Wishing I was Fishing

Well, this video talks a little about fishing. But, there is no fishing really going on in the video. Just me running my mouth and my son getting crazy on his 4wheeler. We went out and enjoyed the first "Real" snow of the year. This was on Saturday Dec. 4th. 2010. Pretty good day all in all. Check it out.

Maybe Tomorrow

First of all, I am sorry for not posting anything lately. Things have been really hectic for me lately. But not to worry, I might get out tomorrow. The "Mad River" has been calling my name, or maybe it's the brown trout in the river who have been talking crazy nonsense to me.........

We just got our first major snowfall of the year on Saturday and some today. Not much, maybe 3 inches, but it was really pretty. I got out with my son and he got to raise some cane with his 4 wheeler in the snow.......maybe I will show a quick video of him doing that.

I am one of those fishermen who will not put his gear away for the winter. There is no reason to. The fish still bite, trout, bass(small mouth and large mouth),sauger, walleye....crappie,just to name a few. Now I know it's not easy, but a bite in the winter sure beats sitting on the couch waiting for spring. The main thing is you need to get out and try it. It's not the same as fast springtime fishing, but it sure beats doing nothing. Also, it might be the time of year you hit your biggest fish, who knows.

The Trout Mobile

Actually spelled " TRROUT" yep 2 r's. Marshall left to go get new plates for his car and returned with these. He has lost his mind. The video I shot has a few "f" bombs. So if your sensitive to this word, then do not watch these videos. They are funny though.

Out fishing

The water is starting to cool off around here. I have been in the Mad River and the Little Miami a few times in the past 3 weeks. But I have not had a lot of luck. I am kinda hoping things pick up in the next few weeks. The big ones should be getting really active about now, at least i hope. But here are a few pics of the local rivers I just mentioned....

Mad River - Fairborn Ohio 8/28/10

What to do on a Saturday, hmmm, don't have my son, girlfriend is busy somewhere else...blue bird skies, hot, sunny....not the best fishing weather, yep gonna go hit a river....which one? I have a two hour window of opportune time to take advantage of, so it had better be close. That leaves me with two choices, one being the Mad River, the other would be the Little Miami River. Both the same distance, so it's a toss up.....let's do the "Mad".

That was my thought process last Saturday. It was about noon that day when I got in the car, by myself to find some small mouth bass action. The weather was more like beach or pool weather but I really wanted to go out and hit a few fish. So that's what I did. I wasn't out long and I did hit a few chunky little bass. I ran into a couple of older fellas on the river, catfisherman. They were good ole boys. Nice talking with em. They were the old types that like to gab a lot. Wanted to check out my gear since I was decked out in my waders and such....

Below are a couple of quick vids I shot that day. I was glad I made the choice to get out and fish. Just another Adventure, by way of fishing....

The StillWater River - West Milton, OHIO

Canoe Fishing, is one of the best ways to take on a river. When searching for small mouth bass, floating by rip rap and rocks in a canoe allows you the chance to cover more of the river than you could by wading it. It's fun, great exercise, and a great way to spend the day.

This is what we did Tuesday August 7th 2010. We drove up to West Milton, Ohio. Rented a canoe from the local Livery, and floated 5 river miles downstream. Casting soft plastics, spinners, and jigs. Soft plastic 4inch worms seemed to work the best that day. But a few were taken on inline spinners as well.

My buddy and I took out my 5 year old son. It was a great day, the fishing was a bit slow, but just being out there made all seem well.

CranBerry River - Again

.....I sure do do love the State of West Virginia. So much, that on Sunday July 25th, 2010, when my buddy asked me if I wanted to head off to the Cranberry River for 1 day of trout fishing, all I could do was ask, "When do we leave?".

The answer to that was, that evening. So I had to leave work, at 4pm and had about 20minutes to get my stuff in order. Not that hard since I keep my backpack ready to go at all times. I just went thru a quick check list of things, grabbed my fishing gear and we hit the road by 5pm.

Now, the mountain in question is about 4 1/2 hours away. But we always stop at the Wal Mart to grab what food we need, and any other stuff we can find. Which makes it a 5 1/2 hour trip.....Which means we get to the top of the mountain very late.....Which is what happened. Now we had to make a decision, hike down Fisherman's Trail when we got there, or camp out till daybreak and head on down the mountain at daybreak. Now we tend to air on the side of "really nuts", but even we knew that going down that trail at night is a real bad idea. So we chose to go in at first light.....I am wired at midnight after the long drive and can barely sleep, but I managed to get a few hours in before daybreak....then it was down the mountain for a day on the Cranberry river trout fishing. In some circles this is called "TroutPacking". Backpacking into the back country to do some trout fishing, no better way to go.....

We fished that Monday, and had a great time. My buddy Marshall caught a lot of trout. Rainbows, Brown, and a Brook trout....I caught a few as well. We made camp that night, ate some dinner, and hiked our tired selves back out on Tuesday morning to head back to Dayton, Ohio.....quick trip. ....

Another fishing adventure....check out our video at www.youtube.com/riverhunters.

Dog Days Of Summer

.....Sorry I have not posted much this last 4-5 weeks. It has been to hot for any serious bass fishing. With temps in the 90's I don't do to much by the of fishing....Until last week when I shot over to West Virginia, to troupack into the wilderness to fish the Cranberry River for some trout....That is what i am working on now, a new video from out there and with post a great article about the conditions on the river. So give me a few days and I will have things posted.

Fishing for LM-bass

Some pictures of the fish I have caught in my backyard pond.

Brookville Lake

Monday June 21st, 2010 - A buddy and i went out the other day to see what was going on at the lake. We had been getting a lot of rain lately, and it has been muggy, humid, and very hot. Not the best circumstances for fishing, but the water was calling, so off we went. Barometer had been steady, and water temps had been up, so we thought the Small Mouth would be really active, but the action was kinda slow. I had a small amount of success, but nothing worth bragging about.

