fshng84 0 Report post Posted June 24, 2020 Orvis Practicaster and Echo Ion Flyreel aka #microflyrod #microflyfishing Having fun fishing with the Orvis Practicaster practice fly rod with an Echo Ion 2/3wt flyreel zip tied to the handle. Combo cast well... have a Cabelas 2wt WF flyline on the reel, and casting a tiny microfly scud and microfly pink midge. Caught a number of small Sunfish and Bluegill but none as small as the little Bass our fishing partner caught this past weekend. Fun stuff! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fshng84 0 Report post Posted June 25, 2020 Fishing Allen's Old Stone Dam #flyfishing #switchrod TBT to Allen's Old Stone Dam. Have not fished the dam in some time although we have checked out the area and its improvements recently. Liking the bridge, bank reinforcements, and expanded trails. Been itching to fish it for awhile... able to do so yesterday. After a little tweaking of the pattern and searching spots, found a Damsel Fly fished under a strike indicator worked! Do check out the video, and do stay tuned for more "learn to fish by our trials and errors" videos! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fshng84 0 Report post Posted June 28, 2020 Denison Dam Fishing for Gar... by Chance Anyone? Fished Denison Dam Saturday morning. Initially, planned to bring a Switch Rod to fish Clousers in the runs, pockets, and pools before they started generating power. Quick check of the real-time hydroelectric data and the planned schedule showed two generators online for 24 hours Friday and into Saturday, and possibly Sunday. Adjusted to surf casting gear and fished Shad and Chicken Livers... no strikes when fishing a bottom rig. Action was all with Shad fished 2' to 4' from a float. Fished from sunrise to 2PM in the afternoon... No Striped Bass. It was all Gar that were biting this round!all fish caught and release were Gar. Looked like the Striped Bass were not wanting to bite this round. Do check back will add details on the float rig we used in the video. Float used was the... Launcher Float size 5", 1-3/4OZ Fun times! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fshng84 0 Report post Posted June 30, 2020 FYI... follow up video on the fishing rig we used. May be of interest to some. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fshng84 0 Report post Posted June 30, 2020 FYI... for those in Texas. TPWD answers our question about Shad! Can I catch shad with a cast net from one lake, freeze them for later use at another lake? We like using Shad for bait but at times cannot purchase them because the local bait store is out of stock. This is why we like to catch our own plus it saves us money – cost of the cast net and time and effort to catch them, etc… However, due to restrictions related to aquatic invasive species and the transfer from one body of water to another, we have followed Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) regulations that limit using Shad for bait to the same body of water where they were caught. Our understanding was the same body of water limitation was for live, fresh, and frozen shad. For clarification, we contacted Texas Parks and Wildlife Department via their online “Submit a Question” form. Looks like we can catch Shad from one lake, remove any of the water with the fish, using a net to move the fish from one container to another so no water is transferred from lake to lake! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted July 1, 2020 Makes almost no sense, to me. Shad are plankton feeders. Plankton consist of the microscopic flora and fauna suspended in the water. Many of those specimens of plankton are actually the larval/"seed" form of invasive species. So, transferring the shad from original lake water to some other container, does not dry out the plankton. Freezing does not, necessarily, kill the plankton. The "allowed" method of catching shad, removing them from original water and freezing, then using them in another body of water is likely NOT preventing the transfer of invasive species. Of course, I'm not gainsaying the TWC's recommendations. Perhaps they have done studies, but I doubt it. More likely, they're just not that concerned, since invasive species are being transferred by inconsiderate and uncaring people anyway. You're doing it right, (good for you) by asking the question before doing it. I'd bet my next year's pay that there are plenty of people who are netting, transporting and using shad without freezing or changing the water. And, if they don't catch anything, they're dumping the whole bucket overboard before going home. It's just what too many people do. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fshng84 0 Report post Posted July 1, 2020 8 hours ago, mikechell said: Makes almost no sense, to me. Shad are plankton feeders. Plankton consist of the microscopic flora and fauna suspended in the water. Many of those specimens of plankton are actually the larval/"seed" form of invasive species. So, transferring the shad from original lake water to some other container, does not dry out the plankton. Freezing does not, necessarily, kill the plankton. The "allowed" method of catching shad, removing them from original water and freezing, then using them in another body of water is likely NOT preventing the transfer of invasive species. Of course, I'm not gainsaying the TWC's recommendations. Perhaps they have done studies, but I doubt it. More likely, they're just not that concerned, since invasive species are being transferred by inconsiderate and uncaring people anyway. You're doing it right, (good for you) by asking the question before doing it. I'd bet my next year's pay that there are plenty of people who are netting, transporting and using shad without freezing or changing the water. And, if they don't catch anything, they're dumping the whole bucket overboard before going home. It's just what too many people do. Lots of good points... was the main reason why I tried calling but then found TPWD has an online Question and Comment form. Liking it... asked the question one day, answered the next! Do agree there are people doing it wrong... won't take that bet. