It's That Time...

[Hawnjigs]

Yup, tho the nite bite for wallys remains decent with the cooling weather, trout are now best daylight opportunity out here in middle America. Ruff country river treks continue to produce chunkies, today 3 in the 8-10# class.

Luckily, landowners graciously continue to allow me private riverfront access being respectful not to intrude when hunters are present. It helps that each cold water season I personally visit landowners to renew permission and offer them a token of appreciation.

Less pressured fish aren't particular, and switching jigs for variety most everything gets bit, today my most obscure never used in awhile 2" Powerbait Ripple Shad black back gold glitter under body on a 1/15 oz #2 hook head. Last trip a 2" broken off tail section of a pink 3" Gulp Minnow on a 1/16 #4 round head scored 4 nice nice ones.

Exploring beyond the stocker ponds has been a pleasant surprise here.

 

[Hawnjigs]

Tying jigs for trout is satisfying and produces good #s and size respective of the available resource, but as posted soft plastic baits also work well and sometimes better.

Few days ago I short walked a couple hunnerd yds to a public access boulder pile current check weir but 2 guys were already in the best stand dunking bait in the drop pool so I started trekking down river in search of another spot. The water was unusually high and fast and didn't find a backflow eddy pool till over a half mile down where fish could hold without getting blown away by the current. Pounded the hole with jig of choice 1/15 #2 white rabbit pearl flash tie and only got 2 small ones. Switched to a 2-1/2" (cut to 2") Gulp Minnow smelt color on same size jig head and blam! first cast nice 7#.

No other bites late afternoon getting chilly so returned back up river to find the 2 likely worm dunkers gone so tried their stand not expecting anything but surprised with nice 2 & 3# feisty jumpers. Trick was I think they were typically casting out into the pool and the two I caught were at the edge of the rocks close to my stand in the water drop churn off the 20' slope down weir. Both bit the same Gulp Minnow jig.

Next day took a mile trek across the main lake dam down the river to the other side bank below the weir and got a football 12# on the same jig off the opposite side corner rocks.

Hope this might motivate others to explore the off the beaten path trout resource in your areas. Makes sense that less angler pressure = bigger fish.

 

[hookup]

My river has been fishing pretty bad recently. I'm attributing it to pressure and poor water quality. There's fish in the river, but it's tough.

So I've taken to hiking the area's where boats can't get too. You can get there with a kayak, but a nice hike in the woods is good for mental health.

A couple months ago I got into a pool where the action was fast and furious. Something unheard of in this river for the past couple years. Two best small mouth were 17".

I agree, get off the path and find spots. Fish may surprise you