This lake is north of Cincinnati by about 30 miles. It gets a lot of boating traffic. Lots of recreational boaters. Also a fair amount of anglers as well. I have always found this lake a hard lake to figure out. But as with any body of water, if you spend enough time on this lake you will find out her secrets. I am still looking for those secrets. So more research on the water is needed.....

Mad River

We have had so much rain around here, I can't believe I even thought about hitting a river today....

So I pulled up to the Mad River, here in Fairborn, Ohio. Now as soon as I got out of the car and saw the river i knew I was screwed. Talk about swollen, this river was so full of water, that I almost(keyword: almost) got my but back in the car and said hell with it. That is what any normal man would have done. But no not me, I was there and had an hour to waist so why not. It was so muddy, and was spilling over the banks. About 90 degrees, and humid. Bad humid, hard to breathe humid. Why was I out in that crap. Knowing I could not catch a smallmouth in that kinda environment, I tied on a chartreuse spinner with a double blade on it. Hoping for the best, knowing the outcome was not gonna be good. But here is the kicker, while I was pulling on my waders, my cell phone rang. Guess who it was? It was Marshall, the other RiverHunter, calling from Virginia just to say he had video of himself pulling a 19inch smallmouth from the Little New River down there.....yep I knew I wasn't gonna catch a darn thing.....and I didn't.

Water is way to high to do any good. To muddy to say the least. To hot for any sane individual....and as I sit here and write this story, it is raining out, lightning, thundering, and adding even more water to the river that I scouted out today. Just to waste an hour of my time or so( A part of me thinks I didn't waste anytime, as this was a scouting trip, like they all are)....better luck next time.

Tight Lines.

Peak Fishing Times & Lunar Phases

Below you will find a link to Junes Lunar Phases and info on best fishing times for the month. Sorry I have to add a link, soon I will be posting the calendars on my page so you won't have to jump to another page.

http://www.lake-link.com/moon/

Hometown Fishing

Sometimes I drive by a stream and wonder why no one ever fished it. I grew up in Richmond, Indiana. Just a small Indiana town, sleepy, not much going on. But, if you like to fish it's a great place to be. One reason I say this is because the East Fork of The Whitewater River flows right thru Richmond. When I was a kid, most people, if they wanted to fish it would just through a worm and bobber and hope for the best. Hope for a catfish or maybe a big ole carp. But the truth of it is, that this part of the river is full of smallmouth. I only know of a few people who ever wade that part of the river, and I guess it's a good thing, because if there were a lot of anglers targeting that part of the river it probably would not be that good. ....Here's the scoop, the East Fork of The Whitewater River has good fishing above and below the resevoir. Period. But it does get a lot of pressure down by Liberty. The West Fork is a better fishery than the East fork, but gets more pressure. In my opinion, south of Richmond all the way thru Abington, is a great stretch. Worth hitting.

I had some time and did just that over the memorial day weekend. I caught 5 smallmouth and a very short amount of time on a very short stretch of the river. Not big ones, but fun stream smallmouth. Check out my short video below.

Moon Phases

This is not mumbo jumbo. Pay attention to the phases of the moon. This will increase your chances at hiting the big ones. Tight Lines

This is the link

http://www.fishinfo.com/fishing-information/article_12.shtml




Good luck, I will post this link every month to keep you all posted. Check back often.

New Link

I just added a new link to a website call MyoutDoorTv.com under places to visit on this blog. I really linked the site and just thought I would share it with everyone.

Twin Creek, Gemantown Ohio

So off we went to do some shopping at traders world, down by Cincinatti. That was the start of my Saturday, May 15th, 2010. I know, your thinking, "What in the hell does that have to do with fishing?" I went down there with fishing on my mind. But I had to go down there with the girlfriend because I had told her I would spend the day doing things with here that she wanted to do. So off we went at like ten in the morning. Now I walked around this huge flea market with her, all day, had lunch, spent money, you know, shopped. Ain't that a load of crap.

At about 3pm, she was getting tired. You see I had her walking everywhere, keeping a fast pace, wearing her down. This was about the same time a front was moving in and the sky was turning gray and, yep looked like fishing weather to me.(Honestly, every day, no matter the conditions, seems like fishing weather to me). So she said she had seen enough and was ready to hit the road, and I couldn't believe my luck. So we hit 75 north....

Now this was were I need to be cool and show some tact. See that morning I had placed my fishing shit in the trunk of her car without her knowing it. Now I had to mention driving through Germantown, Ohio to check out a park I knew about. Both Germantown Metropark and Twin Creek park are up there, making one really big Park. With Twin Creek running right through them. It eventually empties into the Great Miami River, but not before twisting and turning its way through 3 or 4 Ohio Counties.

So she said she was game, which I thought was really cool. So We headed west off 75 and into Germantown. Now I am a bit off a crazy nut when I get to check out a river that I have never been to....When we got to the park, I was a bit quiet and she knew, my fishing shit was in the back. Because when we pulled up, she asked me why I was smilling so big, then she guessed it when she asked if my stuff was in her trunk. Whick I replied " Ya, I think I put it back there "...

I got out below the dam. The water was up a bit, and it looked great. Just like most small streams here in Ohio. Shallow, flat with a few holes, trees overhanging, making shade. So we hike for a while, fishing rod in hand. I made a few casts here and there, ad as I was headed bck to the car, boom, a got a hit from a nice smallmouth, taking my tube bait... That was sweet, but I couldn't press my luck with my girl because she was being cool. So knowing they were hitting, I walked back with her to the car. Put my stuff away, and ended up driving around the park, and the surrounding area. Now this served to purposes. One, I was just taking a nice country cruise with here making her happy. Two, I was scouting, checking out the river as we kept crossing it on our drive. This way I had a chance to come back and would know where I wanted to hit em at....

Adventure Fishing all the way, no doubt.

Fishing Derby

Why do they call it a fishing derby? That was going through my mind Saturday the 8th of May, 2010.

