Piedmont Small Stream Chain Pickerel

February 7th, 2013

Duke Forest

New Hope Creek

  I had caught zero fish this year and I was getting pretty restless wanting to catch something slimy .   Where would I go?  I didn't have the time or confidence to make a trip to some of my usual haunts  with this cold weather so I figured a trip to a spot that held a lot of Chain Pickerel aka "Jack"  would maybe get me a fish or two. I decided to hit a small stream in the Piedmont that has a few Jack in it.  

My rod would be a 5 1/2 ft lite spinning outfit loaded with  6 lb mono.  My lure of choice today would be a 1/6 oz Super Roostertail in red with red hackle.  This color combo is no longer made by Yakima Bait company in the super.

I arrived at the stream at aprox 11:30 am and immediately took the water temperature and it showed 42 degrees.  I started working several pools and at 1 pool I had 1 follow and 3 hits.  I caught this Jack which was maybe 13 inches. Not a monster but I will take it after a winter of not fishing. After not getting anymore hits I took a few pictures of this stream and left knowing I would be back here in warmer weather to catch a few bass and bream. 

Here are a few pics of this nice stream. A hidden jewel.

The last time I fished this stream was probably 5 or 6 years ago and I will be sure to make it back there by May.  Here are a few pics from that trip .

A Green Sunfish

"

Thanks for lookin. 

Mack

#dukeforest

#newhopecreek

#fishing

Fox Squirrel meet 16 Gauge

Well , I finally shot a doe 2 weeks ago to put a close on my most frustrating deer season in a long time but getting in the woods and not killing something beats not getting in the woods. After this deer I knew I may go deer hunting a few more times(twice to take Otto hunting and maybe a News years day hunt in Moore Co) but the rest of the winter I was going to concentrate on small game hunting and predator hunting.

So, on the 18th I headed to my Fox squirrel hotspot and for the first few hours I scouted around awhile to check things out, and then before dark I planned to settle in to a good spot and wait. During my trek though the woods I found 5 fox squirrel nests in an area where I could sit in the middle of those and be within 50 yds of every nest. Now, a fox squirrels nest is pretty easy to identify from a grey's as it is almost twice as big and due to that size it is usually in a fork in a tree instead of away from the trunk. All of these nest were like this with plenty of other sign around. Bout, 4pm I decided to head back and sit near these nest and I notice my camera has fallen off my belt. Crap, its in a camo pouch and I have walked alooong ways! To make matters worse , its not easy to find a camo camera pouch when the woods is full of wiregrass clumps and Longleafs in the grass stage plus I had zigzagged through the woods. I finally found it just before dark so I didn't get the chance to hunt the cluster of nests.

Fast forward a few days later and I get to this spot at 3 pm. Sit down and plan to wait it out. This is where I will see one. 5 minutes later this jet black one comes back and my new to me 16 gauge barks and I am limited out. Not the biggest Fox squirrel I have shot but still a lot bigger than a grey. Gonna be some good eating and the tail will be used for tying some flies. I have 3 pumps but would rather hunt squirrels with a single shot. I guess it reminds me of my younger days.

Date- December 21, 2013
Quarry- Fox Squirrel
Location-  Sandhills of North Carolina
Gun used- Winchester 37A 16 Gauge, 28 in Barrel, full choke
Ammo -  Remington 2 3/4 inch gameloads #6 shot

Fox Squirrel Hunting in North Carolina
Mack

Sluggun Doe

My 2013 North Carolina Deer season has probably been my worst in 30 years. I have seen very few bucks and of the bucks I have seen all have been small. I finally decided to take a decent doe for meat then switch to small game hunting as this year has been a frustrating one in the deer woods.

On December 13, 2013  I hit the Deer woods in Alamance co. with my Ithaca Deerslayer.  I settled in my stand at approximately 2 pm and got to watch gray squirrels for a few hours. At 4pm 5 does came up from my right and then the biggest one turned back around and started to leave. I had an 80 yd shot and it was now or never. Now, this gun shoots excellent groups so I put it on her shoulder and let the slug fly. She dropped at the shot.  She had moved at the same time I shot  so my shot wasn't where I wanted it to be and as you can see in the picture I hit her way back but that is one reason I like slugs as they still drop right there when the shot is a little off..   A nice doe that will provide some needed meat

A frustrating season as far as seeing lots of deer and buck but still a good season any time you can enjoy the outdoors and put meat in the freezer.

