface boons out to prevent any further damage. One boon was placed at the Market Street Bridge and the second boon one was placed at the Turnpike Bridge. The Steelton, Pa. Water Treatment Plant was closed until DEP could identify the cause... They never did! To trace such a problem in the dead of night would be next to impossible.
Josh Kreider and I were talking on Tuesday and decided to either give today or Friday a shot on the river. We chose today and met at 7:00 a.m. Josh had been working all evening hauling milk and was quite hungry. So, we stopped at Gus's Family Restaurant in Mt. Joy, Pa. for a "Special Quickie" and some good hot coffee.
It was already breezy outside when I left my home at 6:15 a.m. It got progressively windier as the day wore on. In fact, the winds rose to 25 mph by noon with even greater gusts.
Another cold front was moving through as we launched. It was cloudy, but the sun was trying to come out. As the front moved past us, the skies became mostly sunny with the addition of this tremendous wind. The air temp rose to 62 degrees, but this wind chill made it feel like 55 degrees on the skin.
We saw Dave Shindler's (Jst Fishin' Guide Service) van at the access parking lot. I gave him a quick call on my cell phone to see how his morning was going. He and his client had some decent size fish in the morning, but not many.
Our day wasn't quite as good. The fish were very uncooperative. Possibly, the front had a negative effect(?). We only boated three bass in our four hours of fishing... Very poor showing in a usually productive area.
We were able to nail this beautiful 19 1/8th inch smallie on a deep diving crankbait in about 9.5' of choppy water.
She weighed in at 3.5 lbs on the Boga Grip scale.
We called it quits around noon so that Josh could get home and catch up on some sleep before heading back into work tonight.
A big thanks to Jst Fishin' Guide Service, Dave Shindler, for heading us in the right direction on lure selection. In fact, in my picture above, that is Dave and his client n the boat just over my right shoulder. :)
Dad
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
East Cape Guides Report
From the watery desk of Mark Daugherty
Here's a recap from the last few weeks on the East Cape. Weather on the East Cape has been consistent in the low 90s, and perfect nights with a light breeze. We had some wind a few weeks back but everything has settled down and the tuna bite took off. Although we had to make an hour to run down to the Iman Bank, we were rewarded with wide open bites when we arrived. Tuna were biting none stop on sardinas and bait was plentiful. Remember to bring that 20 and 30 flourocarbon, and plenty of size 1 and 1/0 bait hooks.
We also had a steady bite on the blue marlin with two clients taking blues on trolling lures. The magic color has been purple/black for lures for both billfish and dorado. A large school of striped marlin and sailfish have been actively taking lures about 10 miles off of Rancho Leonero.
Buena pesca,
Mark
EastCapeGuides.com
 |
| Aftermath of a wide open tuna bite |
We also had a steady bite on the blue marlin with two clients taking blues on trolling lures. The magic color has been purple/black for lures for both billfish and dorado. A large school of striped marlin and sailfish have been actively taking lures about 10 miles off of Rancho Leonero.
 | |||
| Blue marlin on the move after being hooked |
 |
| Healthy blue marlin ready to be released |
 |
| Brutus from Makaira Pulling Lures = the hot blue marlin lure |
 |
| Suzie with a very nice sailfish |
Buena pesca,
Mark
EastCapeGuides.com
Get Pumped!
Sean Stephenson is simply an incredible human being. Take a moment, sit back, and just enjoy the enthusiasm that Sean brings to us...
How can you not smile and enjoy this fantastic example of human spirit.
Dad
How can you not smile and enjoy this fantastic example of human spirit.
Dad
Monday, October 18, 2010
Van Wormer Resorts Fishing Report 10/15/10
by Eddie Dalmau, Van Wormer Resorts
Let’s Talk Hookup’s annual tournament came to town this week and they couldn’t have picked a better week. The weather has been a comfortable 90 degrees and fishing has been even hotter. Early in the week the hot spot continued to be south of Los Frailes where anglers were hooking up to tuna up to 50lbs., dorado up to 35lbs, stripe marlin and lots of sailfish. Later in the week the action switched to the north and those who made the 45 mile trip were rewarded with big tuna, blue marlin, stripe marlin, sailfish, dog tooth snapper, dorado, roosterfish and white bonita. Today was the last day of the Let’s Talk Hookup tournament and it was quite a day for most anglers. I can’t remember a day like today when it came to wahoo. I think there were 15 wahoo brought to the Palmas De Cortez dock today alone. The wahoo ranged from 10 to 38 pounds and were landed just off of Los Frailes. I also couldn’t believe the amount of sailfish that were landed and released this week. I believe there were something like 80 sailfish landed this week. We also saw some nice amberjacks this week, the biggest weighing in at 70lbs. caught on the Fresh Catch. Average day time high = 92degrees, Average night time low = 73degrees, average water temperature = 82degrees. I know I’ve said this before, but it truly has been a great fishing season and there is still time to get in on the action. Hope to see you all real soon.
Until Next week…
Eddie Dalmau
Baja’s Van Wormer Resorts
Let’s Talk Hookup’s annual tournament came to town this week and they couldn’t have picked a better week. The weather has been a comfortable 90 degrees and fishing has been even hotter. Early in the week the hot spot continued to be south of Los Frailes where anglers were hooking up to tuna up to 50lbs., dorado up to 35lbs, stripe marlin and lots of sailfish. Later in the week the action switched to the north and those who made the 45 mile trip were rewarded with big tuna, blue marlin, stripe marlin, sailfish, dog tooth snapper, dorado, roosterfish and white bonita. Today was the last day of the Let’s Talk Hookup tournament and it was quite a day for most anglers. I can’t remember a day like today when it came to wahoo. I think there were 15 wahoo brought to the Palmas De Cortez dock today alone. The wahoo ranged from 10 to 38 pounds and were landed just off of Los Frailes. I also couldn’t believe the amount of sailfish that were landed and released this week. I believe there were something like 80 sailfish landed this week. We also saw some nice amberjacks this week, the biggest weighing in at 70lbs. caught on the Fresh Catch. Average day time high = 92degrees, Average night time low = 73degrees, average water temperature = 82degrees. I know I’ve said this before, but it truly has been a great fishing season and there is still time to get in on the action. Hope to see you all real soon.
 |
| Marc Pilkvist of Southern California and the boys landed 4 nice wahoo. |
 |
| Pete Gray radio host of Lets talk hookup and the boys with their 38.6lb. wahoo |
Until Next week…
Eddie Dalmau
Baja’s Van Wormer Resorts
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Fishing With Petey North of Harrisburg 10.17.10
Hello Folks,
I had the pleasure of fishing with my good friend, Petey Hanford, on Sunday. He texted me this past week and said he had an empty seat on his boat for Sunday. I jumped at the opportunity since it's been almost a year since we were last fishing together.
