Expensive Gift from the kids

While lamenting about the lack of time on the water, I did do something interesting during the past week. My father's day present was a gift certificate from Gander Mountain. Since it couldn't be spent in VA (no Gander Mountain), I did pick up a few trinkets there.

The expensive gifts were from my daughter's boy friend and my son. We went to the firing range and shot a variety of long and side arms. I think my wife enjoyed the ling guns better, but she did take a special like for the Model 1911 w/laser site. I've been thinking about getting a Ruger Mk II but decided that I liked the S&W 22 better. I enjoyed shooting, and wonder once again, why I don't do it more often. I think my wife had a better time than I did.

Great Lakes, No Fish

With the annual trip to visit the kids, no fishing this week. I'm not sure I'll survive the withdrawal. Visited Lake Michigan and the youngest had the fun of being on a beach at 90F and finding out the water is cold (60F). Passed by all the fun lakes of my Michigan life and didn't fish. Am now staying within 200 feet of Lake Lansing. No fishing, just looking. I may yet survive, since I won't be home until Sunday night.

Strange Tale from New Jersey

Listened to NRA on Sirius coming back from fishing today. They were discussing the black bear problem in New Jersey. The bear population is growing fast enough to become a nuisance and a danger. Add to the growth in the number of bears, the encroachment on habitat by people. NRA supports controlling the population by hunting, as, so it seems the NJ Wildlife people. Animal rights activists are against it and successfully stopped the hunt a couple of years ago. Bears are dangerous animals and, around people, can cause great harm. Keeping your garbage in a secure place only slows them down.

Sounds like hunting is a good way to control the bear population. Wonder how it will turn out.

Overcoming Temptation

Went to Sam's this afternoon. Right in the doow was a display with a great feeling ultrilight rod and reel. I feel good about overcoming temptation, at least for today.

Wrong Way

Went upriver today. All the catch was down lake. Lots of tap-tap-tap but no bite. You know it's a slow day when the perch you catch is bigger than the bass.

Also, a lousy start. Left the box of plastic baits at home. Needed black senko's and bought smoke (which I now recall never did much). Also bought red/black overlay, which was hot on Thursday night. No joy.

Still, the weather was great, saw my first racoon swimming in the river and did see a few yellow pine warblers. Gave some advice on fishing and the guys thanked me, they caught 3 following my tip. Too bad I didn't follow my tip.

Been doing it wrong

I've fished senko's two ways. On the lighter spinner, I've just used a worm hook and the Senko. some luck but not much. I've also texas-rigged the senko. Just read the "how to". Seems that using a split shot hook and a bit of super glue is the way to do it. I need some hooks and I'm out of black senko's. So, black senkos and new hooks. Gosh, I love to keep supporting the fishing tackle industry.

Boat ramps and fishing lessons

Had to wait for the boat ahead to load. Guy was having trouble getting the boat onto his trailer. I helped and it cut his time by a bit. Still, he was fixed on powerloading the boat instead of just wenching it on the trailer.

While he was trailering the boat, his daughter (about 8) was plinking on the dock with a light spinner and road runner. She caught a very nice sunfish. She did much better from the dock that an "expert" like me has done all year (at least in size, I think I have her on number, maybe).

Hot Day Made a bit Longer

I checked the Weather Underground for today's high. The reported high at RIC was 86°F. My fishfinder said the water temperature in the main lake was 87.5 and my back porch(covered) thermometer said 89 at 5 PM. Whatever it was, today was a hot, sunny day. The pattern was where I wasn't and/or whatever I wasn't using. Still, I think I did about as well as the guys in the Triton's and Rangers.

I started in Johnson Creek. Nada so I went upriver as far as I could go, with a stopover at the first main split. I caught a nice perch and a few bream on the green/red rooster tail unti I finally lost it to a pickerel. Then on to the upper part of the river. (Note: The Chickahominy goes much farther west than I can go. A felled tree from Isabel block the river well before the RT 106 bridge. I started fishing at a place I usually drift down into. Caught a pickeral on a black senko. Had a nice grab that ripped the worm from the hook.

Going up river, I didn't have any luck with the white spinner (gold willow leaf). So, I switched to the white single blade spinner. No luck until I got to the dock at the outfall pipe. One bass, about 1.5 lbs. Drifting back down I caught one pickeral and had a couple of nice bites, but no joy, until I drifted down the bend and then caught a 6" warmouth on the black Senko.

Back at the split, I couldn't catch anything with a rooster tail or a beetle spin.

I decided to go back to Johnson Creek and fish the liley pads. No luck. I decided to try the bank by the campground just before going home. 2 bass to 2.5 lbs and two pickeral to 2 lbs. All on black senko's. Watermelon and the smoke/blue flake didn't work. Just as I finished packing, a group on a bass boat asked how I was doing and I told them I just did well working the bank with black senko's. There was a scramble in the boat to find black senko's. This little foray into Johnson creek added about an hour to my afternoon.

Baits tried without much success: watermelon senko, black buzz bait, green spinner, large beetle spin, small white/black spinner (Kevin van Dam's picture on the package didn't help). Some hits on the smoke/blue with flake senko.

All the bites and misses were fishing the shade and where the bank has, or is close to a deep drop. Nada fishing the shallows and flats.

Shoepick

Cloudy, cool, no wind and the fish were hiding. First fish of the day was a bowfin. Did have some fun with the ultralight and a ~2lb pickeral. Chunked lots of stuff and didn't find much bighting. Went directly up river to my honey hole and didn't fish the main lake. Maybe I should have gone east instead of west this morning.

Great day on the water just no fish to talk about.