Bored Stiff trying to recover so I thought I would share several of my days on the water for the past 5 years that I have been fishing. Long and winded so hope you have some time.
May 2003 Got my first boat, my first NEW boat in May of 2003 and after a couple of maiden voyages at Guist Creek it was off to Cumberland for some night fishing. Mind you I had been behind the wheel of a boat less than 8 hours and Rob tells me to put the hammer down as we leave the no wake bouys at the Dam at Cumberland. I have a tinted windshield to boot, no moon and I had never been on Cumberland in my life. He say no worries, hammer down straight towards the red flashing light tower. Scared Crapless, I put the hammer down and thought every boat light in sight was a lot closer than they were. We get down to the bend with Pig Pen wall on our left and up the lake a bit I can see Jamestown marina. I tie on a 1/8 oz black and blue bitsy bug with trailer and on second cast hook a nice 20 inch smallie. Never know exactly how big for my brother in law Rob played batter up with the net and never got her scooped so she bulldogged to the bottom and broke me off. Second cast FIRST Smallie of my life and I have been hooked ever since. About 2 hours later we hear these gigantic splashes in the water next to the pig pen bluff. Rob says that is music to his ears now lets go catch a Striper. Down the wall scraping my new boat all the way and I did not care for about 5 cast into it my line goes from in front of me to 30 years to my left in no time. Nothing I could do with him even with a 7 ft MH rod and 17 lb test. The Sliver had dissappeared and evidently I was not getting it back for a while. I get a little and then takes a little more, I get a litte and he takes a little more back and forth then into the net a 18lb beauty, needless to say my FIRST Striper and I was hooked on them as well. We ended up with 3 keeper stripers and a couple of walleyes that night so the next morning my wife got some photo opportunities with my new found passion.
October 2003 I take a guide trip with Gerald BAtes (Excellent Guide and Gentleman) with my wife for we were at the big C for a few days of fishing. Gerald tried all day long in high blue skies no wind conditions but we only caught 1 that barely kept. Gerald answered more questions that I bet he cared to but I knew what to do when I got off the water. Coincidence, when Gerald took us back to the lauch ramp my dad, uncle, aunt, and step mon were on the bank bluegill fishing. They laughed at me for paying $250 plus tip for a trip that got only 1 fish as they bragged about limiting out in the rainbows below the dam for free. Keep laughing I said as we left and went into town. Striper rods and reels, planer boards, big landing net, big sinkers, bigger hooks and everything else I needed freshly purchased for the next few days of battle. The next day Wednesday, my wife and I put in before daylight and I started pulling boards halfway between the dam and the mouth of Indian creek heading towards Indian. A few minutes had passed when on of the clickers started singing that sweet little tune we all know and love to hear. My wife was in shock and I was too for that fact as I took the rod out of the holder and set the hook, into the boat 22lbs of beautiful Striper caught on our own action. Into the cooler, set the line out again an a few minutes later here comes that song again, my wife sets the hammer and then gets scared and wants to pawn it off to me to which I turned my back, she struggles laughed and grunted her way into a 23 lb beauty. Now we really think we are pros or at least **** LUCKY, lines out again and we troll for what seems line an hour or two past the mouth of Indian going toward Beaver. I am seeing fish on the graph but no takers. Then I stop seeing fish so decide to turn around. I reel in all 4 rods, turn around and put them out at different depths a little deeper. Within a few minutes the band is striking up again and my wife has an 18lb fish then a few minutes later I land one that is just a few ounces shy of 20. 80+ pounds of fish in 4 fish, on our first attempt of trolling for Stripers. Ahead of us there is about 20 boats around the mouth of Indian with all kinds of commotion going on as I am taking in all the rods and getting ready to take out. When we get to the ramp boats from everywhere were there for they all limited out on the school next to Indian. Went down to the campgrounds below the dam to rub it in a little and there is my family sittting around the fire laughing at me for paying that guide. I tell my dad and uncle to come to the boat and help me unload the cooler. They laugh and say a few words like how many bricks did you load it with or who did you pay to catch them if you have any. Understand fellas, I as proud as a new pappa so I get up in the boat and sit the cooler on the edge and tell both of them to grab a side and don't drop my 200000000 quart cooler and crack it. Down to the ground, open up the lid and those 4 beauts just shining in the sunlight, except for my wifes and mine, mouths dropped to the ground by all. Krista fished with me the next day and we only caught 2 but my dad and uncle could not get in the boat fast enough on FRiday and Saturday. They both caught their first Stripers with me and still to this day I kid them that I go after the fish that eats their little rainbows for snacks.