He had picked out an access just north of Harrisburg, Pa. which took me approximately 1hr. and 50min. to get to from Southern Lancaster County. I arrived around 7:15 a.m. and shortly after, Petey pulled in with his Tracker and 40 hp jet.
He had disconnected the VRO (oil) pump on Saturday and it took us a few minutes to get the motor up and running properly before we launched. Now Pete hand mixes the gas and oil... 50:1
We arrived at our first hole around 8:00 a.m. and immediately began putting fish in the boat. It was simply incredible!
All of our fish came on tubes. In fact, Petey had four fish in the boat before I nailed a nice 17" on a Winco Tastee Tube. By the end of the day, we had boated 67 bass with countless pick ups and drops!!
It was the best day I've had on the water during 2010!
The water temp reading on Petey's depth finder read 50 degrees in the early morning and rose several degrees as the sun warmed us. The water was gin clear. The water I've been fishing at Lake Aldred is never this clear due to the water rushing through the turbines and stirring the water and sediment.
The air temp was in the upper 30's when I left Willow Street at 5:35 a.m. and it rose to 68 degrees by the time we left the water at 2:45 p.m. There was a brisk southerly wind blowing early and it shifted to WNW in the afternoon as the front moved on by and the high pressure settled in.
High blue bird skies greeted us as the sun rose over eastern hillside. Even with the high sky, we still had a tremendous day... Go figure!
I will definitely remember this day for quite some time.
A big thanks goes out to Petey for inviting me along and putting me on some of the feistiest bass I've caught this year.
Check out the pics:
The first bass that came to the boat...
Pete's first Fish Of The Morning - 17"
Another 17" Came To Hand
The First 18.5" Of The Day
Finally... A 17" Hook Up
Dad Puts an 18" In The Boat
Another 18" for Petey
Another 18.5" Smallie For Pete
18"
Check Out This 15.5", 3 lber - What a chunk!
Dad
I had the pleasure of fishing with my good friend, Petey Hanford, on Sunday. He texted me this past week and said he had an empty seat on his boat for Sunday. I jumped at the opportunity since it's been almost a year since we were last fishing together.
He had picked out an access just north of Harrisburg, Pa. which took me approximately 1hr. and 50min. to get to from Southern Lancaster County. I arrived around 7:15 a.m. and shortly after, Petey pulled in with his Tracker and 40 hp jet.
He had disconnected the VRO (oil) pump on Saturday and it took us a few minutes to get the motor up and running properly before we launched. Now Pete hand mixes the gas and oil... 50:1
We arrived at our first hole around 8:00 a.m. and immediately began putting fish in the boat. It was simply incredible!
All of our fish came on tubes. In fact, Petey had four fish in the boat before I nailed a nice 17" on a Winco Tastee Tube. By the end of the day, we had boated 67 bass with countless pick ups and drops!!
It was the best day I've had on the water during 2010!
The water temp reading on Petey's depth finder read 50 degrees in the early morning and rose several degrees as the sun warmed us. The water was gin clear. The water I've been fishing at Lake Aldred is never this clear due to the water rushing through the turbines and stirring the water and sediment.
The air temp was in the upper 30's when I left Willow Street at 5:35 a.m. and it rose to 68 degrees by the time we left the water at 2:45 p.m. There was a brisk southerly wind blowing early and it shifted to WNW in the afternoon as the front moved on by and the high pressure settled in.
High blue bird skies greeted us as the sun rose over eastern hillside. Even with the high sky, we still had a tremendous day... Go figure!
I will definitely remember this day for quite some time.
A big thanks goes out to Petey for inviting me along and putting me on some of the feistiest bass I've caught this year.
Check out the pics:
The first bass that came to the boat...
Pete's first Fish Of The Morning - 17"
Another 17" Came To Hand
The First 18.5" Of The Day
Finally... A 17" Hook Up
Dad Puts an 18" In The Boat
Another 18" for Petey
Another 18.5" Smallie For Pete
18"
Check Out This 15.5", 3 lber - What a chunk!
Dad
PennLive Articel on Susquehanna Restrictions...
http://blog.pennlive.com/pa-sportsman/2010/10/emergency_smallmouth_bass_fishing_regulations_on_susquehanna_river_in_pennsylvania_draw_debate_from.html
Please take a moment and read two sides to this issue.
The ramp you see in the picture is the Upper Ramp at Goldsboro.
Dad
Please take a moment and read two sides to this issue.
The ramp you see in the picture is the Upper Ramp at Goldsboro.
Dad
Manatee River cats dig the Myakka Minnow and other flies
But I get taken into the backing quite often in fresh water.
I’ve discovered channel catfish are suckers for my Myakka Minnow. I’ve hooked about 15 big cats over the past two weeks and I’ve been into the backing four times.
When a channel cat inhales the fly, the battle is on. They jump and make lengthy runs. When they decided to head into the vegetation, I’m usually helpless. Most of the time I’m using a 1- or 2-weight rod and fishing for bluegill and other small panfish. Light rods aren’t meant to tame a cat.
I was fishing the Manatee River out of Ray’s Canoe Hideaway (http://www.rayscanoehideaway.com/) last week and hooked five big cats on successive casts. Why they suddenly turned on, I don’t know. Anyway, I lost four of them pretty quickly. Light rods and 8X tippet are great cat gear.
But I did land one. It was a 6-pounder that decided to head for open water. I was able to back my kayak away from the fallen tree and out in the open. A few minutes later, I was able to beach the boat on a sand bar and fight the fish standing up. It took more than five minutes to subdue that stubborn fish.
Channel catfish can grow to be up to four feet in length and weigh more than 50 pounds. They can live to be at least 40 years old.
Channel catfish can be found in both lakes and reservoirs and in more fast-moving waters such as rivers and streams. They are more numerous in lakes and streams. They prefer clear water with sandy to rocky bottom. Channel catfish are seldom found in areas with dense vegetation. They are normally found in freshwater, but do very well in brackish water.
Saltwater catfish are not prized. Even though a gafftopsail catfish are among saltwater’s best fighting fish, they are rarely targeted.
It’s just the opposite in fresh water where catfish are prized catches. In fact, there are guides throughout the country who make a pretty good living taking anglers out for monster catfish.
Channel catfish are extremely good to eat. Their meat is very tender and mild.
