any more walleye? and going for the serious fish
space inwaders 04/20/2009 - 09:10 Trip Reports
I try to fish with the season, take advantage of the amazing natural phenomenon that occur with our favorite finned friends.
Thursday I was off work and thought the walleyes MIGHT still be moving upstream in the upper. Got to my spot, hiked alot, the water was pretty high, hard to reach my usual area. I had to cross a manmade rock wall across FAST knee deep current to get to my spot, and i dared not risk that lucky procedure after dark. I barely made it back and forth around dusk. Its fun to see a sixty pound rock slowly rolling downstream from the current, and about 1' upstream of YOUR VERY CAREFULLY POSITIONED FOOT! I had to deal with less than ideal locations, but managed 2 smallies of similar size, one I measured at 15.25".
Nothing else for the night, no walleyes and no musky, but i lost a couple fish, you win some you loose some. I was wondering recently why i didnt catch more smallies in this area...
Sunday the 19th
Every spring i head down to the fall line, and see what has migrated into town. Shad, herring, white perch, and what follows- stripers! Dont forget the always present blue catfish that reach over 50 pounds! Sunday we had the chance to go and made the trip.
As usual the water was high and stained, and it was freaking crowded! Some people from other places in the world have VERY different views of what is ample personal space for fishing. What i've learned in the past year, get away from fisherman- and you catch fish. I was in a state of conflict=)
Herring was unavailable for sale, didnt stop at the asian grocery store for fresh perch, bought some crawlers. Along the path we stopped and dip netted a creek where people were seeing herring, no dice. We walked far, still no unoccupied spots, and started walking back, found a place that was worth a try, annie caught a few white perch within minutes bottom fishing nightcrawlers. Perch are not the best bait, but not bad. I've caught 30+ pound cats on perch in the past.
I alternated between a 6" rapala sjb, and a double shad dart rig, and had a 7" live perch on the bottom. Found 2 really quality smallies on the 6" rapala! One was about 16" and the other at least 18" and fat, but lost at the bank. Shad and/or herring were jumping everywhere, the number of people and boats going for them was ridiculous. No wonder SOMEBODY catches a big striper now and then up there, with 200 people fishing!
No cats either...
So before dark we tried a spot that sees slightly less pressure. After a rough walk over boulderfields we get to a serious back eddy. You could watch whirlpools of 6' diameter cycle past, shad and herring abound. I mainly fished the 6" sjb along the current break from the main river to a side pocket. I was right on an upstream point of rocks that created the pocket/eddy. Another nearby fisherman was tossing 12" live herring on a bobber and 8" soft plastic shad baits.
I hooked and lost at least 3 small fish, duno what they were, but eventually hooked and landed a 2 pound or so, 14" shad. I just thought it was funny that i was going for them all day using shad darts, and watching guys catch em on flys and shad darts, then i catch one on a 6" SJB!
That fish was trying to shiver and wiggle the whole time i was holding it, i was about to loose my grip.
An adventure as always, although no big fish, we were a bit dissapointed, but I cant complain about 2 and 3 pound smallies by accident, or my first shad on hook and line. The crowds will keep us from going back, cept maybe on a rainy weekday!
We'll see those monster cats and maybe a striper soon enough, just have to keep trying.
Thursday I was off work and thought the walleyes MIGHT still be moving upstream in the upper. Got to my spot, hiked alot, the water was pretty high, hard to reach my usual area. I had to cross a manmade rock wall across FAST knee deep current to get to my spot, and i dared not risk that lucky procedure after dark. I barely made it back and forth around dusk. Its fun to see a sixty pound rock slowly rolling downstream from the current, and about 1' upstream of YOUR VERY CAREFULLY POSITIONED FOOT! I had to deal with less than ideal locations, but managed 2 smallies of similar size, one I measured at 15.25".
Nothing else for the night, no walleyes and no musky, but i lost a couple fish, you win some you loose some. I was wondering recently why i didnt catch more smallies in this area...
Sunday the 19th
Every spring i head down to the fall line, and see what has migrated into town. Shad, herring, white perch, and what follows- stripers! Dont forget the always present blue catfish that reach over 50 pounds! Sunday we had the chance to go and made the trip.
As usual the water was high and stained, and it was freaking crowded! Some people from other places in the world have VERY different views of what is ample personal space for fishing. What i've learned in the past year, get away from fisherman- and you catch fish. I was in a state of conflict=)
Herring was unavailable for sale, didnt stop at the asian grocery store for fresh perch, bought some crawlers. Along the path we stopped and dip netted a creek where people were seeing herring, no dice. We walked far, still no unoccupied spots, and started walking back, found a place that was worth a try, annie caught a few white perch within minutes bottom fishing nightcrawlers. Perch are not the best bait, but not bad. I've caught 30+ pound cats on perch in the past.
I alternated between a 6" rapala sjb, and a double shad dart rig, and had a 7" live perch on the bottom. Found 2 really quality smallies on the 6" rapala! One was about 16" and the other at least 18" and fat, but lost at the bank. Shad and/or herring were jumping everywhere, the number of people and boats going for them was ridiculous. No wonder SOMEBODY catches a big striper now and then up there, with 200 people fishing!
No cats either...
So before dark we tried a spot that sees slightly less pressure. After a rough walk over boulderfields we get to a serious back eddy. You could watch whirlpools of 6' diameter cycle past, shad and herring abound. I mainly fished the 6" sjb along the current break from the main river to a side pocket. I was right on an upstream point of rocks that created the pocket/eddy. Another nearby fisherman was tossing 12" live herring on a bobber and 8" soft plastic shad baits.
I hooked and lost at least 3 small fish, duno what they were, but eventually hooked and landed a 2 pound or so, 14" shad. I just thought it was funny that i was going for them all day using shad darts, and watching guys catch em on flys and shad darts, then i catch one on a 6" SJB!
That fish was trying to shiver and wiggle the whole time i was holding it, i was about to loose my grip.
An adventure as always, although no big fish, we were a bit dissapointed, but I cant complain about 2 and 3 pound smallies by accident, or my first shad on hook and line. The crowds will keep us from going back, cept maybe on a rainy weekday!
We'll see those monster cats and maybe a striper soon enough, just have to keep trying.
