Elkhorn - Nice Way to End 2009

[jcb]

I usually try to fish Elkhorn either New Year's Eve or New Year's Day, and with the cold front coming it had to be today. Couldn't convince any of my regular partners to go, and wow did they make a bad decision.

Drifting shiners under a slip bobber yielded 6 smallmouth on the first 6 casts. I went through 2 dozen shiners in less than 90 minutes, all from an area about as big as a double wide trailer. Caught about 15 total, biggest was a largemouth that had to push 3.5 pounds. Largest smallie was about 2.25 and had those beautiful red eyes they get when they get decent sized. Nice 1.5 pound spot as a kicker.

The fish were schooled up in about 8 feet of water in a slackwater hole just off the main flow. The way the first couple fish slammed my bait, I was pretty sure there was lots of competition.

2009 was a pretty crappy fishing year for me, but this was by far the best dead-winter trip I've ever had. I have to think it was the approaching cold front. Whatever it was, it sure was a blast.

[DJD]

I didn't know you could get spots that big in there? Great catch! Happy New Year!

[sweett4u]

do you fish the north or south elkhorn i love to fish below the dam at the jim beam plant

[jcb]

DJD, 99% sure it was a spot. I've seen a few over 2 lbs. caught in Elkhorn before. This dude looked like he'd just swallowed a softball.

sweett4u, I'm fortunate enough to have access to north, south and main forks. Years ago I used to fish below Old Grand Dad (Jim Beam) at the dam with a couple corn niblets on six pound line, and catch carp ranging anywhere from a couple pounds to over 10. Talk about fun!

[smljaw]

Great post! I think I may have been one of your partners who couldn't go??? We'll get r done this year for sure!

[SMALLIES]

WOW!!! I went to the creek also that day and just sat on a log for some peace. The creek was up and flowing to fast. Were you fishing Eddy's? I can't see how you were fishing shiners with the flow of the creek

[jcb]

WOW!!! I went to the creek also that day and just sat on a log for some peace. The creek was up and flowing to fast. Were you fishing Eddy's? I can't see how you were fishing shiners with the flow of the creek

Smallies, where I was, the creek splits into a couple branches. Most of the time the right branch just dead-ends into a muddy slough. When the water's up some, though, that slough fills up and the right branch gets some flow. When this happens, there is about a 500-sq. foot area in between the two branches that has nice depth and just a little bit of current. A shiner under a slip bobber in this area took several minutes to flow through, and if the shiner was lively enough to pull the bobber around, maybe a little longer.

I also tried a couple smaller eddies, with more current around, but never got a bite in any of those. I think the fish I caught had a nice deep, low-flow home with current on both sides.