I don’t specifically target them, but I do enjoy it when I hook one. If I was to target them, I’d beef up to at least a 6-weight rod and 2X or 3X tippet. They seem to be structure oriented and I often encounter them around fallen trees.
In the Manatee River, you’ll find them in the deep river bends. And you’ll know it’s a really good spot if there are fallen trees in the bend. Most of the time, the catfish will try to get into the tree branches or whatever structure they’re around. So, you’re first take if you’re going to have any chance of landing them is to get them away from the structure.
I’ve hooked just about all of my channel cats on the Myakka Minnow. However, I think they’ll hit Wooly Buggers, Clousers and other subsurface fly. I’ve not had one rise up to take a popper, though.
Often, I’m lulled into a false sense of calmness when fishing for bluegill. You’ll catch 20 or so and then have all hell break loose when a channel cat interrupts the serenity of your outing.
 |
| This a perfect place to find catfish along the Manatee River |
I don’t get taken into the backing of my fly line very often. It’s pretty rare for a redfish or snook to do it.
 |
| This 6-pound channel catfish put up quite a battle |
I’ve discovered channel catfish are suckers for my Myakka Minnow. I’ve hooked about 15 big cats over the past two weeks and I’ve been into the backing four times.
When a channel cat inhales the fly, the battle is on. They jump and make lengthy runs. When they decided to head into the vegetation, I’m usually helpless. Most of the time I’m using a 1- or 2-weight rod and fishing for bluegill and other small panfish. Light rods aren’t meant to tame a cat.
I was fishing the Manatee River out of Ray’s Canoe Hideaway (http://www.rayscanoehideaway.com/) last week and hooked five big cats on successive casts. Why they suddenly turned on, I don’t know. Anyway, I lost four of them pretty quickly. Light rods and 8X tippet are great cat gear.
But I did land one. It was a 6-pounder that decided to head for open water. I was able to back my kayak away from the fallen tree and out in the open. A few minutes later, I was able to beach the boat on a sand bar and fight the fish standing up. It took more than five minutes to subdue that stubborn fish.
Channel catfish can grow to be up to four feet in length and weigh more than 50 pounds. They can live to be at least 40 years old.
Channel catfish can be found in both lakes and reservoirs and in more fast-moving waters such as rivers and streams. They are more numerous in lakes and streams. They prefer clear water with sandy to rocky bottom. Channel catfish are seldom found in areas with dense vegetation. They are normally found in freshwater, but do very well in brackish water.
Saltwater catfish are not prized. Even though a gafftopsail catfish are among saltwater’s best fighting fish, they are rarely targeted.
It’s just the opposite in fresh water where catfish are prized catches. In fact, there are guides throughout the country who make a pretty good living taking anglers out for monster catfish.
Channel catfish are extremely good to eat. Their meat is very tender and mild.
I don’t specifically target them, but I do enjoy it when I hook one. If I was to target them, I’d beef up to at least a 6-weight rod and 2X or 3X tippet. They seem to be structure oriented and I often encounter them around fallen trees.
In the Manatee River, you’ll find them in the deep river bends. And you’ll know it’s a really good spot if there are fallen trees in the bend. Most of the time, the catfish will try to get into the tree branches or whatever structure they’re around. So, you’re first take if you’re going to have any chance of landing them is to get them away from the structure.
I’ve hooked just about all of my channel cats on the Myakka Minnow. However, I think they’ll hit Wooly Buggers, Clousers and other subsurface fly. I’ve not had one rise up to take a popper, though.
Often, I’m lulled into a false sense of calmness when fishing for bluegill. You’ll catch 20 or so and then have all hell break loose when a channel cat interrupts the serenity of your outing.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
2010 Maine Saltwater Fishing Reports With Capt. George Harris & Super Fly Charters
Our saltwater fishing season is just about over...sure...we've still got a handful Striper trips to do...and weather permitting, some groundfish trips for Cod. A couple of more weeks and the boat will be under cover and most of the tackle put away...I still plan to offer some fly & light tackle "sea run" Brown Trout trips on some of midcoast Maine's tidal estuaries...also we'll be targeting the fall open water smelt runs that occur in many of the tidal creeks and estuaries...this is a fun fishery that not many anglers participate in...Smelt are not considered to be a great sportfish however they are great eats on the table and taking part in this non-traditional activity is a great way to spend time in the outdoors
(Check out some of our 2010 season highlights)
If you're looking to get in on the late season action with Super Fly Charters We're dialed in on the fish...give us a call before it's too late. We still have lots of great fishing left between now and the end of October so please contact us to reserve a tide or two..
Maine Striper Fishing Guide
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com
(Check out some of our 2010 season highlights)
If you're looking to get in on the late season action with Super Fly Charters We're dialed in on the fish...give us a call before it's too late. We still have lots of great fishing left between now and the end of October so please contact us to reserve a tide or two..
Maine Striper Fishing Guide
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Fishing Lake Aldred with Jeff 10_13_10
Hello Folks,
Yesterday started out just about like most days, My wife awoke at 5:00 a.m. and we got up to start our day. I had Occupational Therapy (OT) at 8:00 a.m. for my elbow and it went rather well.
When I arrived home, I jumped on the computer to check my emails and to surf the net. Around 9:45 a.m., I got a text from Jeff (a.k.a. Tracker_Jet_120 and Chargd). He wanted to know if I was out fishing on such a gorgeous fall morning.
"Nope. Had OT and came home to take care of the dogs."
I asked him if he was fishing and he said he was. In fact, he had an empty seat, too.
We planned to meet at the Pequea Boat Access around 10:30 a.m. He already had one fish in the boat and was hoping for more. When I boarded the boat, Jeff turned to me and asked if I wanted to run his inboard Tracker with a 175 hp..."Ah, damn right I want to run this baby!"
I had never driven in an inboard Tracker. I do have several friends who own them, but I have never fished out of one. That 175 hp sure has some kick to it, folks. I used to own a Skeeter with a 150 Johnson GT. So that initial punch didn't scare me one bit. I had her up on plane and flying up river in a heart beat. It had been, however, quite some time since I felt that power in my hands. Nice!
It wasn't the greatest few hours of fishing, but we were enjoying the conversation. We tossed a lot of lures and made tons of casts with only a few swipes and misses.
Jeff had a spot that had been successful last week for he and his wife. So we headed there in the mid-afternoon and that spot did not let us down! As we approached the "hot spot", Jeff set the boat at the right angle and gave me a shot at catching the bass... The bass didn't fail us!
Our First Bass was a 16"
This second bass came in at 16.75" and broke my GLoomis rod. DANG!