Ok, So it was cold that morning. Started in the 40's and then up it went to say 50 or so. Windy. I mean really blowing. Cloudy, yucky. Great fishing weather, except, I had a 5 year old with me. witch is not that bad, he is my son and loves all things outdoors, just like me.....

So there we are, at this lake, at a fishing event(Derby) put on by his church. Fun, ya right. These people were with there kids, bobber fishing for blue gills.....So my son, seeing this says to me, " Dad, let's hit the Bass". Sweet music to my ears.

Tube baits. My first thought. As it turns out, we both caught bass with em. Motor oil flake. Right in front of the other people. So sweet....ya we looked like pros.

Adventure Fishing.....yep.

Carp Fishing

CARP! If you have ever hooked into a big one, or one that isn't so big. Than you know how much fun carp can be. No they are not jumpers like trout, or small mouth. They are bull nose pullers. They can, and most often do put up one heck of a great fight.

as a young kid, I use to fish for these fish. I even had some luck. Somedays I really got into them. Then as a I got older, into my teen years, I started to concentrate on other fish, you know bass, and other fish. Lately it has been all about trout.

But yesterday, I decided to take my 5 year old out to hit the carp. You see, I know this spot, where they are always at. It's a shallow place, no one I have ever seen is back in this marsh fishing. Kinda a flat, muddy, place where a small creek has flooded. Well they are back there, and last year I tried to get them, but no luck. Yep, skunked by the dumb old carp. Now this can really make you mad, at least, it makes me mad. But that was last year. So I wanted to get my son on some big fish, something he will remember. So I tried, yet again, and guess what? Yep you guessed it, skunked again.

Now any sane man would just give up right? Not in my case, I am gonna go back with a magic dough ball. Yes, I am gonna get my son(me to) on one of those majestic, ugly looking fish.......Hence, this is what a fisherman does, this is the sickness we all carry. Even if we get skunked, we think, "Maybe next cast" or "maybe next time". You see it's all about hope.....yep, hope.

Watch the video. Tight Lines till next time.

Bass On Their Beds

I hate the time of year when bass spawn. It makes the fishing lousy. Pre spawn is great, but when the males are on their beds, it really sucks. I went out and hit a great looking pit on Sat. April 24th, and although it looked great, I did not get into any big bass. I hit a couple of small ones, but that was it. I was over cast and rainy. A perfect fishing day, but the fishing Gods did not smile upon me that day...such is the life of a fisherman.

So I am gonna lay off the lakes and ponds for a bit, as far as bass are concerned. ..I am gonna focus on the Catfish and the Carp. Which is what I do this time of year. When the bass get lockjaw, I go after other game......Now I am not saying I won't try to hit one here and there....we will see.

I know that at some point this month(May) I am gonna set foot in the rivers around here....

Tight Lines.

Video 2, Cohutta wilderness TroutPacking Trip

Here is the second video of our series of videos we have put together from out trip into North Georgia. The Cohutta Wilderness. Just a fun little video. But I must warn those out there that have sensitive ears, the is a bit of foul language in this video....I know it's hard to believe that a couple of guys fishing used some bad language, I was shocked myself...haha......

Video Of Our Drive Into The Cohutta Wilderness

A few weeks ago my buddy Marshall and I went to North Georgia to hike into the Cohutta to do some trout fishing on the Conasauga River. I blogged about this, but at the time no video was ready to post. Now I have it ready, or should I say I have Video part 1 ready. I will be posting the other videos soon. You can check out all our videos at youtube. www.youtube.com/riverhunters
Oh, by the way, there is some bad language in this video. Might not want kids to hear some of this foul language.

Little Miami River Canoe

I just wanted to post this little video I put together of oour trip down the river. This was a lot of fun.

Little Miami River Canoe Trip April 18th, 2010

Yesterday was awesome. We got an early start about 8am and decided to take a canoe trip down the little Miami River. It was a bit chilly, not cold but a bit of bite to the wind. Just enough to let you know that it was spring and the smallmouth bass should be active. Now as it turns out we were right, the bass were on that day. I had originally thought that it was gonna be a bit over cast, but there were not to many clouds in site. Once again those weather guys got it wrong here in Ohio. We had mostly blue bird skies, which usually isn't any good for them bass. But, we got into them anyway.

We drove on down 42 and stopped in to see Rhett at RiversEdge Outfitters. Now this is a top notch Canoe and Yak rental place, Located in Waynesville Ohio, 3928 U.S. 42. Rhett was there to meet us and got us in a great canoe, right away. Give them a call (937) 862-4540.

We did a 9 mile trip down river. Water was about 60 degrees F. Which was perfect, ten wind not bother us at all. Great day to get out....

Upon arrival at the launch site, we ran into two other anglers(steelheaders). These guys were launching a Yak and a Pontoon style float. Which was a awesome contraption for a float trip. They were in their waders and ready, as we were. Once in a while we run into other anglers who are rigged and ready to burn up the the river in pursuit of these Ohio fish....I got some pics and a few videos as well. We floated with these guys for a bit and watched them nail a few good fish.....

Get out on the water. Go, now, get up and take a hike. Find a sweet place, enjoy the out doors.

Tight Lines.

Mad River, Small Mouth Bass

I told you I would be getting going on the spring fishing scene here in Ohio. I got a late start but have been on it the last week or so. My buddy, the other River Rat has had a bit of good luck this month on the Nad River. Most people think of Trout when you mention the Mad, but it also hold a lot of nice Small Mouth Bass as well. Check out the videos......

Also in the Morning we are taking a canoe trip to fish either the little Miami river or the Stillwater river in the morning....will have a update on that when I get back....

Quick post

Not much going on right now. I did hit a small pond this morning in Kettering, Ohio. Caught a few small bass. Not anything to speak about. I have not been in full blown fishing mode since I got back from Georgia. I have a lot of stuff going on around the house right now, kinda keeping me busy.....will get going on the spring fishing in a few days....

Spring SmallMouth Bass Fishing

I Ran across this article and thought I should share it here on my site, very informative, good article.



