Just so a few of you will recall where this tackle we collect was used, I thought I ought to check in with today's fish tale.
Everything aligned properly this morning on the Snake River. The day of the full moon; cloudy skies; low CFS and little wind to make drifting a pleasure; a storm front approaching, water a bit mirky - maybe 3' visibility; and no one else on the river.
I launched at 6:30 and caught a few decent smallmouth near the ramp. I then ran upriver to a shallow flat and got out my fluke rod and never put it down. The flow slowly moved me downstream from one grassy flat to the next. There were fish everywhere on those flats. I could see wakes as bigger fish were feeding on bait. A cast to one of those bulges almost always brought a strike. At 9:00 I had boated 20 smallies. By 11:00 the counter showed 35. When I reached the ramp again it was 12 noon and I had bagged 41 smallmouth. Many were in the 11-14" age group, quite a few in the 15-17" range, and then there was this one...
She was 21" long, jumped twice and fought a terrific battle. Note her beautiful spotted color pattern as well. It had been 2 years since I had last caught a 21" fish from the river. This one was much lighter than the last, because the 2010 fish was pre-spawn and full of eggs. I think she deserves another view:
I also lost many fish, including two very heavy fish. It is very hard to hold a big, hard charging smallie from digging into the grass beds with medium weight tackle, and who wants to fish for them with heavy rods? Not me; I'd rather have them get off - after all, I'm going to put them back anyway.
It was a morning I won't soon forget.
A great day on the river.
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- robert ellis
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Re: A great day on the river.
Very, Very, Nice, a gorgeous smally ! and what a day !
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Re: A great day on the river.
Phil:
Leave a few of them for me in August. What a great fish. Maybe the fish will be bigger this year. They have to keep growing with the amount of food available in those waters. I'm ready.
Roger
Leave a few of them for me in August. What a great fish. Maybe the fish will be bigger this year. They have to keep growing with the amount of food available in those waters. I'm ready.
Roger
Re: A great day on the river.
Nice fish, Geez. At that rate, I think you may need to tie yourself down to the boat to keep from gettin pulled over!
- john elder
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Re: A great day on the river.
Geez, you ever tail-clip those catches? I wonder how many of those smallies you've met before. As many miles as you put on that river, you'll have to start naming those fish pretty soon! ...great fun! I'm veeeerry Jealous!
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Re: A great day on the river.
Nice looking fish!
- Jonathan P. Kring
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Re: A great day on the river.
From the mid west where you can spend a day fishing and sometimes catch nothing, it's hard to believe there are still places in this country where the fishing is still that fantastic. You didn't see Evil Kineval flying over on his motorcycle did you?