Jeff also nailed one around 14" in a hole nearby. That, folks, was three bass in just under ten minutes, plus one broken GLoomis rod. :(
My GLoomis has two types of "Lifetime Warranties." The first covers material and workmanship and the second covers accidental damage (not the rod's fault). I spoke to George Acord at SFT and he explained that they would ship the rod back to GLoomis for an evaluation. If GLoomis decides that it was an accidental break, then they would want me to pay $100 for a new replacement rod.
Personally, I have a hard time trusting. I cannot see how catching a fish, with a witness on board, would be deemed an accidental break. Oh well, I'll do what I can and send it back in to them to see what they determine. I'll keep you all updated.
As the evening approached, the sun dropped behind the western hillside and it started to chill up a bit. I reached for my fleece to keep warm. I caught my final fish along some rip rap in about 3' of water. It was our longest fish of the day measuring in at 17".
This was the first time Jeff and I were able to fish together. It was nice of him to put up with my rambling and old timer stories... LOL.
The water temperature was 64 degrees on a blue bird sky day. The water clarity was murky which moved me to toss a chartreuse bladed spinnerbait. Jeff was throwing a chartreuse skirted blade with hammered gold blades.
We had numerous sitings and even had the pleasure of seeing two mature bald eagles playing in the skies above the Lancaster County hillside (east shoreline). They would fly at one another, turn upside down with their talons exposed, hit, and fly away. They did this several times before taking to the thermals to soar above us.
We also sighted several immatures. We chased one from his perch as we ran close to the eastern shoreline in the morning.
The air temp was only in the upper 40's at 10:30 a.m. and rose to 64 degrees as the sun warmed the clear skies. As evening approached, Jeff landed our last fish and mentioned that the fish felt warm. It was most likely warmer than the air temperature at that point.
Take care and stay safe!
Dad
Yesterday started out just about like most days, My wife awoke at 5:00 a.m. and we got up to start our day. I had Occupational Therapy (OT) at 8:00 a.m. for my elbow and it went rather well.
When I arrived home, I jumped on the computer to check my emails and to surf the net. Around 9:45 a.m., I got a text from Jeff (a.k.a. Tracker_Jet_120 and Chargd). He wanted to know if I was out fishing on such a gorgeous fall morning.
"Nope. Had OT and came home to take care of the dogs."
I asked him if he was fishing and he said he was. In fact, he had an empty seat, too.
We planned to meet at the Pequea Boat Access around 10:30 a.m. He already had one fish in the boat and was hoping for more. When I boarded the boat, Jeff turned to me and asked if I wanted to run his inboard Tracker with a 175 hp..."Ah, damn right I want to run this baby!"
I had never driven in an inboard Tracker. I do have several friends who own them, but I have never fished out of one. That 175 hp sure has some kick to it, folks. I used to own a Skeeter with a 150 Johnson GT. So that initial punch didn't scare me one bit. I had her up on plane and flying up river in a heart beat. It had been, however, quite some time since I felt that power in my hands. Nice!
It wasn't the greatest few hours of fishing, but we were enjoying the conversation. We tossed a lot of lures and made tons of casts with only a few swipes and misses.
Jeff had a spot that had been successful last week for he and his wife. So we headed there in the mid-afternoon and that spot did not let us down! As we approached the "hot spot", Jeff set the boat at the right angle and gave me a shot at catching the bass... The bass didn't fail us!
Our First Bass was a 16"
This second bass came in at 16.75" and broke my GLoomis rod. DANG!
Jeff also nailed one around 14" in a hole nearby. That, folks, was three bass in just under ten minutes, plus one broken GLoomis rod. :(
My GLoomis has two types of "Lifetime Warranties." The first covers material and workmanship and the second covers accidental damage (not the rod's fault). I spoke to George Acord at SFT and he explained that they would ship the rod back to GLoomis for an evaluation. If GLoomis decides that it was an accidental break, then they would want me to pay $100 for a new replacement rod.
Personally, I have a hard time trusting. I cannot see how catching a fish, with a witness on board, would be deemed an accidental break. Oh well, I'll do what I can and send it back in to them to see what they determine. I'll keep you all updated.
As the evening approached, the sun dropped behind the western hillside and it started to chill up a bit. I reached for my fleece to keep warm. I caught my final fish along some rip rap in about 3' of water. It was our longest fish of the day measuring in at 17".
This was the first time Jeff and I were able to fish together. It was nice of him to put up with my rambling and old timer stories... LOL.
The water temperature was 64 degrees on a blue bird sky day. The water clarity was murky which moved me to toss a chartreuse bladed spinnerbait. Jeff was throwing a chartreuse skirted blade with hammered gold blades.
We had numerous sitings and even had the pleasure of seeing two mature bald eagles playing in the skies above the Lancaster County hillside (east shoreline). They would fly at one another, turn upside down with their talons exposed, hit, and fly away. They did this several times before taking to the thermals to soar above us.
We also sighted several immatures. We chased one from his perch as we ran close to the eastern shoreline in the morning.
The air temp was only in the upper 40's at 10:30 a.m. and rose to 64 degrees as the sun warmed the clear skies. As evening approached, Jeff landed our last fish and mentioned that the fish felt warm. It was most likely warmer than the air temperature at that point.
Take care and stay safe!
Dad
"Fun With Dick and Jeff" (a.k.a. "Damn Good Fun")
Hello Folks,
This past Monday, Jeff (Tracker_Jet_120/Chargd) and I toured the Safe Harbor Power Plant. Our tour guide was a retired employee, Dick. Sorry I have no pics because we weren't allowed cell phones and cameras in the plant... Security reasons.
When we arrived at the guard shack, we told the two female guards that we often fished that section of the river. The one guard asked me if I run hard up to the buoys and the shut down. I told her that I will run to the buoys and across the front of them to the fish ladder... the she knew who I was! LOL
We met Dick around 10:00 a.m. and headed into the plant. Our first stop was in a room filled with a pictorial history of the power plant and the surrounding location. What a great selection of photos, including some from the early 1900's. I especially enjoyed this stop because of the history involved.
The power plant has been installing new generators built by a Canadian firm. They were still working on the one unit. It was really educational seeing the inside of one of these big electricity producing units.
The new units utilize a fixed style blade that has a different pitch. The older blades were actually capable of being adjusted through a hydraulic system... Cool.
The 1938 equipment was built solid and incorporated steel into the metal works. The new blades, for example, are brass.
While fishing just below the plant, we often hear noises and bells ringing. We were taught that when the large cranes move inside, the one series of bells ring. The rumbling is the sound produced by the huge cranes.
