Saturday Fishing Report - 8/5/17

Hello again and welcome to the Saturday Fishing Report.

I'm kind of scatterbrained this morning, but let's see if I can rebuild the week.

Tuesday - I went out early - about 7am - and got to the ledges in the park.  It was raining, which was awesome.  I tried lured at first, but nothing.  Then I switched to worm & bobber.  Caught a 15.25" spotted bass (weighed in at 1lb 12oz) and a small bluegill.  Then nothing.  Took the bass home, cleaned it, and ate it.  Awesome.

Thursday - Went out about the same time to the same place.  It was a bright, shiny day, but where I fish is in the shade first thing in the morning, so it was all good.  Caught two small bluegills and saw a little mink.  Then I got Barney Fifed*.  If you're not familiar, it's when someone in a position of authority (usually a police officer, but not always) throws their weight around unnecessarily and acts bigger than they need to in order to prove their point.  It seems it's against park rules for people to park in official camping spots unless they're paying campers.  I always figured if it's empty and it says 'Available' (as opposed to 'Reserved'), I could park there - as long as I was prepared to move should an actual camper come along.  Anyway, a 'park host' told me I had to move my car and I said Okay.  Then he explained all the huge fines I could incur should I get caught by an actual park ranger.  And I said I'd move, again.  Then he told me how he was ex-law enforcement.  Then he told me how much the actual ranger loves to write tickets.  All while I'm packing up to move and hiking up the steep hill.  True, I did continue to talk - explaining my thinking and why I was parked there and making conversation.  Perhaps he thought I was trying to argue.  Then I get up to my car, and he's parked his little golf cart right behind it, as if I might try to flee.  I don't know.  I was kind of upset about the whole thing until I realized I'd gotten Barney Fifed.  Now I can look at the dude for what he is - someone who's feeling the pinch of having responsibility with little actual authority.  And for the record, I won't be parking in camping spots now that I know it's verboten.  The additional exercise will be good for me.

Anyway, I could've parked elsewhere in the park and hiked back to where I had been fishing, but I was down to one worm, so I left to get worms.  Then I decided to try a different spot.  Ain't no thing but a chicken wing.

Friday - it was cloudy and kind of cool, so I went to my old go-to spot.  The lake level is almost normal now, so the ledges over there are dry and the parking lot is dry and there's even some shoreline so I don't have to stand in the parking lot and try to cast past the trees.  Nothing was biting along the creek area, so I went to the ledges.  I caught so many bluegill, I lost count.  None of them were keeper sized, but they kept me hopping for a couple hours. 

That afternoon, I grabbed Hubs and we went back out to the go-to spot with a saw and a rake and a garbage bag.  He sawed up a pine tree that had fallen across the entrance to the ledges (during that tornado back in April), so it would be easier for me to get back there.  We hacked up some particular heinous thorny vines in the way.  Then we walked the shoreline picking up garbage.  It was a lovely afternoon.  We got outdoors, got some exercise, and helped make that beautiful spot cleaner.

Well, that's it for me.  Get outside if you can sometime this week.  If you see trash, pick it up.  If you bring it in, take it out.  That sort of thing.  See ya next week.