Hot again!

[The Mad Duck 0]

Well, Friday, I braved the heat again to fish. Friday was a different game. There was a bit of wind blowing that helped buffer the heat a bit. It was still very hot and humid,but the wind really helped. The fish were in agreement. Everything I caught was down in deeper water and was caught on a sinking spider,with the exception of one tiny Bream which was caught on a Copper John type dropper. Friday was mostly Bass with a few Bream mixed in. The larger Bream have been elusive for the past month,but I did catch a few larger ones Friday, not big, but larger than I've been catching recently.

I had a heartbreaking moment just before I left. I flipped the spider into some deep shade,right at the edge of a mat of floating vegetation. A large Bass came shooting out of the vegetation and stopped a few inches from the sinking fly. He eased forward and opened his mouth and slurped the fly in. I came tight on the fish and off we went. We tore up the end of the pond where I was fishing, then the fish turned around and headed home. I did everything I could to keep him out of the vegetation,but wasn't able to do so. The Bass got  in there and just sat. I've fished a lot of deep saltwater for Grouper and when they get on the bottom and gain access to a hole, typically, you throw the reel into free spool and wait for him to come back out, so, that's what I tried. Didn't work, fish Gone.

Oh, this fish was 7-8 Lbs and I was fishing a 3 wt. No tip lifting on a fish that size. The worst part...The fish was 3 feet from the bank and I could see him (or her). Oh well, another day., and, I did get the fight. It was a lot of fun on a 3 wt. I was hooked up for almost 5 minutes and moved back and forth a hundred yards or so.

Totals 13 Bass and 9 Bream, 2 Shellcrackers.

 

[gillage 0]

Ah a great trip none the less and you'll get'em next time.

[MuskyFlyGuy 0]

Great report and pictures 

[Philly 0]

Nice looking fish and pond.  Your heartbreaking story is one reason I use a 6 wgt and 20 to 25 lb tippet when I fishing for pan  fish in lakes that have toothy critters and large bass.  The big gills and small bass still put a bend in the rod and give me a decent fight.

[Steeldrifter 0]

Looks like fun. I bet that 7/8lb'er had to put a bit of a bend into the 3wt😁

Finally starting to cool down here. Today and for the next few days, supposed to stay in the mid 70's thankfully. After a month of mid 90's that is very much welcome.

Is it just me or does that last fish/pic look like the face is longer than normal? Maybe just the angle but something looks different about that one.

[mikechell 0]

Love that pond of yours, Mad Duck!  Do you know if there are any "Flier Sunfish" in there?  I agree with Steve, that last fish pictured looks different.  The head looks like a Flier's, but the dorsal and anal fins don't look big enough.  Maybe a hybrid?

[The Mad Duck 0]

Its funny you mention that fish. I thought the same thing about it looking odd. Its a female Shellcracker. I knew it was a Shellcracker ,but there were a couple of things that made me go Humm? Firstly, the color was very pale compared to the normal Shellcrackers in this pond. Secondly, I've never seem a Shellcracker with as pronounced lateral lines down its side.

I sent that photo to my buddy, who is a fish biologist that worked for the NC Wildlife resource commission for 30 years. He said 100% Shellcracker. He said when the fish are pale, like that one was, the lines are more pronounced.and, the heads are more sloped on the females.

 

Mike, No Fliers in that pond, but when we fish in the Eastern part of the state, we catch quite a few of them.

[Mark Knapp 0]

Sounds like a great time.

[vicente 0]

This is why I fish a 6wt minimum for bass now my 4 just doesn't have the power needed to keep them out of the crap, I also use a 12lb tippet.

[The Mad Duck 0]

1 hour ago, vicente said:

This is why I fish a 6wt minimum for bass now my 4 just doesn't have the power needed to keep them out of the crap, I also use a 12lb tippet.

I carry a 5wt too,BUT, you cant tell the fish which rod to bite. 🤣

Back a million years ago when I fished a lot of Marlin tournaments, The biggest fish seemed to always bite the 50's instead of the 80's

[vicente 0]

Oh yea I don't give them a choice if I thinners there's a chance of big bass I fish the 6wt or 8wt.