Spring SmallMouth Bass Fishing

By Juan Veruete


From top to bottom: Yum Houdini Shad, Zoom Fluke, Slug-Go 3 inch size




From top to bottom: Yum Houdini Shad, Zoom Fluke, Slug-Go 3 inch size

One of the most popular yet, maybe, least understood baits for smallmouth is the soft jerkbait. These little gems are among my go to baits for spring smallmouth bass. In addition, they see a lot of “water time” during the summer. As we head into spring full speed here in the north east, I thought I’d throw out a few brands of soft jerkbaits along with their strengths in terms of fish “attracting” and “catching” abilities. In a nutshell, this article is part instruction and part product review BUT all about catching more smallmouth!

Soft jerkbaits are most noted for their unpredictable and erratic action. Most likely they mimic a fleeing baitfish which triggers old mr. smallies instinct to attack. lets take a look at three different jerkbaits and the subtle differences that sometimes can make or break a day on the water.
3 inch Slug-Go

About the bait
The Slug-Go brand name and style of bait arrived on the scene during the mid 80’s and created the soft jerkbait craze. That craze is now a standard in bass fishing circles. The three inch model is the smallest in a line of baits offered by Lunker City LLC.

Key properties
The extremely slender profile of the three inch Slug-Go is ideal for mimicking small minnows and other soft finned baitfish. The slender profile of this bait also creates a distinct “darting” action after a jerk. In addition, the bait offers a very slow fall rate that drives smallmouth crazy. A 3 inch Slug-Go is fairly light so lighter spinning tackle would be the best choice for tossing the bait.

Application
The smallest Slug-Go is great for river and creek smallmouth. The bait offers a subtle slow fall presentation that is best suited for shallow water applications. It is also my bait of choice in very clear water conditions when a delicate presentation is necessary. The slow fall rate of this bait is a key strength. The fall rate can be slowed even more by using a light wire offset worm hook that Lunker City produces specifically for the Slug-Go.

Rigging
Texposed is the most common rigging convention for this bait. Lunker City produces a light wire hook that has been designed specifically for the 3 inch Slug-go. My preference, however, is a size 1 offset extra wide gap worm hook. I find my hookup percentage is slightly higher with this style of hook.
4 inch Zoom Fluke

About the bait
The Fluke is produced by one of the top plastic bait companies in the country, Zoom. The 4 inch model is part of a family of baits with the “Fluke” name. Flukes are available in a variety of sizes and colors. You can check out the baits on the Zoom website.

Key properties
The 4 inch Fluke is a great bait for mimicking medium sized baitfish. The wider body creates a larger profile and displaces more water. Properties that say “hey..hear i am!” to any smallmouth in the vicinity. The split tail design gives the bait an even more realistic profile and creates more forward “glide” or “drift” when you pause the bait after a jerk.

Applications
The bait is slightly heavier and less boyant that the Slug-Go so it can be fished a little deeper. I will typically go to this bait when I need to fish in the 3-6 foot range. The larger profile also makes it my soft jerkbait of choice when the water has a slight stain or color. Most importantly, it is great for matching the size and profile of medium sized baitfish.

Rigging
Like the Slug-Go, the Fluke can be texposed rigged. I always use an extra wide gap offset worm hook with this particular bait due to the wider body. Again, the main goal is to increase hookups and successfully bring the smallmouth to hand. A size 2/0 or 3/0 hook will work perfectly with the 4 inch Fluke.
5 inch Yum Houdini Shad

About the bait
The Houdini Shad is produced by Yum Bait Company. There is less size selection in the Houdini Shad than some other soft jerkbaits but this bait certainly has a place in any soft jerkbait fisherman’s tackle box. The bait is enhanced with Live Prey Technology (LPT) fish attractant.

Key properties
The first thing you’ll notice about the Houdini Shad is it’s big bulky profile. It is great for imitating larger baitfish when smallies are really on the feed. The Houdini Shad can be cast long distances and it sinks faster than most other soft jerkbaits on the market. As mentioned previously, the bait is scent enhanced with LPT so fish tend to hold onto it after the strike. The last and most notable feature of this bait is the paddle tail which gives it a distinct circular glide after the jerk. The Houdini Shad slowly circles to the bottom with a subtle tail wag that I have not seen from any other soft jerkbait on the market. The paddle tail is perforated so you can convert it to a split tail or even just knock out the middle of the paddled creating a diamond shaped hole. This in turn, changes the action of the bait as it falls.

Applications
The bait can be used when trying to match the size and coloration of larger baitfish. Because of the baits bigger and bulkier profile, it also does well in stained or even muddy water. I’ve used the bait under these conditions with excellent results. The bait can be fished shallow or deep. I’ve fished the bait down to 8 feet with success and patience. When fishing deep, I typically count the bait down to depth. I will also throw this bait when I’ve established that the fish are in a neutral feeding mood. The unique tail action sometimes entices fish to bite that are refusing other baits.

Rigging
The Houdini Shad can be rigged a number of ways but texposed is probably the most common way to fish the bait. Again, due to the bulk of this bait, I typically rig it with either a 4/0 or 5/0 extra wide gap offset worm hook.

Sweet Article.

Here is a article I found on a site called "Canoe Camp Fish". Pretty basic but great article none the less.


To Contact this author contact@canoecampfish.com



River Fishing For Smallmouth Bass


When river fishing for smallmouth bass, I have a standard approach I use for a new river.

Start Paddling Upstream.

Yes I said upstream! If you float downstream, you are likely to get very far away in a hurry, without getting a good feel for the river. After exploring upstream, you can then check downstream. Troll a small floating Rapala if possible, weighted down with a small split shot about 1.5 ft ahead. If there is too much current or if it is too shallow and rocky, you may not be able to troll. You may find some good spots on the way to your destination. If you have 2 poles, try trolling a different bait on the 2nd pole, provided it won't twist your line too much.

Identify "Likely" Spots

Likely spots include

*

Any place where there is an eddy (dead spot), back current , behind large rocks, or below falls. This is the fish's perspective: They, like us, strive to do the minimum amount of work for their supper. They would rather sit in a dead spot near the edge of the current and wait for the nearby current to bring supper to them.

