With the extreme heat and drought we're currently experiencing here around home my options have become somewhat limited recently , with surface temps in the mid 90's most species are searching out deeper water and becoming alot less active for sure.
I still ventured out on Thursday and headed to the local reservoir in search of willing fish roaming the flats.
It didn't take long to see that I'd made a good choice , while the carp were surprisingly absent, I found good numbers of drum (Poor Mans Permit) cruising around with a healthy appetite. These guys have become one of my favorite species to chase on the fly , no really , I mean that in all honesty. They're readily available , they get BIG , they like to roam shallow flats looking to crush their next meal and best of all they'll put a curve in your flyrod that us trout weenies don't get to see very often (unless I'm trying to dislodge my fly from a tree branch across the river!). I ended up making a total of three short trips during my weekend to chase these guys and caught my largest to date , just over 30 inches and caught more poundage of fish than I have in a long time. Say what you want about "trash fish" and all but I was pretty stoked with the results. While they may be a hoot to catch I realize they're not much to look at and most folks just don't get excited about drum. That being said...here's a few pics anyway!
The second part of the report is from one of my favorite little evening fishing holes. I was lucky enough to spend Friday evening and Sunday afternoon playing around with the big gills and crappie that call this place home. A few beers were drank and fish were caught....not much else to say. Heres a few pics from those outings as well.
Hope you enjoy......
Nice post. I for one am envious of your drum fishing. Most of the ones I've run into lately have had reproduction on their mind and no interest in eating a fly.
ReplyDeleteIf fly snobs can't see that Redfish (also known as Red Drum) and Freshwater Drum are cut from the same cloth (biologically- the Family Sciaenidae), then that just leaves more for us "poor men"... which I think is perfectly alright.
Thanks Jay....I've been having some pretty good luck on the drum here lately , although it's kind of hit and miss. I'm with ya on that reasoning , the last thing I want to see is a parking lot full of flyfishermen at my local hotspot. I guess I'm a little selfish!!
DeleteTruly making the best of it.
ReplyDeleteWell done.
Thank you sir....sometimes you just have to work with what you got. And that's not always a bad thing!!
DeleteNice fish & nice foods!
ReplyDeleteThanks man...appreciate you stopping by and checking it out.
DeleteNice fish! Especially the bluegills and crappie. I have not caught one crappie this year.
ReplyDeleteThanks....I'm lucky enough to have a couple of places that I can usually go and pick up a slab or two and if they're not willing to play the gills always are!
DeleteYou old Trash Fisher you!!! What happened to line??? Nice Crappie is that the pond by the horse pond???
ReplyDeleteYou're just jealous!!
DeleteThat's what happens when you hook into a 30 inch++ drum and don't have your drag set loose enough.
Yep , my favorite little piece of heaven.
Great fish Jeff! I need to get out to Hillsdale here soon. The clarity at Clinton has been super frustrating and you can't see the carp or drum until you are right on top of them. Do you walk the face or the bank?
ReplyDeleteThanks...the majority of my fish are coming from the rocky banks around the dam and the dam itself. It's day to day clarity wise here as well , if the winds blowing at all it can be zero visibility but on a calm day it's usually good.
Deleteyou need to stop interrupting your posts with photos of such fine cuisine...It almost made me forget to comment on how cool those drum look. I can see why you have so much fun chasing them.
ReplyDelete...the other fish were alright as well :-)
Sanders - Thanks man...I have to admit I've been having a blast chasing those drum. After all , who doesn't enjoy catching 25-30 inch fish on the fly??
DeleteDandy crappies! And...Add me to the list of those that are Drum-Jealous! I've yet to catch one on a fly. I'd love to try your sight-fishing technique at the local reservoir (Saylorville Lake), but it tends to be pretty muddy. 25"-30" Freshwater Drum are TROPHY size!
ReplyDeleteExcellent report.
Thanks Dave....The lake I'm fishing is by no means a clearwater lake either but if I get no wind I can find some good sight fishing areas on shorelines where the main substrate is rock instead of mud. The drum seem to prefer rocky shores over mud unlike the carp.
DeleteNICE Drum pictures and story. I live in triut land, have caught them picky and big, but they are just trout. I wish we had drum, especially, but many of what you in your drainage have coursefish wise. We have crappie, yours look like whites? and they grow large like yours, I simply wish we had other unique challenges. Nice bluegills I see as well you caught! We do have those, again I wish for other sunfish, green sunfish for example. Now then, so saying, I live in a land with things I consider part of me and can't leave. So reading what you do and have is cool.
ReplyDeleteGregg
Thank you...I know exactly what you are saying. That's what's so great about the internet , we can enjoy the experiences of others in places that we may never have the opportunity to see without ever having to leave our "home waters" that are so special to us.
DeleteI was reading E.D. M. and Sanders post on fishing CO high country lake for Cutthroat. Guess what I started dreaming about. I'm worthless now (Possiable After to) the CO trip!
ReplyDeleteI've gotten behind in checking my favorite blogs. Good to see what you've been up to. Those hoppers made my mouth water, and you obviously employed them well. And nice Bluegill! That's a secret hole to guard well. Thanks for sharing it with us.
ReplyDeleteI know the feeling Jim...too many irons in the fire here recently for me as well. I've always got to find some time in my busy week to check out the Trout Lake report though, thanks for making time as well.
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