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Report 4/13

1K views 5 replies 6 participants last post by  localyokal 
#1 ·
I fished specific eddies throughout Area 7 and downstream from Warner Bridge. I fished from 3:00-6:30 in the afternoon with the majority of the action occurring in the first 1 1/2 hours. The river has come up a bit since I fished the same areas last weekend but it is still very fishable from shore. With high water conditions prevailing the shoreline eddies are fish magnets. I was throwing a 5 inch Fat Albert in Smoke/Black Flake on a No. 2 keeper hook. I made a beeline to my number one high water spot and on my second cast landed a beautiful 19 inch Smallie with a gut the size of a 16 inch softball.This fish was sitting right in the seam off the main current. I then proceeded to pull two more fish out of this eddy. One was sitting a foot off shore while the other was caught beneath a deadfall in the middle of the eddy. Both fish were 16 inches and feeding heavily as both were regurgitating minnows. I had two more pickups at this spot but they dropped the bait for some reason.

I then moved to an area that has an abundance of slack water eddies and deadfalls in the water, figuring that I was in for a stellar day. I did catch two more fish in this spot but was kind of disappointed considering I pulled three fish out of the first eddy. I switched baits to a Yum Wooly Hawgtail which is my favorite summertime bait and after a 1/2 hour without a sniff it will remain a summer bait for the time being. I then decided to tie the Fat Albert back on. I fought through some heavy vegetation and sticker bushes to get to a likely looking pile of dead trees in the river that I thought should hold fish. This is where I caught one of the fish from this area, a fat 13 inch Smallie. After releasing that fish I flipped the bait back into the trees and felt the tell tale thump of a fish. I set the hook and I knew this fish was not a smallmouth. This fish had incredible power and almost pulled the rod out of my hands and me into the water because I was in a very tight spot and was standing in mud. After regaining my balance I started to fight the fish. The fish never budged from underneath the tree I hooked him. It just kept thumping and shaking his head until my line snapped. I had a new spool of 12 pound big game on my reel but there must have been some nicks in the line from dragging it over all the garbage in the river, at least that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. I'm pretty sure It was a big Catfish. I wish I could have gotten a look at it because whatever it was it was Big. I fished my way back to the truck with no action the last 45 minutes of my trip and so I called it a day. It should be a great week to get out with the weather forecast calling for a significant warm up starting Tuesday. I think the fish are ready to really turn on once that water warms up a few more degrees. Good Luck, Guys!

kbull, I know you will read this so let me know if you can get out this weekend.
 
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#4 ·
rbull said:
It should be a great week to get out with the weather forecast calling for a significant warm up starting Tuesday. I think the fish are ready to really turn on once that water warms up a few more degrees. Good Luck, Guys!
Great report rbull and I agree with that satement. :p
 
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