Had a few hours to kill late today, and tried to call a few friends..... Hit one of my favorite winter wade spots, and it worked well!
Stepped into the water thinking that today was the day for the topwater bite to come back. Air temps at least 5-10 degrees above the water temp, barometric dropping, tides moving.... Water was excessively clear, I guess still around 52-55, nice overcast skies with a drop or two falling off and on. Got to the little muddy stretch, where the shell starts up, and worked the little ninja spook that had done so well there over the last year. Nada! Looked down at my boots in thigh deep water and after reading everything that was printed on them, I thought, I know what color to throw when the water is super clear. I pulled out a Catch 2000 in one of my favorite (no longer in production) colors, #19. For those who don't speak Mirr-O-lure code, that's dark green back, gold sides, yellow belly. Great color in some very specific situations.
Good thing that I had that one, second cast yielded the first fish of the day, at about 21 inches and easily 3 or 3.5 pounds, got a pic and dropped her back in the water. A few casts later, missed a good bite, then a couple more and hooked up with number 2. Second fish was slightly bigger, 23ish and probably about 4 to 4.5 pounds. Kept fan casting around the sweet spot, and hooked a 3rd trout after about 10 minutes. This one was nice, in the 25 inch range and very stout. Safe guess was about 5.5 to 6 pounds. On a very long cast, as far out into the open water as I could heave the catch 2, i stuck a very nice red, 26 inches and heavy headed. I thought for sure that this would be my 9 pound trout, but not today. This was all around the end of the outgoing tide. I noticed the the water was barely moving and then immediately picked up coming in. didn't get a bite for about 20 minutes so I walked around to another area where they hang. Missed one bite, and decided that I needed to go back to my top water theory.
Tied on the big spook in the "Jimmy Houston" chartreuse back, scheme. worked my way back to the area where the first bites came from as the drizzle started back up, and noticed that the sun was almost on the horizon. Got back in the spot and thought that I had a little blow, gave it a pause and then twitch, twitch, BOOM! Stuck another nice trout about 25 inches and between 5 and 6 pounds. About this time, the light was leaving, the mosquittos bitting and the bait wasn't moving. I decided that I had gotten most of what I came for and packed it in. All together I think that I had 7 or 8 bites in just under 2 hours, landed 4 trout 21-25 inches, and one red that was about 26.
I have a few cheesey cell phone picks sans angler, since I was flying solo. Hope you like them.. well, in a few I guess. Still waiting for them to make it through the mail system from Black Berry to my puter. Post them as soon as they come through.
Stepped into the water thinking that today was the day for the topwater bite to come back. Air temps at least 5-10 degrees above the water temp, barometric dropping, tides moving.... Water was excessively clear, I guess still around 52-55, nice overcast skies with a drop or two falling off and on. Got to the little muddy stretch, where the shell starts up, and worked the little ninja spook that had done so well there over the last year. Nada! Looked down at my boots in thigh deep water and after reading everything that was printed on them, I thought, I know what color to throw when the water is super clear. I pulled out a Catch 2000 in one of my favorite (no longer in production) colors, #19. For those who don't speak Mirr-O-lure code, that's dark green back, gold sides, yellow belly. Great color in some very specific situations.
Good thing that I had that one, second cast yielded the first fish of the day, at about 21 inches and easily 3 or 3.5 pounds, got a pic and dropped her back in the water. A few casts later, missed a good bite, then a couple more and hooked up with number 2. Second fish was slightly bigger, 23ish and probably about 4 to 4.5 pounds. Kept fan casting around the sweet spot, and hooked a 3rd trout after about 10 minutes. This one was nice, in the 25 inch range and very stout. Safe guess was about 5.5 to 6 pounds. On a very long cast, as far out into the open water as I could heave the catch 2, i stuck a very nice red, 26 inches and heavy headed. I thought for sure that this would be my 9 pound trout, but not today. This was all around the end of the outgoing tide. I noticed the the water was barely moving and then immediately picked up coming in. didn't get a bite for about 20 minutes so I walked around to another area where they hang. Missed one bite, and decided that I needed to go back to my top water theory.
Tied on the big spook in the "Jimmy Houston" chartreuse back, scheme. worked my way back to the area where the first bites came from as the drizzle started back up, and noticed that the sun was almost on the horizon. Got back in the spot and thought that I had a little blow, gave it a pause and then twitch, twitch, BOOM! Stuck another nice trout about 25 inches and between 5 and 6 pounds. About this time, the light was leaving, the mosquittos bitting and the bait wasn't moving. I decided that I had gotten most of what I came for and packed it in. All together I think that I had 7 or 8 bites in just under 2 hours, landed 4 trout 21-25 inches, and one red that was about 26.
I have a few cheesey cell phone picks sans angler, since I was flying solo. Hope you like them.. well, in a few I guess. Still waiting for them to make it through the mail system from Black Berry to my puter. Post them as soon as they come through.
Comment