*

A shaded spot. They also like to hide in the cool darkness provided by large rocks, weeds, or submerged trees & logs. They just sit and wait for unsuspecting prey. Since Smallmouth Bass prey upon crayfish, and crayfish like rocks, bass will also be in rocky locations.

*

A spot where fish bite while you are trolling. I have found certain "unlikely looking" stretches of a river to consistently produce by trolling through them. Often times these will be quiet deep stretches of a river with possibly some underwater structure like rocks or logs.

Fishing Techniques

Here are some of my favorite methods:

*

Cast small #0, or #1 Mepp's Spinners into or in front of the dead spots.

*

Cast sinking 1.5 inch Rapalas and "twitch" them in, reeling in the slack. Also try a weighted down floating rapala.

*

Try a jig with a twister tail. I like a chartreuse or pearl colored tail with a chartreuse jig, but in some places I have found a bright orange jig with orange tail to work well.

*

Try night crawlers or leeches on a hook with split shot or with a bobber. I always try this type of live bait before leaving an area. In some cases it is the only bait that will produce.

*

Try other baits like small spoons, spinner baits, etc. I fished one naturally turbid river where the best bait was a small blue and silver imitation Little Cleo made by Viking Tackle (now out of business) that I bought at a local gas station. Every river has its lure!

Keep checking up river as far as you have time or desire.

Fish Your Way Downriver to the Landing

OK, now only spend your time again stopping at places that produced fish when you fished your way up. If the current is not too extreme you can also troll your way down river.

Fish Downriver From The Landing

You will do the same thing you did as you fished upriver except you now have a feel for what is a "good" spot and you also know what is a "good" bait.

Try to avoid going to far! If you find a hot hole about 2 miles down and you fish it till dark, you may have a very interesting time paddling back home against the current! I've been there ;)

Gear Review

Well, I said I had some new gear I was planning on using on my hiking/fishing trip into the North Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains. This was by far the most comfortable trip I have ever taken into any back country trip and there have been many trips. I was geared out for this trip, and it made it one of the most enjoyable trips I have been on because of all the right gear.

Wading Boots

I had a hard time making up my mind with the style of wading boots I wanted to pair up with my new waders. Their are so many choices out there, and with so many choices comes with with bit of some confusion.

I knew I wanted a pair of boots that would last, so I set out looking for a pair made from synthetic materials. All leather boots don't last that long. I also did not want felt soles boots for two reasons, 1) felt soles harbor invasive species that can easily be transported from one body of water to the next, possibly contaminating a watershed. 2) I do a lot of hiking on these rivers I end up fishing. I do not want to have to always be replacing my felt on the boots. Plus I wanted comfort while walking all day, I can hike upwards of 10 or more miles in a days fishing trip. So I did not want any felt soles.

After looking at my options, I decided I wanted to get what I was looking for at or about the 100 dollar range.....So off to Bass pro shops it was. We hit the shop in Cincinnati, which could have been a disaster because I can never get outta that place without spending 300 bucks. So I was focused this time. Ya, right.

This is what I found:

White River Fly Shop® ECO-CLEAR™ Wading Boots for Men

And here is what it says about them on there website.

" Around the world, fish-bearing streams are being compromised by invasive species introduced into new environments via boots and waders. That’s why we created ECO-CLEAR™ soles. Their unique construction—crushed walnut shells and a dynamic rubber compound—helps keep unwanted organisms from latching onto your gear, so you can fish any stream with an ECO-CLEAR conscience!

White River Fly Shop® ECO-CLEAR™ Wading Boots for Men are equipped with eco-friendly ECO-CLEAR soles for stream protection and slip-resistant traction. Color: Green/Brown. Imported."

* Features: Tough polyurethane upper with nylon inserts
* Reinforced toe and heel
* Lightweight EVA midsole
* Removable insole
* Pull tabs
* Drain holes



I am gonna say these boots are as good as they say, and they performed better than I had hoped. I was able to hike all day, and I mean, all day, in complete comfort. While in the water I was able to fish and not worry abot much slipping because I was amazed at how these boots gripped bottom. Really, just a sweet pair of boots and kept me from slipping and sliding all over they river. I was never, upset with this purchase. a recommended buy to anyone looking for a good pair of boots. They list for 89 bucks, got mine on sale for $69.99 plus tax. Sweet deal.

And here is the best part, that day at Bass Pro, I got outta there and kept mine spending in check and kept it below the 300 dollar mark. I was so happy, but I still bought a bunch of crap I probably did not need. But it was fun anyway.

Waders

To go along with those sweet new boots I purchased I need to get a new pair of waders. In the past I always have used(since I was 16)the chest high rubber/3 ply construction type waders. Which are really durable, but really heavy, and not really comfy at all. Plus the boot foot kind slip all over the darn place, miking wading streams a bit of a challenge and at time dangerous.

So I wanted a pair that was light weight,and durable, since I am always going thru the woods and bushes, sometimes sliding down the banks of rivers, trying to get to those perfect spots. I also wanted them to be breathable, because I hated how my older waders would keep all that moisture from sweat in. At the end of some of these long days I would be drenched in sweat. So I found a pair of waist high waders, pants, that I thought would be perfect. Here is what I ended up buying from Dick's Sporting Goods.

Caddis Deluxe Waist-High Breathable Waders-Men's (Taupe 2-Tone)

Product Summary
Manufacturer: Caddis
Mfg Part#: CA12909W-S
Size: Small
Buy.com Sku: 203882977
UPC: 00879730000556


The Caddis Deluxe breathable waist-high waders for men utilize CaddisDry(tm) Breathable Technology to give you a heavy-duty polyester fabric that prevents abrasion leaks, yet affords complete breathability for your fishing comfort. Reinforced knees and seat provide an extra layer where you need it and attached gravel guards with lace hooks keep gravel out of your boots.

