2 hours ago, Tatsu Dave said:

blood sucking insects - triple digit heat

There is a river I often fish in midsummer for brown bass and I will occasionally encounter deer flies.  They are merciless.  At times they can be so bad I have to quit fishing even if I'm slaying big brown bass.  They'll land right on your face and take a bite out of you.  And I have yet to find anything that repels them either.

18 minutes ago, gimruis said:

There is a river I often fish in midsummer for brown bass and I will occasionally encounter deer flies.  They are merciless.  At times they can be so bad I have to quit fishing even if I'm slaying big brown bass.  They'll land right on your face and take a bite out of you.  And I have yet to find anything that repels them either.

 

@desmobob do those things really work?  It looks like a gimmick.  I have tried imported Canadian bug spray that was 100% deet and even that stuff didn't work.

26 minutes ago, gimruis said:

@desmobob do those things really work?  It looks like a gimmick.  I have tried imported Canadian bug spray that was 100% deet and even that stuff didn't work.

 

They work.  100% DEET is the ultimate for mosquitos but, for some reason, doesn't phase the deerfly.

 

The deer fly's MO is to dive-bomb hard into the highest point on a target to penetrate the fur (where it's thinnest, on a deer's head).  That's why the old trick of carrying a leafy branch that's higher than your head will distract a lot of them.

 

Anyway, when they dive-bomb the flesh-colored patch on top of your hat -- your highest point-- they get stuck there and won't be bothering you again.

 

I got tipped off on this product by an acquaintance who's a land surveyor and spends a lot of time in the woods.

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

There is a river I often fish in midsummer for brown bass and I will occasionally encounter deer flies.  They are merciless.  At times they can be so bad I have to quit fishing even if I'm slaying big brown bass.  They'll land right on your face and take a bite out of you.  And I have yet to find anything that repels them either.

Well they were what I was speaking of but skeeter's and this midge thing (no see em's) thats going on this year is right about as bad. I like the way you can be on a woods road and they are hitching on your side mirrors out of the wind waiting for you to stop and get out. You can rig the same deal out of fly strips fastened to the back of your hat. They get a few.....

 

But not to hijack this good thread, I would and have most of this summer dealt with them in the quest for big ol' brown fish. I live for that drag testing run the big ones like to do, triple digit heat index and deer flies (we call em' stealth bombers) pale when the bite is on. 

Great post, great story, great pic. But I don’t see where that lake/pond above the spillway has anything to do with that fish or its size. That creek you are in looks like it can support that fish no problem. I don’t know your area but seem that fish may have developed to that size since hatched. 

1 hour ago, Spankey said:

Great post, great story, great pic. But I don’t see where that lake/pond above the spillway has anything to do with that fish or its size. That creek you are in looks like it can support that fish no problem. I don’t know your area but seem that fish may have developed to that size since hatched. 

+1

Ohio, I sure like the looks of that shoreline vegetation. 
 

Hope your lure fishing is still going ok. 

gimruis

 

 I have & wear a Bee Keepers netted hat. Excellent against everything.

On 8/10/2021 at 5:40 AM, TnRiver46 said:

A skinny 18” smallie is usually around 2.25-2.5 lbs in the Ohio/TN river drainage. Looks accurate to me. Those long lean ones will fight like the devil too 

I agree. When an 18" gets a belly they hit 3lbs or a touch more.

I don't know about smallmouth, but I will admit that I feel a little more satisfaction from catching an 8 inch native brook trout than a 14 inch stocked rainbow.

I'd be stoked to catch that bass . 

I wouldn't sweat it. Knowing how humans impact bass is part of the equation as to how good a fisherman you are. 

 

The bass are there because of people, but you have to piece that together. I don't see it being different than fishing a dock, which is also a man made structure that attracts fish.