[Guest]

Boy, I can't remember the last time I posted something here?! Things have certainly changed!

Anyway, since the UP extra board slowed down a little the last couple days I got out to fish the fox in the Montgomery area today. Spent about 3-4 hours and wound up with 13 smallies, 4 walleye and 3 white bass.

The smallies were nice and chunky 14-17", healthy looking and without the look of being caught a half million times before. Unfortunately, the quality of the walleyes wasn't there, all less then 14", but the white bass were nice 10-13". Caught everything on a 2" hot charteuse vibratail and 1/32oz jig. Couldn't get a hit on a pearl color tail or my old standby of a 1.5" white twister.

Last week the two days I fished the fox I did just the opposite, good quality walleye 8 (15-22") but not so good smallies yet a lot(30+) of white bass.

The white bass today were taken from swifter water, closer to the current break while the others were closer to shore in slower moving water. Slow retrieve just enough to keep jig off bottom.

About the critters, saw about 5 snakes in the water today. One kept popping his head up like a periscope not more then 5 feet from where I was standing. Also spotted one heck of a large snapping turtle...looked like it would of been an effort to try and fit him in a shopping cart, BIG fella!

I jumped on a regular yard job for tomorrow so plans are to get out tomorrow a.m. to try again before work

 

[Wallidave]

Eeeeks, I'll say it's been a while. I gotta figure out how the heck to use this new setup. The original topic was posted by me wallidave, AKA Dave Brandes.

Thought I was logged in????????? Oh well, let's see what happens this time.LOL

 

[Wallidave]

Went out this a.m. before work for a few hours.

For the time spent I did ok.

13 smallies, 1 walleye and 2 white bass.

Again more nice smallies like yesterday between 12-18". The majority between 14-16". Walleye was decent compared to yesterday at 18.5" and white bass 11".

Two days in a row and I didn't catch any midget smallies. Usually I catch at least a half dozen less then 6". Today I did manage to catch 3 of the smallies on a pearl 2" twister with the rest on yesterdays productive vibratail.

I suppose I should also mentioned I don't like using ball type jigheads in such shallow water(<6') on the fox. I generally use plain leadhead darter type jigs which seem to take on a more neutral bouyancy with the added twister tail and don't sink so rapidly to the bottom like a regular ball type jighead does. This way I can slow way down on my retrieve which seems to help during the early springtime & fall cooler water temps and not get stuck so much on the bottom debris.

Hmmm, I'm gonna try and shoot for 3 days in a row tomorrow a.m

Have a great weekend!

 

[wallimike]

23 Hey Dave, how come no crappies in that bag? They seem to be hitting all up & down the river. I was catching them down at Montgomery on Wednesday evening, and lo and behold, I couldn't keep them silly specks off while fishing the St. Charles Pool on Thursday morning. I got one suicidal smallie up at St. Charles with a scarred right cheek. Caught him Wednesday, threw him back in, and within seconds, I caught him again. Went to the same spot this morning and the little bugger hit my minnow again. I wonder what today's trip will bear. Let's hook up at Montgomery one of these mornings.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: wallimike on 2002-04-19 00:34 ]</font>

 

[skeithr]

Dave, it's been a while since you've posted here on a regular basis, it's good to have you back.

 

[Wallidave]

...and it's good to be somewhat back posting and fishing on a regular basis. Last summer I decided to change careers from IT to working for the RR as a conductor/switchman/brakeman. Something I always wanted to do and figured it was now or never. I just couldn't see myself sitting in an office for another 20-25 years doing something I didn't care much for. RR work is as enjoyable, exciting and as fullfilling as I thought it might be. At first it was a little hard to adjust working more then 3 days a week and being on call.LOL However, I've started to learn how to manage my time better between work and home so lately I've been able to get out fishing much more than when I first started.

Hey Mike, hooking up at Montgomery sounds like a plan....with my work schedule now though I'm not sure when that might happen but I'm sure our paths will cross one of these days. The fox is one of the easiest(getting to) places for me to fish nowadays.
Still no crapppies for me yet this spring on the river. After reading your post I tried a few likely areas today for them but no luck...of course the cold front didn't help much:-o

Here's my report for today 4/22/02.

My monday afternoon was rather pathetic also...for the time spent anyway. I wound up with 7 smallies and 1 green sunfish. The only bright spot was the smallies were nice size 13-17.5". With the cold weather everything seemed to be sluggish...last week in the warm weather saw plenty of active fish breaking the surface and today didn't see a one.;-(
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