Where- Alamance County
Time 3pm-dark
Gun used-  12 Gauge Ithaca Deerslayer with 24 inch barrel
Ammo- Remmington 1 oz Slug

Thanks for looking. Mack

#hunting

#ithaca

#deerhunting

Lunchbreak Bass

 I haven't fished much lately because of work and a little bit of hunting but decided 10/30 to fish during lunch and a lake just down the road from my work. The ole gal hit right away but missed the rogue and after several more casts I moved down the bank for about 15 mins to let that spot rest. I then returned and on the second cast she slammed the rogue and the fight was on!.. No, not really I just cranked her in. She was a very old gal that may have went 2 -3 lbs heavier in her day but her back half was thin and her tail almost gone from years of bedding. She didn't have much fight left in her. She may not make it till next year. I took a few pic and then held her in the water for a few mins and she took off!...there is a little blood on her gill but she had stopped bleeding by the time she took off, ..luv the rogue. my second big bass bait.

Date- 10/30/13
Time- 1230-1 PM
Lure Used- Rattlin Rogue
Outfit used- Shimano Saros 3000F
on 6'6 Med action Lighting Rod
Line- 10 lb Suffix Mono
Lake- Lake Rodgers

Son's First Deer with Bow

 This  July my son informed me that he wanted to bow hunt . Well, that meant he had to get a bow so I took him to an archery shop in Sanford and had him outfitted with a Matthews bow. Heck! he has a better bow than I do now.  He has practiced A LOT since then and  has become very proficient with his new bow. So, this  past Saturday he wanted to go hunting. On our way there he said he was gonna get one today and I told him that shooting one on his first try out would be slim. He was confident he would nail one.
We arrived at our destination at approximately 3 pm and I put him in a ladder stand on an oak ridge. He then asked what he could shoot. I told him anything as long as it didn't have spots.  Fast forward to 5 pm and I am watching a doe and he calls me and tells me he has shot one. I arrived at his stand and he tracked the blood trail to his first bow kill! Now, he has taken deer with his rifle but this was pretty good, harvesting a deer the first time out with a bow. He made an excellent 25 yd shot.  A small doe but still a deer and this will be some good eating.  Nice job son!!!.

Equipment- Matthews Bow w/ Rage broad heads
Stand- Metal ladder stand than you can see behind his left shoulder
Stand location. - Oak Ridge
Time- 3pm till dark

Him practicing

 

The results

 

 

 

Again, nice job son

My Favorite Big Bass Spinnerbait - Booyah !

I finally did it.  This day has come sooner than I expected.  I have lost my last Black Bushhog spinnerbait and cant find another one in my stash of lures.  This bait was Black with 2 Colorado copper blades and was a fish catchin lure bar none . Hopefully one day I will find 1 buried under other lures I have stored in my many drawers of lures.    The Bush Hog Spinnerbait made in Georgia hasn't been produced in years and can longer be found on eBay and old tackle shops. This bait has accounted for a very large percentage of the bass I have caught over 8 lbs and 2 over 10lbs.

Thanks to Fishwhisperer I have found the closest lure to the Bushhog and it is a Black Booya Tux and Tails with 2 copper Colorado blades.  The Tux and Tail has a skirt with a long tail and I trim that even with the rest of the skirt. It is a good(and only) substitute I have found for the ole Bushhog.
Here is a picture of the Booya.

Get this Lure Here -   https://amzn.to/3UtrLRQ

This spinnerbait is an awesome lure in the piedmont of North Carolina and especially in the Blackwater of eastern NC and SC. It is my go to big bass lure. Here are a few Pics of some of the bass I have caught on this lure.

This 1 weighed 9-5 and you can see the lure if you look closely.

This bass was caught at Jordan and weighed with the scale in my hand in the above pic and went over 10. That scale only went to 10lbs and anything over 10 it flashed dashes.

I recommended this lure to one of my employees(Tony) who is a top notch fisherman and he used it on a recent trip to Santee and caught his 2 best bass of the trip on this lure.

I just hope they don't quit making the Black Tux and Tails.

