April Fools, Fishing, and Aeration

Thursday April 1st I was at a consultation out in Henry Illinois looking at food plot and deer stand locations for a client when my phone started vibrating in my pocket like crazy. Seriously like 8 consecutive phone calls and 3 text messages in about 20 minutes. Enough to cause suspicion after a few minutes and when I checked the first text it said to let him know more details about where to pick up the lawnboy lawnmower. I knew something was up when the second text said the same thing. Turns out Justin put up an ad on craigslist that I had a free lawnmower for an April fools joke. Ha ha, very funny. The best was all the phone calls Michelle got for her free baby bumbo seat and my mom's free bedroom set.......

Anyhow after getting the management plan put in place for the Henry properties fish and deer, I headed to Southern Illinois with a mini van load full of 1000 feet of weighted tubing, a Vertex Air 3 aeration system, 3 double diffusers, a Texas Hunter fish feeder, a bojo buglight, my 3 kids, wife, and our luggage for the night. Every square inch of that van was utilized. When we got there it was like one of those clown vehicles at the circus, we just kept piling out.

I have become good friends with some clients down in Brownstown who graciously put me and my family up in their guest house when they heard I was going to be working in the area. That little getaway with the family was awesome! Connie always cooks a feast and Fred always has several awesome forest and fish projects going on to check out. Here are some pics from fishing thursday night: (insert pics once Fred emails them over)

Friday morning I headed out early to install the aeration system and fish feeders. My client is a professional bass fisherman who built the coolest 3 acre fishing pond possible. Two years ago I spoke at a regional Pond Boss seminar in the area and met Aaron back then. He has kept in touch and I have been following and helping with the progress of his pond since then. Every inch of that pond is set up to be perfect habitat for the fish he wants to raise. He stocked the baitfish and bluegills last year as the pond was filling and this year he will be adding largemouth and smallmouth fingerlings! The pond is completely full to the brim with fatheads, tadpoles, frogs, and insects. His feeding program is focusing on creating even more and bigger forage for his bass to devour once stocked. Here are some pics from the day:

Friday afternoon I headed over to BuckStop Archery in Brownstown to get fitted for a new bow, and shoot some targets. That place is pretty stinkin sweet and well worth the trip for any Illinois bowhunter. On my way back from BuckStop, my dad calls me up and said it was too windy to fish from the boat at home, but some of my friends who were out fishing from the bank caught a nice northern pike, some rainbow trout, largemouth bass, and a couple huge hybrid striped bass. Here are a couple camera phone pics from their windy fishing trip:

Then back at Fred and Connie's we did a little evening fishing trip before heading for home: (insert pics once Fred emails them over)

Saturday morning at the butt crack of dawn I helped my brother spread mulch around the house he has been fixing up all winter.

It is a luxury 3,000 square foot ranch with 1000 feet of the basement finished off too. It is located off of Knoxville in Deerbrook subdivision. My family owns and operates Noah Herman Sons Builders and one of my siblings is always fixing up or building and then selling a house at any given time.

Here is my brother Chad's listing with some pics of the house: Quail House

Here is my sister Michelle's house for sale: Pine Tree House

While I am at it, here is my parent's house for sale: Rt 91 House

This is the coolest house for sale near Grand Prairie ever. It has full court basketball and a 3 acre pond that I have stocked with huge yellow perch, walleye, big tiger muskie, and a few other bonus fish as well. I have been doing some crazy fish stocking combinations in this pond for the last 15 years and it definitely is one of the most fun 3 acre ponds you could ever fish in.

Anyhow when we finished mulching the yard, we headed out to set some bathroom countertops at our bathroom addition project at the lake. We finished up with about 45 minutes to spare before everyone had to head into town for various evening activities. Plenty of time to jump in the boat and fling some lures at some fish. After our 45 minutes were up, we were still halfway across the lake and just having a good time catching all kinds of different species of fish. We caught several trout, found a huge school of crappies up shallow, found a small school of walleyes out deep, some scattered largemouth bass, a small hybrid striped bass and even a feisty northern pike hit a number 4 mepps spinner.

Now Brook and the kids are asleep, our dinner guests have gone home, taped NCAA basketball games are playing in the background and I'm just sitting here reflecting on all the millions of other stuff happening that this blog doesnt get to portray. Thousands of hours of background, behind the scenes work and research is the stuff that doesnt get written about, but is what is necessary to make a living playing with fish. Anyhow, I am gonna do my absolute best to completely shut my mind off for Easter Sunday and just spend some relaxing time with family while reflecting on why this holiday is. We will head to church in the morning, then over to Alexanders to cook some lunch with Brook's family and finish off the evening finding easter eggs and eating dinner over at my parents place.

Cabin Fever!

Finally, after a long winter I thought would never end on March 15th we launched the Jen Wren Torrance for the coming season.

