Super User Spankey Posted July 9, 2023 Super User Share Posted July 9, 2023 This morning was a matter of taking advantage of a short window of time before major rain was to set in. I don’t mind getting wet but it was gonna be a crack the sky kind of start to todays rain. Was able to have a line hit the water at 5:30 AM. Caught a smallie on the first cast on a Pop-R, sounds great but a lot of times when you catch a fish on the first cast the rest of the day can be a real struggle. Not a struggle to land some smallies this morning. They hit almost everything I threw. Was great to have a topwater bite on PopR’s, Whopper Plop-per and spooks. Managed a few on DT’s and OG Slims. My largest two came on a pumpkin seed Power Worm and a black Yammy cut tail. I caught between 20-25 Smallies with my largest two only being 13”. I know that is nothing to brag about. But pulling out of the water at 9:30, having the boat tarp’d and setting on the front porch drinking an ice tea watching it teem down rain is a great day of fishing for me. As an FYI the OG Slim has been working out well on the river for me. I never thrown it exclusively while be out but I fish it the same as a DT or Shad Rap. All season and not as a cold water baits only. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susky River Rat Posted July 9, 2023 Share Posted July 9, 2023 I was thinking the same thing as you and getting on early day on the susky. My wife was off this morning soooo that went out the window. Sounds like an awesome day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Spankey Posted July 9, 2023 Author Super User Share Posted July 9, 2023 59 minutes ago, Darnold335 said: I was thinking the same thing as you and getting on early day on the susky. My wife was off this morning soooo that went out the window. Sounds like an awesome day! I’m thinking the flash floods are going to stay east of you guys. Right on top of my area. That’s why I made a push to get out as early as I could today. But Yesterday was a beaut but I committed to helping someone. I’ll hit the lake midweek. River will be messed up for a week. Have a few Crankbaits I want to put (paint) an orange hot tail on them before I get to the river next time. I’ve alway done that stuff with a small brush. Gonna see if I can buy a small cheap spray gun. I’m not a lure maker. Just like to modify sometimes. I have a couple of Baker Crankbaits, purple color. Crawfish imitation. They catch fish but I’ve been wanting to hot tip them with some orange. Might make them a bit more productive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dytmook Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 While catching bigger fish would be nice, I think a nice numbers day is great, especially when you're trying to get out and beat weather. Thanks for sharing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Spankey Posted July 14, 2023 Author Super User Share Posted July 14, 2023 Being delayed this AM. Lightning storms moving from my county to the county I’m going to fish. I’ll let it all pass and delay getting out. Pretty intense. Been fun to watch setting on the porch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tackleholic Posted July 14, 2023 Share Posted July 14, 2023 59 minutes ago, Spankey said: Being delayed this AM. Lightning storms moving from my county to the county I’m going to fish. I’ll let it all pass and delay getting out. Pretty intense. Been fun to watch setting on the porch. You bring up a long held thought of mine, verified by experience through the years. Before a storm, fishing can be excellent. After the storm it becomes difficult to get a bite. If there was lots of thunder and lightning, it can be 24 hours before activity resumes. Is it just my own mindset, or do others agree? Like Spanky, I'm also sitting home right now instead of being on the lake due to an ongoing storm. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Phil Posted July 14, 2023 Share Posted July 14, 2023 Things are somewhat different here in Florida. Fishing before a thunderstorm blows through can be good right before the storm hits. After the storm goes through, the fishing can get absolutely nuts. During the storm, you are wasting your time and putting yourself in danger. Most of our thunderstorms occur on summer afternoons. They can be exceptionally nasty. I have seen multiple water spouts (small tornadoes) coming across Lake Okeechobee many times. I once got blocked in when the wind filled the canal I was fishing with floating hyacinths. If you are lucky enough to be on the water after the storm passes just before dusk, you could witness some of the craziest bass fishing you will ever see. