Hit the Little Patuxent today for the first time in awhile. I caught four fish -- two smallmouth, a sunfish and a failfish, but I walked away licking my wounds.
The water was really low and clear. It seems this year has been plagued by bouts of rainstorms and raised water levels (especially the Potomac). Now the river water is steady like it's customary to see in early July.
The first fish of the evening was a redbreast sunfish on the trusty Heddon Zara Puppy. The fish managed to get its mouth around all three treble hooks on the tail of the lure. It took awhile to get it out with me putting the fish in the water three or four times, but I finally managed to get it free.
The sunfish were especially feisty with packs of them chasing lures on several occasions throughout this venture. After the first sunfish, I threatened them by saying, "I'm going to keep every single one of you."
A little while later while tossing a Reaction Innovations Little Dipper, I saw a fish that looked like a smallmouth, and I cast the swimbait in the fish's general direction. It was moving slowly upriver hugging the bottom and ignored the lure. I cast again and had a hit! Woohoo, caught a smallmouth!
Nope, it wasn't a smallmouth. It was a failfish. And that's why I call them failfish. I still think I saw a bass but the failfish got in the way.
A little bit later, I had a decent strike on the swimbait, and as I reeled the fish in, I could see the telltale lateral line of a largemouth bass. Not very big, but a little bonus considering they are much rarer to find in the river. But the fish managed to get off the hook. The fish sat there brooding on the bottom of the river and actually went after the swimbait on two more casts but didn't get hooked.
On to another spot where I was standing on a steep bank and could see fish chasing my lures, I was getting the fish to go after the Zara Puppy and the swimbait with equal interest. Nothing could clamp on though. Twice it looked like a bass had inhaled the swimbait, but when I set the hook, the lure popped out each time.
Finally on one cast, I saw a smallmouth come out of nowhere and slam the swimbait. It stayed on, and I reeled it in and hoisted it up the bank. It was an easy 12 inches. No picture, though, because when I removed the hook, the fish wiggled and freed itself ... into a thicket of weeds and thorny vines at my feet. I tried grabbing the fish, but it wiggled itself further into the green mess. Finally I got a hold of the fish and just tossed it back in the water.
A couple other spots downriver, I had one bite. Then I moved to another spot that I had only fished once before. On the first cast straight out, I had a bite. Again, this was up on a steep bank where I could see pretty clearly into the water.
After a few more casts back to that area with nothing, I cast downriver and brought the swimbait parallel to the bank. As the lure was wobbling through the water, I saw a smallmouth bass come out from a downed log and swim a few feet in front of me. And it was a NICE fish. It paid no attention to the Little Dipper, but then I cast it out again so the lure was more in front of the fish. And it hammered it! It was a good fight because the fish tried to head back under the log. This was on my medium-light St. Croix Avid X rod, so even smaller fish can give an impressive tug.
I hoisted the fish out of the water, and it was easily 14 inches, maybe more. But then it thrashed, unhooked itself and barrel-rolled down the bank into the water. I guess when the fish finds his buddy from upriver, they will have interesting stories to tell.
I moved on to some rocks just below this section and made a cast upriver. What I didn't see was a tree branch way up high over the water, and swimbait went sailing through and landed in the water. I tried to get the fishing line free, but it wasn't happening. So I reeled the lure in and yanked the fishing rod. The lure was stuck. I kept pulling and pulling and finally gave a big tug, and the lure came free.
I use small "darter" jigheads for the Reaction Innovations swimbaits. The head looks like a small bullet. When the lure came off the branch, that bullet shape found my left index finger. Instant pain and blood everywhere. Lots of blood -- my hand was half red. It reminded me of when I cut my hand when I was about 17 -- coincidentally, while fishing. That time I was walking down a rocky bank, reached over with my left hand to steady myself, then wondered why my hand was wet. I looked down, and it was covered in blood. A rock or something had cut three of my fingers, and I needed stitches.
This didn't look quite that bad -- just one slice on my finger, but I gathered my stuff and headed back to the truck. Thankfully, I had waded/hiked/ambled far enough where I was parked, and there is a first aid kit inside the truck. Alcohol pad, then a band-aid, but it still hurt really good for awhile.
The water was really low and clear. It seems this year has been plagued by bouts of rainstorms and raised water levels (especially the Potomac). Now the river water is steady like it's customary to see in early July.
The first fish of the evening was a redbreast sunfish on the trusty Heddon Zara Puppy. The fish managed to get its mouth around all three treble hooks on the tail of the lure. It took awhile to get it out with me putting the fish in the water three or four times, but I finally managed to get it free.
The sunfish were especially feisty with packs of them chasing lures on several occasions throughout this venture. After the first sunfish, I threatened them by saying, "I'm going to keep every single one of you."
A little while later while tossing a Reaction Innovations Little Dipper, I saw a fish that looked like a smallmouth, and I cast the swimbait in the fish's general direction. It was moving slowly upriver hugging the bottom and ignored the lure. I cast again and had a hit! Woohoo, caught a smallmouth!
Nope, it wasn't a smallmouth. It was a failfish. And that's why I call them failfish. I still think I saw a bass but the failfish got in the way.
A little bit later, I had a decent strike on the swimbait, and as I reeled the fish in, I could see the telltale lateral line of a largemouth bass. Not very big, but a little bonus considering they are much rarer to find in the river. But the fish managed to get off the hook. The fish sat there brooding on the bottom of the river and actually went after the swimbait on two more casts but didn't get hooked.
 |
| Can't ever resist this section. Never caught a fish here, though. |
Finally on one cast, I saw a smallmouth come out of nowhere and slam the swimbait. It stayed on, and I reeled it in and hoisted it up the bank. It was an easy 12 inches. No picture, though, because when I removed the hook, the fish wiggled and freed itself ... into a thicket of weeds and thorny vines at my feet. I tried grabbing the fish, but it wiggled itself further into the green mess. Finally I got a hold of the fish and just tossed it back in the water.
 |
| I was hitting the trees pretty good today. This time, it turned out OK freeing the lure. The next time, though ... |
After a few more casts back to that area with nothing, I cast downriver and brought the swimbait parallel to the bank. As the lure was wobbling through the water, I saw a smallmouth bass come out from a downed log and swim a few feet in front of me. And it was a NICE fish. It paid no attention to the Little Dipper, but then I cast it out again so the lure was more in front of the fish. And it hammered it! It was a good fight because the fish tried to head back under the log. This was on my medium-light St. Croix Avid X rod, so even smaller fish can give an impressive tug.
I hoisted the fish out of the water, and it was easily 14 inches, maybe more. But then it thrashed, unhooked itself and barrel-rolled down the bank into the water. I guess when the fish finds his buddy from upriver, they will have interesting stories to tell.
I moved on to some rocks just below this section and made a cast upriver. What I didn't see was a tree branch way up high over the water, and swimbait went sailing through and landed in the water. I tried to get the fishing line free, but it wasn't happening. So I reeled the lure in and yanked the fishing rod. The lure was stuck. I kept pulling and pulling and finally gave a big tug, and the lure came free.
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| Cleanup on aisle three! |
This didn't look quite that bad -- just one slice on my finger, but I gathered my stuff and headed back to the truck. Thankfully, I had waded/hiked/ambled far enough where I was parked, and there is a first aid kit inside the truck. Alcohol pad, then a band-aid, but it still hurt really good for awhile.
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