Creek Time

My buddy DanK and I decided to meet up for a wade on our favorite small creek. I was up extra early, so, I decided to fish the backyard lake a little bit, and work on my wacky rigged worm technique. Caught a decent one before I called it quits and hopped in the car to leave.

I was tossing a fly on my 5wt, and DanK was using his spinning rod. There was no action on the creek, and with the rising sun, the temperature started to rise. It was not making for a fun wade. Now if we were catching fish, I wouldn't mind being in my waders sweating my butt off, but as a skunked outing loomed over our heads, I just wanted to be out of my waders.

DanK under one of the many bridges we cross on this urban creek.

We decided to fish on until we reached our determined turning point on the creek. Immediately, DanK got a follow from a very small pike, and then on his next cast he hooked up. At first we were both thinking it was the pike, of course.

FISH ON!

....but it actually turned out to be a quilback! I have only ever seen 2 of this species in my time fishing, and both have been caught by, DanK. He's like the quilback whisperer. Haha

Big Quilly Style

As we approached where our cars were parked, BOOM, we doubled up to end the day. Pretty awesome. I was able to shake the skunk in the final moments.

Doubled Up!

After we finished up the wade, we headed on over to my house. DanK hasn't seen the new place, yet, and I've been ranting and raving about the fishing I have in my backyard. DanK is like a Jedi Master with a jig and soft plastic trailer. He was tossing a Tight Rope Jig with a small crawfish pattern plastic as a trailer, and he killed it! 

BOOM

I never knew there were bass of this size in my backyard lake until DanK started landing monsters. With every bass he caught, it seemed like they just kept getting bigger. It's really good to know this exists in my backyard. I have yet to catch these big ones, but I sure do like knowing their in there, regardless if I catch them or not.

Biggest one of the day. WOW.

Baby Something

With extremely beautiful weather of 60 degrees that we've been experiencing, I've found a resurgence in my motivation (I think it's because I can now wear shorts!). I've been getting a ton accomplished around the house, and at the vise. The lake in the backyard is showing open water along the shorelines, and it has me fired up. I've been a tying machine! Filling up empty slots in my personal arsenal.

On my musky and pike flies, I normally use eyes with a clear cure goo head, but I've been wanting to try something different. I've seen quite a few people using spun deer hair on the heads of their flies, so, they're able to push more water around. So, I gave it a whirl, and I am extremely happy with the results.

What do you think it best resembles?

+ Mouse / Rat

+ Muskrat

+ Baby beaver

+ Smallmouth Bass

+ Baby squirrel

I think it resembles all of those in some way, but I smell a rat. Here's to hoping those DPR pike, and musky up North love these!

Big Crappie

Just like, Mel over at The Pond Stalker, I love catching me some crappie and other various panfish on the fly. Lakes and ponds are where I grew up fishing, and those are the bodies of water nearest to my home. I spend a lot of time at these places after work during the week catching bluegill, sunfish, crappie, and bass.

I just wanted to share an old picture of the biggest crappie I have ever caught, and it was on a size 4 black zonker. I thought I had a decent sized bass on, then I saw the flash of it's side. It was pretty exciting.

Justin Carfagnini approves this message.

What's your biggest crappie on the fly??

What's your biggest crappie ever??

How to fish like the Pro's

With the Bass Master Classic going on down in South Carolina right now, I figured there was no better time than to help out all of you hopeful Bass Pro fisherman out. I hope you have a crayon and construction paper ready for some notes, because, you're going to want to write all of this down, that is of course, if you don't have access to a printer.

Bass Pro - Mike Iaconelli

Justin Carfagnini's: How to fish like the Pro's

The basics:

1. Rod - It just doesn't matter.

2. Reel - It just doesn't matter.

3. Line - It just doesn't matter.

The secret combo to becoming a Bass Pro:

1. Red and white bobber - It's a classic, and classics catch fish.

2. Steel leader - Because, you never know when you're going to run into those toothy predators. It also, has a snap at the end, so, you can change out whatever lure you didn't know how to use out, for other lures you do not know how to use.

3. Red/white Daredevle spoon - It flat out catches fish.

Take a moment and gather yourself. I know your mind has just been blown away. 

To give you a visual of what this type of set up looks like, and it's capabilities, please see below. I discovered the secret back in 2005, and have enough will power and knowledge of self to know, that I just cannot handle it's fish catching powers. So, in the year 2005, it stayed.

...and here is a closer look at the set up. It was extremely effective in catching crayfish/crawfish, too. You might ask yourself, but why would you want to catch those when you're out bass fishing a big tournament. Simple answer - to see what color they are, so, you can better match the forage of body of water you're trying to win big bucks on, duh!

Yankee's hat...I definitely don't remember that. What in the hell? haha

Hope this helps all of you out there!!!!!

Night Fishing

As of late, I have not been able to fish during the day as much as I would like, but it's all good in the hood. The bass have been extremely active right at sunset, and this is when I am able to fish. I've been starting out with top water...poppers...todds wiggle worm...and any other type of insect I see hatching. I have been very successful with todds wiggle worm in the chartreuse. It has produced the most top water action out of all of my top water flies.

When it get's too dark. I've been switching over to my baitcaster and throwing a buzzbait, swim jig, chatter bait, or just a reagular spinner bait. There is just something awesome about fishing in complete darkness, and reandering your vision useless.

What is your favorite sunset fly/lure? ...and what is your favorite night fly/lure?

Poppin'

Yesterday, I decided to give my fly rod a go at the early morning bass. Lately, I've been seeing quite a bit of surface activity, so, I tied on a small popper. I immediately caught fire, because, the fish were all over it. Small bass, big bass, and huge bluegill! They were exploding out of the water trying to hit the popper. It was like I was watching an episode of Shark week with the seal island great white sharks. What a blast!

I was in need of bigger bass, so, I tied on a black zonker and started my search before it was time to leave. I caught my personal best largemouth bass for the year. Great fight!

Later on, I was able to get out for a second time, and I decided to tie on an even bigger popper. Hoping that they were still in a top water mood. To my surprise I hooked up with some really big bluegill. I couldn't believe that they were able to take the popper I had tied on. I ended the day with a complete total of 20 bass, and 10 big bluegill caught. Not bad :)

This morning I gave the fly rod another go at 5am. Hooked up with 2 bass, and 1 that trumps the bass I caught yesterday as my personal best on the year. I love this lake!!!