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Standard Posted July 14, 2023 Share Posted July 14, 2023 4 hours ago, Tackleholic said: You bring up a long held thought of mine, verified by experience through the years. Before a storm, fishing can be excellent. After the storm it becomes difficult to get a bite. If there was lots of thunder and lightning, it can be 24 hours before activity resumes. Is it just my own mindset, or do others agree? Like Spanky, I'm also sitting home right now instead of being on the lake due to an ongoing storm. It's turned into my favorite time to fish up here in MN. As long as the timing works out, fishing while the storm is rolling in is often fantastic. Afterwards it's hit or miss. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Spankey Posted July 16, 2023 Author Super User Share Posted July 16, 2023 I delayed my start a bit on Friday. Storm was moving the direction I was going. Was on the water by 9:00 AM. Made no sense getting soaking wet and have the boat drenched. Lake conditions were fine after intense downpours. Managed two 1 to 1 1/2 pound greenies. Tough bite. T-rig worms is about all I was throwing at pads. Had to make push to go because we are in flash flood conditions all weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulVE64 Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 If anyone saw the latest 'Creek Fishing Adventure' video where John gets soaked before they get back to the ramp then you know what it's like to have the sky open up on you. With that in mind I decided to leave the river on an impulse and as I got the rear hatch of my SUV open the sky also opened up with lightning and golf ball hail. Wow 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted July 21, 2023 Global Moderator Share Posted July 21, 2023 @PaulVE64, I live just north of him, we get storms like that often. It’s all part of the experience haha……… my buddy and I were wade/swim fishing a wilderness river between two vehicles 2 miles apart and got stuck in a crazy lightning storm. This was back when I was young and trying to be a full time guide. It was lightning bolts non stop and torrential downpour, we just had to stand there and weather it. He hollered out above the deluge “if you were my fishing guide right now I’d fire your ass!!!” 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Spankey Posted July 25, 2023 Author Super User Share Posted July 25, 2023 Got a few hours in yesterday morning. Can’t kick, no size able smallies but caught a nice bunch of them. Few on Pop R’s and Skitter Pops, finesse fishing some Power Worms and RoboWorms and Shad Raps. Had a couple of big slashes at Shad Raps. I’d like to think they were the Smallies I am after but feel they were Musky. Wake seemed larger like that of a smaller Musky. We have real nasty weather coming in today again. Will mess things up again for awhile. This has been all July. Hope things settle down for August. These flash flood suck. Up in my area some property damage has been bad and flooding as caused a few deaths. I’ve been lucky. We all are seeing this. Stay safe. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Spankey Posted July 25, 2023 Author Super User Share Posted July 25, 2023 We had heavy hitters just move through today. Was not a fish day for me to get messed up but, doing some backfilling dirt work for new concrete was a waste. I’ve been lucky with no property damage. My immediate areas has missed the severe winds. In the last 10 days we’ve gotten close to 15” of rain. River will be up and mad. The lake will be fishable but no prize. Will be there Thursday hope the higher water level pushes some nicer fish toward the bank. Don’t remember a summer time this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulVE64 Posted July 25, 2023 Share Posted July 25, 2023 Over the past few summers I've noticed many fishermen mention how were having less rainfall than average in the great lakes region. We must be catching up in July. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Spankey Posted July 26, 2023 Author Super User Share Posted July 26, 2023 Guys out west have dealt with severe droughts. I’m sure this will carry over into their day to day. Many of you guys through the south get slammed well beyond anything I can imagine when hurricanes move in. I don’t know what it is to deal with tornadoes. Having your world turned upside down in a split second goes well beyond fishing. Or your lack of being able to go bass fishing. Most flash floods we are getting are serious. But receded quickly, smaller waterway get back to normal. Larger rivers have all the run off to deal withA lot of people don’t understand the power of water. Power of hydraulics. Driving through these rains, people walking through it having no idea where they are stepping and people out living it up in swift water have been some fatalities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted July 27, 2023 Global Moderator Share Posted July 27, 2023 @Spankey, tornados are terrifying, yet awe inspiring at the same time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.