Features

* Model Number: CA129
* 100% waterproof and breathable construction with CaddisDry(tm) fabric technology
* Durable polyester outer shell
* Double-layer knees
* Stitched and taped seams for added strength
* Generous cut for expanded range of movement for easy on/off
* Comfortable and warm neoprene booties
* Attached gravel guards with lace hooks

These by far are one of if not the best investment I have ever made in terms of creature comfort. These so far have been top notch. I took these back into the Blue Ridge Mountains to hit the trout and I hiked, climbed, fished, fell, slipped down banks, and they performed top notch. All I wore under them were a pair of long johns and I was more than comfy. Best of all, no leaks. I stayed dry, and sweat was not an issue, because they are breathable. These things were awesome. I would also like to ad how it was just like wearing a pair of thin pants, I could move around and do what I wanted and was never unhappy.....Really Sweet.

Hiking the Cohutta Wilderness, and the Conasauga River.

Take a drive and head on over to North Georgia. Why? To hike into the Blue ridge Mountains. This is exactly what myself and a friend accomplished Marched 22 - 28th 2010.

Cohutta Wilderness

We began our drive on Monday morning March 22nd, 2010 about 7:30am. Not a long drive, only 426 miles, we took out time and made a few stops along the way. Coffee was going right thru us......the day was gray and cloudy, and as we passed thru Knoxville, TN. we saw it was snowing, this actually made us excited to get on the mountain(Cahutta Mountain).....and that's what it was doing as we drove up the pass to the trail head, snow, snow, snow. It was so awesome, we would begin our hike in while it was snowing all around us.

The trails are steep and rocky, but not a bad hike at all. We started at the Hickory Trail Head, which is accessed by FS road 630 in Crandall, Georgia. It is a beautiful place to go. The river is awesome, clear, clean in that area.....this was early spring so plants and animals where just getting out...trees were not turning green yet.....so awesome to be in that area.

Trout Fishing

This was why we went. For the trout. I had been doing some reading and thought we would find out if it was as good as we expected. I am gonna just say that the fishing was hard, and we did not do well. Those native trout are shy and skittish. But I am not convinced there are a whole lot in there. I mean, it's not a stocked fishery, but I expected at this time of year a lot more action, let me just say we did more fishing that catching,......but that's ok and that's the way it goes sometimes....but it's a beautiful river and the area is awesome....I just don't think there a huge numbers of trout there....we did our better fishing as we traveled up stream, closer to the head waters....

The Cahutta wilderness inside the Chattahoochee National Forest is a great place to go hike and camp. But we noticed a lack of respect for this place by other visitors. There was a lot of small trash left by others. Not a welcome site in a place like this....You might read that this place is hard to get into. But that is just not true. Lots of trails, and easy access. I say go visit, take a hike and you will be in heaven. Just do us all a favor and and pick up the trash you see. please. This is what we did, and others should do it as well.....

Trout Fishing Techniques

Trout Fishing Techniques
By Aaron Guhl Platinum Quality Author
Aaron Guhl
Level: Platinum

Aaron Guhl is an Internet Marketer who specializes in writing quality content for websites. He was born and raised in Rochester, NY and works as ...



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Angling for trout will always be a really pleasurable fishing experience. Hopefully, with most of these trout fishing tricks, you'll be in a position to reel in many greater trout. There happen to be numerous distinct kinds of trout, but for the reasons regarding this particular page, the kinds we shall end up being interested with will be Rainbow, Cutthroat, Bull, and Brown Trout. All of these kinds of trout are really identical throughout terms of exactly how they will act, just what lakes and rivers they are usually noticed in and what you are going to want to be able to catch all of them.

While fishing for trout, size will be absolutely an item that can not end up being pushed aside. Recommendations relating to size are generally to typically proceed using scaled-down tackle. When trout bite, it really is important that you can sense bite which often is exactly what a light-weight rod will offer you. Any good five foot light rod as well as a lightweight spinning reel spooled together with light line running through 6 to ten pounds is a good beginning. You are going to end up being stunned at the dimensions of the particular trout a person can easily reel in with a set up like this.

When you tend to be a wading angler in a stream, garments play a large part in supporting one obtain nibbles. When you are donning brighter colorations which stand out from any natural environment, trout can certainly recognize that. It can be usually ideal that in the event that people usually are going to wade inside the stream while fishing for trout, make an effort to fuse directly into your surroundings as best as possible by wearing bland hues. You really don't require just about any fancy camouflage, sometimes something as basic as a dark brown t-shirt will function as effectively.

It is also crucial for you to spend awareness to the odor you put off. Trout usually tend to be put off by any strange fragrances in the region and they have got very keen senses. The critical factors of it tend to be to just always be aware of the odor of your own hands and wrists. The scent that can be found on your own hands may rub off on your own lures while dealing with them and this can be discovered by trout. When your fishing lure doesn't smell like a meal to the trout, in that case the trout will not strike. 1 very simple trout angling suggestion would be to rub your own hands in grass, weeds or even mud to add a normal smell on to your hands.

Trout tend to be a quite intelligent type of fish around. One rule which can't possibly be stressed enough will be the display of your lure. No matter what variety of lure you work with, you need to be able to offer it to the trout in an attractive and natural manner. Utilizing realistic swimming tackle with lifelike motion is one of the sole best procedures to acquiring extra strikes whenever angling for trout.

You may be guaranteed for you to receive additional bites when you actually implement all these trout fishing tips the following time you are out there fishing. In fact, the more the catches the better, right?

Aaron is a pastime fisherman who enjoys writing about the leisure sport of fishing. He fishes mostly freshwater in lakes and rivers. Aaron looks to help others improve their fishing experiences by writing tips and techniques for freshwater fishing. To read more of his articles visit: Freshwater Fishing Lures.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aaron_Guhl

Fishing Article

I ran across this article and thought it was such a good read I had to a it to my blog, info is at the bottom of this blog.




