Trip to Bountiful

I beached the kayak and began unloading here that would be my home for the 24+ hours. It was easily the hottest day of the year so far and I had no idea how that would affect the fishing. It would also be the first trip wading wet so far this year. I also felt that the smallmouth might be spawning. But something like at least a third of the larger smallmouth don't spawn every year. So rather than go harass spawning fish I just keep fishing riffles and seams making do with a few less bass. But everything else is usually in high gear and biting at the same time so it really doesn't matter. Sure enough smallmouth were hard to come by. I'd fish good water for an hour between bites. But I was catching nice fish when I hooked up. All the fish came on a grub or an RR Striker swim bait. The swim bait is fast becoming my favorite smallie lure. At least for good fish.



I'm looking thinking if I just was over there on that side. The place I always cross is tricky. I never wade is without a stout stick to help me. But here a bit below I'd never tried. Maybe I'm missing out. I start across. So far so good I'm 75% of the way across. But water is now up to my crotch and moving fast. I inch a bit further on. Only 15 more feet. I take another step. Oh man, I'm starting to feel light on my feet as the water lifts me. Nope, no backing up, I'd be down for sure. Another step. Oh Oh I can feel me lift off the bottom. I turn on my back, feet downstream just the way your supposed to. But I only go my ten feet before I find bottom and traction. But plenty of time to get wet from head to toe. Thank goodness it is the warmest day of the year. The nylon hiking pants dry in minutes but it will take the campfire tonight to get my shirt completely dry.

But it was worth it. I catch a pretty smallmouth then two channel cat. All on the swim bait. I conk the bigger of the two cats on the head and find a stick to wade back across with. I clean the fish getting two pretty fillets. These are then sprinkled liberally with cajun spice, pepper and pinch of salt. I wrap them tightly in foil and stash in the yak for tonight.



I go back to fishing with maybe an hour of daylight left. All day carp have been raising cain spawning in the shallows. Now a huge bulge of splashing water is heading my way. I freeze and five or six sweep in around me, backs sticking out of the water as they chase. Another brings up the rear. He heads right at me then flushes as they all bolt for deeper water. Too cool. Back to fishing and thump something hits the swimbait hard and begins peeling line. Please please let this be a smallmouth. No it's too heavy and bulldogs even more line out. Finally up rolls a channel cat. A Fish Ohio Channel at that!



Dark is coming fast now. It's already hard to see back in the trees. I cast the swim bait at a fast bit of lively water and something nails it. A Fish Ohio saugeye. Fish Ohio fish back to back! Well the saugfish awards are probably the easiest of them all to get and this one just barely squeeks by but I'm not complaining. With last weeks big carp that puts me 3/4's of the way towards a master angler pin and a long summer to get lucky in.



I head to camp and start a fire. Once it burns down to hot coals Ill put the fish wrapped in foil on a flat rock surrounded by hot coals. It's warm and walk down riverside to watch night arrive. Overhead silhouetted against the sky a half dozen ducks fly hard upriver trying to get somewhere before nightfall. Back in camp I put on the fish and decide to fish a few minutes while it bakes. Whack a 15 or 16 inch fish nails my bait! I'm thinking it's on now but it turns out to be the only fish of the night. Gathering firewood, I found, like Tom Hanks in Castaway, a friend to share camp.



Morning finds me excited for a another day on the river. Right away I caught a small shovelhead on the jig. It would be the first of three I'd catch this day. Right now would be a good time to do some serious flathead fishing I think.



Today would prove to be a carbon copy of yesterday. With bass you had to work hard for plus a few catfish sprinkled in here and there. I worked my way across to the sweet spot, without a dunking this time. Here a bathtub sized patch of foam marks a dead still spot surrounded by swift currents. I cast my jig and swam it slowly into the quiet center. Thump and the line begins to go. Resigned to another channel I was honestly startled when a big smallmouth hurtled skyward. But he was hooked well and in a few minutes was in hand. 18.5 and solid muscle. A noble fish.



I work my way back to camp for lunch. After lunch I rest for a minute by the stream and I'm out like a light. When I awaken the wind has risen, the sky darkened and rain is in the air. I fish for a while reluctant to go, catching a couple more fish. The yak ride upstream is easy as a stiff breeze pushes me homeward...