Gary Sundin
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Consider some kind of high-vis. flag/light system. I fish big impoundments, salt water, and at night. Therefore, I have a simple PVC pipe mount on my egg crate that allows me to get a light and/or bright orange flag about 6 feet above the deck. I fish right handed, have the flag pole mounted on the left side behind the seat, and it absolutely does not interfere with my cast. I’ll second the hand bilge pump, for emergencies, but I usually do OK with a big sponge. I’ve never, ever, after many tries, been able to make a stripping basket work well from my yak. I lay a towel or apron across my lap and strip line onto it. Sub-optimal, but better than a basket, in my experience. If you’re going to use an anchor, use some kind of quick-release cleat. The small clamcleats from hook1 are perfect for me.
G
Gary, did you ever try smallmouths on the lower sections of Tellico (Below Turkey Creek) I am thinking of trying it Saturday.
Unfortunately, no. I’ve never done much smallmouth fishing period. I spent most of my Tellico time on the main tribs above Turkey. I did, rarely, get some smallies in the non-trout areas of the Hi. When I lived there 15 years ago, I was pretty new to fly fishing (not fishing). I used to spend a lot of tme just packing, paddling, and “wheelin'” the area. I’ve since given up the ORV and whitewater, but those drainages (Ocoee, Hi, Tellico) used to be like my fairyland. We still make a pilgramage up there each July for a long weekend camp.
G
I’ll agree. Each day I commute by bike to a job I enjoy. I have a 16-month old and she’s well on her way to becoming a master angler. As for the immediate future, I’m a bachelor this weekend and I really will be fishing like the “good old days”. Trout, carp, stripers, hybrids, and cheap whiskey under the stars=all in the works for me in the next 48 hours.
Then, back to this.
Pretty good.
GIn my experience with spawning carp in Bull Sluice and in other areas in North/Central GA, the active spawners will not eat. Like Olle said, the only takers might be the single fish off to the side of the main action. Don’t waste time casting to fish in groups of 2+. Those Gold Branch area carp are impressive, too. I’ve spent a little time chasing them.
I was out Sat. trying to catch the late Hybrid run. Because that action was inexplicably slow, I ended up hunting carp for a couple hours. There were lots of spawners, but also a few singles around. I had 3 shots with one eat that broke my 10 lb tippet as I tried to horse her out of the flooded veg. I’m really looking forward to the impending carp season.
G
We’ve all heard versions of the “sportsman’s evolution” model, in which the hunter/angler cycles through several stages of trophy-taking and target preference, eventually arriving at the enlightened, karma-like endpoint of, apparently, not caring about catching anything. I think it’s lovely, and I don’t doubt it contains much truth. Judging from my short 36 years of fishing experience, I project I’ll reach that final enlightened condition within 200 years.
I personally rank fishing quality on 3 broad categories, equally weighted:
1) 33.3% Karma. The most cerebral aspect of fishing, dealing with concepts like truth and beauty. (I know, all aspects of fishing “quality” are subjective.) Pristine wild settings, native fish, things like that.
2) 33.3% Strategy. How the fishery is accessed. What kind of seasonal and environmental factors make the fishery work. In short, solving the problems that stand in the way of predictably putting fish in the hand.
3) 33.3% Fish. The qualities of the quarry as a “game fish”. Related to #2, but specific to the actual behavior of the target species. Primarily, how big/strong are the fish, but also how aggressively they eat, whether they eat from the surface, how numerous they are, etc.
I will occasionally fish knowing that fish-in-hand success is unlikely. One reason is “fishing” with my daughter. We often do more hiking/playing than fishing. My goal is to spend time with her and get her interested in the outdoors generally. I don’t really categorize our trips together as fishing. Another justifiable reason is limit-testing a fishery. Eg. fishing in higher flows/colder temperatures/later in the season than I typically would, just to put a data point where one is lacking. And of course, I always fish when I can. If I have a trip scheduled and conditions go bad, and I can’t re-schedule, I’ll go somewhere and fish for something.
A “perfect” day scores high in all categories and results in fish to hand. I rarely count a day as a “bad day” just because I didn’t catch fish. Beautiful places out of doors provide benefits regardless. But I generally don’t call it a “great day” unless I put some target species in hand. I fish, as opposed to hike/paddle/climb/swim, specifically to get that slimy fish firmly in my grasp. I do it with a fly rod, preferably. But if fly rods disappeared from the earth, and if all the beautiful places and native fish were destroyed, I would still be out with a gig or a net or a burlap sack, in the sewer or the ditch, catching snakeheads or big-eyed carp or what the hell ever, just in order to actually CATCH something. That’s me.
G
Incredible. That is some exciting fishing. Did you have any trouble with border crossings? Looking forward to more shots.
Also, being a turtle person, I’m interested in those olive Ridley arribada shots.
