Well after my blog post yesterday, I decided to go fishing. It was a pretty good two hour adventure in the kayak but the catching could have been a lot better. I only caught two small bass on Texas rigged plastics. It really is summer time here. The water is hot, the fish are lethargic, and the bite is just really slow. I need to head out one evening for some topwater fishing because I haven't been on that bite yet and I am sure it is a good one.... come to think of it, I haven't caught a single fish on topwater this year. Tragedy I tell ya!
Lately I've been thinking about heading to the coast for a couple of days but I just dont know if that can happen with all the stuff needed to get ready for the baby and my current work schedule. At least I will be redfishing in my mind....
God Bless, good luck, and tight lines,
Atticus
Monday, July 13, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
It's Been Awhile...
So time has passed and it has been a good few months since my last entry. What can I say? Life sometimes gets in the way of fishing, and as much as I wish it was the other way around- it just isnt. My wife and I have been expecting our first child, a daughter, and the pregnancy has been anything but easy. I've spent a lot of time on my knees begging God and praying for Him to work a miracle for us, and amazingly I think He has. If you're religious or spiritual or just like reading The Bible, check out Romans 5:3-5. That's been me. Here's a picture of our little girl on the way:
I am happy to say that I have been getting out some and have managed to land several fish in the four to six pound class this past spring. I also have taken it upon myself to improve some of my weaknesses when it comes to fishing. To that end, I have fished crankbaits a lot more recently and seem to be catching some fish on them. I am a worm fisherman at heart and really like fishing slowly and thoroughly, but sometimes you gotta run and gun with a fast moving bait. Hopefully, I can become a more "complete angler" and be able to catch fish in new and different ways.
Good luck, God bless and tight lines,
Atticus
Good luck, God bless and tight lines,
Atticus
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Competition
For reasons I am not entirely sure about, I've decided to fish in some small local kayak bass fishing tournaments this upcoming spring. While a big part of the reason I fish is to get out and relax while matching my wits against the fish, I can also see myself enjoying a little competition. Plus there are other benefits too. For example, now when I go fishing I can claim that I "need" to go because I am "practicing" for a tournament. Also, there is a chance, albeit an incredidbly small chance, that I could win some prize money and offset the small fortune I have invested in my fishing tackle. And another cool thing is that I now have a reason to fish some lakes that I might not otherwise fish. This spring the KATS (Kayak Angler Tournament Series) will be fishing Lake Bastrop, Lake Travis, Lake Decker, Fayette County Reservoir, and Lady Bird Lake. Should be fun.
So yesterday, I was "practicing" for the upcoming Lake Bastrop tournament. Not only was I locating fish and getting dialed in on some different patterns, I was practicing my camera technique. Part of these tournaments is that instead of putting fish in a livewell and then taking them to a weigh-in, you photograph your catch against a scale and take the five longest bass. Getting a fish to calm down for a photoshoot with a hook in its mouth is easier said than done. Here are my five biggest from my first day of practice: Total 81.125 inches:
So yesterday, I was "practicing" for the upcoming Lake Bastrop tournament. Not only was I locating fish and getting dialed in on some different patterns, I was practicing my camera technique. Part of these tournaments is that instead of putting fish in a livewell and then taking them to a weigh-in, you photograph your catch against a scale and take the five longest bass. Getting a fish to calm down for a photoshoot with a hook in its mouth is easier said than done. Here are my five biggest from my first day of practice: Total 81.125 inches:
These fish were caught using GrandeBass Rattlesnakes in a variety of colors. These are great little lures that are catching a lot of fish for me.
Good luck, God bless, and tight lines,
Atticus
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Sonar
BADONG. BADONG. BADONG.
"Captain!"
"Yes, Rogers."
"We've got something."
"What is it?"
"Can't tell sir, radar has it at 1,000 clicks and approaching."
BADONG. PING. BADONG. PING.
"Pull it up on the main screen."
"Yessir."
"My God, look at it........"
And there in lies the beauty of sonar- you can see so much more. So with that in mind, a project was begun, and it is pretty much completed. Those bass can still run, but it is going to be a lot harder to hide, especially in deeper water.
Good luck, God bless, and tight lines,
Atticus
"Captain!"
"Yes, Rogers."
"We've got something."
"What is it?"
"Can't tell sir, radar has it at 1,000 clicks and approaching."
BADONG. PING. BADONG. PING.
"Pull it up on the main screen."
"Yessir."
"My God, look at it........"
And there in lies the beauty of sonar- you can see so much more. So with that in mind, a project was begun, and it is pretty much completed. Those bass can still run, but it is going to be a lot harder to hide, especially in deeper water.
Good luck, God bless, and tight lines,
Atticus
Monday, January 26, 2009
Cold...
I was tricked yesterday. It had been very cold and very miserable on Saturday but it should have been warm. So when I awoke Sunday morning to sunny and clear, I thought " Hey maybe the weatherman got it right this time. It will be sunny and sixty five today!" So I did what I normally do and threw the kayak in the truck and headed to the lake. No sooner than after having just finished putting the last rod in the rod holder and getting ready to push off did the sun disappear behind a blanket of dark clouds and the wind started to blow out of the north. It was pretty chilly and I only fished a couple of hours picking up two small fish that might have barely been keepers (I didn't measure them). I was proud for the effort, but the results could have been a little better. It was a typical grey winter day that just sulked around and made you wonder if bears got it right by hibernating and skipping this whole mess.
