Fishing Forum

With the three day holiday weekend coming up, I wanted to be on the river on Friday before the weekend fishermen hit the water. I figured to catch up on the chores while others were catching the catfish over the weekend.

I fished until noon above Marsing and had a great time. It was a little cool to start, but otherwise the weather was beautiful. The cold front had cleared the skies and they were so blue it almost hurt your eyes. The smallmouth were biting on spinnerbaits and Flukes throughout the drift.

At one point I noted a small eddy alongside some bull rushes and thought it looked like an ideal spot for a nice fish to lurk. I made the perfect cast and was rewarded with a terrific boil and the power of a nice smallie. After dragging it out of the grass a couple of times I boated this dandy 19" fish.

This was another fish on a nose hooked Fluke, which has been a good producer this season.

As I continued my dift, I noted this great blue heron, and decided that he must be resting after a fish or frog dinner, for he never could have speared a fish from the top of that old unknown iron piece. He watched me float closer then finally took off for a new site. Just to the right of his resting spot I tied into another hard fighting smallie, which went 16", and came into the boat covered with grass from a dive into the dense cover. This is one of the main reasons I use braided line.

I continued down picking up fish in most likely spots until I reached my starting spot, where I loaded the boat and was home in time to take my wife out for lunch. My counter showed 22 smallmouth during my 4 hour drift, with quite a few in the 14-15" range, along with the two larger ones.

I had expected to see other fishermen during the morning since it was the day before the holiday weekend, but I had the river to myself. It was an extremely pleasant start to the weekend.
[signature]

As usual great report and pics.

Windriver
[signature]

That's awesome!! Wish I could be there.

Replacing siding on the house and painting. No fishing for a while. [:/]
[signature]

sounds like a blast !
[signature]

Nice fish Phil!

I tried a white fluke this weekend at Strike with no luck. Went to a tube bait & 1/4 oz jig head and started picking them up in a little deeper water.
[signature]

[quote hulapopper]sounds like a blast ![/quote]


I hope you meant this for Smartweed cause what I am doing is far from a blast. More like a pain in the... um...back, arms, legs...........[crazy]
[signature]

[quote forgiven]Nice fish Phil!

I tried a white fluke this weekend at Strike with no luck. Went to a tube bait & 1/4 oz jig head and started picking them up in a little deeper water.[/quote]

A watermelon or watermelon red fluke with the tail dipped in chartreuse garlic Spike-it works the best for me at CJ.
[signature]

sorry bassinbob ! i ment to say sounds like fun smartweed ![fishin] no siding and painting arent fun. maybe you can pull some of the siding down with a 1/2 oz jig and your flippin' stick !
[signature]

Are you fishing your fluke weightless?
[signature]

I use to but was missing too many bites. So I use a mojo weight about a foot above the fluke. Size depends on the wind. I just seem to get a better feel with the weight.
[signature]

Sounds like a good idea!!! The condition they were in, it probably would've worked.

I had to replace 5 4X8 panels where the sun hit the side of the garage. Class action suit on these OSB panels but of course I didn't find out until after the suit was settled.

Just finished up with those and now prepping the house for paint.

I'm so excited...........NOT!! [unimpressed]
[signature]

I should point out that I am fishing my Flukes in fast moving water that is usually less than 5' deep. My belief is that I need to present a bait that is easily seen by the fish, as they have a very short time to attack. They do not get to examine the bait, for it is gone downstream in seconds. Therefore, my favorite colors are pearl and bubblegum.

I'm sure that Bob has good color and method suggestions for fishing reservoirs like Strike. I have no experience fishing Flukes in Strike.
[signature]

Smartweed, thanks for another interesting post and information on Snake River smallmouth techniques.

I'm thinking the heron on the drum may be a Black-crowned Night-Heron in juvenile plummage.

Thanks again, Dave
[signature]

[quote SmartWeed]I should point out that I am fishing my Flukes in fast moving water that is usually less than 5' deep. My belief is that I need to present a bait that is easily seen by the fish, as they have a very short time to attack. They do not get to examine the bait, for it is gone downstream in seconds. Therefore, my favorite colors are pearl and bubblegum.

I'm sure that Bob has good color and method suggestions for fishing reservoirs like Strike. I have no experience fishing Flukes in Strike.[/quote]

That sounds reasonable. You are probably right, the results speak for themselves!
[signature]

Dave, I think that heron photo is misleading. Here he is as he was about to take off:


I was thinking about pearl Flukes while fishing this morning and I doubt that smallmouth care whether the Fluke is pearl or black. They usually hit it or reject it in seconds. It is the fisherman who cares and the confidence you have in a bait. Being an old geezer, I can see a pearl Fluke and what it is doing in the water much easier than any other color.
[signature]

Great blue heron it is. Thanks for the picture.

Lure color is no matter? Ever walk the aisles at Cabela's? []
[signature]

cabella's ! i can't believe they still have those 15" rubber fish on the shelf who is buying those ????
[signature]

Went out yesterday and fished from 4:30 to dark...we caught around 25 Smallies on topwater floating above marsing....probably going to go this morning as well around 11 ish...wanted to go earlier but too much going on...Also made a trip to arrowrock a few days ago and did ok...fished afternoon til dark and caught around 30...noticed that only eastern facing walls produced any fish...all others although they looked awesome produced NOTHING...so apparantly east walls are the thing...caught a nice beast the other day...21 incher weighed about 6 lbs. super fat and mean as hell...
[signature]

Good eye on the night heron... agree
Superb report Smartweed. I envy your small mouth skills.
Ah... didn't see the updated pic... GB heron. First one definitely looked like a night heron.
[signature]

good going jimbo ! nice to hear the bass are doing well at arrowrock. i used to fish there often. i also enjoyed the huge squawfish action
[signature]