Hundreds of thousands of sports fishers enjoy fishing-oriented events, competitions, and fishing expeditions designed for all levels - from novices to well-seasoned game fishermen. The perfect practice for people who love being outdoors in nature, enjoy quiet solitude or building close relationships with a few friends, and thrive on the challenge of learning the skills needed to attract, catch, and land the ever-evasive fish.

Opportunities to Learn Sport Fishing Basics

Anglers (who use a hook to fish) and other fishermen at all skill levels have a variety of ways to learn their craft. While many fishers learn the sport by first-hand trial and error experience, fishing schools are a great way to learn the basic techniques, whether you're interested in game fishing, fly fishing, ice fishing, or rock fishing. Fishing guides not only teach you how to get the best results, but they show you where you can find the fish you're after. Joining a group of more experienced fishers or a fishing charter tour will help you learn from the more experienced while you enjoy a group fishing adventure. You can even pick up tips and techniques when you visit boat shows!

No matter how your learn, you're sports fishing education should include techniques for:

- Knots
- Wire Twists
- Hooks
- Tackle Maintenance
- Wind-on Leaders
- Crimps
- Splices
- Building Riggs
- Angling techniques
- Learning basic equipment

Popular Sport Fishing Spots

In the United States, locations people choose for sports fishing depend on the type of experience they want and the species of fish they want to catch. Inland freshwater fishing, where sports fishers enjoy casting, working with exotic lures, and gathering the food for a great fish fry, is best in cool-weather climates. But warm-water streams, rivers, and lakes also offer abundant rewards.

Inland freshwater fishing offers good eating species like trout, bass, catfish, crappie, minnows, sunfishes, and carp. Among many popular inland locations for sports fishing are:
- Chattooga River near Clayton, South Carolina
- Owens River near Mammoth Lakes, California
- Jacks River near Knoxville, Tennessee
- Mountain streams at Slate Run, Pennsylvania
- Deerfield River near Charlemont, Massachusetts
- Conasaugua and Jacks Rivers near Crandall, Georgia
- Cranberry River near Richwood, West Virginia
- Upper Connecticut River near Pittsburgh, New Hampshire
- North Branch of the Potomac River near Bloomington, Maryland
- South Platte River near Denver, Colorado
- Lake Eufaula near Eufaula, Oklahoma
- Great Lakes

American sport fishers who want to stay in the States and enjoy the challenges of saltwater fishing find great spots in harbors and on coastlines as well as out in deep ocean waters. Just a few of many popular locations for game fishing, where sports fishers seek the bigger, faster adversary include:
- Cape Cod, Cape Ann and Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
- Charters from Atlantic City, New Jersey
- Long Island, New York
- Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island
- Albemarle Sound, Cape Fear, and Cape Lookout, North Carolina
- Middle Chesapeake Bay
- Charleston Harbor and Winyah Bay, South Carolina
- Apalachee Bay and Apalachicola Bay to Cape San Blas, Florida
- East Cape To Naples Bay, Florida
- St Joseph, St Andrew and Choctawhatchee Bays, Florida
- Tampa Bay to Crystal River, Florida
- Mouth of the Mississippi River, near Venice, Louisiana
- Corpus Christi, Texas
- Matagorda Island to Aranasas Pass, San Antonio Bay, Texas
- Matagorda to Aransas Pass, Carlos Bay to Redfish Bay Texas
- Mississippi Sound to Cat Island Lake Borgne, Mississippi
- Laguna Madre, Texas
- Channel Islands, California
- Baja California, Pacific Side
- Mission Bay and San Diego Bay, California
- Santa Catalina, San Clemente Islands, California
- Alaska Coastline, anywhere
- Hawaii Coastline, anywhere

Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, Alaska, and Hawaii are among the most popular game fishing locations internationally. And sports fishing can be found near any major international port and near mature reef systems. For sports fishers who want to get experience outside the United States, just a few of many popular locations include:
- Caribbean Islands
- Offshore Mexico, particularly Baja California
- Eastern Coastline of Australia
- Costa Rica
- Egypt
- Samoa
- Tahiti

Abhishek is an avid Fishing enthusiast and he has got some great Fishing Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 116 Pages Ebook, "Fishing Mastery!" from his website http://www.Fishing-Masters.com/772/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abhishek_Agarwal

Great Article

“Surfing around the web this week I was thinking a lot about other articles on spring fishing (some issue in my niche) and I found an interesting article that talked about it. It was rather informative and made me realize how this article is in fact important and worthy of attention. I’ve pasted this article below for you to check out yourself. It is simliar in content to a post I wrote last week but with more info. So I thought I would post it here for you all to read.





Early Spring Fishing
By Scott Patton of Bluegrass Lures

With the winter chills beginning to thaw, and longer daylight hours which in the fishing world we call it the photo light period of the day. It creates longer sun exposure . This is what begins to warm the earth's atmosphere and to warm at a slower pace the water temps as well. This photo light period is what makes the natural world start its change out of the dormant winter habits.

Next we will have to look at the currents warming and cold fronts to decide where the bass may be. One thing for certain they are triggered to move by instinct and the photo light period, to begin their way to the spawning grounds. The current weather tells us what techniques will be the best for catching.

Some of the first places that I start my search is by locating where a main river or a major creek will swing away from a steep bank or rock wall. These type of places allow the fish easy access to deeper water, or a shallower flat depending on the current weather, and the main area on this bluff or steep bank (deepest portion) is where the bass world have spent its winter. Now remember that this pattern will work the same in major creeks and no only on the main lake.

Some of the lures that will be effective at this time of year are a flipping or casting jig, jerk bait, a rattle trap and also a spinner bait.

You will be using the current weather to help you decide on what stage the bass will be at. It its been warm for a few days look for the fish with a jerk bait right on the edge of the drop into the deeper water. Use your electronics to help you find that main decline in depth, this is where the fish will normally hold also look for stumps or brush piles buried by crappie fishermen. Fish will also suspend right over the cover, moving up to absorb the heat generated by the sun. Keep in mind that these fish are cold blooded and a few degree change in water temp can mean a lot. A jerk bait is an ideal bait because you can get it down into striking range of the fish and it is a lure that you will want to fish with a jerk, jerk, and then pause the bait, this bait if you bought or weighted your own will suspend at the depth and will stay in the strike zone longer enabling these sluggish fish a better chance to take the lure.

