2017 Warm Water

[sanjuanwormhatch]

that was vury nice.  out of curiosity, when does time run out?

[DRIFTS]

Foe me, bout November...then it's  musky / trout time.

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[Woolly Bugger]

2017 – 74

Drifts sent a text on Monday about float'in the New on Friday... worked late on Thursday to push a project out the door. Then went to the Venture Café for some networking (free beer) which lead to more beer and a late night... when the alarm went off at 5:30 I thought I was going to die. All the way up on the two hour drive I was thinking "you're too old for this shit". Pulled in to the river take-out at 7:56 where Dave and Aaron were waiting beers in hand with the Boulder Boat in tow.

Transferred my gear and stashed some beer in the cooler. The theory was that with the recent warm days this would be one of the last times we could float for some top water smallie action. The short shuttle put us on the water by 8:30 and the water was low and clear. (we later found out that they had cut the water at the dam and the river was dropping all day long, with reports that it fishes better with steady
higher flows)

The bite was on early and we doubled up on the first fish, a pair of scrappy "fun-sized" smallies. I drank some water. We switched seats and everybody got a spell on the sticks. More fish came to hand but the action was slowing down as the sun rose and beat down on us. I drank more water and passed beers to Dave and Aaron. In one of the rotations I got the front seat and after trying a cicada pattern switched back to a white gurgler. We had be targeting the banks and most of the fish we caught were sitting right up against it. But we didn't neglect any structure or fishy channels. I cast into one of those spots and a fish inhaled the gurgler, a fight was on as this was the best fish of the day by far. It jumped thrice as Dave tried to capture it in slo-mo. It measured over 18",  I drank more water and returned to the rowers seat and went out of my comfort zone by taking the Boulder is some of the biggest rapids I've navigated to date.

Dave, fishing sub surface got into a smallie or two and several red eye as well as the bite really shut down in the afternoon. My cold pizza had revived me a bit, and I still drank more water.

At the take-out, my hands full of gear, I donated the four Full Nelson beers that I had brought along to the boat's Yeti.

My photo dump below, stay tuned for Dave's slo-mo banjo music video.

Starting out with Dave rowing and Aaron in the bow.






Casting requires tongue action.

[DRIFTS]

Glad u could make it after the net working party...thanks for all the work on the sticks so I could wet a line! Was a blasts...as usual !!!

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[DRIFTS]

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[Fishbug]

Good stuff


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[DRIFTS]

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[jwgnc]

Well done. 

I gotta go fishing.

[DRIFTS]

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[DRIFTS]

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[DRIFTS]

Was the lowest water float I've ever done...we dragged the boat at least a 1/4 mile or more! The fish'n was worth it though...saw many musky, with numerous follows...the smallie fish'n was on fire

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[Onslow]

Lookin good.  Hoping the smalljaws will keep on until frost.  That may be a while!

[Michael Toris]

Post first Frost is my favorite time for big smalliea

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[Onslow]

Buddy of mine did a little floatin last week on a central NC river.  I like the looks of these greenies

[itieuglyflies]

Fat fish! The summer has been good to these guys.