greenghost
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2008
- Messages
- 1,510
Time: 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Weather: Cloudy, low 80's
Water: Clear, rising flow from the damn dam release, 75 F
Fished above Smithton for bass. There was fairly heavy raft-kayak traffic. To avoid them, I started fishing around the "archipelago" in side channels with a small Clouser. I caught nothing for the first hour. So I moved out to the main river channel and fished a deeper run close to a grass island. Hooked three right away. Biggest around 14 inches, all fought like crazy, especially in the heavy water, and all were in great shape--thick, heavy bodies with no sign of parasite or predator damage.
The sun was starting to get lower, I felt like playing a little bit, so I tied on a small green cork popper and moved down to a wide, even-flowing stretch. My first cast saw a swirl behind the retrieve. The next cast hooked the fish. I knew it wasn't a bass right away because it didn't have the same powerful pull. But it was a heavy fish. When I brought it close I couldn't believe what I saw; a rainbow trout of about 18 inches, give or take. After reeling the fish in as fast as possible, I released it and temped the water. It was 76 degrees. It struck my popper in water that was supposed to be too warm for trout to feed. In retrospect, I probably should've kept the fish. Chances are it's dead now.
I finished the evening by fishing a small crayfish pattern in shallower side channels and picking up five small bass.
It was a great day out on the Yough, accented by a surprise catch. I saw TONS of baitfish and crayfish. I'll be back. And I know bigger fish are there to be caught... or, more likely, to humble me.
Weather: Cloudy, low 80's
Water: Clear, rising flow from the damn dam release, 75 F
Fished above Smithton for bass. There was fairly heavy raft-kayak traffic. To avoid them, I started fishing around the "archipelago" in side channels with a small Clouser. I caught nothing for the first hour. So I moved out to the main river channel and fished a deeper run close to a grass island. Hooked three right away. Biggest around 14 inches, all fought like crazy, especially in the heavy water, and all were in great shape--thick, heavy bodies with no sign of parasite or predator damage.
The sun was starting to get lower, I felt like playing a little bit, so I tied on a small green cork popper and moved down to a wide, even-flowing stretch. My first cast saw a swirl behind the retrieve. The next cast hooked the fish. I knew it wasn't a bass right away because it didn't have the same powerful pull. But it was a heavy fish. When I brought it close I couldn't believe what I saw; a rainbow trout of about 18 inches, give or take. After reeling the fish in as fast as possible, I released it and temped the water. It was 76 degrees. It struck my popper in water that was supposed to be too warm for trout to feed. In retrospect, I probably should've kept the fish. Chances are it's dead now.
I finished the evening by fishing a small crayfish pattern in shallower side channels and picking up five small bass.
It was a great day out on the Yough, accented by a surprise catch. I saw TONS of baitfish and crayfish. I'll be back. And I know bigger fish are there to be caught... or, more likely, to humble me.