Another lure that I like to fish early in the year is a rattle trap. This lure is awesome at this time of year. I like to find a long tapering point that extends out into the lake that has a river or major creek swinging next to it. I'll look for stumps or a gravel and rocky bottom. Once its been warm for a week or so this is a great place to catch not one but a lot of big fish. I'll be casting into 5 to 6 foot depths and working the bait back to the boat which could be in 20 ft. of water. The fish can be any where on the flat so keep the bait down next to the bottom and work it slow all the way back to the boat. You can also hop the lure back to the boat working it like a jig.

Now with the spinner bait I will fish it in both of the previous areas, but it is also an excellent bait to slow roll along creek channel edges when you have rock and wood together. I use a new spinner bait that I designed call the diamond back. It has a built in rattle chamber into the blade, combine this with the flash off the blades and the bass can't stand watching it go by. With the jig I will fish it after I have located my fish in any of the previous places that we just spoke of. One thing with the jig, I fish it slow and I will use a fish attractant and the only one that I have used that I know works is Carolina Lunker Sauce, it smells like the natural thing and most important it will stay on your bait for about half an hour. With most attractants they wash off in only a couple of casts.

Scott Patton has fished on the ESPN B.A.S.S. and or the FLW tour for over 12 years and has been fishing tournament for over 20 years he has been a guide for eight years, and is sponsored by St. Croix Rods and Reels, ZOOM, Rattle Trap and BLUEGRASS LURES, and Costa Del Mar Sunglasses.

www.fishin.com/articles/2004/spring.htm

Pre Spawn Bass Fishing

I have been asked, "What is your favorite time of year to get out and hit the Bass?",
more times than I can remember. The answer for me at this stage of the game is, Pre-Spawn.
Now this term can mean different things to different people. To me it means when the water
begins to warm up in March in my neck of the woods until they actually spawn.

So what's going on at this time that makes it better for me? Well, all winter the bass
have been holding deep. The cold weather forced the shad and other bait fish to move shallow
in the fall and winter months. The bass follow and that is where they staged through most of
the winter. Deep. The shad and other bait fish school up as normal at this time of year and
the bass don't have to do much work since things don't move much in this cold water, around
here the water is in they low forties, 41 degrees, or so......

Now at the end of February or mid March the days are getting longer and we should start to
get a warm up. The water temps will start to tick up, and all it takes for the bass in these
lakes, ponds and streams, to get moving is this upward water temp change of just a few degrees.
They will at this point, begin to stage in other areas for some heavy feeding. You have to think
they have been laying low the last few months and are a bit hungry at this point.They are
gonna chase the bait fish up into the shallows were the water has warmed, probably sit on a
shelf of some kind. Now when then move to this staging area, they will have another option to
feed on, and that would be the crayfish....

So when they are in this stage I like to use a crank bait and I am really into jigs. A jig
and pig combo always works this time of year, just think slow presentation. I have also been
using a lot of creature baits lately. I love all the new soft baits they have been coming up with
recently.

This is a very simple way of looking at what is going on in the pre spawn stage. But it is the
beginning of some good action and for me I seem to always hit my big ones pre spawn. Before
the females lay their eggs and go deep to get some rest. I say get out there now, go fish.

New Waders To Be Tested

I just got a new pair of Waist Hi Waders from Dick's sporting goods. I am gonna take these waders into the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Georgia this month March 22nd - the 28th. These are made by Caddis Systems CA12909W. Hope they perform well. I am not gonna leave my other waders at home which are my 3ply Chest high boot foot waders, those are really heavy, but I want a backup if I need them.....I have about 4 or 5 new products I will be testing and then I will give a full review when I get back from this trip.

Adding A New Team Member

Well he is not new to many people. He is the "other" River Rat. Marshall Hamden will be contributing a few pieces coming soon. Hopefully we can get him to be a full time writer. I will have a full bio on him coming soon. For now you can check him out on our youtube videos.


at www.youtube.com/riverhunters

Tight Lines

New Rig - UL combo

I just received in the mail my new combo from Cabela's a 4'6" Ultralight Combo. Made a short video and am gonna take this setup with me next month to Northern Georgia. We are hiking into the Blue Ridge Mountains to fish the Conasauga River.....more on that later.

Also go to www.youtube.com/riverhunters

Equipment Reviews

I am always buying new stuff. Out Door stuff, and some is good and some is bad. Sometimes I read other peoples reviews of the stuff, and think, " This is a shitty review, not enough info". So, I am gonna start putting my reviews up here....next month I will be testing out some new waist high waders, a new ultra light....will keep you all posted.

SNOW SNOW SNOW

Tons of snow. We are getting buried here in Ohio, already had a foot and a half on the ground now we are in the process of getting another 4 to 9 inches....Not getting any fishing done....messing around with my fishing rods and stuff like that...planning a trip next month to Georgia...trout hunting, in the Blue ridge Mountains....here is a new video...also here is a link to our you tube page

www.youtube.com/riverhunters

Check it out.

More Snow

I think/ Actually I know I might head over to the Great Miami River or the Ohio River to do some Sauger Fishing. They are being caught in the rivers and I need to get on the action. Although we have a fresh layer of snow from last nights little storm......and more on the way. ........

Cabin Fever

Wouldn't you know it? I got "Cabin Fever". Mid January, stuck with a 5 year old boy, my son, in the house. Have not had much of a chance to get out lately. Working, holidays, kids been sick. Sucks........Been planning a trout trip in March, to Georgia....that's making me go insane....the weather has kept me from getting out and doing any fishing. Stuff is frozen over, snow has melted away.....pretty shitty out. I am rambling....gonna try and get out next week maybe. Will be over in Indiana, maybe try for something below the Brookville damn.