Saturday Fishing Report

Okay, so I'm trying something new here.  And, no, it's not about writing.  It's about where I go and what I do to clear my head so I can write.

First off, I am not in any way, shape, or form, an experienced fisherman.  I fished some with my father when I was a kid.  I fished a little bit more when I was a teen.  And then I didn't go fishing for 25 years.  Now that we live in Missouri and there are bodies of water everywhere around me, I caught the fishing bug.  I get out as often as I can in pretty much any kind of weather.  Right now, I only fish from the shores.  So, if any of this sounds interesting or pertinent to you, come along.  If not, I'll be back to regular writing stuff Sunday thru Friday on this blog, on Outside the Box, and at Killer Chicks.

Oh, and in case you're new here, I'm a chick fisherman.  (The terms 'fisherwoman' and 'fisherperson' irritate me.)  I know there aren't a lot of us out there.  Or at least, there aren't a lot of us being public about fishing, so here I am.

Okay, so for my maiden fishing post, here's the dealie-bob...

I went out several times this past week, both alone and with Hubs.  We didn't catch much of anything.  Hubs was using all kinds of lures, and I was using nightcrawlers like I always do.  (I am a total novice when it comes to lures, etc.)  He didn't catch anything of note anywhere we went.  I caught a few undersized bass - largemouths and spotteds.

I watched a fishing report this morning - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVzUupLKM48.  He said pretty much what I had expected (and Hubs had already told me), the water is too warm for too much activity in the bass realm.  I expect this is the same for panfish, since catching those has dropped off precipitously.  The fish are also being finicky about what they bite and they're being obnoxious about sending one of their number out to get caught while the others swim away.  Thus, I catch one small bass and nothing else bites until I go somewhere else.  In a boat, this wouldn't be a big deal.  Bank fishing, it's a real pain in the butt. 

This week, I caught three largemouth bass - two 9" and one 11".  As I've mentioned before, the bass here have to be at least 15" before you can keep them, so nothing to bring home.  I also caught several 5-7" bluegills.  There's no length requirements on panfish, but we don't bring them home if they're less than 7" because they're a pain in the butt to clean for the amount you get to eat.  Mostly what's biting right now, on the quiet end of Table Rock and its tributaries, is little panfish too small to hook.  Worm thieves.

I think, with this type of fishing, patience is the key.  And you need to have a lot of worms.  On the bright side, the weather has been gorgeous.  The birds are migrating, so there are new species to watch as you babysit your bobber.  And it's been quiet, so if you're not set on catching a stringerfull, you'll still have a lovely time.

In things I've heard talking to other fishermen, one guy caught a limit of crappie using a blue and white 1/16 oz. fishing up in a creek that drains into the lake.  Which pretty much confirms what the dude in the video said - they're in there up the creeks.  Kinda makes me wonder if I go to a couple spots I haven't fished yet if I could catch a few this morning...  Hmmmm.

Oh, and if you're into watching fishing, the FLW is having a tournament this coming week here on Table Rock.  It's over in the Branson area.  The weather this week is supposed to be warm and sunny, so my heart goes out to those guys as they try to get some fish in their boats.  It ain't gonna be easy this week, guys.  Sorry.

That's all for now.  Might be more of the same next week, if the weather keeps up the way it has.  Tune back in and see.  Thanks!