Love is in the air

Love is definitely in the air. I floated the lake I have so much hate for, for 6 hours.

The weeds have taken over a very well known popular area for kayaks and boats. Now I know what you're thinking, that has top water written all over it. Indeed it does, but stupid me left all of my top water flies and frog lures at home. D'oh!!!

I chucked a size 6 black/red/silver gotcha fly with my custom FSA 3 wt rod, and was able to hook up with several dink LMB and bluegill in the shallows.

On my spinning set up, I tossed a weightless fluke, and enticed 2 very nice sized bass, but 1 spit the bait before the hook set, and the other...I just flat out lost to a couple head shakes. It's been awhile since I tossed a fluke, and forgot how much I loved the action on it, when weightless.

The carp were all over the middle of the North pool gettin' down and dirty with one another. I floated right past a bunch of them, through the chocolate milk colored water they had made. It was quite humorous.

All in all it was a beautiful day to be on the water. Regardless of the missed fish, I am just loving being on the water, and being able to paddle around.

GAR

A late post, but it's all good.

After I left Fort Meyers, I spent the remainder of my Florida vacation in Orlando. The hotel I stayed at had a big lake with kayak and 2 person pontoon rentals, but I only had 1 free day to do what I wanted while I was there. 

I was able to take advantage of the lake, and rented a 2 person pontoon (I should have taken a picture of it, because, it was pretty damn cool). My girlfriend and I just cruised around the lake as I fished. I was able to hook up with some small largemouth bass tossing some bait fish patterns with my 5 wt. I was hoping to find some big Florida bass, but they didn't want to come out and play.

These swamp donkeys loved my bait fish patterns.

After returning the pontoon, I fished from the pier. I was catching some more swamp donkeys, when I noticed something big cruising along the surface in the almost crystal clear water...it was a gar! (A Florida Gar to be exact.) I got excited, and made a perfect cast past the toothy fish....strip...strip...strip...across it's face and I paused...that gar had a face full of fur, and it was GAME ON! It was an awesome fight and definitely pushed my 5 wt beyond what it's used to. My one worry during the battle was my 9 lb tippet....it held. I was ecstatic! My first gar on the fly.

There was no one around to take a picture, and this was the best I could do. *sad face*

10 minutes after releasing the gar, I saw an even bigger one cruising. This one had about 1 foot and a few more pounds than the one I caught. Again, I made a perfect cast...strip...strip...strip...the gar turned and caught the back of the fly...strip...strip...strip...as the gar made a second attempt to demolish my fly, a huge bowfin came out of no where and went at the gar, scaring it off. My knees were shaking...this thing was big. The bowfin then took a look at my I gave it a few strips, and it followed...then it just slowly sank into the depths. Gasp.

That fish would have definitely tested all of the backbone my Orvis Access 5 wt had. 

When I was done fishing I saw the species list for the lake, and there was a fish on there that I would have absolutely loved to have hooked up with....an alligator gar. If I only had more free time.

An Icy Wade

I went fishing.

Checked out my favorite creek in search of some early season smallies, but the outing didn't last long. Much of the creek was still covered in about 3 inches of ice. I spent 1/3 of my time pretending to be an ice breaker. That stopped when I couldn't break any more ice to wade through, and when I got bored of watching the mini icebergs float down stream. (Also, because, I realized that I probably looked like a clown out there.)

No fish were caught.

No fish were seen.

Went home and took a nap.

Yawn.

Hooks Galore!

I have been very busy at the vise this winter. Here's a bunch of pictures of some of the flies I have been tying.

About 188 B10S's Gamakatsu hooks just waiting for beautification. (I have since used 10 of these hooks.)

Some variations of bait fish I've been tying using...

-Craft fur

-Shimmer Minnow flash

-Grizzly hackle feathers (some patterns)

-Polar Chenille

-Zonker strips

-Laser Dubbing

Rusty Toad

Chicago

Formal

Any interest in purchasing some some of these flies, please feel free to contact me! ---Click Here---

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?

Custom 3 WT Rod

FSA Custom Rods recently finished a 3 wt build for me. I have been using it the past 3 outings to my local lake, and I am in love...and so are the bluegill. I really love the silver wraps that FSA put on this rod. It really makes the rod pop and stand out without it being over the top.

I originally bought a titanium Orvis Access Mid Arbor 1 reel, and it looked gorgeous on the rod, but unfortunatly, I had to return it. The reel was just too heavy for the light set up...Something I didn't think about when making the purchase. I was just excited that it matched the rod so well. I ended up purchasing the new Battenkill 2 classic click and pawl reel. This reel is so light! It balances the rod perfectly when lined up and ready to go. It doesn't look all that bad on the rod, either.

Here are the specs
- 6'6" 3 wt Allen Fly Fishing xA rod blank
- Struble D2 down locking reel seat with a burle wood insert
- Fuji Alconite ring stripping guide
- Hopkins & Holloway tip top
- Hopkins & Holloway snake guides

The action on the rod is fast, and I'm diggin it! It's been interesting getting use to how this rod casts, with it being 6'6" (I normally use an Orvis Access 8'6" 5 wt). It's been handling some very big bluegill without a problem, and I have been having an absolute blast!

All caught with my new rod

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!!!

