Jmurphy87

That’s what I was thinking too lol, sometimes you don’t have the scale when it happens. But you just know, sometimes I think if we quit chasing numbers we would be happier. I mean we are catching fish and that’s all that matters in reality, everything else comes in the correct location and timing.

Thank you, I still have a long ways to go and more to learn than I possibly can in my lifetime. But in the meantime I am going to have fun and keep at it.

Well I was off work today, wife had a doctors appointment and the car is going in to get checked out tomorrow. So I took 2 vacation days, it’s sad that I have to make a appointment to get my vehicle looked at when I know that it’s the lower ball joint, oh well if the warranty covers it I am fine with that. I was teaching my wife about fishing the river and where to cast. I decided to bring my daughters spinning rod, ugly stick gx2 medium action. I chose that cause I already had a Ned rig on it, a 1/16 Ned lock z with a trd craw in watermelon red. The reel was a daiwa regalis or something, the purple one lol. I have 15lb j braid on it, chartreuse color. first small largemouth came parallel to the rock wall, the smallmouth came about 15-20 feet in front of the pylon. I saw the line running with the largemouth, the smallie I just felt a tap and reeled in some slack and felt the tension and set the hook. I was hoping for a decent smallie today to show her, where to cast and how to fish it. Along with watching your line. I don’t know how much it weighed because I didn’t bring my tackle bag, just one rod and a single Ned rig. Not too bad for less than 15 minutes. My last pb smallie was 2.12lbs, this one seemed bigger than that. I used my arm to measure it and when I got home that part of my arm is a little bit over 18 inches. The thing took up all of that, tried to get the wife to hold it but she wouldn’t. Because it came out of the Kalamazoo river lol, I don’t care either way I am holding a fish. At least I got her in a picture with a decent one. Now she needs to show me that she can catch one like that, then the next lesson will begin.

No problem, I figure it will help someone out one way or another. I look at it as a piece that helps add perspective to the story as we tell them. This way you can feel like you’re there.

I got out this afternoon around 1:50pm, I was planning on fishing a small pond that I had not been to in a week or so. I have been seeing more and more people there recently than the past 2 years, not sure what to make of it but oh well. I always hit the river before I get to the pond, I mean it’s right on the way there and why not. I started off pitching past a rock outcropping that normally holds fish, nothing. I then thought about how it’s been warmer than it has been all this past week long. Temperatures between 85-90, decided to throw out towards the deeper water a little ways ahead of the pylon. Bingo, felt the tap and set the hook and got a nice little 2lb smallie. Bait was a 1/4 oz strike king tungsten football swinghead jig with a owner 3/0 j hook along with a black and blue bandito big. I then snuck the back way into the pond, this way I don’t have to walk past the only shady spot on the pond. Much to my dismay the water level was a couple feet lower than normal so a lot of the structure was not even in the water. I kept at it with the same bait that I caught the smallie on but no takers. I had a couple blow up on it when I was dragging it across the top of the weed mats but they never grabbed it. I then decided to change baits, I went with a weightless super fluke in Houdini on a 3/0 hook. I figured that I might get more action. I caught one tiny one and was ready to go, I was tired of picking the cotton off of my line and fighting with that. I stayed a little longer and caught another tiny one and left skunk free. I then decided to go to spring valley to throw the fluke because it is also very weedy but hard to catch much there. I was in one of the spots that I know of. Looked like most of the other spots were occupied from my vantage point, plus a couple kayaks out fishing also. This place is slammed with people fishing it most of the time. Less than 10 minutes I caught one working it back next to the brush in the water. I told myself that’s good enough for me, difficult fishery and less than 10 minutes is a victory. they were not big fish by far but I earned every one of them with my knowledge of the spots and also knowing where the fish are holding throughout the year at these places. This is what drives me, to be able to go places where people fish but don’t catch many and catch them consistently is a start. We can work on size latter, patterns, locations and weather are the things that we can use as tools to stack the odds in our favor.

