TOXIC

It’s been a tough year for me as well. The Potomac river has been off and stayed that way all summer. My trip to Wisconsin that I make every year was terrible. It was horribly hot and the mosquitoes were the size of sparrows so night fishing was not even a consideration. Our annual boyz trip to Michigan’s lake st Clair was a no go due to COVID but I did sneak up for a little brown fish action. Weather is starting to turn here in Virginia but I’ve still got options. Until it gets totally frigid, the Rappahonock river has been very fun to fish and is awesome for multi species. The Potomac is getting ready to fill my freezer with crappie as soon as the temp drops a little more and I have access to 3,000 acres of nuclear power plant cooling lake that we fish all winter and it has taught me how much fun vertical jigging spoons and silver buddies are. So I guess even in the tough years, it still better than sitting on the couch.?

Meant to say consistency. Of course they all want to win, they are competitive but it’s much more important to be consistent and cash checks if you want to stay in the game. Least wise that’s what the pros on the old elite series that I used to talk to would say. It is like asking which is more important, winning Angler of the Year or the Classic?

On all of the “pro” tours, winning isn’t the goal. Consistently is. The only time winning is the goal is single events like the classic or the cup.

Went out to the Rappahonock River Wednesday in the pouring rain and threw cranks, neds and sliders. My most productive was the slider with one of 3 baits......a 3 inch Senko, a 4 inch Senko and a 5 inch Pro Senko. No big surprises there huh??. Too many floating leaves for a crank and I would upgrade to the 4 inch Senko if we were on a current heavy bank and use the 3 inch in eddys and slack water. Caught a little bit of everything largemouth, smallmouth, crappie, blue gills. Of course I am a finesse fisherman 99% of the time.

Got out Saturday to check the Crappie honey holes and caught a few. They haven’t moved in yet and we’re still deep in their summer holes. Boat traffic was pretty heavy with everyone trying to get a few last trips in. Will be heading out again Wednesday this time on the Rappahonock instead of the Potomac.

What seems to be an easy topic really isn’t. There are a lot of factors that go into cold weather gear and are individual to the person buying it. For example I have a picture of my fishing partner and I on the same boat at lake st Clair. He is on the front deck with flannel lined fishing pants and 3 shirts. I am on the back deck in shorts and a hooded sweatshirt over a long sleeved t shirt. Do you think we have the same taste in cold weather gear?? In freezing weather, I can get away with a couple of layers under a Bass Pro, Pro Qualifier gortex lined bibs and jacket. He goes with the Cabelas Guidewear which is much heavier and likewise more insulating. If I am going to be in the really nasty stuff, I have a Bass Pro 100mph suit that I switch to. Now they have the 200mph suit that supposedly is lighter and warmer. Another consideration is how much activity you plan on doing in your gear. The more you move the warmer you will be and that is why ice fishing gear is normally heavier. Plus the fact you are not casting and don’t need the range of motion thinner gear gives. I hate to muddy the water but it’s not as simple as it sounds. ?

Going out to check the Crappie honey holes to see if they are moving in. Will not keep any until the water temp drops and we have our first hard freeze.

For good table fare, we have a relative newcomer that is delicious and provides a lot of meat.

Funny, my daughter and I were just talking about going out for a crappie trip here in the near future. For those that think crappie is “mushy” you have to catch them after the water cools off. Preferably after the first hard freeze. My daughter is a picky eater but she loves crappie. As for freshwater fish, I have had most everything that swims. I grew up eating carp sandwiches from Joe Tess’ restaurant in Omaha. I had shore lunch in Canada cooked by our Indian guide of pike and walleye. I had catfish nuggets fixed by a fine southern lady that were delicious. I’ve had smallmouth and largemouth but I’m not a regular eater of them. If I am going to keep fish for the fryer and freezer that I can catch locally, it’s snakehead, crappie, bluegill, white perch, ring perch, Catfish (if from a clean water source), striper and walleye/sauger (usually stocked because I am pretty far south in their range but we catch them in Michigan when we go). DNR puts creel size and number limits on bass for a reason. They know what a body of water can handle as far as catch and keep. I just don’t really like the taste of largemouth.

Couple of things to remember about bunks. With a tin rig make sure if you use wood that it is not pressure treated. At least with the older pressure treated it would corrode the tin boats. When I redid my wood/carpeted bunks on my Ranger trailer, I pulled the boat on the bunks before I tightened them down to make sure they went flush and had no high spots. I got a little wet but it was worth it.

Reaching the limit of my comprehension level as well. Many I know are going to a 5th stand alone battery for all the accessories. With 16 inch screens, Multiple units, downs scan, side scan, 3D imaging, hydro wave, stereo and on and on, it’s just too much for 1 battery when you add in starting the big motor.

