Battle at Boone 10 Sept 2016
The long awaited Battle at Bristol was in town, just a couple miles away, I’m a big Vol fan, but decided to skip this monstrous event. The daughter had to go to work early, so I got up, got her off and loaded up the boat. I put in at Davis Marina just at the time I didn’t need my lights, made two cast net throws at the dock and was off. The purpose of this day fishing was to catch something with my flipping rod. I built this to test the MHX rod blanks and have never done much flipping, but it was time to commit.
I caught the shad because I had seen a few striper busting the top water from the dock. I headed toward a bank and began fishing. A flat line is behind the boat and I am tossing a 3/8 oz brown/green pig and jig. Then boom, I get a bit on the rod, man it felt good but more like a nibble than a take. This helps as I know I have something on that fooled at least one fish. This rod is pretty sensitive also, that one was hit on the drop and I felt it pretty good, also I can feel it sliding down between crevices, that don’t feel so good.
Anyway, I look back when I get into shallow water and the balloon disappears, I run back to the rod holder, grab the rod and fight the little feller. He wasn’t a big striper but it was a good sign. I let him go, put out two rods now and go back toward the shallows, low and behold another run. This one puts up a bit more of a tussle but he was still no match, hybrid in the boat. I release him and continue on down the lake.
About this time the busting on the top water had ceased, so I headed to a spot to flip. While on my way, I look up and the blimp is overhead. I knew that the Battle of Bristol was in town, but I thought it was kinda cool that it showed up for my Battle at Boone as well. I took a snapshot and continued to the “honey hole”.
As I arrive at the spot I began flipping, now let me define flipping from my perspective. I flip when I’m close enough and cast when I’m not, I am new to this game so there is usually much more casting. So I toss a few and low and behold I get bit. The hook is set and that rascal doesn’t stand a chance. I grab the net (rods were not designed to haul fish from the water to the boat, no need in trying to break one when I don’t have a sponsor to just give me another) and net the largemouth above. He was a doozy, at least by my standard.
The morning didn’t end there, but the catching did. I got another bite or two, but the activity died down tremendously. I counted it a good morning, 3 fish, a couple other hits, only one pig and jig lost (remember the crevice comment) I figure I won the Battle of Boone. I hope everyone else had a good weekend, fish caught, Vols won, and nachos were eaten, I’d say mine was awesome. Have a great week and God bless.
Labor Day Weekend Fishing
Again I will include a couple of fishing trips into one write up, sorry, I should make time for this, however, we do what we can. Nonetheless, allow me to start with the stripers. I did a couple of trips with stripers as the main goal. Bait at Davis is still easy to catch and you are off and fishing quickly after launch. I headed to a bit of deeper water at first, this way I could put out a down line out as well as a flat line.
This was not the best day on the water, the down line got one run. The rod tip was in the water, I reached pulled and the fish released. The shad was just about descaled for me, but still a kicking. I continued in the deeper water a bit longer. I would like to enter a side note here. The ducks were following us around while we were near the dock. They have apparently gotten fed some shad and apparently like it. One of them grabbed the shad on the planer board and we had to get another. He didn’t get hooked but let me say, fishing while surrounded by ducks was not enjoyable. Eventually they fell out of love with the courtesy I was showing them and left to bother others.
As the cold water came down, we headed toward rainbow. I was tossing my hula stick mud minnow again and a striper followed it to the boat but did not take it. This water is crystal clear when the cold comes through. The striper fishing was a bust, a run, one messing with a flatline briefly, and a follow, but other than that, just a good time on the water.
So skunked on the striper, had fished the bank for bass as well, I decided to spend a little time in the kayak. I went to the Little Devault Bridge and launched. I put on the PB&J Ned Rig, using my new ML power rod, man I like that thing and began to go down a bank. Shortly after beginning, I get nailed, smallie jumps, fight is on and as I get him to the yak, he releases, yep I did count him as 1. I then catch one that is much more photogenic, see pic above. Another one is hooked, landed in kayak, as I was reaching for the lip, smallmouth laying on my leg, he flips, line breaks and the little thief swims off with my bait.
I end up catching one more smallmouth and a largemouth, 5 fish total and 3 pics, not bad for this guy. The kayak is a good trip sometimes, not nearly as heavy to move around as the boat, pretty relaxing unless the wind is whipping, and no worries about hitting low water. My daughter likes the boat much better, but we will see if we can convince her if we can get her on a striper in one. Sorry for the shortness, seems like after time off from work, I play catch up for a week or so.
I’ll see if I can get out this weekend, the Battle At Bristol is in town and I have to cross 394 to get to the lake. This usually isn’t much of an issue with the race in town, all about timing. But with this being the first and not sure if everyone coming will get here a day or so early like the race fans, it may be a mess. If so, I will sit on the couch with nachos or pizza and watch some football. Go Vols and hope everyone had a great Labor Day, God bless.
