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Author Topic: Xrhino's xcellent fishing xcursions UPDATE 9/20: GILLS BUT NO CATS...(Pg 4)  (Read 15572 times)

xrhino

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Thought I'd better start my picture thread here...

We went fly fishing for smallies yesterday after work -- my absolute favorite.  We were wading in a little river about 10 miles outside of Madison.  Caught about twenty nice little smallies in 2.5 hours.  This guy was about the average.  He came on a deerhair popper that I bounced off that water level gauge in the background.


Then I got surprised by this largemouth while quartering a streamer under a downed Cottonwood.  There was no room in the chest pack for a tape, so I knew I wouldn't be entering a tourney fish.  I guess I should make room from now on because I really wanted to measure this fish.  I marked her length on the rod and measured when I got back to the car.  Somewhere between 20-22" I think.  Would've been nice to get her before she spawned.  She bit on an conehead magnum double bunny - chinchilla and white.  My best bass on a fly.




Say "aahhh"


We had scattered storms last night and this morning.  Here's a cool shot from the drive home.


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Pikeguy

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It's about time you got a picture thread going bud! Great pics and that's an excellent Bass...must have been a blast on the fly rod. WTFG ;D :D

Slimechaser

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Looks like a good day fishin'! Nice bass man!

What's in the hydration pack on your back? Don't even say it's aqua!
Rockbass - not just another pretty fish!
Got nymph?         I do!

xrhino

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Looks like a good day fishin'! Nice bass man!

What's in the hydration pack on your back? Don't even say it's aqua!

The bladder was empty because this was only a short trip and the temps were only in the low eighties, I think.  That thing has been a godsend on day-long wades in the nineties.  Filled with, I'm sorry to admit, nothing but ice in the morning. :'(

I has however been filled with considerably stronger libations on "excursions" to Lambeau and Camp Randall. 8)
Pain is weakness leaving the body.



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xrhino

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Re: Xrhino's xcellent fishing xcursions UPDATE: MORE FLYROD BASS
« Reply #4 on: Jul 07, 2006, 11:50 AM »
I haven't been posting much here because I've pretty much been doing the same thing most nights.  Smallies on the fly are my favorite and I've been sticking to it with good success.  Last night was more of the same, but just about as perfect as you could ask for.  Worth another update.

The smallies in this spot average somewhere between 14-17" with the occasional 20".  I know there are 5+ pounders in the lakes that this river runs between, but I'm still hoping to run across one in this smaller water.  I posted yesterday about a dink smallie jumping out of the water to hit the fly as it rocketed past on the false cast return.  This happened twice more last night.  It still amazes me that they can even come close to it.

I got there around 6:30 and fished well past dark.  It's very cool to fish topwaters alone on the river after dark.  Not too good for the heart when they hit, but it keeps you awake ;D

I lost count after twenty or so fish.  They were VERY aggressive and easy to get on top.  I might have gotten as many as double that, not sure.  Nor do I really care.  It was just awesome to be part of such a memorable night.  Wading/stumbling back downstream in the dark is not may favorite activity, but it was well worth it.

I obviously didn't take pics of all the fish, but I think my bass thumb speaks for itself.

Here's the result of the first cast -- white and chartreuse Whitlock style deerhair popper


The requisite surprise largemouth -- olive and black Dahlberg diver


As you can see, I'm obviously not a photographer.  I thought I'd try to make his fins glow against the sunset.  Came out alright I guess.



There were no lip hooks.  If they wanted it, they made sure they got it.


Long wade home


Night fishing rules, aside from the stumbling on submerged boulders every eight steps.