On our first shake down trip it didn't take 16 year old Lasandro Cota long to hook our first stripped marlin of the year. He baited the fish with a rigged ballyhoo using a Boss BX-500 .

Fishing was a little tougher for Herb Lamb of St. Helena. Seemed on calm days when the there was not a breeze the bill fish were no where to be found. We shifted gears and he was able to land the beautiful golden grouper bouncing a chrome jig on a high spot off of Punta Pescadero.

17 year old Bryanna Antle had loads of action. She landed her first dorado ever and released our first Sailfish of the season after we snapped a few photos.

This marlin was so full of humbolt squid we found a tentacle hanging out of it's gill plate

I was a little apprehensive when our friend Larry cooper ask if we could pull his 37 foot Egg Harbor "EL Caliente" on the Jen Wren trailer. He wanted to do some boat work without making the 50 mile run to the closest marina. I said what the heck, let's give it a go. It was very exciting to see we could pull a boat this size over the beach without a problem.

Mark Rayor

www.vistaseasport.com
www.thejenwren.com

Rudd & Roach, something different

I decided after last weekend that the water temperature was still to low and that I was probably, at best about another two weeks away from a realistic chance of a Bass on a lure.

A friend called me on Friday night and suggested that we could have a try for some Roach, Rudd with the possible chance of some small Carp. Never having caught any of these fish in Scotland off we set armed with poles which was another first for me.

The fish here is a Rudd, beautiful little fish. I also caught Roach and Perch but no Carp unfortunately. I can see why people can get addicted to this style of fishing. A Carp would be fun on the elastic…maybe next time. I will need my specs when I try again, light lines, tiny knots and pin heads floats!

I also discussed some coarse fishing tactics which will be useful when Mullet fishing come May.

02/04/10 - Cuckoo's Rest

Weight – 11lb 12oz
Catch – 70 Roach, 8 Skimmers, 1 Rudd, 1 Perch, 1 Gudgeon
Weather – Rain & wind. Rain later cleared, but still windy
Match – Knock up - 4th overall

Mark asked if I wanted to fish a knock up at Cuckoos Rest today where they expected 10-12 anglers. However come the morning it transpired that no pegs had been booked, there was only 8 of us and we would have a rover match. Not impressed, because there was already 3 pleasure anglers of the lake, 2 of which were on the better pegs.

Personally don't like to rover match, because you tend find everyone crams into the best areas of the lake, which is often counter productive. The main lake at Cuckoos Rest has a centrally island, from which you fish. The best pegs tend to be on the right side of the island, where you cast to the far bank, whilst on the left side the bank opposite is pegged.

I drew 7 from 8, so effectively I had to wait and see were everyone else would go. As expected all the pegs on the right side of the island were taken, I had considered fishing the left side of the island, but the wind was likely to make life difficult. The left bank was sheltered, but options were restricted, because wooded posts meant you couldn't cast beyond halfway. In the end I decided to fish the right hand bank, 2 pegs pegs before the bridge. I would have the wind off my back and I could cast towards the far bank towards a large overhanging tree, which I felt would give me more options, plus it effectively gave me an end peg, although I was closer to the narrower bottom end of the lake.

No one had fished here for a while and some reckoned that 50-60lb would win, whilst others thought 20lb would be enough due the the cold week, so no-one really knew. 6 of us would be targeting the silvers, whilst 2 anglers would target the carp all match on the method feeder cast to the far bank.

At the start I cupped some micro pellet, green swim stim & caster at 13m at 11 o'clock and started feeding caster at 5m. Whilst I let that settle a 20min look on the lead & double corn, produced 1 liner, but nothing else. In fact despite feeding 4mms all match to the far side I never had a bite.

The 13m line produced a few small roach on maggot to start with, but they were small, so a change to caster resulted in fewer bites, but at least on the whole I stopped those tiny roach nipping the bait and if I did manage to hook one, they would drop off when I shipped in.

The problem today was how to top up, I tried using a tosspot and cupping bait, but regardless the fish would disappear for while. Speaking to couple of others after the match this seemed to be problem, which is just as well I had my 5m line to fall back on, because this produced most of my roach up to 12oz.

A decent skimmer from the 13m line was useful, but I could see Mark & Nick at the other end of the lake regularly catching skimmers, plus a couple of proper bream, but no one had a carp yet.

After a couple of hours the rain was really coming down and the wind was getting stronger, so changed from 0.4g jean francios to a 4x18 polar ice which sat better in the tow and I could now see the thicker tip.

A couple of small skimmers followed and I did manage to hook a proper bream, but the hook pulled at the net and at the time I thought it would cost me.

2 new swims at 14.5m in front, fed with 4mms & caster and 13m at 1o'clock dumped a full big pot, but neither really worked. As the match progressed I began to rely more and more on the 5m line. Although I enjoyed catching so many roach, I needed those skimmers to compete.

