Vacation day 4

A foot and a half above flood stage but falling slowly now. I didn't expect much to happen but gave it a shot for about forty five minutes this morning. I probably should have stayed longer but couldn't bring myself to do it. Maybe a nightcrawler or some stink bait could have caught a channel cat but I only tried sunfish. Carp and gar were all over the slack water but I couldn't find a catfish.

Vacation day 3

We got a little rain recently and the Skunk River has come up around 9 feet since the rain started. The river came up about seven feet just yesterday. Nice , right? Here we go. Another year of daily rain and storms. Another year of vacation days gone down the drain because most of the river is not fishable. I still have seven more vacation days scheduled and they may not all be wasted but even one day that I can't sit on the river aggravates me.

No fishing

I decided to take the day off from fishing. Other than the fact that I'm just tired, there were several things that needed to be done around the house. Of course, the daily thunderstorm that is on it's way played a part in my decision to stay off the water. This is the fourth year in a row that the weather seems to dictate the daily activities everyday of the week. I miss the days when I could make plans to do something outside and was actually able to do it. These days I seem to watch the Weather Channel more than any other channel. Anyway!

I had to squeeze it in to my schedule but I did find time to fire up the grill and cook some pork chops. I think I went a little heavy on the Emeril seasoning but those chops were still the high point of the day.

More little flats

Fishing from the rocks at Oakland Mills is still producing flatheads from two to eight pounds. Sunfish seem to be the best bait with chubs and nightcrawlers also working. It was either seven or eight flatheads this morning . I really need to stay after dark and see if I can find a bigger one. The plan is to spend two or three hours after dark tonight. I've spent so much time on the rocks at Lou's hole that I'm actually starting to enjoy it.

Waited until 6:30 to hit Lou's hole in an effort to try and connect with a little bigger flathead. It didn't work. Another ten fish around the same weight, 3, 4, and 5 pounds. The bite seemed to slow down around 9 P.M. I stuck it out until 9:45 but didn't get a bite in the last half hour. Time to head for the house.

Vacation day 2

Got a late start but still managed to beach four flatheads before the bite shut off this morning. The first bait wasn't in the water a minute before I saw my heavy action catfish rod bent over. I missed him. I was trying to bait my second hook. The plan was to put lines in the water this evening but the rain and storms set in on us this afternoon.

Vacation day 1

Today was the first of ten vacation days I have to burn before July 1. I spent most of the day dinking around the house and yard doing a bunch of little things that needed to be done. This evening I hit the rocks and put some sunfish in Lou's hole. Two minutes later the first flathead was on the beach. 7 in all, mostly on sunfish. Maybe one on a chub, I think. Nothing but 3, 4, and 5 pounders. Surely there are one or two big ones around.

Slacker, again

Well, I took another night off from fishing. I heard of a couple catfish being pulled from Lou's hole. It sounded like there were quite a few people at Oakland Mills but not a lot of catching going on. As far as I am concerned the jury is still out on the effectiveness of those charts, graphs and calendars that predict the best and worst fishing times but after checking one on the fishing for today I see that the prediction was for a slow day of fishing. Who knows!

Slacker?

After having a long weekend and fishing everyday I decided to take a break from the action. I may regret it later. The plan is to take tomorrow off also. Hopefully the fish are still there Thursday.

Banner day

After the river came up over four feet yesterday and the air temp dropped to 36 degrees over night I wasn't sure what to expect at the river this morning. I decided to try the dam at Oakland Mills and only got one bite so I moved down river and fished along the rocks in Lou's hole to see if the flatheads were still there. The morning outing proved the flatheads were still there as I caught eight along with one channel cat. The afternoon turned out even better with at least a dozen more flatheads, the biggest of the day was just under nine pounds. Suprisingly the bite slowed down closer to evening. I was hoping the bite would pick up and I might connect with a bigger one but that didn't happen. It slowed down enough that I packed it up and made it home before dark for the first time in over a week.

Yet another Rainy day

I was in Lou's hole by 6 AM and caught two smaller flaheads right away and then didn't catch another fish. Both were on sunfish and got not one bite on chub. The river came up about seven inches and the air temp dropped about ten degrees. Did I mention that it is still raining?

