October Bronze

[New River Rat]

I LOVE hunting season!!!! This is from a couple weeks back. Just hadn't been on the site lately. My New has been blown out a lot this year, so I had to jump all over the place to find suitable water. I have caught a good share of 20" smallies, plus 6 muckin' fuskies on bass tackle. Good gawd, the New is over ran with these slimy stunted bastages.....I hate 'em!

I've been at this smallie chasing a L-O-N-G time now, and I still get pumped at the thought of hitting the river. Today was no different, as I caught myself leaning forward while driving, I guess to get there quicker. I had every intention of hitting a new.old place with the 4wheeldrive, but I thought about the saying "why leave fish to find fish?" Today was a carbon copy of Tuesday, as far as the weather goes. Sunny one minute, cloudy the next, then sunny, then dark,moist looking clouds. NO wind either day.

Managed a couple of dozen today, and thankfully the bulk of them were over 14". No walleye, no redeye, no 'gills, but mostly no muckin fuskie. Did I mention I hate 'em?

Anyways, I dodged black walnuts as they surrendered their grip and let gravity take over, a constant chorus of splashing. I caught fish on wacky Magic Stiks, Salty Sinkin Shad and Pointer 78 in crack pattern,

This guy hit a wacky-rigged Magic Stik. I would have bet $100 this was just shy of 20" looking at him fight. But after laying him on the rule, it was a 20" on the money.And he fought like smallies do in the fall. They are BAD ASS! I wouldn't trade this fight for a 40" muskie if I were paid.





And this yahoo kept me company for a pretty good while. I think he was leaning new techniques.....

 

[toadfrog]

I know one thing I can go anytime without meeting that feller in the last pic . Hope you had a shot gun and spread snake do-do all over the place . That fish is awful dark looking . Heck they all count one long as they ain't asian carp . Don't need tackle to get them in the boat .

 

[Pup]

Very nice fish and report.

Can't say that I'm a fan of that snake though.

 

[StumpHunter]

Man I would love to find some water around here with small mouths like that! Enjoyed your report and pics, congrats on the catch.

 

[Hawnjigs]

Gorgeous sleek and healthy smallie. But, that snakie is the star with head high and wound up. I imagine on a dark choppy day they would be harder to see. I assume its a cotton, never seen one and don't intend to. My wife likes the reflection of the sky & clouds.

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

Really nice smallie, I haven't caught one that size in a several years. Never caught a musky before, would like to catch one though, not to many places have them around here.

 

[New River Rat]

I'm blessed to have the New River as my retreat. Fishing it in 2013 has been tough due to the rains. As for the snake, it is a harmless Black Rat Snake. I realized as it swam away it was a pretty large specimen. Thick and 5'+.

 

[LedHed]

Great report and excellent catch.

 

[New River Rat]

Not worthy of a new thread, but a footnote here, maybe. I went back to this spot. Horrible day weather-wise. Clouds, wind about 25mph. Enough chop on the surface to prevent me from seeing my "obstacles" I needed to avoid with the trolling motor.

Caught 5, none measured, but the smallest would go roughly 15". Biggest two about 18". I caught them on a LC Pointer 110, nothing else. The ONLY reason I caught them was due to very sharp hooks. I went about 2.5 hours with nothing to show but aggravation for the wind. The first fish showed itself by leaping with the plug, as I didn't even know it was there. That much bow in my line. Glad I went now.