December 9, 2005 Dale Hollow Lake TN, my second winter FNF fishing. I find a spot so sweet that I can never go to the lake without trying it at least once no matter the season. Water temps were just around 50 and it was COLD that morning, 4 degrees and -10 windchill per the tv in the cabin as I left. Long cold ride from Holly Creek to Sulpher creek but more than worth it. Second cast of the morning and the bobbers takes a little dive to a nice Brownie that strikes the scale right between 4 and 5. A few cast later and another that is over 4, then one that is a solid 3, then grandma shows up and she weighed exactly 6-2, then one that went 4-15, in all 9 smallies in about 2 hours all over 3 lbs all within a small front yard area all on Duck Feather and Red FNF jig fished at 10 foot deep. This little spot has given up approximately 40 fish over 3lbs with 2 over 6 and mayber 10 over 5 in the 2 years that I have got to fish it. Woody's Cove marked on my maps and I love it.
Spring 2007, my buddy Cliff and I spent a wonderful week at Ky Lake in his new ride. Fishing was tough for us the first couple of days even though he did land a nice 5 1/2 pound green fish on a DT10 crankbait on a lead in channel. Switched to North Barkley the last 3 days and flat wore them out averaging 40 fish per day with probably 30 of them being keepers. I never beat him in the biggest but think I squeeked out the most even out of the back of the boat. The next Tuesday and Wednesday I go back down by myself. Put in at Poplar Creek and travel no more than 2 miles drop the trolling motor and fish all day. I put 40+ in the boat both days with a few over 4, 2 over 5 and had a monster 8+ pounder break me off in the buck brush making 30lb Braid look like dental floss. Catching them on soft plastics in 4-6, Cranks in 6-10 and Hook Some Bass Green Glimmer spinnerbait ANYTIME the wind picked up and blew across the point or banks.
Went down to KY Lake in late May for a night trip. Planning on moving the following week so wanted one night chasing my smallie pattern on the LBL side of KY. Put in at the back of Sugar Bay and start my normal run, throwing topwater just before sundown and catch one small bronzeback on a buzzbait. Darkness comes and I don't see another boat on the water all night long. Got chilly and good thing I brought extra clothes for I needed it. Made my usual milk run between Sugar, Duncan, Smith and nothing at all on tube or jig. Tied on the big Night Spinnerbait and started at my favorite point ledge in Sugar and second cast a nice 17" Largemouth, within 10 more cast another nice keeper largemouth, I am now running my 5 favorite spots between Sugar, Duncan and Smith and leaving my lighted marker bouys in the water when I left for there was not another boat on the water. Talked to my boy Cliff around 3am telling him about my night and he could not believe all the greenfish. I am clearly targeting Smallies and had never caught hardly any Greenfish on the spinnerbait ever. This night was different. I ended up with 22 fish on the Spinnerbait and all of them were of the Green variety. Several in the 3 1/2 to 4 range and easily could have a 18 - 20 lb bag that night. Put her on the trailer, headed back to Boonville Indiana and started packing the next day. Busted another hernia 3 days later, my wife, mother in law and daughter do all the work on the IN side and a few friends came and helped us move in and my boat has not been we since.
3 more hernias in October, November and December, collapsed lung in January 2008, internal bleeding and infections will keep me on the shelf until about March 2008 but I will fish March thru May very heavily this year somewhere somehow and with anyone that wants to go. No disrespect to anyone but Cliff gets first dibs on trips but he can't go on then all since he has that work thing thru the week. I will be fishing every day all day so anyone wants to go I will be game tell me where and when. Largemouth, Smallies, and Stripers are all I know. Looking for some night Striper action this year especially, never crappie fished and don't have any gear but love to eat them. Willing to do whatever to learn my boat or yours. Let me know if anyone wants to fish. I do want Onemorecast to take me to the river when it is on for a day, Mike to take me to Laurel and show me around, Big GW to take me to Ceder Creek, REdneck to show me the creeks around here, anyone that knows Guist Creek, Taylorsville that would need a partner look me up. Not planning on going back to work until June for now.
Hope you enjoyed them and feel free to add you own, "TRUTHS"
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