I recently went up to southern Oklahoma to fish the stock tank on my mother-in-law’s farm. The tank was originally intended as a water source for the hay and peanut fields but there is not too much peanut farming or hay growing these days so the old pond just sits there and grows fish. My late father-in-law stocked channel cats and fed them on a regular basis. A channel cat on a popper is a thrill that I won’t soon forget!
So my friend Bill Dolaway and I drove up early Friday (but not too early). Stopped at Wal-mart in Sherman to buy a bilge plug for the boat, an old semi-vee hull aluminum job of undetermined origin. Prior recon had determined that someone or something had absconded with the earlier plug. Also brought along a couple of canoe paddles since the only means of propulsion in the boat was a rusty shovel. Also seat cushions as the bull had decided that he did not like the boat too well and had flipped it over, effectively destroying the nice swivel bass boat seats. Two stumps that did not appear comfortable at all.
While I was unloading tackle and boat gear, Bill started fishing from shore and started landing bass and bluegills right away. The day was overcast and the fish were biting!
He was fishing a yellow Pete’s Gurgle-Pop that was quite popular. The fish in this pond seem drawn to yellow flies. I tied on a Clouser in olive and white synthetic fibers. I started getting short strikes. The fish would grab the fly and take off, but I had tied it too long and they were not getting a mouthful of hook, rather I was pulling the fly from their mouths. Cut the tail back and started getting hookups right away. I am not the brightest bulb in the box but I did manage to figure that out!
We fished all along the shoreline. Its solid willows and oaks with assorted brush and cedar. At one point I got hooked up with a bass who pulled my little three weight down in the water to the second ferrule. I kept getting a mental image of JC and LF’s articles on how to fight fish, not to put a bowed up “U” by holding the rod high. Did not intend to break my rod! Well, the clinch knot gave way after two laps around the boat. I cursed Mr. Clinch for inventing his knot and went back to the Eugene Bend knot which never failed me.
The big ol’ bass never showed his face again that day but there were several other feists who approached his vigor and enthusiasm for fight. There were bluegills abounding, it was just a grand day. I switched to a Gurgle-Pop with a PT nymph dropper and caught a few bass. Why did I switch? Just for the heck of it. I had had my fun and was doing the old change-up for the heck of it.
The clouds burned off, the sun came out and the bite turned off. We went over to the small pond, the dedicated channel cat raising pond but were unable to raise any interest at all. So we ate some lunch, got in the car and drove back down to Texas.
All in all a great day and I look forward to doing it again.
RRhyne56
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