Went out canoeing and paddling this weekend, and what a great time! 6 hrs sat, nothing buy red eyes, sun fish, and a few small smallies…
Sunday however,9 hrs on the water, I hit the mother load, man do I need a new camera to show you all some pics 
didn’t catch anything over 2 lbs, a kentucky and two smallies, but caught a lot of red eyes (rock bass)blk perch, blue gill, etc… Saw some monsters, atleast 5+lbs in the middle of the day, they weren’t bitting, by the time I got back to em (I paddled up river at the start) it was too dark down in there to see, but next time! with any luck i will have a camera to take pics of em (after I catch them)
Anytime
on the water is great.Good luck
kb , you ever try these ??
– Last Updated: Apr-12-11 4:44 PM EST –
...... I got hooked on them , both literally and figuratively !!
http://www.lurenet.com/productdetail.aspx?id=yumcb212
We used to use the 4" size but Yum discontinued the 4" (rediculous) ... why I'll never know because the 4" got more of the 20"-21" to bite . These are great for early season Smallies before the water is warmed enough for the spinner bite (spinner bite starts to come on at about 60F.+)
If you try them , stick with the "Green Pumpin" color , it gets many more bites . The 3.25" size is the largest of this Crawbug Yum has now and that's what we'll use mostly ... but have caught some big Smallies on the the littlest one when they are burning hot .
We use 1/8 and 1/4 oz. jig heads inserted into the Crawbug from the face end (just like a tube) ... these crawbugs are hollow . I set the hook weedless by raising the upper face (mouth) and stretching over the hook point .
These are great for working the cover and contours of the bottom real slow (stop and go) dropping into rock crevices , etc. . The bite is usually just one light bump , then imediately rod tip down to give a little slack (even open bail if you want) because after the bump comes the run ... set hook on the run .
We use these for Smallmouth in the peidmont and mountain sections of rivers . Largemouth (lake or river) will take these sometines also .
Used to use the tube , but not anymore !!
pilotwingz
thanks for the tip, no I haven’t used those before, but I will give it a try, always appreciate pointers. I acctually haven’t caught the first smallie on any plastice this year yet, curious to me, but have caught some kentucky’s on em. All the smallies I have caught have been on shallow runner cranks, funny though the few I kept and cleaned all had craws in their bellies, go figure right… But I will give those you showed me a shot, need to make a trip for some new tackle soon too
i will try to buy a new camera soon so i can post up some… good luck this season, and paddle safe
Good for you.
Still trying to get on the water this year. It’s been one thing after another.
- Big D
BigD
i feel your pain, it has rained soo much here that the water quality is poor as hell, or weather just doesn’t permit until this last couple weeks. Every sunny day I have been slipping off for even an hour or two after work if I can get it… wife has started calling me a junkie, even though she loves it too This weekend is dedicated to getting the dogs in the canoe and seeing how that goes, with a little fishing of course, will be intresting, I will bring the camera out and post it up monday…
Camping trip planned for this weekend
Heavy rain expected all day on Saturday. It’s great taking the family camping and then being stuck inside all day. Hoping that we can get in a hike or something before we strike camp. Was hoping to do some fishing, but the creek will be blown out. Kids aren’t up to whitewater paddling. Don’t even think I’m up to this particular river when it’s up. It’s at the very peak of my skill level when it’s runnable. It needs a solid intermediate WW paddler to run solo, which isn’t me.
- Big D
Crazy Weather
Congrats on the fine day. The weather here in southern Ohio has been driving me crazy. Seems like the day before I get a couple days off work the monsoon starts and every local creek gets blown out. I’ve only been out three times all year and usually I’ve been on the water a dozen times by now. I’ve managed to thumb a few 14-17" smallies but hopefully the bite will improve.
As the water temps start into the 50’s the choice of a crawdad imitation is a good’un. Crawfish mate at around 50 degree water temps and like all males, their brains only think of sex so they crawl up on rocks to “display” for the females, making them easy targets for for the smallies just before they spawn. (Ain’t it great how nature works?) This happens again in the fall when the water temps cool to the mid 50’s allowing the bass to “load up” before winter. I’ve been using the PACA Craw with success as it also “swims” well.
Where in TN are you? My oldest daughter lives in western Florida so I drive through the Nashville area to get there. Pass over some sweet looking streams on the way.
Good luck on your next float.
Better stop now, I’m looking out the window at the rain and think I see animals passing by in pairs…
DE
dirty
I live about an hour south of nashville off I24 a bit. Am only about 8 min from varous places on the duck and normandy lake, and less than 30 form the elk, tims ford, and woods resevoir. A lot of great fishing out here, haven’t even begun to find all the spots in the year and a half I have been down here (lived closer to nashville for 8 years, good fishing up there around the stones river old hickory, priest, etc) But I like the country a bit more
Next time you come down this way drop me an email, and I will give you some info and spots to go, or meet up with you if I can, summers I work Saturdays a lot…
bigD
hope your weekend turns out better than you hope, maybe the stream wont be so bad, but from all the rain ppl got north of here all the way to canada… agh bad for us fisherman
Far worse than expected
The stream was a deathtrap for anyone who wanted to run it on Saturday. By Sunday, it was runnable by a skilled paddler. Constant class IV stuff, but I could see lines. I don’t have the skill to run the lines I saw, but someone with the skills could have done it.
As far as fishing - no chance. The trout all packed up their sunblock and headed for Rio.
We did get in a hike to see a huge waterfall that was well swollen by the rains. Hopefully the photos will come out OK.
Still haven’t been fishing this year. I often fish on January 1 to break in my new license. Now the year’s 1/3 gone and I still haven’t wet a line.
- Big D
BigD
sorry to hear your still nill on the fish, and i thought I was just slumpin till the last few weeks, that is rough. Glad to hear the trip went well, I always try to shoot for someplace with falls, or atleast some water, the dogs love it
you didn’t say where D , but …
… the Potomac and all it’s tribs. were pretty swollen up . We went up to Mouth of Monocacy just to have a look … gage was 24’+ at Frederick which relates to a new river wide log jam dam at the aqueduct . This one is noticably larger than last spring’s (which they did get removed and cleared up before this new 2011 one got made) .
The water was right up to the very top of the arches at the aqueduct and still rising (about 3" an hr.) when we left … I’ll try to send ya pic. or two .
We took a walk on down to the power plant by the tow path , then after spending a little time back at the aqueduct , drove on over to Sugar Loaf and hiked up to the summit (green trail) … the green trail (from the parking lot) is a 360’ accent in a 1/4 mi. … the steepest part is the last 200’ of accent in about the final 500’ of that 1/4 mi. … nice how they make is so easy on you with the way they built the green trail path !! … you ever go up to Sugar Loaf’s summit ??
Never been up Sugar Loaf.
I was on the South Fork of the Tye River.
- Big D
you would enjoy the hike …
… to the summit using the green trail (1/4 mile) with your family … it’s also a nice pretty drive up to the west parking lot where the green trail heads up from there .
It’s the kind of thing you all could do from your place and back in 3 hrs. … pack a little picnic brunch and set down up on the summit and relax before heading back down … just make the eats pack light and easy to carry cause it’s a steep improved trail , but very very nice .
The Tye river is not coming to my mind … I don’t believe I know about it …