Stream Smallmouth

I decided to take a little longer drive today to go after some smallmouth bass. The first couple hours were disappointing. I hooked a half dozen somethings but couldn't keep anything on the line long enough to see what it was. Every time I'd think I'd have one for sure, it would shake loose. Things finally turned around though.

First with this nice rockbass on a black and blue crayfish pattern.
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...h/rockbass.jpg
Then with my first nice smallmouth of the year on a natural PSC(JohnScott's pattern). Luckily someone was walking by to take a quick picture for me.
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...smallmouth.jpg

Then got a little guy on the PSC.
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...smallmouth.jpg

Hooked and lost another small one, then ended the day on the biggest smallmouth I've caught to date, again on the PSC. Nobody was around to take a picture this time so I had to settle for a picture with the rod.
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...onmyflyrod.jpg

It was a great day to just be out. Beautiful weather, nice scenery, saw some baby turtles, lots of birds, and one white tail deer. Definitely well worth the extra drive today to get to this stream.

Joe Cool, great report and pics. Well done.

Joe -

Really enjoyed your report and pics. I'm sure the longer drive home went by quickly on the heels of a successful outing.

This is the first I've heard that a PSC has taken smallmouth bass. I have no doubt that other folks who fish for smallmouth have come up with the same or a similar fly and caught fish with them, but it's still neat to read about my version in action in a far away ( from here ) place.

John

Joe,
Cool pictures and story. Makes me want to head to the creek with my pole!
Tom

Went out today to a local spillway. John, you can add crappie, green sunfish, and white bass to the list of far away fishies that also like the psc. The smallmouth weren't interested in the unweighted version, but I did hook one nice one with a dumbell eye version I tied up last night but he shook free. Sadly the pictures are stuck on my camera until I find a cord to transfer them. I forgot to put the memory card back in after uploading the pictures last night so they are stored on the cameras memory for now.

After all the follows I've had from bass lately on the PSC in ultra clear water without strikes, I think I'm going to try and dress one up a bit and see if I can add some more triggers. The body definitly gets their attention but I think adding eyes and maybe something red for gills might add the extra something to get more strikes.

Joe Cool,

Throw pm my way if interested in some local fishing, there are a couple of us CBus guys that occasionally meet up.

Ocassional and informal has been the protocol as we all tend to work different schedules and answer different family bells...BUt, it is always worth a try.

Big Sci, the 'tangy and the 'nut are my main haunts though some trips to the B. Darby, Mohican and the Mad are always possible.

Great job on the fishin'!

Joe -

Cool !!

NightAngler has a similar fly which incorporates polar chenile, which he calls the Hibernator.

I couldn't get the hang of it, but the way Leonard explained it to me, after you tie the zonker to the shank at midshank, and before you start wrapping it as a collar, tie in polar chenile ( Leonard sent me a couple different color combinations - one with red chenile on sculpin olive zonker and one with blue chenile on black zonker ).

Each time you take a turn with the zonker, take a following turn with the chenile, stroking both materials back as you wrap them to keep them from getting bound down as you wrap the collar forward.

After finishing the fly, use something to pick out any of the chenile fibers that have been trapped while wrapping the collar.

Leonard's Hibernator worked great on the trout out here, and it probably would have all the flash your bass could hope for !! If it sounds like something you want to try, you might send a PM to NightAngler to get a first hand description of how he does it. He's been pretty busy lately and hasn't been logging on much, but be patient and I'm sure you'll hear from him.

John

Joe,

Saturday must have been the day for Ohio roadtrips. I drove about 2 hours to check out a state park that the Boy Scout troop I am involved with is going to be camping at later this month, of course the fly rod was along for the ride. I didn't do nearly as well as you, only 1 fish, a smallie a bit smaller than the one you are holding. Nice fish.

Mike