I was struggling with the same thing with the mag 2 the other day, I upped the weight to trigger more of a reaction strike. It worked on the mag 2, it’s worth a shot. My next idea is using a 7/0 worm hook to get the point back closer to the tail, will try that when I get a chance. I love the rage craws, and craws in general they are one of my favorite confidence baits they work everywhere.

I got out today and caught 3, no pics. Phone was in the car. Biggest small fish of the day came on the second cast, around 15 inches. Next small one came about 15 minutes later. I was using a d-bomb in hillbilly magic with a 1/4 tungsten bullet weight and a chartreuse glass bead with a brass clacker. I just re spooled my tat 80 with 10lb big game, I thought the reel was acting weird with the braid on it so I stripped it off. When the local shop put the braid on there backing knot was non existent lol. The backing just came right off the arbor with no sign of a knot at all. The reel was great after I put mono on it, last one came on a z man goat in green pumpkin blue. It was windy out there but with the mono I still felt pretty darn connected to my bait. I definitely feel better about my tat 80 now and that’s a good thing.

She catches quality and quantity like no tomorrow, but she puts in the work to get them and she is fishing very good water also. But I always give credit to those who are skilled and she is definitely very skilled and smart.

I am happy to hear that you are fine, fishing is always a adventure. You never really know what all you are in for when the day starts. Figuring out what they want and how they want it is the other fun part. At least you didn’t lose any gear that would have really been a bummer. I look forward to hearing about how many you catch in a day out of there later this year ?

I got to go out to the lake again today, I was constantly at work thinking about how the fish were short striking the ribbon tail worm yesterday. I knew that the reaction bite is hot currently, my solution is add a bigger bullet weight to give them less time to stare at it. It worked, I caught six or more slightly larger dinks today on the ribbon tail. Success, I tried my other idea also and caught two on a baby paca craw in sungill with a 3/8 bullet weight. I even caught a decent little one on it, just under 3lbs at 2.92lbs. I then caught a couple on a perch of flat 6 crank, I also had a long skinny fish jump over my top water lure. I think that I did ok.

Well I got out today and caught around 15 in a hour, no size at all really. I got one decent one probably 1.5-2lbs, not what I am looking for. But it’s the biggest one that I have pulled out so far this year. All caught on a salty super fluke in Houdini on a 2/0 owner haymaker hook. I didn’t bother with pictures since I was waste deep in muck in my swimming trunks lol, still have not bought new waders. I had a few more hits later on a ribbon tail worm, they were not eating it good enough to stick them with a hook though. They were just biting the tail lol. I finally caught some fish on a fluke so I am happy. The wife caught one also.

Got out today to recon the lake for the family, all dinks. There’s really big fish of all species in here, bluegill, sunfish, bass, gar pike. This is the lake that I caught my pb out of multiple times. I was fishing and they were biting, that’s a great day in my book. My conquest 844c mbr is proving itself to be the do all rod that I needed. Baits of the day, weightless wacky rig, owner jig rig, lv500, weightless fluke and something else that I am probably forgetting. I was surprised to see the tiny fish on the treble hook of the lv500, that’s the first time I ever pulled that one off.

I got out a few more times the past few days. I went Thursday for a hour and got skunked lol. I fished the river for a hour in allegan and caught a decent small pike probably 26 inches on top water, I was using a chrome shower blow 105 walking it fast and got within 20 feet of the bank and couldn’t see due to the sun and heard the explosion and set the hook and thought I had a good size smallie. Nope pike got it right beside the bank and tried to lift it up and he got beached and flailing and threw the shower blow back at me. I didn’t get hit, he slowly worked his way back in to the water, no pic of that one. I got out yesterday and caught a few small large mouth, got bit off by a pike because I seemed to have misplaced my titanium leader. Then on my way back to the car I checked a spot in the river where I know the smallmouth hide and saw one swimming. I sneak down to the bank and make a pitch and I was off, second one was perfect. I am looking at the fish and I don’t think it sees me, slowly working it back and come over the rock and it just smashes it. A decent little fish. I bought my wife her fishing license and took her and my daughter out to the lake where we buy the annual pass. My wife caught the only fish there and my daughter let it go before we got a picture of it lol. I am happy, my family should be happy now and things are sort of getting better in areas so that’s a start that I will take.

