jjsjigs
Banned
I had to fish my "local" (Sugar Creek) after seeing how good the creek looked a few days ago. The flood waters have gone down, mayflies hatching, beautiful 77 degree day. I just HAD to go fishing on Sugar. More of a scouting mission. I wanted to see how the creek has changed. It has. Some holes got filled in, some deeper and wider... some, no change.
But the sucker run is going on right now. 3 of the lower holes nearest the river were full of them. Big ones, little ones, brown ones, black ones... 1 fish, 2 fish, Red fish, Blue fish. Sorry, I was channeling Dr. Seuess for a moment.
I walked all the way down to the river and started fishing at the confluence. The River was SWIFT! I only could wade up to my waist... it took about 4 steps in to do that!
This is where Sugar meets the N. Br. Susquehanna. Piles of debris and mud.. I saw a tractor tire lodged 6ft up in the crook of a tree.
Usually by Mid May these flats are barren and covered with gravel. Not now!
Today was a lot of firsts for me. The first time I fished Sugar! Always a good time. The first time I fished the River!
The first crayfish I've seen this year!
I started todays fishing adventure with one of my Bolivian Chickenbat streamers... Purple, cuz Purple is the new black. he, he, he
I started harassing the suckers all up and down the runs. They definitely has spawning on the brain because normally they are extremely skitterish and will bolt if you get as close as 10 feet. However, today I was within the pods of fish at a mere 4ft!! I started fishing a new run carved out by the flooding and got a VISCIOUS take... immediately this fish started pulling line off my reel. After I horsed this thing near me I realized IT WAS A CARP! When it got close I tried to snap a quick pic as I brought this beast up to my feet. I was in waist deep water and I was trying to keep this fish on and also snap a few pics of the battle.
In the foreground you can see a darker image... that's the carp to the left is my leader. But alas, he broke my tippet off... this is the only pic I got. DAMMIT... I wanted that fish. Next time, no hero shots until I land it!!
I started walking back upstream and decided to fish a long run over again to see if I could raise a sucker or two, since I didn't see or hook up with any bass whatsoever. I'm pretty sure that 95% of the SMB's just migrate up this creek to spend the summer in a degree or two cooler water. Since I lost my purple Bolivian Chickenbat to the carp I put on the natural brown Chickenbat.
Halfway through this long run I got a SOLID hit... and landed my first smallie for 2011!!!
A second view:
Not a huge trophy bass like what you would get in the Susquehanna River, but a very respectable size for Sugar Creek.
But the sucker run is going on right now. 3 of the lower holes nearest the river were full of them. Big ones, little ones, brown ones, black ones... 1 fish, 2 fish, Red fish, Blue fish. Sorry, I was channeling Dr. Seuess for a moment.
I walked all the way down to the river and started fishing at the confluence. The River was SWIFT! I only could wade up to my waist... it took about 4 steps in to do that!
This is where Sugar meets the N. Br. Susquehanna. Piles of debris and mud.. I saw a tractor tire lodged 6ft up in the crook of a tree.
Usually by Mid May these flats are barren and covered with gravel. Not now!
Today was a lot of firsts for me. The first time I fished Sugar! Always a good time. The first time I fished the River!
The first crayfish I've seen this year!
I started todays fishing adventure with one of my Bolivian Chickenbat streamers... Purple, cuz Purple is the new black. he, he, he
I started harassing the suckers all up and down the runs. They definitely has spawning on the brain because normally they are extremely skitterish and will bolt if you get as close as 10 feet. However, today I was within the pods of fish at a mere 4ft!! I started fishing a new run carved out by the flooding and got a VISCIOUS take... immediately this fish started pulling line off my reel. After I horsed this thing near me I realized IT WAS A CARP! When it got close I tried to snap a quick pic as I brought this beast up to my feet. I was in waist deep water and I was trying to keep this fish on and also snap a few pics of the battle.
In the foreground you can see a darker image... that's the carp to the left is my leader. But alas, he broke my tippet off... this is the only pic I got. DAMMIT... I wanted that fish. Next time, no hero shots until I land it!!
I started walking back upstream and decided to fish a long run over again to see if I could raise a sucker or two, since I didn't see or hook up with any bass whatsoever. I'm pretty sure that 95% of the SMB's just migrate up this creek to spend the summer in a degree or two cooler water. Since I lost my purple Bolivian Chickenbat to the carp I put on the natural brown Chickenbat.
Halfway through this long run I got a SOLID hit... and landed my first smallie for 2011!!!
A second view:
Not a huge trophy bass like what you would get in the Susquehanna River, but a very respectable size for Sugar Creek.
