Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Summertime Smallmouth Fix

This trip is actually a week late in getting posted, the week before the 4th was hectic at work and then when Friday rolled around the wife and I packed up the camping gear, loaded Joe in the backseat and headed to one of our favorite lakes for a relaxing three day weekend. Oh well, better late than never!
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Anyway, this trip went down the last weekend in June with several of my good fishing buddies. We've all been lamenting the rains and the flooding that accompanies it which have been happening almost every weekend here in this part of the country. Countless trips have had to be cancelled due to water levels so when things finally dried out for a few days calls were made and plans hashed out. Seeing as the river we intended to fish is also a major float river here in the Ozarks we decided on a plan of action which had us putting boats on the water at the crack of dawn and finishing up around noon.
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After an afternoon of relaxing back at the cabin and a good dinner we would spend the last few hours of the day back on the water again , hopefully minus a crowd of floaters.
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The plan went off without a hitch and we were able to get in some good fishing with little to no interference from the aluminum hatch. The fishing was still a little off in my opinion, decent numbers of fish were caught by everyone (including a few on topwater bugs) but the up and down water levels of the past two months still seemed to have them in kind of a funk when compared to previous years. The river we fished was still slowly dropping from one of these events on the weekend we were there, which I have a feeling didn't help the bite any.
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Regardless of the water levels or numbers of fish caught, everyone was just glad to be back on the water chasing one of our favorite fish. Not much else to tell so I'll let a few pictures do the rest of the talking...4 guys, two gods, two drifters and a river full of smallies!
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12 comments:

  1. That's beautiful water, right there! :) Great pictures and trip report!

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  2. Thanks Dave...I just wish I could be doing that a little more frequently these days. I'm contemplating selling my fishing gear and buying a whitewater raft if these rains don't stop soon!! I mean jeez, it is July isn't it?

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  3. And don't forget old Joe. You don't know how enjoyable it is to tag along on one of your trips Jeff. Thanks.

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    1. Thanks Howard...It's nice to know that someone gets a little entertainment out of my drivel on occasion!

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  4. DD Rules again. I got my new kayak this season, dreaming of warm water floats and smallies. Unfortunately, the new job won't let me get away. Maybe this fall.
    Dave

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    1. Thanks Dave...You havn't been missing much so far this year, unless that new kayak is more of an ark there hasn't been much floatable water to speak of. I'm already wishing for Fall myself...bring on the cooler temps (and a lot less people)!!

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    1. Thanks a bunch Justin...It's been a tough year for the fishing in our area, just too much water rolling in on the stroms every week. Oh well, it's good for the fish if not the fishermen!!

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  6. Joey said he knew y'all but didn't know you were that close. Nice float. I'm still wading the same old criks.

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    1. Thanks man. Yeah...I've fished with Joey on several occasions and fish with Chance quite a bit. This years been terrible for me as far as finding time to get away, between my schedule and the Spring flooding it's pretty much wiped out my fishing this year. Ready for Fall and some time off to fish!!

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  7. A lot of my runs, riffles and tail-outs are filled with gravel from the flooding. Going scouting this weekend. Checking out an area that got gouged and scoured from flooding a few years back. Barely could wade the Indian due to gravel in my shoes, lol.

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    1. I think this years flooding will be good for the fish in the long run...just not so good for the fishermen themselves. Hopefully they still got in a good spawn with all of that water. I'm hoping to float one of the tribs this week if work schedule still allows come that time.

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