I often hear the name "Mike Brenner" being paged over their intercom. Well, I actually met Mike on the tour. He is in charge of the mechanical maintenance of the plant... "Mike Brenner, Mike Brenner, please call ______." :)
Dick took us on a walk to view the large flood gates and explained how they operate. There was a a lot of outside contractor work going on in and around the plant.
I asked Dick just how many full-time employees work in the plant. He explained to us that there were approximately 75 employees around the clock and that also included the custodial staff. With a plant so large, I expected a few more employees.
We didn't actually get to see the control room, but we saw updated pictures. Dick told us that the last picture taken was actually outdated since they have improved the room once more.
The power plant has been going through buy outs. PPL has just sold out and the only plant that they own outright on the river is the Holtwood Power Plant... interesting!
At the end of the guided tour, we said our goodbyes and thank yous to Dick. We then waited to meet a friend of mind, Dave Shreck (Skunkmaster. Dave has been working at the plant as an engineer for several years. He stopped by the guard shack and we caught up on fishing and stuff. He has offered to take us next year to see the fish ladder in action... Cool Beans! I can't wait to see that.
Take care and stay safe!
Dad
This past Monday, Jeff (Tracker_Jet_120/Chargd) and I toured the Safe Harbor Power Plant. Our tour guide was a retired employee, Dick. Sorry I have no pics because we weren't allowed cell phones and cameras in the plant... Security reasons.
When we arrived at the guard shack, we told the two female guards that we often fished that section of the river. The one guard asked me if I run hard up to the buoys and the shut down. I told her that I will run to the buoys and across the front of them to the fish ladder... the she knew who I was! LOL
We met Dick around 10:00 a.m. and headed into the plant. Our first stop was in a room filled with a pictorial history of the power plant and the surrounding location. What a great selection of photos, including some from the early 1900's. I especially enjoyed this stop because of the history involved.
The power plant has been installing new generators built by a Canadian firm. They were still working on the one unit. It was really educational seeing the inside of one of these big electricity producing units.
The new units utilize a fixed style blade that has a different pitch. The older blades were actually capable of being adjusted through a hydraulic system... Cool.
The 1938 equipment was built solid and incorporated steel into the metal works. The new blades, for example, are brass.
While fishing just below the plant, we often hear noises and bells ringing. We were taught that when the large cranes move inside, the one series of bells ring. The rumbling is the sound produced by the huge cranes.
I often hear the name "Mike Brenner" being paged over their intercom. Well, I actually met Mike on the tour. He is in charge of the mechanical maintenance of the plant... "Mike Brenner, Mike Brenner, please call ______." :)
Dick took us on a walk to view the large flood gates and explained how they operate. There was a a lot of outside contractor work going on in and around the plant.
I asked Dick just how many full-time employees work in the plant. He explained to us that there were approximately 75 employees around the clock and that also included the custodial staff. With a plant so large, I expected a few more employees.
We didn't actually get to see the control room, but we saw updated pictures. Dick told us that the last picture taken was actually outdated since they have improved the room once more.
The power plant has been going through buy outs. PPL has just sold out and the only plant that they own outright on the river is the Holtwood Power Plant... interesting!
At the end of the guided tour, we said our goodbyes and thank yous to Dick. We then waited to meet a friend of mind, Dave Shreck (Skunkmaster. Dave has been working at the plant as an engineer for several years. He stopped by the guard shack and we caught up on fishing and stuff. He has offered to take us next year to see the fish ladder in action... Cool Beans! I can't wait to see that.
Take care and stay safe!
Dad
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Be Respectful To Waterfowl Hunters
Hello Folks,
I have been a duck hunter in past years and I know that Pennsylvania is now into the first week of the 2010-2011 Duck Season. These hunters have from October 9 - October 16, 2010 to do their best at taking 6 ducks/day in the South Zone and from October 9 - October 23, 2010 in the North Zone of Pennsylvania.
The North Zone resumes duck season on November 11, 2010 through January 5, 2011. The South Zone comes back in from November 17, 2010 through January 17, 2011.
We must be aware that we are now "sharing" the waters with not only fellow anglers, but also duck hunters. Keep a sharp eye out for duck decoys situated in and around grassy islands and larger islands. Some duck hunters will even build blinds out in the rivers and lakes isolated from any land mass.
I try not to do much fishing during this shorter first week.
A note to all duck hunters... Please dress warm and remember that 57 degree water can and will cause hypothermia rather quickly.
If you see a boat approaching and seemingly unaware of your position, try a short blast or two on your duck call. This may grab the angler's attention and hopefully he will heed the warning and move off, away, and past your blind without effecting your hunt.
Good luck to all fellow waterfowl hunters and have a successful and safe duck season!
Dad
I have been a duck hunter in past years and I know that Pennsylvania is now into the first week of the 2010-2011 Duck Season. These hunters have from October 9 - October 16, 2010 to do their best at taking 6 ducks/day in the South Zone and from October 9 - October 23, 2010 in the North Zone of Pennsylvania.
The North Zone resumes duck season on November 11, 2010 through January 5, 2011. The South Zone comes back in from November 17, 2010 through January 17, 2011.
We must be aware that we are now "sharing" the waters with not only fellow anglers, but also duck hunters. Keep a sharp eye out for duck decoys situated in and around grassy islands and larger islands. Some duck hunters will even build blinds out in the rivers and lakes isolated from any land mass.
I try not to do much fishing during this shorter first week.
A note to all duck hunters... Please dress warm and remember that 57 degree water can and will cause hypothermia rather quickly.
If you see a boat approaching and seemingly unaware of your position, try a short blast or two on your duck call. This may grab the angler's attention and hopefully he will heed the warning and move off, away, and past your blind without effecting your hunt.
Good luck to all fellow waterfowl hunters and have a successful and safe duck season!
Dad
Maine Saltwater Fishing Charters: October fishing Report, 2010
The hits just keep on coming...whether it's Kennebec stripers or offshore groundfish...Super Fly has 'em dialed in!!
10/12/10- Another great day of Striper fishing on the Kennebec...Tom & Renee from Arizona joined me for the day as they made a pitstop in Bath during their tour up the Maine coast....for Renee it was all about the foliage, the lobsterboats, the lighthouses and the wildlife....for Tom it was simply all about the Striped Bass....and we found plenty of everything for both of them to enjoy!!!