I spent an hour of the afternoon catching bait at Pond X. Sunfish and bullheads. I'll be on the river at first light and I'm hoping there are some catfish that appreciate my bait catching efforts.

The Skunk came up about 2.5 feet since this morning. Not a lot of activity around the river due to the cool air temp, rain and wind. The were some wannabes on the dam but none of the regulars.

Rainy day flatheads

It's raining and there is no end in sight. It let up a little around 9 am so I headed to the river. I got a little surprise when I got to Lou's hole at Oakland Mills. Lou was there striper fishing. A couple years ago he showed me where the flatheads were and he did it again today. He set out to catch stripers but ended up catching another stringer of flatheads on curly tail Mr. Twister grubs on a jig. I set up next to him and put some some sunfish in the water and ended up with about a half a dozen flatheads, the largest about 5 or 6 pounds. Chub added several more flatheads and a channel cat or two. It rained on us on and off all day but we were catching fish so we didn't mind a little rain.

Chore day

I took the night off from fishing and used the time to catch up with some of the chores I neglected all week. Terry called to let me know he caught one channel cat and three flatheads at Oakland Mills below the dam. Now I'm wishing I would have gone fishing today.

Lou's hole, again

After catching flatheads in Lou's hole two days ago I had to see if they were still there. The river was a little low to get the boat below the dam so I headed down to the rocks to fish. Initially the gar were stilling all my bait but finally the sun started to go down, the gar left me alone and the flatheads started to bite. I caught 7 or 8 flatheads on sunfish, ranging from a pound and a half to 8 pounds. Lou has pulled many flatheads out of this hole so I know it could happen at any time. 15's and 20's. I want one!

Lou's hole

After catching flatheads in Lou's hole last night I couldn't wait to get back there tonight. After waiting out a bank fisherman I was able to move over and fish Lou's hole. I connected with about a half a dozen flatheads but only landed 3. One broke the leader line on the hookset. The main line was 30 but the leader line was only 20. Light, I know. I'm thinking about going heavier. I did use stink to catch just one channel cat and then I put it away. I just wanted to get on the board.

Happy Mothers Day!

I took the morning off and slept until 7:45. Late for me. Launched the boat around 4:30 and fished until almost dark. Found the channel cats all over the tailrace. Didn't seem to be a reason. I guess I caught a half a dozen or so on nightcrawler, chub, sunfish and stink. About an hour before dark I moved over to Lou's hole and put sunfish in the water. The flatheads were there just like I thought but I only found the 3, 4, and 5 pounders. I get the feeling there are some bigger ones around. Somebody on the dam had a stringer of small flatheads.

There here!

Last night and this morning it was flatheads from the dam including a 12 and a 8 and this evening it was channel cats including a 9 in the faster water. The water temp in the Skunk is 60 degrees and the fishing is taking off. The channel cats were taking nightcrawler, chub and sunfish. It almost seems like they are hungry and ready to eat anything.

Catfish-2, Roy-almost one

Frosted this morning. Cool and windy on the dam. I got one bite and lost him. A girl caught a flathead on nightcrawler. Some perch and carp being caught. Rumour of a guy catching six earlier in the day.

Catfish-2 Roy-0

Our air temp dropped to 32 degrees last night so I'm sure the water temp dropped along with my hopes of catching a catfish. The forecast shows it getting down to 32 again tonight. I'm beginning to wonder if it will ever warm up.

Catfish-1, Roy-0

I'm all out of excuses. I give!

Almost there again?

Another fisherman caught one of his three small channel cats on his soda can fishing thing but the worst news is he out did me. I didn't even get a bite. I probably should have tried some chubs but I didn't have any and I was too lazy to go get some. Although I caught a couple catfish on sunfish several days ago, I think it is a little early for them. Hey, I have admitted to being lazy many times in the past.

Lots of fish stacking up in the tailrace below the dam. Starting to snag fish just trying to bring your line in. Probably a lot of carp but it must be a sign that things are going to pick up some day.