I had a hour to fish, wanted to catch one on a spinner bait. I only caught a small pike on that. I missed this bass a first time. Never swung, pitched back there again felt a small tap and swung, little fella put up a nice fight. Bait of the day was a zoom z craw in black light on a 5/0 owner jig rig hook. The pond is starting to get overtaken by weeds, at least it’s not that cotton stuff on top of the water yet.

A few from me, I got out for 2 hours and caught some. Heck I even caught a turtle on a craw also, was probably my favorite catch of the day. I saw suspended carp and cast out past them and let it sink and felt the tap and set the hook. I thought that I finally caught one of the carp when I felt the weight of it. I enjoyed the fight and had to use some rod pumps here and there to keep it off the bottom or from getting wrapped in trees. Got it to the bank and let some slack into the line and it worked the hook out of its mouth on its own. A win win if you ask me, they wanted it moving and not too stationary today. I even caught one that I didn’t see on a football Ned head and a turbo craw z. Made a pitch past a dink and was working it back seen him nose down and then my line started running so I set the hook and caught a slightly bigger dink lol. It was a good day even though the quality wasn’t there.

Yeah there different in certain ways for sure. I fish a place near me that just turns into weeds here pretty soon. The weeds are coming up quite a bit already. I have thrown a 1/2oz mini max and trailer and it comes through fine. Then I tried a full size jackhammer with trailer and it worked but seemed to catch a lot more weeds. Probably the profile difference is my guess, I will definitely have to try the 1/4oz if I can find them around me. Thanks for the insight and first hand experience, knowledge is always good.

That’s a nice haul, you will definitely catch some on those. I have not seen the 1/4oz locally, hmm ? new ideas lol. I kept all of my mini max and 2 jackhammers when I got rid of my stuff. I really like the mini max, dare I say more than the jackhammer.

I am sure that you will do good with it, I have been looking locally for weights and coming up empty. I am looking forward to hearing about how it works out for you. Good luck.

Thank you me and the wife appreciate it. Life is like the weather we can want one thing and get another. Just like the storms and bad weather that happens it is all beautiful in its own special way and serves a purpose even if we don’t understand it at the time. The ups and downs are what make life special, we just need to take a step back and realize it sometimes.

Thank you, good thoughts always amount to something positive. I think that she will be perfectly fine and healthy. I have the feeling like they are just going through the testing process because of elevated levels of sorts. I am not a fan of hospitals, which is very odd considering that I wanted to become a doctor someday. But some odd things happened in life and that changed that possibility for the present moment. I think that knowing you will be somewhere for a set period of time and when you will be going back home makes the difference. I will definitely get back out when I can to try and work on some new bodies of water. I have to wait until I get my wife her license for the year and she will be out there catching them again too. Thank you for the good thoughts my wife and I appreciate it.

Thank you, it was a liver biopsy. I don’t have a clue what is going on really. Seems like since she had thyroid cancer and surgery a couple years back that there’s been something going on. Hopefully they are on top of the ball, it seems good but we will see. Only time will tell, at least she is not working so she has all the time she needs to relax and recover. Keeps me busy with our 2 year old and tending to the small wound site. Thanks again it means the world to us.