10/11/10- Spent another morning with the Baur brothers from Kansas City, Missouri...A few days ago Bruce & Kyle spent the day bashing Striped Bass on the Kennebec river...today we headed ESE of Monhegan in pursuit of groundfish...as soon as our butterfly jigs hit bottom we were instantly hooked up with a pair of keeper cod...this continued for a few hours as cod after cod slammed our jigs!!!
if you're looking to get in on the action with Super Fly Charters We're dialed in on the fish...give us a call before it's too late. We still have lots of great fishing left between now and the end of October so please contact us to reserve a tide or two..
Maine Striper Fishing Guide
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com
10/12/10- Another great day of Striper fishing on the Kennebec...Tom & Renee from Arizona joined me for the day as they made a pitstop in Bath during their tour up the Maine coast....for Renee it was all about the foliage, the lobsterboats, the lighthouses and the wildlife....for Tom it was simply all about the Striped Bass....and we found plenty of everything for both of them to enjoy!!!10/11/10- Spent another morning with the Baur brothers from Kansas City, Missouri...A few days ago Bruce & Kyle spent the day bashing Striped Bass on the Kennebec river...today we headed ESE of Monhegan in pursuit of groundfish...as soon as our butterfly jigs hit bottom we were instantly hooked up with a pair of keeper cod...this continued for a few hours as cod after cod slammed our jigs!!!
if you're looking to get in on the action with Super Fly Charters We're dialed in on the fish...give us a call before it's too late. We still have lots of great fishing left between now and the end of October so please contact us to reserve a tide or two..
Maine Striper Fishing Guide
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com
Monday, October 11, 2010
Hoping I get to go
I was reading the latest issue of Saltwater Sportsman Magazine and came across an article on tautog, also known as blackfish up north. I love tautog. The first paragraph of the article really hit home.
Just thought I'd share.
Just thought I'd share.Sunday, October 10, 2010
Maine Striper Fishing Report: Super Fly Charters 10/10/10
What do a couple of fishing guides do on their day off?...they go fishing of course!!!
Yesterday I was left without a charter due to extremely windy conditions...after a brief chat with fellow guide Capt. Dan Wolotsky of Sweet Action Charters I was invited to join him and his crew of Matt & Mark....Dan & his crew blacked out the livewell with striper crack before picking me up at the public dock in Bath...A short run led us to a stretch of river where I had some good success the day before. Conditions were not ideal...we were greeted by a screaming NW wind that was blowing directly into a ripping incoming tide...
a scenario that makes it almost impossible to get into a good drift pattern...we made the best of the situation by power drifting into the wind...a drift or two later & we were tight to the first fish, a fat 28 incher...a drift or two later and Matt & Mark were hooked up with a double header, one of which came unbuttoned. A few drifts later Capt. Dan is hooked up with a fat fish which he boats in short order...we continued to battle the wind and tide and managed to stick another keeper fish in the cooler...Eventually everyone had their fill and Capt Dan & his crew had to head back to Boothbay Harbor...another great day on the water. Capt. Dan and I saw lots of each other this summer as we both fish alot of the same waters and share lots of info...but this was the first day we've actually been able to fish together...Capt. Dan Wolotsky is one of the hardest working and most professional guides on the Maine coast...Capt. Dan specializes in livebait Striper fishing and putting smiles on his clients faces...everyone who fishes with Dan loves his laid back attitude and his uncanny ability to sniff out fish even under the toughest conditions...yeah he's one fishy dude!!!
As for us at Super Fly Charters We're dialed in on the fish...give us a call before it's too late. We still have lots of great fishing left between now and the end of October so please contact us to reserve a tide or two..
Maine Striper Fishing Guide
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com
Yesterday I was left without a charter due to extremely windy conditions...after a brief chat with fellow guide Capt. Dan Wolotsky of Sweet Action Charters I was invited to join him and his crew of Matt & Mark....Dan & his crew blacked out the livewell with striper crack before picking me up at the public dock in Bath...A short run led us to a stretch of river where I had some good success the day before. Conditions were not ideal...we were greeted by a screaming NW wind that was blowing directly into a ripping incoming tide...
a scenario that makes it almost impossible to get into a good drift pattern...we made the best of the situation by power drifting into the wind...a drift or two later & we were tight to the first fish, a fat 28 incher...a drift or two later and Matt & Mark were hooked up with a double header, one of which came unbuttoned. A few drifts later Capt. Dan is hooked up with a fat fish which he boats in short order...we continued to battle the wind and tide and managed to stick another keeper fish in the cooler...Eventually everyone had their fill and Capt Dan & his crew had to head back to Boothbay Harbor...another great day on the water. Capt. Dan and I saw lots of each other this summer as we both fish alot of the same waters and share lots of info...but this was the first day we've actually been able to fish together...Capt. Dan Wolotsky is one of the hardest working and most professional guides on the Maine coast...Capt. Dan specializes in livebait Striper fishing and putting smiles on his clients faces...everyone who fishes with Dan loves his laid back attitude and his uncanny ability to sniff out fish even under the toughest conditions...yeah he's one fishy dude!!!As for us at Super Fly Charters We're dialed in on the fish...give us a call before it's too late. We still have lots of great fishing left between now and the end of October so please contact us to reserve a tide or two..
Maine Striper Fishing Guide
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com
Lake Aldred, Susuqehanna River 10/10/10
Hello Folks,
This was such a beautiful fall day. It was 40 degrees when I arrived at Dell's home for our morning of fishing. Dell had to be at a basketball game this afternoon and we only had a few hours to fish.
We arrived at the boat ramp around 7:10 a.m. and launched by 7:30 a.m. The water temperature was 57 degrees and the water level was at 171' or two feet over top level. The clarity was poor and the river was running dirty with, as Dell called them, alligators (floating debris like logs, etc).
We ran up river and into the islands to find refuge behind islands and in eddies. The water was raging up at the dam as they were running about five gates wide open. We heard the warning siren several times throughout the morning... Mo' Water, Mo Money!
Check out the one spot that we were fishing on this video:
I used two styles of lures today... a spinnerbait and a mid-range (6'8' diving)crankbait. Dell was throwing his little Goby colored crank bait and hooked into our first bass within three cast... Alright, Dell.
I caught the next bass on a 1/2 oz. spinnerbait in the second eddy we hit.
I then switched over to a mid-diver Black Bandit or as I told Dell... "I have a Black Magic Lure." (Sung to Santana's Black Magic Woman) :)
We cross the section of water in the video to the bottom of an island and I nailed this nice 15" bass on my "Black Magic Lure."
We hit one or two spots where we caught more than one smallmouth. Five were pulled off the seams of the moving water. Three actually came from in the swifter water which was rolling over rocks and boulders.