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fshng84 0 Report post Posted July 1, 2020 Casting a Micro Fly Rod Demo #microflyrod #microflyfishing Here is the follow up video we mentioned on one of our earlier iFishNews Fishing Podcast and YouTube video about Micro Fly Rods. This video shows five micro flyrods - three are ones we made and have a micro flyreel mounted on them, and two are practice fly rods from Redington and Orvis with a flyreel zip tied to the handle. We marked 25 feet as a reference, and then cast the rods to show the 25 feet distance is readily attained. There was a strong crosswind and one of the rods had less than 25 feet of line but overall all rods could easily cast 25 feet. That said, based on time fishing with them, there are several that can cast well past 25 feet. Fun stuff... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fshng84 0 Report post Posted July 3, 2020 Made it to New Braunfels for some fishing fun. Planned to fish the Guadalupe River by Faust Street Bridge, but it was closed. Headed to Landa Park and fished the Comal River. Was a slow bite with only one Bluegill and a Bass caught. Both went for a Guadalupana! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fshng84 0 Report post Posted July 4, 2020 Kayaking the Guadalupe... Had fun Friday on the Guadalupe River kayaking and fishing. Water flow was slow; mainly paddled upstream and observed the "tube hatch" as we kayaked to the 3rd Crossing. Did catch a couple of Bluegill and a little Bass. Caught one using a Kastmaster with its hooks removed and a trailing scud. Caught the other two using a Roostertail. Although the fishing was slow, gotta a good workout in paddling upriver and downriver! Happy 4th of July! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fshng84 0 Report post Posted July 5, 2020 More Gulp Garlic Marinade "Testing" #underwatervideo #fishing Second test of the Gulp Garlic Marinade. Another inconclusive test that requires us to continue testing to answer the question... Does Gulp Garlic Marinade work? This round, it appeared the fish liked the Gulp when initially treated with scent, but once diluted after soaking in the pond after several casts, it was not certain if it made a difference to the fish. Lesson learned... need to reapply the Gulp often. Will try this next round! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted July 5, 2020 As a control, you'll have to try it with the top scud treated. They could easily have been going for the bottom one because it was at the end of the line, were the untreated one was "on" the line. Treat the one "on" the line and see if they then go to that one, or still go for the one at the end of the line. There are so many variables that treated/untreated might not be the key factor. Still, neat underwater video. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fshng84 0 Report post Posted July 6, 2020 On 7/5/2020 at 5:18 PM, mikechell said: As a control, you'll have to try it with the top scud treated. They could easily have been going for the bottom one because it was at the end of the line, were the untreated one was "on" the line. Treat the one "on" the line and see if they then go to that one, or still go for the one at the end of the line. There are so many variables that treated/untreated might not be the key factor. Still, neat underwater video. Thanks Mike! Always great feedback. Plan to do more testing; ordered a new GoFish camera to replace the Water Wolf. The old GoPro Hero does not work well in low light conditions. Hope to try the camera with the next test! Did go out again last week, tried live bait to get an action shot. After editing the video... soon after decided to buy a GoFish Camera. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fshng84 0 Report post Posted July 7, 2020 iFishNews Fishing Podcast #15 - July 4 Weekend Updates #fishing #kayaking #tubing and #margaritas too! This podcast we recap the July 4 Weekend's activities where we headed South to New Braunfels and Gruene to fish, kayak, and tube a river or two as well as have some tasty food and have a margarita or two or three or more... LOL! Key items this round: - Faust Street Bridge Park - Comal River at Landa Park - Guadalupe River - Cantina Del Rio - Grist Mill - Gruene Outfitters - Upcoming fishing fun! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fshng84 0 Report post Posted July 9, 2020 Kayak Fishing at Lavon... #shad #kayaking Short notice quick trip to Lake Lavon at Highland Park for a chance at catching a fish or two kayaking one of of the points. Windy conditions and some waves to deal with, else no issues other than no fish on our hooks. After fishing a double rig using shad for bait, switched to trolling a slab and jig rig. Neither had a bite, so headed back to the boat ramp. Good thing we were able to catch some Shad else the trip would have been a strikeout! No worries, one of the reasons why we like kayak fishing... if no fish, can at least get workout in! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