Mack

ADDED FEB 2014

Today I received a gift from Tony (pictured above) and he made me 2 spinnerbaits that are very close to the ones I like.  I am sure these will work and can't wait to try them out.

Thanks Tony! you are awesome.  Mack 

#bassfishing

#bass

#basslures

#monsterbass

A few pictures from this year on the Dan River

I have only fished the Dan twice this year as it has been too high for my liking most of the time. Here are a few pictures from the Dan this year.

1st trip this spring

 

 

 

Poor lil Pete. Somehow I hooked him in one of his big ears with a spinnerbait. You have never heard so much screaming from a dog. As soon as I got it out he was just fine and acted like nothing happened.

 

I thought this guys setup was pretty neat.  Small Jon and 8hp motor that he lowers to the river with a winch instead of a vehicle.

 

 

These pictures are from a trip about 2 weeks ago. Caught 1 smallie which will probably be my 1 and only for the year with hunting season coming soon. The water was a little high for my liking and he bite was defiantly way off as this stretch usually provides plenty of bites but not today.   1 fish caught but still a great day on the river. Also,  some nice flowers on the river.

 

 

 

 

 MACK

#danriver

#smallmouthbass

North Carolina River Stripers and Bass

8/31/2013-   
Went from fishing one of the smallest rivers(see last blog entry) in NC to one of the biggest in NC.  
I arrived at the takeout to meet Jeff at 6:01 am. We had a bet that whoever arrives at the takeout last had to buy breakfast. I had to buy Jeff a BoJangles biscuit!
We made it to the put in around 6:30 or so and I started throwing a Sebile 3/4 oz swimbait in chrome/blueback  and a Bomber Walkie Talkie. My hits were mainly  on the swimbait while Jeff was getting most of his on the Bomber. I caught my best fish of the day with this 4 lb Striper. I lost one that was 7-10 lbs. OUCH!  Jeff caught one aprox the same size.

 

After the Striper bite was over we proceeded downriver mainly throwing spinnerbaits and buzzbaits with little success. We then switched to  Pearl flukes and we each caught aprox 15 bass and  4-5 stripers apiece that may have gone 20" tops. We also  each caught a bass that was 3 lbs,   The water was very clear and when we hooked up with a bass or striper sometimes there would be 4 or 5 of his buddies following him to the boat. Pretty cool. No monsters caught today but it was a good day on the river.

 

 

If not for the Pearl Flukes today we would of had a lack luster day.

 

 

Boat Used-Old Town 119

Lures used- Sebile Swimbait and Pearl Flukes

Time 630am till 2PM

 

Thanks for Lookin- Mack

 

 

Big River Bass

Most flows today (8/18/13) were flowing too  high but I found a couple that were fishable. The 1st flow was a bust. A waste of 3 plus hrs getting there, fishing, then leaving. I decided to take a look at a spot I hadn't been to in a few years and it paid off as the bass action was non stop from 630-dark. This particular flow is a small piedmont river that holds some nice bass, Most people don't even fish it as it looks too small to most anglers.    Finally, some nice river fish brought in the boat.
I Caught 20 plus bass in a very short time and missed quite a few as well. I needed my flukes(left at home) to catch those fish that missed. All caught on a black buzzer retrieved fast. Most fish were around 1.5 lbs but biggest 3 went 16 lbs and I lost a big one . Can't wait to get back down there. 

Time 6pm -8pm
Boat-Old Town 119
Lure - Black Buzzer

Now fast forward to 8/23.  My friend Steve wanted me to take him to this spot so we hit this river in the am  from 7am-12 . I made sure this time to bring the flukes and there really were hitting the flukes like crazy!  Well, not like crazy but I caught the majority on pearl flukes. I caught 7 on the fluke, a couple on the Black buzzer and a couple on a Rapala, My biggest went 3 lbs and most were 1 to 1 1/2 lbs . Steve's biggest was a nice one going 6 lbs 5 oz. She hit a swim bait and he also caught some on a plastic worm. I lost 1 4lber on a fluke. A good morning on the river.

Time- 7am- lunch

Boat- Old Town 158

Lures used- Steve,Swimbait-Myself, Pearl Fluke w 5/0 EWG Hook

Thanks for lookin!