I caught a bass that look like he was in a battle with Rocky! Check out the snub nose on this 13" guy...
We saw five eagles throughout the morning. Jeff (Tracker_Jet_120) sent me this cool picture of two eagles settling on one of the PPL towers. Sharing the tower were turkey vultures...
We settles for twelve bass before heading back to the ramp. That wasn't too bad under the conditions we were fishing... High blue bird skies, two feet over top level, swift current, and dirty water!
It was 11:30 and around 62 degrees when we pulled from the access and headed home.
When I got home, I asked my wife if, after lunch, she wanted to take a nice ride in the country. She, of course, liked this idea on such a gorgeous fall day.
So, after lunch we took a drive to our the cemetery where our daughter, my parents, great-grand-parents, and several uncles and aunts are buried. Afterward, we headed over to the Susquehannock Park to take pictures from the overlook.
Conowingo Pond - Peach Bottom Power Plant is over on the right (York County) shoreline.
This photo is facing north and looking at the Norman Wood Bridge that crosses just downriver from the Holtwood Dam. If you look closely, you can see some spillage (white line across the top of the overflow dam) on the York County side. Spillage was happening because Lake Aldred is running above top level.
The Susquehanna River Hills are so beautiful, especially in the fall when the leaves are changing. You can see why I love calling this "My Home." Our first ancestors from Ireland, Samuel Boyd, settle in the early 1700's just across the river from the Peach Bottom Power Plant in what is called Peach Bottom, Lancaster County (See pic above).
Our family ancestors were all farmers up until my generation. We had two family run farms. One by my great-grandparents (McClune) and one owned by my grandparents (Boyd).
Take care and stay safe. Remember that the water is cooling and hypothermia sets in rather quickly in 57 degree water. Wear you PFD at all times in the colder water months.
Dad
This was such a beautiful fall day. It was 40 degrees when I arrived at Dell's home for our morning of fishing. Dell had to be at a basketball game this afternoon and we only had a few hours to fish.
We arrived at the boat ramp around 7:10 a.m. and launched by 7:30 a.m. The water temperature was 57 degrees and the water level was at 171' or two feet over top level. The clarity was poor and the river was running dirty with, as Dell called them, alligators (floating debris like logs, etc).
We ran up river and into the islands to find refuge behind islands and in eddies. The water was raging up at the dam as they were running about five gates wide open. We heard the warning siren several times throughout the morning... Mo' Water, Mo Money!
Check out the one spot that we were fishing on this video:
I used two styles of lures today... a spinnerbait and a mid-range (6'8' diving)crankbait. Dell was throwing his little Goby colored crank bait and hooked into our first bass within three cast... Alright, Dell.
I caught the next bass on a 1/2 oz. spinnerbait in the second eddy we hit.
I then switched over to a mid-diver Black Bandit or as I told Dell... "I have a Black Magic Lure." (Sung to Santana's Black Magic Woman) :)
We cross the section of water in the video to the bottom of an island and I nailed this nice 15" bass on my "Black Magic Lure."
We hit one or two spots where we caught more than one smallmouth. Five were pulled off the seams of the moving water. Three actually came from in the swifter water which was rolling over rocks and boulders.
I caught a bass that look like he was in a battle with Rocky! Check out the snub nose on this 13" guy...
We saw five eagles throughout the morning. Jeff (Tracker_Jet_120) sent me this cool picture of two eagles settling on one of the PPL towers. Sharing the tower were turkey vultures...
We settles for twelve bass before heading back to the ramp. That wasn't too bad under the conditions we were fishing... High blue bird skies, two feet over top level, swift current, and dirty water!
It was 11:30 and around 62 degrees when we pulled from the access and headed home.
When I got home, I asked my wife if, after lunch, she wanted to take a nice ride in the country. She, of course, liked this idea on such a gorgeous fall day.
So, after lunch we took a drive to our the cemetery where our daughter, my parents, great-grand-parents, and several uncles and aunts are buried. Afterward, we headed over to the Susquehannock Park to take pictures from the overlook.
Conowingo Pond - Peach Bottom Power Plant is over on the right (York County) shoreline.
This photo is facing north and looking at the Norman Wood Bridge that crosses just downriver from the Holtwood Dam. If you look closely, you can see some spillage (white line across the top of the overflow dam) on the York County side. Spillage was happening because Lake Aldred is running above top level.
The Susquehanna River Hills are so beautiful, especially in the fall when the leaves are changing. You can see why I love calling this "My Home." Our first ancestors from Ireland, Samuel Boyd, settle in the early 1700's just across the river from the Peach Bottom Power Plant in what is called Peach Bottom, Lancaster County (See pic above).
Our family ancestors were all farmers up until my generation. We had two family run farms. One by my great-grandparents (McClune) and one owned by my grandparents (Boyd).
Take care and stay safe. Remember that the water is cooling and hypothermia sets in rather quickly in 57 degree water. Wear you PFD at all times in the colder water months.
Dad
A Frustrating Day at the Hardcore Invitational Tournament - October 9th, 2010
After a LONG week of midterms, assignments, and other complications I left Durham late Friday night, headed for Mt. Holly, NC. Saturday was the 2nd Annual Hardcore Kayak Fishing Invitational 2010 - 'Back in Black' edition. The Inaugural Hardcore Invitational was my first ever tournament in October of 2009. However, it was based on a 5 fish limit (I ended up 7th). This years event was a big bass tournament, so each angler submits their biggest fish and crosses their fingers.
Back by popular demand is the format I used during my last post, so here goes:
Friday - October 8th:
9:05 PM - Leave Durham and head toward Mt. Holly/Charlotte. Pause in the parking lot and think more than twice about spending the night in Durham and leaving at 3:30 AM. Decide, although torn, to hit the road.
9:08 PM - Realize I forgot the directions. U-turn!
9:15 PM - Debate again, but leave Durham a second time.
9:30 - 11 PM - A little open road music and good conversation. Thoughts of giant fish drift through my mind.
11:20 PM - Stop at McDonalds for a strawberry shake!
11:45 PM - Get to Stu's in Mt. Holly....exhausted.
Saturday - October 9th:
12:15 AM - Time to crash - in the car. Get a little good luck before I drift to sleep.
4:45 AM - Hear Gary and Don talking outside. Time to get up....uuuggghhh!
5:30 AM - Show up at the launch on Upper Lake Wylie, just below Mountain Island Dam. Ridiculously enough, we aren't the first ones there.
5:35 AM - Start prepping my gear. For those of you less familiar, the back of my car smells of garlic and other scented baits, old sneakers, sweat, fish, and is covered in gear, soft plastics, and rogue hooks.
