A Sunny Break In The Rain

A "Sunny" Start

With the previous week bringing rain and cooler weather, this mornings calm winds and sun felt like the chance to shed the shack-nasties. 

Finding the lake clear but cool and water high on the banks, I knew it may be a slow morning. After the first 30 minutes and not even a short rise, my fears became reality. 

With fish found in isolated pockets along the shore, though it took some searching, persistence paid off eventually.

After 3 hours of hard hunting, a few really nice fish came to hand (like the big hen above), but no double-digits would be had.

The highlight  of the day however, was the largest Pumpkinseed of the year so far that stole the show. 

Love the colors!

Gurgling Wog Revisited

The Gurgling Wog

The Gurgling Wog was the first pattern of the Wog Trio, and has proven itself tenfold year-after-year. After numerous calls for a better video and a current post, The original post has been revisited with hopes the pattern will do as much on the water for you as it continues to do for me.

Gurgling Wog Recipe

Hook:  #4 B10S Gamakatsu Stinger

Thread:  Black 210 Danville

Tail:  Olive Bucktail

Hackle:  Cree / Dark Barred Ginger

Abdomen:  Sculpin Brown Wooly Bugger Chenille

Legs:  Speckled-brown Centipede legs

Shell:  Black Razor Foam

A Real Crappie Evening

Hit a pond last night and was pleasantly surprised to find the evenings special was "Crappie on top, with a side of Wog." 

 

Caught at least a dozen over the course of an hour on one end of the water and then....they stopped. And like a switch had been flipped, the Bluegill and Bass went back to their regularly scheduled programming. 

When they are on and surface feeding, it's fun to witness the "chase". The entire pond comes to life as minnows swim for their lives and fish are cutting the schools.

The usual suspects were at large as well, once the Crappie feeding bell rang an end to the nights festivities. 

I think this big bull thought it was a musky, judging by the way it chased and rolled over the popper. 

Where the Crappie left off the bass took over, scattering bait fish through the shallows on the other end. 

One fly entered the water and one fly left the water. But this poor little Wog was chewed and battered, and as a result was retired with honors at the end of it's swim.

Spring Sketch Work

A couple of sketches capturing Spring moments

GLASS N' GILLS

The CGR 7'6" 5/6 

A chance to walk the banks and toss bugs seemed like a good time to dust off the 5/6 CGR, my favorite of the CGR line. And tossing a WF6F Orvis Warmwater taper it proved once again why it is I like this rod so much. This rod just flat out shoots line.  This is the one rod in the CGR line that is perfectly capable of being an "all-around" rig for somebody looking for a one rod glass option.

The Gills were on-point with plenty of big bulls willing to out-hustle the bass for a sizable meal which always seemed too large for their mouths. I think there were only 2 or 3 dinks caught the entire evening.

The bass were willing to play along as well though, with the regulars always plentiful and a few decent fish looking up. 

The night was a little different however, with all the fish out in open water and virtually zero takes anywhere near the edges or in vegetation.

All-in-all just a relaxing evening throwing hair and foam at willing fish. 

Spinning an Olive

Spinning an Olive

The Olive is one of my favorite large hair bugs. A popper that consistently pulls bass out of structure. 

Olive Recipe

Hook:  2/0 Gamakatsu Stinger

Thread:  Black

Tail:  Red Bucktail

Legs:  Cree Neck Hackle

Collar:  Cree Neck Hackle

Body:  Olive Deer Hair

Fresh Bugs, Friday Fish

Fresh Bugs

Closing out the workday as all day rain seemed to be dissipating, Hopes were a fresh set of bugs would be the ticket for some post-rain warmwater. Figuring anything stream fed would be off-color, and not wanting to be caught in a tube should storms return,  I headed for the nearest pond. 

The Big gills seemed to prefer the Gurgling Wog

The bass were on the feed as well. as the rain came to a stop.

But the big bulls seemed to be the most aggressive on the night. 

The evenings highlight however, was a 20 plus inch Pickerel attacking a 6" bluegill I had hooked. Taking both the fish, and my Wog as I was reaching to land it. Helluva fight while it lasted.

See you on the water!