I Almost Set a Record

I have multiple layers of competition running when I fish. The first, obvious, and one most people fishing choose to conqueris to beat the skunk. Any fish species counts. Bonus points if it's my target fish. Then there's the "five per hour" minimum-averaged for the day. Next level is "five per hour of the target species". One adult red ear is a golden trophy all by itself. Finally, the unspoken and unplanned goal is a "no skunk" year. Problem is a skunk day can easily be forgotten-I usually have one day each year although I believe last year had no "didn't catch any", days.

I went out with the fly rod one afternoon last week, taking only a box of streamers. Because I've never fished streamers as much as most fly fishermen. And I'm so intent on catching "anything" to eliminate the skunk, I'll be tying on something not a streamer in less than an hour, at zero caught. So while I could use limiting myself to streamers only as an excuse for a skunk last week, I won't get cheap. Streamers include even fly jigs-jigs that are simply mini-versions of what my wheelhouse has always been. Jigs.

Went out the next day with a spinning rod and to a lake over populated with crappie. This would surely be a busy day catchin', even if most were small. I think I was more than an hour and multiple strikes but no hookups into that adventure, before I finally caught a few bluegill though I was targeting crappie, and one small crappie.

A lot of things to consider as to why the fishing fell into the dumper. Sudden change from summer to late fall type weather. Multiple consecutive days of clouds. Probably the most prominent fact affecting fish behavior was water temps falling about 10 degrees in just a few days. In fact, I was about to reach out to a fisherman that gave "on the water lessons" on Table Rock Lake the same day. (I think he avoids all the requirements to be a guide with the "lesson approach".) Didn't need to-he posted a video about he and his student beating their brains out for most of the day-no fish.

Yesterday, I headed to where I always do well this time of year, fishing for crappie. Keeping in mind these fish seem to be in a state of shock, right now. Better fish slow, deliberate, and likely just annoy them into striking a small lure. First lake-skunk. It's low and extremely clear. Add that to the excuse box. What I love about this area are the multiple lakes and the fact each has their own personality-few seem affected by whatever's affecting the lake just down the road. So I headed to the lake that always has color, for whatever reason. Never clear. Slow, deliberate, tease type fishing for crappie. Some misses-I think they were bluegill. But a skunk after two hours on this lake, after a skunk two hours on the other lake. Now my mind has checked out, concentrating more on what I could be doing at home. But also pondering this would be a new record of many years fishing-two skunks in one year. Well that ate at me long enough I decided undo the floating rig and tie the same micro-jig on the rod not well suited to cast micro-jigs. Had that rod in the car-not far. But if I got to the car my checked out mind was headed home and I knew it.

I took this slightly clumsy setup back to the first spot that I stopped on this second lake, and had several misses. Bluegill I was sure they were but I'm trying to avoid a "second day skunk the same year", at this point. Bluegill welcome. Catfish welcome. Carp welcome. Anything meeting the biological definition of a fish-welcome. So I cast the micro-jig as far as I could with a rod not designed for that lightweight jig, and brought it back by default at a speed about eight times that what I'd been fishing all day. Fish on. Fish landed. And it's a crappie! A few more casts and a nice bluegill is landed. Then another crappie. Then, a small bluegill.

I'm not sure that I really catch more fish than "the other guy" in the time "the other guy" normally spends trying. I just stay until until the fish see it my way.