6 AM - People are really starting to role in. The smack talking begins.
Trip Rogers playing the national anthem
7 AM - Launch time. Trip Rogers tears up the national anthem on his guitar and we paddle away.
My first fish of the day - 12.75" spotted bass
7:30 AM - Paddle across the river to another spot, but find another guy there. Fish behind him and land 2 12.5" spots on a Lucky Craft SKT MR.
8 AM - Move to another area with docks. Land a 12" bass on a point using the Zoom worm then fish the docks for 15 minutes with no success.
8:15 AM - Find a pattern on a small ledge that dropped from 2 feet of water into 4-6 feet. Catch 5 bass in 20-30 minutes on plastic worms.
8:30 AM - Continue with this pattern and land a 13" largemouth that gave me a very slight upgrade. Lose a 15+" largemouth within feet of the boat....uuggghhh.
My slight upgrade of a LMB - 13"
9 AM - Catch 3 more spots on a crank and pass over numerous spotted bass I could see cruising that weren't going to help me upgrade. Did I mention that I hate northern spotted bass!
9:15 AM - 11 AM - Continue catching fish regularly, but I just can't buy a decent sized fish. I switch to big baits - a large bodied Strike King jig, a 10.5" Zoom plastic worm, and a 5" Tru-Tungsten swimbait. The fish still continue to bite and continue to be small!
Noon - Haul an exhausted recreational kayaker to the dock. I am not sure she was going to make it back without a tow.
12:15 PM - My good deed is slightly rewarded as I upgrade with a 14.25"/14.5" largemouth. I know this fish won't hold up....just ONE bite!
My best fish of the day - a 14.25+" LMB
12:30 PM - 2 PM - Fish really hard and keep catching fish, although the bite has slowed a little. I hit the dock with an expected 14.5" and a lot of frustration.
2:15 PM - Find out that 14.5" may actually put me in the top 6. Get fish judged...at 14.25".
2:20 PM - 2:45 PM - We eat some tasty BBQ, shoot the bull, and hear the winners.
I ended up in 7th place for the day (out of 39 anglers) and was a little frustrated walking away. I did get a sweet Jackson kayak t-shirt and some other gear from Deep Creek lures. The tournament really made me think about life as a tournament fisherman. I caugh at least 25 bass today and passed on numerous others - a day which would have thrilled most people. But, I walked away frustrated and a little deflated. There is only one more tournament this year, and I have a ton riding on it. So until then I go back to fun fishing and remember exactly why I love this sport so much. River trip anyone? Tight lines!
Back by popular demand is the format I used during my last post, so here goes:
Friday - October 8th:
9:05 PM - Leave Durham and head toward Mt. Holly/Charlotte. Pause in the parking lot and think more than twice about spending the night in Durham and leaving at 3:30 AM. Decide, although torn, to hit the road.
9:08 PM - Realize I forgot the directions. U-turn!
9:15 PM - Debate again, but leave Durham a second time.
9:30 - 11 PM - A little open road music and good conversation. Thoughts of giant fish drift through my mind.
11:20 PM - Stop at McDonalds for a strawberry shake!
11:45 PM - Get to Stu's in Mt. Holly....exhausted.
Saturday - October 9th:
12:15 AM - Time to crash - in the car. Get a little good luck before I drift to sleep.
4:45 AM - Hear Gary and Don talking outside. Time to get up....uuuggghhh!
5:30 AM - Show up at the launch on Upper Lake Wylie, just below Mountain Island Dam. Ridiculously enough, we aren't the first ones there.
5:35 AM - Start prepping my gear. For those of you less familiar, the back of my car smells of garlic and other scented baits, old sneakers, sweat, fish, and is covered in gear, soft plastics, and rogue hooks.
6 AM - People are really starting to role in. The smack talking begins.
Trip Rogers playing the national anthem7 AM - Launch time. Trip Rogers tears up the national anthem on his guitar and we paddle away.
A bunch of us at the launch
7:10 AM - I stop at my first spot, a pipe and two pillars that drop from 2 to 8 feet of water. First cast, first fish - a 12.75" spotted bass caught on a watermelon colored 9" Zoom worm. Second cast, second fish - a 12" spot that hit the same bait. At this point, I knew the bite was going to be hot and heavy.
My first fish of the day - 12.75" spotted bass7:30 AM - Paddle across the river to another spot, but find another guy there. Fish behind him and land 2 12.5" spots on a Lucky Craft SKT MR.
8 AM - Move to another area with docks. Land a 12" bass on a point using the Zoom worm then fish the docks for 15 minutes with no success.
8:15 AM - Find a pattern on a small ledge that dropped from 2 feet of water into 4-6 feet. Catch 5 bass in 20-30 minutes on plastic worms.
8:30 AM - Continue with this pattern and land a 13" largemouth that gave me a very slight upgrade. Lose a 15+" largemouth within feet of the boat....uuggghhh.
My slight upgrade of a LMB - 13"9 AM - Catch 3 more spots on a crank and pass over numerous spotted bass I could see cruising that weren't going to help me upgrade. Did I mention that I hate northern spotted bass!
9:15 AM - 11 AM - Continue catching fish regularly, but I just can't buy a decent sized fish. I switch to big baits - a large bodied Strike King jig, a 10.5" Zoom plastic worm, and a 5" Tru-Tungsten swimbait. The fish still continue to bite and continue to be small!
Noon - Haul an exhausted recreational kayaker to the dock. I am not sure she was going to make it back without a tow.
12:15 PM - My good deed is slightly rewarded as I upgrade with a 14.25"/14.5" largemouth. I know this fish won't hold up....just ONE bite!
My best fish of the day - a 14.25+" LMB12:30 PM - 2 PM - Fish really hard and keep catching fish, although the bite has slowed a little. I hit the dock with an expected 14.5" and a lot of frustration.
2:15 PM - Find out that 14.5" may actually put me in the top 6. Get fish judged...at 14.25".
2:20 PM - 2:45 PM - We eat some tasty BBQ, shoot the bull, and hear the winners.
I ended up in 7th place for the day (out of 39 anglers) and was a little frustrated walking away. I did get a sweet Jackson kayak t-shirt and some other gear from Deep Creek lures. The tournament really made me think about life as a tournament fisherman. I caugh at least 25 bass today and passed on numerous others - a day which would have thrilled most people. But, I walked away frustrated and a little deflated. There is only one more tournament this year, and I have a ton riding on it. So until then I go back to fun fishing and remember exactly why I love this sport so much. River trip anyone? Tight lines!
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