An Adventrure with Lil Hotties!

 

About 3 months ago I remarked to one of my friends that if these weather patterns do not change our steelhead fishing overall this fall will be awful. In my opinion because of the style of fly fishing I really enjoy is swinging flies. Before the two handed fly rod craze I and my friends have been doing this for decades, but it takes certain water levels to do it in. Let me get back on point. The Great Lakes tributaries have been plagued by what I consider to be summer time flow levels for the majority of this fall so far. Our water aquifers and water tables are low. Evidence of this can be seen how fast the Great Lakes tributaries drain.

I took off Veterans day and the following two days after that. I was going to chase Steelhead in New York, but the governor of said state said nope not gonna happen. I was like well that sucks spawn sacks! I then had an idea I could fish one of the Mississippi River tributaries! They have Whipers, Stripers, White Bass, Walleye, Saugeye, Saugers, and Blue Cats! Well after talking with an ole friend I bolted south to begin my journey.

This past Wednesday was overcast, foggy, rainy, and had the occasional heavy down pour! My friend TFN (Thee Fishing Nerd) schooled me on some places and techniques to use. I listened to him and the truth that he was laying down. I have spinning rods, but sheet none that will throw 4 ounces of lead so blue kitties where off the table. I bought some other assorted lead weights and BTW what the hell has happened to cause lead to be 1000% higher than it was when I was a child? Did the manufacturing change? Lol Wow!

I arrived at the first tributary of the Mississippi and she was running strong. I left my fly rod in the car cause I took one look at this medium size river and its volume and said “O-no”. When fly fishing turns into a job while trying to do it there are more effective means of fishing example tada the egg beater! The flow was over 3000 cf/s and there size of the cobble rock was more than I am used to.

The first lure I used was a Berkeley Chompo Perfect Ghost 90 ½ oz I ripped it all along the shore line and out in the current and had one swipe. I could not repeat the swipe again, but something had to come up and hit it. I would use jigs from 3/8 of an oz to 1/2 oz and I did not snag so it was a fish IMHO. TFN would point me in the direction of this hard body bait. It has taken some serious Lake Ontario Small-jaws to its credit. I would then switch over to the old tried and true ¾ silver Kastmaster and got no love from it. I would switch over to a Carolina Rigged small sluggo. Thank you to TFN cause I had not clue this was a thing. I would get three really good drifts and swings with this rig. I would lose two of these and I was done. I know its all part of it losing gear, but the time it takes to rig all of that I was out. Lol The fog was thick, the rain was relentless, and the constant drizzle made me think I was wetter than the fish. I wore my waders and my Patagonia SST jacket and was dry. You all know it does not matter how much you feel comfy in those conditions its still a pain in the arse. I also want to say being watched in the shadows but a local was a lil freaky! I'm sure he was just seeing if I was hooking fish, but still a lil freaky!

I would leave this upper Mississippian tributary and head down river to get to TFN homestead. Thank you TFN it was nice to see you after all these years an meet your beautiful and charming wife.

I would then wrestle myself out of bed and fish yet another much larger tributary of the Mississippi.

I watched the barge traffic and walked up the hydroelectric dam. The fishing here next to the dam at its outflow is egg beater only territory. I left cause its to much flow for this cat, but it was nice to see 

hundreds of gizzard shad swinging along its rocky banks.

I walked down to the beach about 0.60 of a mile to a place I knew well and was untouched by the hydro. I used only a ¾ oz Kastmaster chrome over chrome. I would have several Skipjack Shad swipe at it, but the large 11 inch and beyond would be brought to hand. I on accident snagged this gizzard shad and needed to take a photo of it cause I needed to ask TFN what the hell was it?! I caught a Carpsucker “carp – sucker now I am truly confused”!

I would go fish at a different section of this of this river when the cf/s was at 82,000, but the night before it was 30,000 cf/s. It rose 4.5 vertical feet in 4 hours!..lol... I would be here to see if I could hook a fish! I would show up and two bait fisherman would be using to light of a weight and it would slowly be parallel with the bank of the river in short order. I go and sit down from them and mind my own business. After they lost about 4 rigs I piped up. I asked them if I could give them some advice. I asked them how many ounces of lead they were using they said 3. I said you need to double it and cast up stream at such an angle the bait would come to rest right in front of them. The one guy had to leave, but the other stayed. He rigged the weight as I recommended and casted out into the flood waters. Even know she was cranking at 82,000 cf/s her clarity was 18”-20”. It was not muddy but it was very turbid. In about 20 minutes after he got his cast just right and the weight n bait came to rest in front of him it happened. His rod was almost pulled out of the rocks by what would be a small Blue Kitty. I was happy for the guy and he needed a photo of him with it cause his buddy would not believe him. I took his photo and showed his friend and later texted him the photo. I could not stand by and watch ppl try to fish and not understand how they could be doing so much better. I'm not pro but I wanted to help and this time it worked out with the desired effect.

I would would land a nice eater eye at about 14”-17”. I was using a heavy 3/8 oz jig tipped with a swim bait pearl over green / chartreuse. Every one else was using 1/8 – 3/16 oz jig heads. The Eye I hooked was a rod length away from the bank! If I would have caught that cue I should of changed to lighter and not cared about the being out in the heavy current with my jig because looking back at that day the fish were with-in 10 feet or less of the bank.

Beat and battered I drove home today to rest for two days before the work week. I drove over 900 miles , met some great ppl, saw an amazing friend and his wife, and had the opportunity to catch fish. I got to help a fellow angler out and that to me is what a person who has the knowledge is supposed to do. A special thanks to TFN your a great person and friend.

Be well,

Sonder