I love the "bass thumb"


Headed out to Lake Michigan this weekend.  Hopefully I'll be able to finally get some different pics.
Lucas
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crowkiller

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Re: Xrhino's xcellent fishing xcursions UPDATE: MORE FLYROD BASS
« Reply #5 on: Jul 07, 2006, 11:54 AM »
with a thumb like that you had a great day of fishing WTG
OR      [IMG]

Pikeguy

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Re: Xrhino's xcellent fishing xcursions UPDATE: MORE FLYROD BASS
« Reply #6 on: Jul 07, 2006, 11:56 AM »
Jebus man! What a great bunch of trips and what a wrecked thumb. I gotta get out and get a thumb like that  ;D

BAZOOKAJOE

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Re: Xrhino's xcellent fishing xcursions UPDATE: MORE FLYROD BASS
« Reply #7 on: Jul 07, 2006, 12:02 PM »
with a thumb like that you had a great day of fishing WTG

I agree!!   ;D :rotflol:

xrhino

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Re: Xrhino's xcellent fishing xcursions UPDATE: MORE FLYROD BASS
« Reply #8 on: Jul 07, 2006, 01:40 PM »
Sounds like another nice night out for you.  I'm going to do some topwater bucketmouth fishing after work tonight down at the "bass pond".   I'm hoping for a good evening topwater bite.  8)
I'm hoping for you too.  I'll send you some good topwater mojo brainwaves.  :pinch: :pinch:
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wny angler

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Re: Xrhino's xcellent fishing xcursions UPDATE: MORE FLYROD BASS
« Reply #9 on: Jul 07, 2006, 01:58 PM »
nice fish on the fly rod- my thumb and fingers look just like that after lipping cats all day.

xrhino

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We got out on Lake Michigan on Saturday and Sunday.  In a normal year we would've been fishing for more than a month now, but the weather and various mechanical problems have been conspiring against us.  The planets finally aligned and let us out of the harbor.

A few of the bigger tourneys start in the upcoming weeks so we really needed to get some fish, both to boost confidence and to start building a pattern.  We were successful on both accounts.  We launched at 4:00 am and had our limit of cohos and chinooks by 8:30 on Sat.  That's not exactly burning them up, but it was good for the confidence.  We had a couple doubles and one triple in which we were able to land all but one fish.  It was good to get the "boat dance" back -- passing rods, going over and under each other, talking through crossed lines, not getting hyper, we hadn't gotten to practice that stuff since last September.

Sunrise on Saturday


We lost count and had to dump the cooler.  Here's 13 out of our limit of 15


I was lucky enough to get to the dipsey rod first on the big fish of the day.  A decent king, and my first of the year.



I love it when they barely fit in the cooler


Here's the total catch and my longtime boat partners Kirk and Steve.


The cleaning station was PACKED.  Nobody else was even close to a limit.  That's a good feeling going into a tournament.  We were more that a mile from the popular spots and I don't think anyone saw us, which is an even better feeling.  8)


Now I know this is going to surprise some of you, but since we finished so fast in the morning, we decided to take the afternoon and fly fish for some smallies.  We went to a sweet little Lake Michigan tributary that I haven't been to since my rock skipping and frog chasing days.  We didn't get any fish but it was fun to return to my childhood stomping grounds.  It was also good to see that this little river is still in fine shape.  It would've been nicer to land a few smallies, but who can complain after the morning we had.


On Sunday morning we decided to fish in the more popular spots, both to check them out and to cover our tracks from Saturday.  We caught about half as many smaller fish.

It was a melee out there with boats crossing each other and spooling each other's rods.  I think I heard some new words on the radio.   :nono: The auto pilot took a dump and by the time we realized we were going in a circle, half of our lines were tangled.  After a few hours of trying to fix it, it looks like it might be something on one of the circuit boards by the motor.  I gave it to friend who builds and repairs circuit boards at work.  He said he'd take a look. :cursing:  It will suck to not have next weekend if we start getting into doubles and triples again :unsure:  The coolest part of Sunday morning was when we almost got boarded by pirates.  ;)  This tall ship appeared out of the fog right after sunrise.  I had my eye out for Kiera Knightley, but she was nowhere to be found. ;D
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Pikeguy

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Looks like you had an awesome weekend! Congrats and great pics  ;)

Grimace

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Thats awesome.   Loved the sunrise photo with the rods, great fish, loved the fly fishing with smallies pic with the canoe on a line.   and then at the end you treated us with the tallship.    Great pics man.

flockshot

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good to see a fellow bass on the fly angler around these parts...hella nice fish as well man...good job.
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"Rockbass are great..but the meats a little soft."

GAMBELL

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Nice pics from Lake Michigan.  Looks like my weekend on Lake Ontario.  What port did you fish out of?  What was your biggest fish?

 



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