Bass float turns into crappiefest!

9/11/2010   Floated a piedmont river from 7 am -1pm.  Water temp at 7am 74 degrees. water temp at 12 was 76 degrees. Water low and clear.  I started off by throwing old dependable(white spinnerbait) and only had 2-3 bass that were 12-13 inches.  I then saw a tree laying over in the water and casted to it. A big crappie nailed it but then I lost her.  I then casted a red roostertail and was rewarded with a broken line(knot) . I mainly was planning to bass fish but dug through my stuff and found some chartreuse curly tails with pinkhead(see shad atricle for pics of lure), a few beetlespins and a roadrunner. I proceeded to catch 30 or so crappie off  of this one tree along with 2 bass  mostly on the jigs. Most crappie were average but all were eatin size and a few were over 12 inches.

I caught the Crappie and Bream on the Beetle spin.  Get it here-  https://amzn.to/3eZlz0P

On the paddle back to the bridge I caught a few more  bass and a few bream for a total count on bass at around 12......... some were caught on spinnerbait and 2 on  chartreuse lunkerlure. Not a single bass went over 2 lbs today.   Also saw 2 nice 5 lb plus goldfish(koi)     that actually hung around my canoe for a while.

 A nice morning float saved by the good ole crappie. Mack  

#fishingislife

#fishing

#crappiefishing

Piedmont River Float 9/3/2/10

Floated a section of river 9/3 that I have not been on in a while. 10 am -3pm Water low and clear. Water temp 84 degrees. We immedieatly saw 2 bald eagles at the put in. I started by throwing a white buzzer and put 6- 8 fish in the boat real quick. I also was throwing a white spinnerbait and a white floating worm. Most hits came on the buzzer and spinnerbait. A few fell for the worm. 19 bass caught in all by me . Steve I think caught 12,  with 3 of his being the biggest.
Here are the baits I was using today on this river.  These baits work great anytime the water is warm and
clear.
















Clockwise: White Lunker Lure, White Strikeking spinnerbait, and white zoom floating worm

Here is the avg bass caught today.
















Some fish were caught in still water up against wood and others were in fast current areas.

Here is probaly my best fish of the day.

And here is Steves best fish of the day.

A very nice day on the water. Signs of life everywhere, minnows, fish, deer, muskrats, the 2 baldeagles and we saw 1 big monster snapping turtle.

Haw River float 8/27/2010

Floated a section of the haw I had not been on in years with my good freind Jeff and caught a few fish. Nothing to bragg about but a good day on the water. Put in at aprox 3pm and took out at dark. This was about a five mile float with the first half very slow fishing. Jeff began to catch fish off of wood with plastic worms and lizards. I lost a few on worms but was mainly throwing a lunker lure buzzer. Here is Jeff with a Haw River Bass.

Here is Jeff playing tag with some female ducks.

Finally my bite started to p/u and I caught 2 good fish , both pushing 4 lbs. I can thank the inventor of 50 lb braid for this one as she wrapped me around a log up against a rock and i just held her there and pulled my canoe to it with the rod.

Near the end of the float I knew of a spot that holds large numbers of crappie so we fished this spot for a while and caught probaly 10-15 crappie on tube jigs under corks and sassy shads.

Kinda a slow day on the Mighty Haw but any day is a good day fishing. Mack

Piedmont River Smallies and surprise Striper - Dan River

8/31/2010   I had a decision to make and was having a hard time making it. Should I go east or west to fish on my day off, and if I go east should I fish the Neuse River or a creek that feeds the Neuse?....If I go west should I fish a small river for smallies or should I fish a bigger river for smallies?  Decisions, decisions!....Finally I decided on the bigger river west. The Dan River.  Next time I go by myself   I will go east.
Anyway, I arrived at the river at 4:50 pm. I loaded my canoe on my cart and headed west as I have a long walk along roads to do this shuttle without another car. 

Here is my rig I used.

Finally after a long walk(pull)  in 90 plus degree heat I arrived at my destination.

I have fished this river since the 70's. It  actually is 1 of my favorite rivers though I will admit the catching is only so so most days. This river was my second river I ventured to in my teens. Some of the fish I have caught in this river are Blue cats, flatheads, channel cats, stripers, white bass, chain pickeral(jacks) redbreast, bream, crappie, carp,  smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. I even have a freind who caught a 5 lb walleye out of this river.

Here is my first fish of the day caught on a spinnerbait. Before I got to the river my plan was to mainly throw a buzzbait,  but upon my arrival and seeing the water clarity I  decided to throw a chartreuse spinnerbait.

Here is a view of the river.....

I Finally arrived at a good spot to get out and fish and stretch my legs. On my first or second cast my spinnerbait was nailed by this fish!

Then I was rewarded with this little but chunkie brownie!

No monsters caught today but fishing in not always about catching big fish.  It was a fun 3 hrs on the water with some scrappy fish caught plus I got to see several ospreys, 1 fawn on an island and 1 funny looking opossum back at the parking lot.  All fish caught on chartreuse spinnerbait and 3 inch tube.  Mack

#danvillevirginia

#danriver

#fishing