The Big and Ugly

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Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on August 13, 2012 at 5:15pm

Had to go see what all the fuss was about before going home.....The red drum is the state fish of South Carolina.......This was a slot fish that hit a gulp alive shrimp......Friend had a giant break off in oyster shell filled pilings........

Comment by Allen Morgan on August 13, 2012 at 3:15pm

The allure of biting fish was to much for me.  I had the day off, and went back to the hole I've been fishing for awhile now.  The river was running 2.5 K cfs and slowly falling, so I knew I wasn't going to have a repeat of Friday's stripy fish clinic.

I caught some shad.  Had to hunt for them a bit, as they weren't in their usual spot.  Took me about 15 minutes, but I got enough to use for cut bait.

First throw out with a simple bottom drift rig with just a few split shot for weight and a shad head on the hook yielded a Channel about 4 lbs or so.

It took awhile, but I managed to catch 6 Channels, totaling 16 lbs live weight (I weighed the stringer).

[IMG]http://bigbluegill.com/photo/20120813stringer?context=album&alb...[/IMG]


It wasn't a "fast" bite.  I would get bit every couple of casts, but only hooked up with a fish about every 15 minutes or so.  The fish were holding the frothy water at the base of the dam, feeding on disoriented bait that was washed over.

I also managed to catch a Drum.  I also pulled out my fly rod to try a Clouser that I had tied up.  Sure enough, I caught a Skipjack Herring.  I would have used it for cut bait, but I was getting ready to leave.  Probably should have kept it anyway, to use Friday, but I ended up letting it go.

Comment by Allen Morgan on August 11, 2012 at 4:12pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1qxN6aGxVU&list=UULf2uEMh9WMoga...

Last fish ain't ugly, but it's got some size to it!  Got about a 4 lbs. Striper on my fly rod.  That was a hoot!

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on July 28, 2012 at 5:26pm

Nice Video Allen..thanks for sahring!

Comment by Allen Morgan on July 27, 2012 at 2:13pm

Arkansas River 7/27

Headed out early, but obviously, not early enough.  I was expecting a nearly empty river, but someone decided to open a turbine and generate the night before, so there was water moving downstream.

I decided to switch gears and fish for catfish.  Luckily, I had a lot of gear with me, and was able to do that.  Shad was easily had in a few throws of the cast net.  I did a basic bottom-drift rig, some split shot on the leader above the hook, and a piece of cut bait on the hook.  I did a few casts, trying to find the fish, and found them after a little while.  The fish were holding at the base of the dam, or along the current seams.  I would throw to the base of the dam, and slowly drag the bait along the bottom, keeping tension on the line, waiting for a bite.  I caught 6 or so, and have video of 4 of them.

They aren't to big.  All the big ones have either been caught, or have moved downstream to deeper waters.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q2f0Ab7kAo&feature=youtu.be

Comment by Rex Robinson on July 9, 2012 at 7:37pm

Allen these were caught on a black bead eye dragonfly nymph pattern around some old fallen trees in about 12ft of water.  They hammered it when it pasted by.  Love to fish topwater but the big boys hang out deep.

Comment by Allen Morgan on July 8, 2012 at 8:44pm

Nice kitties, Rex.  I bet that was a hoot on a fly rod.  What kind of fly were you using?  I haven't caught a Channel on my fly rod, yet.  Haven't targeted them yet, either.

Comment by Rex Robinson on July 8, 2012 at 6:51pm

Having to fish slow and deep with the fly rod since it's been so hot and connected with a few of these.  Fun on a 6wt rod!

Comment by Allen Morgan on July 8, 2012 at 5:31pm

Nice fish!  I'd be rather nervous if I saw a snake like that myself.

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on July 8, 2012 at 5:13pm

Had a few encounters with the Big and Ugly lately....Big Channel Cats are going shallow to spawn and the heat wave has brought the snakes out......I didn't even realize this big Cottonmouth was sunning because of the glare.....I looked over when a fish struck the surface and my adrenaline spiked.....That's a big snake....

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