26 & 28 July 2019
Friday evening rolled around and the daughter and wife wanted to hit the lake. The girl has been at her full time job a while and not been able to do too much fishing. We were going to try stripers early and bass fish into the night, so step one, catch bait. She got the cast net out, stood on the front of the boat while we were moving at about idle, we came up on shad, her cast nailed them, bait collected.
We put out a few flat lines and got close enough to the bank to fish for bass. I think I caught a small one first, then the wife made some noise, we looked back and her pole was bent. I grab the net, she fights the fish and pulled in a hybrid. It wasn’t huge but was a good sign. We had a little more activity on the flat lines, but nothing that took the shad, that was pretty much all the flat line activity for the evening.
As we fish the bank, we are catching quite a few bass, then I get a good size catfish, they seem to like the ned rig pretty good. This one was over 5 lbs, but as the daughter was trying to lip it with the lip grippers, the line broke (shoulda used the net). Kayleigh then gets bit and the fight is on. She is wrestling this thing pretty good and I was about to start chasing this one as line was screaming off of her reel, then it broke. She is a bit competitive and gets bummed out by that pretty good. I hoping that she gets another chance. She lands a nice smallmouth, then she starts another fight.
She had loosened the drag from the previous battle and this one is going much better. We use 8lbs test usually bass fishing so this is taking a minute to get to the boat. Finally, as she is getting wore out, it comes to the surface. Still being able to learn, I grab the net and we boat that feller. Not sure how big it was but a hefty cat was photographed and released. We ended up with around 9-10 fish that evening and I think we all had a good time.
Then on Sunday morning she asked if we could go fishing that afternoon. I told her you bet, but during the heat of the day, don’t get your hopes up. We went out and fished a few of the spots we like. The PB&J Ned Rig was doing the best, she boated a nice smallmouth, significantly bigger than the night before. I got a pic but not going to post that one. I caught a few, but we were tied at 3-3 and just about tired.
We had lost most of our Ned Rig hooks, they catch fish but also logs and rocks, so she was going to experiment with the pig and jig on the bait caster. She had never flipped one and was giving it a shot when she said I got one. She wheeled it in, lipped it, and was tickled to death. This one would have weighed, better than 15”, and she told me that was her first one on a baitcaster, a couple of times.
We had a blast this weekend, the wife caught a hybrid, the daughter beat her dad, and all of us smelled like fish when we went home. Making the memories and having a ball. Hope you got a chance to get out, God bless and have a great week.
19-20 July 2019
Sorry for the delay, this past weekend was sure hot, so Friday, I was going to introduce a friend of mine to fly fishing. He had never been and I have never really been taught, I typically just wing stuff. We headed up to the dam at South Holston River and fished a bit. We may have gotten a couple of bites, but apparently I did not have the correct flies. He enjoyed the fishing, probably would’ve enjoyed catching more, and will probably take him back soon.
Saturday was a hot one and I just needed to get out of the house for an hour or so. I headed over to the river for just a bit. I ended up going to an old honey hole I hadn’t fished in a while. I had just tied earlier a couple of new flies and decided to start with my #18 pheasant tail. This was a pretty good choice.
I started off on one side of the run and got a few bites, nothing big, but good warmups. A boat was coming down the river so I walked around my run to fish from the other side. After the boat past, I began casting in the same area, from a different side. Let me say the move was a good choice. I caught a small one, released, then made a few more cast. I got a good hookup, began pulling line with my hand, this fish started a nice run. He had gotten all my excess line out and began taking drag. I saw a flash in the water, it was a nice one, a guess is over 18” but not sure. The fight was on and after seeing the flash, my adrenaline was pumping. Shortly after the burst of energy, the fish released. I’m not sure what happened but it got away.
I was pumped and kept fishing. Shortly another hit came my way, I set the hook and began the fight. This one not pulling like the other, but it was still a good little fight. I got him up to my feet, he was right around 15”, but released as I was going to pick him up (I really should by a net). Things were looking really good for me and I was still getting bites.
I fished a while longer, maybe 1.5 hours total and ended up catching and releasing 3 small ones, missing and untold number, and fighting those two nice ones. For me, this is a great day with the fly rod. I waded out and headed to the house.
The boat this weekend was not in service as I didn’t want to get out in the heat or stay up too late, I know I am getting soft. I’m not hearing much about striper, but the bass were hitting on Boone a few weeks ago. I hope you had a chance to get out, Lord willing, we’ll talk to you next week.
13 July 2019
First off and apology, I did do a bit of fishing over the 4th of July, but did not do too well. The heat has become too much so I just hit the river for an hour or so, just to get out and about. It was fun, but only caught a couple.
However, this past weekend I was able to try the night life again. I had bought myself a black light. This one is 16’ and did not cost an arm and a leg. I had to get some 2 sided tape and run the wiring, but I put it down the length of one side of the boat. All this was complete by 6:00 on Friday, but I was about as done as the work.
Saturday, I worked on a rod weave and did a few chores and as it got closer to dark, we headed out on the water. I make my first cast and boom, immediately I got a hit, set the hook and pulled in a small but fun little feller. I wanted to think this was a good sign, but in the past, catching one on the first cast was not good luck.
Darkness started on us so I hooked up the black light. I was about as excited as I could be and I leaned over the edge, the light was working like a champ. The lip on the edge of the boat keeps me from having it in my eyes all night, but it did a good job of lighting up the line.
We fished a few banks and I think we ended up boating around 10. I had hooked a real nice one, it came to the surface, returned my hook to me and swam off. I’m thinking it was a hybrid or a really nice largemouth, probably a hybrid. Toward the end of the trip I got a bump, set the hook and the fight was on, and I wasn’t winning at first. Partner asked if I needed the net, I said yep, unless it’s a catfish, then we’ll just lip it, I was afraid of another loss from the other big one. This fish was battling and did not act like a catfish. I finally got it to the surface and it was a carp, a nice one. The Ned Rig will catch just about anything in the water by the way. I got the hook out, declined photo op, and released it. Then I asked, as much fun as those things are, why do I not fish for them more often? In all seriousness, that is a good question. I used to take the kids carp fishing, big, they fight, they are just fun to catch.
Oh well, I can’t answer all my questions, but I will remember that sometime, my try with the fly rod. Gonna try to take a buddy fly fishing this week, and might get to hit the lake this weekend. I hope you are getting out there. I am hearing nothing about striper, but I’m bout due to go after the big boys soon. Take care and God bless, enjoy this warm weather, football will be here before you know it.
