Fletchers, 4-2-11

[HJS]

Fished Fletchers Saturday, 4-2-11, noon to 5:00pm. Caught 30+ hickories, about ½ were nice sized females. No Americans. All on spinning gear from shore. Weather was weird!!!

- Noon to 12:45pm, chilly, breezy, partly cloudy, caught a few.

- 12:45–1:15pm, heavy clouds rolled in with rain & cold wind.

- 1:15pm– ~3:15pm, suddenly sunny, warmer, calm, HOT BITE!!! Most of my hickories caught in this time slot.

- 3:15pm–4:15pm the weather turned ugly, rain, small hail, strong wind with lots of whitecaps on the river and last but not least a couple claps of thunder. I hunkered down behind a stack of old logs to get out of the wind.

- 4:15pm- 5:00pm, clearing to sunny, decisively colder or maybe I had used up all my body heat by this time, dunno…. caught a few more then the bite died a sudden death.

Decent day of shad fishing in spite of the changing weather. Glad I had my long raincoat and hipboots.

[billx8]

You're a better man than I am Howard (I already knew you were a better fisherman). Every time I stuck my head out the door today I nearly froze. Had to have been tough on the river.

[DaveRad]

Were any boats out? Thanks for the report! I may try to give it a go on Monday.

[dalton]

We went out from 10AM-6PM in the boat yesterday and really took a beating from both storms, and slow fishing most of the day. Our experience was a bit different from yours, I boated one fish before noon and lost another at the boat soon after that but not another bite until 4:15PM. At 4:15PM we found a school or a school found us and it was pretty much bananas for the next 30-45 minutes. Not a fish every cast but nearly every second or third. We also saw a bald eagle trying his luck at fishing.

[HJS]

Bill - I didn't take gloves and by the end of the day my fingers felt like numb sausages. I could barely tie my shoes much less a blood knot.

Dave - I didn't do a count, but maybe a dozen boats out when I arrived around noon. Still lots of boat at the dock. Maybe 6 were still out when I left at 5:00pm. I think the 2 storms made a lot of them head back early.

Dalton - I saw that eagle too. He looked like an immature eagle from last year in transition to becoming a full fledged adult. That last storm was a dozie. I don't think I ever saw whitecaps at Fletchers.

[Salmo trutta]

I was getting the two at a timers yesterday. didn't happen every time, didn't hook up every cast but it was decent. Near low tide, on the edge of the current. The fish seemed to show up and then vanish for a little while, then come back and I'd get a double. Probably caught 6 or 7 in an hour of trying, missed quite a few more. I was in a canoe, anchored off the stern. There's got to be some secret with anchoring a canoe near current. I've tried different techniques over the years but I guess I'm doing something different. The boat kept swinging back and forth and then almost going sideways in the current. The whole thing felt uneasy. What do I need, two anchors? That would really complicate things when you hook a big shad or something larger for sure.

Any thoughts on anchoring a canoe in current? Kayak?

I was anchoring off the stern, actually front but I was sitting on the front seat paddling in that direction, then tying the anchor line to the center cross frame piece to allow for easier retrieval.

[captmike84]

Were you in that green mad river yesterday? I've always had best luck anchoring a canoe tying the anchor off rigth off the bow. The wind and current were coming from the same direction yesterday so with a light boat like that it's going to be hard not to swing around. The closer to the center you sit the better so the bow or stern doesn't dig in or ride up respectively. Most canoes are made so that they go through the water better bow first. That is they're not always symmetrical so having the anchor tied of at the bow will help too but I think you said you were doing that.

[Salmo trutta]

Yes that was me in the canoe. I was supposed to have another friend come with me but he had other plans at the last second. I hate the fact that you have to be back in with the rental boats by 6pm. The fishing is just getting good by then. I often run my boat up from National but it takes a long time. a canoe is quick and easy but I just got to figure out this whole anchoing thing again. It's been a while. A friend of mine got a 5 or 6 pound walleye last night fishing near me on a jig.

So what boat were you in Mike?

[captmike84]

I think I spoke to you for a minute. I had my anchor fouled when you came up. Yeah having to return the boats by 6 is a drag, it was fishing the best I had seen it all day when I had to head in.

[Salmo trutta]

Did Paula chew you out for cutting the anchor line? During peak season I would't even have taken the boat back without an anchor unless you're ready for war.