Mark won the match with 23-14 of mostly skimmers and proper bream on pellet. 2nd was 23-2 from the sheltered left hand bank, again skimmers, roach and a big perch on caster. 3rd was Nick pegged next to Mark with 19-14 skimmers, proper bream and a tench on pellet.

As for those carp, except for 1 which was lost after playing for 45min on the silvers rig, they never showed.

Spring has Sprung.....

fly fishing steelhead (root river, wi)

An unexpected after work trip; it’s rare I get co-founder Blake out of work at 3 pm. We came up with a quick game plan: a check of the flows suggests that the Root is our best bet. It’s a quick trip north on I-94 and I’m back at the house to gear up and change from a shirt and tie to a pair of shorts and a long sleeved t-shirt. Ahh…it’s like a super hero transformation from office guy to Neal the spawn sack slinger.
I take a quick drive from the home base and roll into the parking lot, the three cars ahead of me all from Illinois. I start putting my waders on and string up my rod. I finish putting the final touches, gravel guards and tying my laces. Blake finally rolls in - a few quick words we determine our next plan of attack. We make the easy hike to the first pool. Blake heads upstream to cast a bugger while I head down to sling some spawn. I try to offer Blake a few spawn sacks, but he refuses on account that he’s turned into a purest, refusing the live bait tactic. I, on the other hand, have no shame. The previous weekend out on the water, we were spanked by spawn slingers.

I begin to cast after cast at a promising brush pile that has created a very nice pool. ( I’ve caught fish here before so I have some confidence). Nothing…I am now frustrated, disappointed, and a bit perturbed. I decide to move, crossing the slow water in front of me. I climb up the opposite bank to gain a better vantage point. With my should- be guide’s eye, I look north towards quarry park. I spot some enemy activity, a tail in the fast water.

As I get closer peering and straining my eyes trying to cut the water, success! I see a bright flash from a hen cutting a red. My attitude has just changed. I feel a lot better with fish in front of me. After two well placed casts: BAAAAM, a hookup! Ahhh that feels good. The fight ensues; she doesn’t know she’s hooked. She’s headed upstream after some string stretching and some rod bending. She darts back and forth across the river; she tires and I can finally gain control of her. Steelhead rugby ensues. (I had told Blake to leave the net behind; that only ensures bad mojo). Finally after some close combat, we land her. With a careful tail grab, Blake assists in the score. She’s well over 30 inches, over 10 lbs: nice hen.

a nice hen steelhead

My hands are shaking a bit. I see now that the other fishermen are paying notice to the action. My vacant fast water is being invaded by the few other fishermen on the river. I quickly post up on that run and re-bait with another spawn sack. Noticing I’ve not stirred up the red, I see more fish flash and porpoise. With a few more surgical casts and BAAAAM, another hookup! Air born acrobatic flips, f—k slack line, she’s off.

Slightly disappointed, I flopped another spawn sack into perfect position. In an instant something pounded the orange colored spawn sack. That smack was a colored up spring buck. He jumps back and forth across the river, through log jams and over and under boulders. I adjust to this circus jumping fool enough to land him. After another rugby event, we land this buck. I put my hands on him, he’s spurting his steelhead juice. I notice the clipped tail fin. That confirms this fish has been through the weir. Good to know his legacy will live on. We snapped a few pics and sent this spring buck on his way.

spring buck steelhead

swim away to fight another day

With my confidence levels reaching an all time high, I slop another spawn sack on. First cast and BOOOOM, another hookup: another steelhead leaps into the unfamiliar air 2 times. It seemed like slow motion, a matter of seconds seemed like ages. But all for naught, she shakes the hook. That final hookup convinces the purest Blake to ask for a spawn sack. I turn to him and laughed, as I reach in my vest to get the terminal gear he needs. The sun is going down in a hurry, and that part of Racine is not a good place to be after dark. We turn our backs on this very productive piece of water and head for the truck. Very good day of after work fishing, one I will not soon forget. Get your strings stretched to all!

Z Fish Report (4/1/10)

A nice Rooster caught by Piet Heyerdahl from Sweden down at Valentin.

Photo by Mike Buckley

        The 82° blue water is holding at about 10 miles, with most of the action taking place between 12 and 15 miles. The very good striped marlin bite is still holding up, with each boat in the fleet averaging about 2 striped marlin and a sailfish a day.

         Adolfo, on the panga Dos Hermanos told me the jack crevalle action is still slow, but there are a lot of other small game fish around to keep a light line rig very busy. He reports acres of black skipjack tuna, which are not table fare, but very hard fighting machines. And, lots of small "chicken" dorado, who are growing up fast.
         Mike Buckley of the super panga Huntress, with Captain Francisco, emailed me the following:
Fishing was very good inshore. We had only one or two strikes out between the 15 and 25 mile lines. Lots of Bonita and small Dorado inshore off Ixtapa Island.

Ed Kunze