Thank you for all the prayers, good thoughts for my wife. We both are very grateful and thankful for all of your awesome support, thank you. I saved you guys from having to see the pictures of me in my boxers lol. I have not gotten new waders yet and am tired of my pants being soaking wet after I go in to get a lure back. I don’t know what happened but last year something clicked with me catching smallmouth, before that I never had luck catching them. As of lately the bigger largemouth have been hiding from me. I like the change and variety of new places that I am fishing though. my grandpa was a big influence in getting me started with fishing as a kid and I miss him dearly. Although I feel like he is still right there with me when I am fishing all the time. I learned early to never give up and keep persevering and to learn from my mistakes and constantly improve. There is so much uncertainty in my life at this point with everything that is going on in my families life, but when I get the time I am going fishing to find my peace and pass on what I can to my wife and kids. thanks again everyone it means the world to us ?

Thank you, I greatly appreciate it. They definitely did get some nice ones that’s for sure.

I didn’t have to go to work today, wife had a biopsy scheduled for today. I got to go fishing after the hospital came out of lockdown and they took her back for the procedure. First cast caught the 2.16lb smallmouth again in a different spot this time. Cast up along the rocks with a 3/8 oz bullet weight and a jackal chunk craw 3.5 in black and blue. Working it back and felt the tap and set the hook and landed it. I wonder if it is the same one from Saturday. I then headed to the pond without my steel leader attached and caught the small large mouth on the same bait. I had a different hit and reeled down and swung hard. I heard the line snap like a gunshot and knew that I hooked a pike. I then tied on my leader and caught the tiny pike on a lipless crank popping it out of grass. It went dead after that. I think that they are getting wise to moving baits now and I seem to get more hits on slower presentations it seems, overall it was a good 2 hours in the end.

I got out for a while today, also got a new pb smallmouth. I got to the first lake and got rigged up and ready to go, it’s easy with one rod and 4 spares in the tackle bag lol. I have only caught one fish here ever, and lost plenty of jigs to a group of logs. I was feeling confident, that didn’t last very long. This place has very small casting windows here and there, started with a owner jig rig and a scornbug in black and blue. I made it 20 minutes or less and got my line wrapped around a piece of dead bark on a tree about 9ft off the ground, my reel is now blown up. I start trying to get my line untangled from the dead tree, first thing I do is check to see if it supports my weight. I push against it and it wiggles, so it’s a no go on the climb technique. I strip my shoes and socks off and roll up my pants and find a long stick. I set my rod and blown up reel on my tackle bag and get to it. I am trying to get it off the dead bark with a long stick and am like why is there tension on the rod side so I look over and my rod is dunking the whole handle almost to the reel. I didn’t have enough slack line to free it, I put more slack in my line just to get it down and hung up under water where it dropped. I get it unhooked from some underwater branch just to make two cast or less to sacrifice it to the group of logs that has claimed at least 5 jigs from me. That’s my sign time to leave and go get the meds for the dogs. I am very angry at this point and feel like nothing more can go wrong and am contemplating just going home. I stopped by the pharmacy and got my son’s prescription also and decided to go fishing at the river and pond. I did get my reel that was blown up all sorted out and kept using it, just to blow it up again at the river catching a branch on my back cast, I fixed that and figured that it was probably a carp that I saw jumping and not a bass. I head directly to the spot that I caught the on last Sunday. I made a few cast and pitched towards a cluster of stumps and felt the tick and saw my line running. I set the hook and get it onto the bank and noticed that it was fairly long but really skinny. I weighed it anyway because my old pb was 2.12lbs. This one went 2.16lb and was 17.25 long. I was happy that I caught a decent fish with the day I was having. I then started my adventure down the river bank with the ticks and geese, ducks. I tried a couple different spots and finally got to a water discharge point where I have wanted to fish the past 2 years, I caught a couple more tiny ones and had fun. The moral of the story is don’t give up, just change gears and try to stay positive. I figured out that the smallmouth in the stretch of river hold directly on the edge of cover as you would expect. I also found that the paca craws are really durable and hold up great. The Berkley max scent tubes are very soft and don’t work good with owner phantom tube hooks. I got more experience clearing a reel that goes boom due to my own stupidity lol. The pb was not a substantial difference, but with the day I was having it felt like I was on top of the world.