Since I last posted there’s a new twist to the battery saga. Btw, I am still running my same setup with an Sears PM1 AGM for my starting battery and 3 big wet cells for my trolling. I did put a Minkota charger in my boat that has the AGM profile so no more portable charger needed. They have been flawless. One thing to remember is that some of the older motors should not be hooked up to an AGM for a starting battery. Something to do with frying the stator or rectifier. Now for the new twist. I have a good buddy who likes to be on top of the electronics game and has the latest and greatest. He bought some LION brand lithium batteries For his trolling motor and the new Power Pole Charge battery charger. Big investment. He was running out of juice On his AGM starting battery which has never happened. After a lot of digging and correspondence between Power Pole and LION it was discovered that the lithium’s have an internal circuit that stops the charger when they are charged and the new Power Pole Charge pulls juice while on the water and sends it to any battery in the 4 bank system that shows low. Because the batteries were trying to control the charge and not the charger, it was drawing from the AGM starting battery throughout the day trying to send juice to the lithium’s. Complicated I know but he is not getting a good response from LION. The second issue I have heard using lithiums is that the new trolling motors are burning up because they are not designed to take the full power load that lithiums put out for a longer time than AGM or wet cells that trail off gradually.

Just for reference, don’t be afraid of small hooks. A friend of mine pours his own Ned rigs and uses trout hooks. I have caught 4lb fighting smallmouth and the behemoth pictured below on the Ned with 6lb test mono.

After a little checking for just the US, it’s not that uncommon after all. Worldwide rivers like the Nile are also included. Deschutes Oregon, 250 miles Eel Northern California, 78 miles Fox Wisconsin, 200 miles Genesee New York, 144 miles Jordan Utah, 45 miles Little Bighorn, Wyoming and Montana, 80 miles Mojave Southern California, 100 miles Monongahela, 128 miles New Virginia and West Virginia, 255 miles Niagara Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, 39 miles (On border with Canada) Oswego New York, 24 miles Otter Creek Vermont, 75 miles Pend Oreille Washington, 62 miles Red Minnesota, North Dakota (into Canada) 318 miles Saginaw Michigan, 20 miles Saint Johns Florida, 275 miles San Pedro (Mexico into) Arizona, 142 miles Shennandoah Virginia and West Virginia, 55 miles Willamette Oregon, 188 miles Wallkill New Jersey and New York, 88 miles Youghiogheny PA etc 151 miles Google is your friend

The St Johns River in Florida flows south to north. It is also more fresh in the south and salty in the north. Messed me up for a long time fishing there.

For those that steady retrieve or swim it back, do you use the TRD baits? I thought the main reason for using them is that they float and stand up when the bait is on the bottom? If you retrieve it there is no reason for it to float correct?

When I lived in Jacksonville on the St Johns River in Mandarin, we had a pond on the property that gators would move into. I think it was because there were also Nutria in the pond as well. Occasionally small gators would get into the pool. The big boys lived out in the river. Had a friend catch a 13 foot gator out of Cresent lake. Lots of good eating.

I used to be a dropshot freak and never left home without one tied up. Deadly presentation in a lot of different conditions. I will have to admit that I share what used to be strictly dropshot time with a Ned rig now.

SPRO Little John squarebills on crystal clear Lake St Clair Re deadly for smallies and walleyes........and most everything else that swims in there. ??

It’s been a tough year. Sorry for your loss.

We got some heavy rains here in Virginia with about the same temps. Pic is of clear water from a spring fed creek mixing with river water. We caught them good in the mud line with Ned rigs.

It was weird on the hotside. Not all points with grass produced. Had to be the right side off the creeks and the grass had to be in the right depth (10-12ft). We also graphed a lot of fish on the deep humps in pool 2. We caught them last year with spoons and blade baits.

Hard to classify this as a report but my fishing partner and I got out for 2 days straight on 2 different bodies of water and totally different techniques to catch multiple species here in Virginia. Day 1 was the Rappahonock River after a fair amount of rain the night before and strong lunar tides. We launched out of Hopyard Landing and ran upriver until we hit the solid mud. Fished our way back and a ways past Hopyard downriver. The Snakehead were liking the Ned rig for some reason. Bass were on the Senko pretty good. Outgoing tide was the best. Day 2 we went to the hot side of Lake Anna and had a banner day. I didn’t put the Ned down all day and between the 2 of us we had 60 fish. My partner was rigged with the ZMan plastic and as usual, I was rigged with the Yamamoto Pro Senko. Fish were stacked on deep grass points up in the bigger creeks. Great 2 days of fishing.

It’s a tournament rule that you are required to wear a pfd anytime the big motor is running. As for when they are fishing and on the trolling motor, it’s optional. I fish big rough bodies of water and I usually shed my pfd to fish. I don’t use an inflatable but prefer the full vest type of pfd, especially in the winter and big water. If the water is rough enough to knock that experience level of fishermen off their decks, then I would wager they shouldn’t be out at all.

Don’t discount the value of the reaction bite and what I call the oddball bait. Neither of which match the hatch. A reaction bite is just that and works well when bass are not actively feeding or there is an abundance of forage. Ever notice how most of the pros put an “oddball” bait on an a-rig? And that is the bait that gets bit. Works the same with single baits as well. Whether it is contrasting colors or size, the oddball will get bit.