Where's Roger? - Here's Roger! and his guide Fudge.

Share your fishing adventures, especially ones using antique tackle!
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Reel Geezer
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Where's Roger? - Here's Roger! and his guide Fudge.

Post by Reel Geezer »

The ORCA Secretary-Treasurer is sacked out on our couch with Fudge as he is totally worn out. We have been giving the smallmouth a hard time for the past 4 days. The first three days were just a warm-up for the 90 fish we caught today. I finally forced him to quit as I was worried that the Rubber Reel Lady would be calling out search and rescue if we didn't get home. When we reached 50 he said 10 more fish sure would be great... then at 60 I heard the same thing, etc., etc.

Photos and a full report sometime on the weekend.

Geez
Last edited by Reel Geezer on Wed Aug 19, 2009 3:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Roger Schulz
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Post by Roger Schulz »

I am back from some of the best fishing I ever had in my life. I spent a week fishing with Phil on the Snake River. We caught over 250 fish in a matter of 5 days, fishing only in the mornings. It was great fishing for smallmouth bass. Everything Phil says about the fishing on the Snake is very real. He does catch the many fish that he talks about in his posts. If anything, he may even be on the low side of actual catches. It was great fishing. Phil is a great guide and host. Maryiln kept me well fed and we talked many nights into the evening sitting out on the porch watching Fudge play. I am sure Fudge is missing me this week as he took a real liking to me. He crawled in bed with me every morning to get me up.

I think Phil was going to post some pictures to prove that even I can catch fish.

Roger Schulz
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Brian F.
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Post by Brian F. »

:D Sounds like you guys had a great time and can't wait to see the photos!
Reel Geezer
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Post by Reel Geezer »

Here's a few photos of Roger in action.
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This was one of Roger's best fish. I believe it was 16" and jumped several times.
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Note the casual attitude of the Georgia Angler.
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I don't carry a net in the boat, so Roger had to do his best with the flip into the boat method. Fudge supervises the technique, and only graded it a 7.5.
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I found it interesting to note that USFWS fisheries biologists seem to drop their fish a lot and end up chasing them all over the boat.
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Fudge helped Roger a great deal. This was an average size smallmouth.
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However, Fudge the guide got quite put out when Roger wouldn't cast where he told him to.
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john elder
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Post by john elder »

What were you getting them on, guyz? ...sounds like you could have dangled Fudge's tail in the water and got a bite!
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Brian F.
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Post by Brian F. »

Love it! Thanks for the photos, guys. And for the chuckle with the fish chasing part :lol:
Reel Geezer
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Post by Reel Geezer »

john elder wrote:What were you getting them on, guyz? ...sounds like you could have dangled Fudge's tail in the water and got a bite!
John, Roger was deadly with a plastic bait by Gambler called the Little Otter. It is one of my favorite smallmouth baits. Best color was black/blue flakes. It was fished on a 1/8 oz ball jig head. We also caught fish on tubes, grubs, and 3" Senkos. Another killer recently and on this trip was a 1/8 oz trout size Chatterbait. We fished it with a 3" curltail grub on the rear.

Roger fished with my spinning rods. I mainly use casting rods and the light and small Daiwa Pixy reels for smallmouth. We both used 8-10 pound yellow Power Pro line.

Yesterday, I tried Fudge's tail, with no results. He fell out of the boat while I was running upstream. He was about 50 yards downstream, with a panicked look on his face, before I knew what the splash was. It didn't deter him a bit, he was right up on the bow within a few minutes after I pulled him out.
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john elder
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Post by john elder »

Man, now that looks like the perfect place for a National...we could hold the informational seminars on a flotilla of bass boats as we did a 20 mile drift!
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Jim Schottenham
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Post by Jim Schottenham »

Phil,
You sure Fudge wasn't checking out a rock pile or submerged structure that might hold a large school of smallies? Looks like he's got the guiding down pretty well! Maybe he can show Moose the ropes someday - I'd be great to have a dog with a nose for smallmouth.

Looks like you guys had a great time - and you hit on something I've been wanting to try for awhile now - a chatter-bait for smallmouth. I had a chance to get out on the Mohawk river with a few old fishing buddies and found out later that they had been catching a few on chatter-baits too (we had two boats on the water). If I can't get 'em on that bait, I may have to see about hiring you and Fudge to come out East and show how its done!

Jim
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Post by Reel Geezer »

Jim, I tried the full size Chatterbait when it first came out and caught quite a few smallies on it (and channel cats). I had a lot of short strikes from SM where that wasn't a problem when using the bait for largemouth. I considered a trailer hook, but then last year I found the trout size (1/8 oz) and found it to be a numbers producer (plus I have caught a couple of 18" fish on them). I started using Kalen 3" grubs on mine, which probably brings the bait weight up to 1/4 oz. In the Snake a clear hologram/silver flake, or a pearl/blue flake seem to be the best, but probably any color grub would work. I fish it on a ML, fast action, 6'6" rod I made, and have a Pixy on it. It is now my go-to search combo. I'd guess Roger probably caught 40 bass on one that day we caught 90. We went through 5 of them that day.
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Post by Roger Schulz »

Fudge was a great guide. He pointed out to Phil and I the locations to fish. I think he can even smell where the fish would be. He really makes Phil look good as a fisherman. Luckily Fudge is a great swimmer. He does fall out of the boat now and then or he may be jumping in to get closer to the fish.

Again, the best week of fishing in my 63 years. It is great to be retired after 40 years of working.

Roger
Roger Schulz
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Post by Roger Schulz »

I got a nice note from Fudge's Snake River Guide Service. He sent me a nice memento of my trip to the Snake River. He is very cheap. He willingly excepts bones in payment for his services. As a guide he is having some problems with falling out of the boat lately. I think he is doing this on purpose as he enjoys a morning swim.

Thanks Fudge for the great time.

Your buddy, Roger
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