Truth be told, I would have probably gone fishing no matter what the weather was like. I was particularly excited to go because I wanted to try out some new baits called Hag's Tornado Baits. Basically, these are just regular old plastic worms, seemingly identical to some I already own, but being a lure junky I just had to try them out. Especially with all the buzz surrounding them this past week. I truly believe that although they may not seem different to us, the fish might be able to distinguish the two- in short, some day on some lake, the differences might actually make a difference and I am just trying to be prepared for that scenario. Another part of the reason I like these Tornados is because they are hard to find- you can't just run out to Academy to pick them up or even buy them online. I found this little tiny tackle shop in the middle of nowhere that had some and ran out to get a few bags.
The store turned out to be a neat place and was owned by a bass fisherman afflicted by the same disease as me- lure junky. It is the kind of store that you only really hear about if you are in the know or just happen to luckily stumble upon it (fortunately for me, I'm a pretty lucky guy). I could tell when I walked through the door that this is the place where true fisherman live and breathe. It was Friday and a couple of obvious regulars were hanging out telling stories with Jacky, the owner. I imagine a lot of stories get told by people sitting on the stools in front of the register. Surrounding the stories and adorning the walls are lures you just can't find anywhere. Different colors I'd never seen, the latest and greatest, and the older hard to find stuff that has proven its mettle for decades but has disappeared from the shelves for no good reason. And Jacky, he could talk all day if you'd let him. He's one of those good old boys who is a straight up fella that is constantly rattling on about anything and everything that has to do with bass fishing. Seeing that it was my first time in his shop, he took the opportunity to show me some of the true gems on his shelves. In the end I couldn't help myself and left with a couple of extra items. Walking out the door I felt like I somehow just got the opportunity to buy the formula for Coke and I was already counting my riches. It was a trip (literally and figuratively) and I'll be going back for more lures and conversation.
Hopefully the weather will start to warm again in the coming weeks and I can find some of those big fish getting ready to do what they do each spring.
Good luck, God bless, and tight lines,
Atticus
Truth be told, I would have probably gone fishing no matter what the weather was like. I was particularly excited to go because I wanted to try out some new baits called Hag's Tornado Baits. Basically, these are just regular old plastic worms, seemingly identical to some I already own, but being a lure junky I just had to try them out. Especially with all the buzz surrounding them this past week. I truly believe that although they may not seem different to us, the fish might be able to distinguish the two- in short, some day on some lake, the differences might actually make a difference and I am just trying to be prepared for that scenario. Another part of the reason I like these Tornados is because they are hard to find- you can't just run out to Academy to pick them up or even buy them online. I found this little tiny tackle shop in the middle of nowhere that had some and ran out to get a few bags.
The store turned out to be a neat place and was owned by a bass fisherman afflicted by the same disease as me- lure junky. It is the kind of store that you only really hear about if you are in the know or just happen to luckily stumble upon it (fortunately for me, I'm a pretty lucky guy). I could tell when I walked through the door that this is the place where true fisherman live and breathe. It was Friday and a couple of obvious regulars were hanging out telling stories with Jacky, the owner. I imagine a lot of stories get told by people sitting on the stools in front of the register. Surrounding the stories and adorning the walls are lures you just can't find anywhere. Different colors I'd never seen, the latest and greatest, and the older hard to find stuff that has proven its mettle for decades but has disappeared from the shelves for no good reason. And Jacky, he could talk all day if you'd let him. He's one of those good old boys who is a straight up fella that is constantly rattling on about anything and everything that has to do with bass fishing. Seeing that it was my first time in his shop, he took the opportunity to show me some of the true gems on his shelves. In the end I couldn't help myself and left with a couple of extra items. Walking out the door I felt like I somehow just got the opportunity to buy the formula for Coke and I was already counting my riches. It was a trip (literally and figuratively) and I'll be going back for more lures and conversation.
Hopefully the weather will start to warm again in the coming weeks and I can find some of those big fish getting ready to do what they do each spring.
Good luck, God bless, and tight lines,
Atticus
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Winter Fishing At Its Finest!
Hit Town Lake today for a few hours this afternoon. Found a nice deep pocket adjacent to a sandy flat. There were scattered trees in this particular location. I just knew the fish would be hanging in the slightly deeper water and with the front and the weather- they had to be hungry. I was slowly working a Texas rigged worm along the bottom trying to imitate a crawfish. The fish dug it and I ended up catching the big fish of the year (so far)- a fat, 22.5 inch largemouth bass that probably weighed an estimated 7.5 or 8 pounds. Great fish and a great fight. She was released quickly and swam off strongly. Fantastic day on the water and I cant wait to get back out there.
Good luck, God bless, and tight lines,
Atticus
Good luck, God bless, and tight lines,
Atticus
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
This is a little dated, but last Saturday I took the new kayak out to Town Lake and Meadow Lake. Town Lake was great. I had a nice paddle, got to fish some new water, and ended up catching two bass. Considering the amount of goofing around I was doing in the new yak, I'll take it! One of the bass was a 16 inch largemouth and the other was a shade over 14.5 inches but it was a Guadalupe/Spotted bass hybrid. Neat fish. Sorry there aren't any pictures but I didnt take a camera with me.
Meadow Lake. One word: Windy. One more word: Skunked! Apparently that has been quite the big fish hot spot lately, but it is a tough lake and much different than the waters I am used to fishing. I will have to adjust my techniques accordingly.
Good luck, God bless, and tight lines,
Atticus
Meadow Lake. One word: Windy. One more word: Skunked! Apparently that has been quite the big fish hot spot lately, but it is a tough lake and much different than the waters I am used to fishing. I will have to adjust my techniques accordingly.
Good luck, God bless, and tight lines,
Atticus
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)