AM and PM fishing

(This was from last week)

 

Started leaving the house 30 minutes early, so, I can fish the lake at work for 30 minutes before the gym opens up at 5 AM. It was dark, so, I decided to toss a spinner bait with my baitcaster. I was extremely happy when I found some breakfast bass :)

 

After work I met up with a friend at another lake. I tossed some flies while he friend chucked huge musky lures with no luck. I on the other hand was only able to catch a handful of bluegill. Fun and beautiful day, none the less.

 

Played around with my GoPro camera, and iPad, again. Check it out.

 

 

Don't mind some of the sound effects. I was just playing with some things in the editing program. Need to get my hands a better program. For now my iPad will have to suffice.

That's more like it!!!

Few days ago, I was leaving work a few hour later than I expected. As I was driving out of the parking lot I noticed there was someone fishing, so, being the curious type I drove over toward the person. Turns out that they were fly fishing, and I got really excited then. Got out and walked over to him, and turns out it someone that I know that works in the same building. Who would have thought!

I got my gear out of my car, and fished with him. I have only tried fishing the lake at work a few times with no luck a month ago. Today was a whole new story. He was throwing a black wooly bugger size 8 I believe, and he caught a big crappie, and then he caught another big crappie. I wasn't using a black wooly bugger, and I was catching nothing. 

So, I made the logical choice in switching to a black wooly bugger. After a few casts I hooked into a few bluegill, and then some nice crappie. Then I started fishing off of one of the small bridges, and tied on a larger wooly bugger, and what do ya know...hooked up with a decent sized bass! Unfortunatly, she fought like a dead fish. She was also full of eggs (I'm assuming) After jumping down the side of the bridge and catching a rear end full of thorns from the bush I was trying to avoid, I was able to release her, and call it a night.

Bluegill

Some really nice crappie here. They were all averaging this size.

Damn thorn bushes!

I assume she was full of eggs.

Getting Ready

So, just the other day I was looking through my fly tying materials, and I found a few items that have been hiding from me...some foam spider bodies (Waspi). I remember purchasing these years ago when I first started tying, and I still had quite a few left. (I actually had 3 - 24 packs left - haha.) So, I decided to give them a go, and ended up running out of hooks. Now I think I have enough spiders to last the spring and summer.



Small spiders for Bluegill and sunfish.

Big spiders for the big Bluegill.

A bunch of EP Fiber patterns I tied. Hoping to fill this box by May.

These smaller flies (Beadheads) are new to me. I don't normally tie stuff like this, but I've been wanting to learn to tie different patterns. I normally tie stuff for bass...streamers, clousers, etc..

A friend of mine has emailed me a book with a ton of different classic patterns in it for trout, so, eventually, I will be diving into that and trying to tie up some trout flies. Maybe, I'll get to use them when I go out to the Driftless Area.

I wish I was out fishing right now, but we just had some huge storms the past few days, and especially yesterday into today that have every body of water flooded. There were a ton of road clousures today, and a 15 minute drive took me 1 hour, and to get home took me 2 hours. Ugghhhh!

Finally...the fish showed up!

I FINALLY caught my first fish of 2013! I was starting to forget what the tug of a fish felt like at the end of the line. Haha

I caught a small large mouth bass, 16 bluegill/sunfish, and 2 overgrown golden roaches (I presume). I do still need to shake the rust off of my hook setting skills, because, I missed 2 very nice large mouth bass. One of them had to be at least 3 lbs. Thing's are on the up!!

I assume that this was a golden roach that just survived winter and being eaten, after being dumped in the lake after an unsucessful day of fishing. Your thoughts?

6 Days - Zero Fish

So, I've been out fishing 6 times thus far (Not consecutively), and I've only accomplished to shake the rust off of my cast. Which is fine by me...for now anyway. Here is a day by day recap w/pictures of my outings.

Day 1: Salt Creek
I had zero expectations, because, there was still quite a bit of snow on the ground, and the temperatures were still boucing between the teens and 30's.

This snowball took a size 6 black wooly bugger.

Day 2: Downers Grove Pond
After work I decided to fish a decent sized pond. When I arrived I took notice that there was still quite a bit of ice on the lake. It was a beautiful day, the temperature was up, and the sun was shining. I was actually hoping to catch my first fish of the year, but she stood me up.

I was dressed to impress, but my first fish of the year stood me up.

Day 3: Songbird Slough
This lake is litterally down the street from me. It's only good for sunfish. It was an extremely windy day, but the sun was shining, and that's good enough for me. Only thing caught was this tree....

What not to do while fly fishing....catch trees.

Day 4: Meachem Grove
What a beautiful day this was. That was about it. No fish, but I got some nice pictures.

Day 5: Lake Michigan
Wasn't planning on fishing, but while in downtown Chicago I decided to give the Big Pond (Lake Michigan) a few cast's with a spoon, because, I know the browns and salmon are moved in. Didn't catch a thing, and I neither did anyone else I talked with. No fly rod today.

Day 6: Songbird Slough
I now know why I dislike this lake. I talked with a guy that was fishing nightcrawlers under a bobber, and he said that he heard from a guy, who was talking with another guy, about how they shocked the lake and hardly any bass came up. Mostly carp and catfish." So, I just casted with extremely little expectations.

My weapon of choice.