MASSACRE ON THE MONOCACY

It's been a while since I enjoyed these guys..welcome back!

I must admit...it has been a long time since I got into the small stream smallmouth gig. Back in the 1980's and 90's I used to hit the local creeks almost every week in my Mason Dixon region. We had 'Friday Night Fights' with smallmouths, and everybody came out a winner. I revisited this grand sport last week with an old friend, Judson, who put me onto some amazing small water action.

Jud works a creek smallie out of the current.

My good friend called and said that the river was in 'prime shape, and the bass were up'. You see, in Mid Atlantic streams and small rivers, you might go 5 or 6 years where the smallies are either caught in low water conditions or perhaps high water events that can sweep adult fish downstream off their spawning areas, completely wiping out a year class of these great gamefish. With river levels and water temperatures just right, Jud said that now was the time to get in on this potentially narrow window of hot bass fishing.

Hair and plastic...YUM!

We fished primarily with 1/16th oz hairjigs that we tied to imitate crayfish and threaded plastic crayfish trailers on the hook. Nothing special...light spinning gear and 6 pound mono. Bounce the jig along the current breaks and eddys and set the hook when you get a strike. We fished a stretch of the Monocacy River...a central Maryland tributary to the Potomac, and one of my favorite 'back in the day' smallmouth streams. Other local creeks, such as Big Pipe, Catoctin, Marsh, Conowago and the Gunpowder had all produced in the past. The Monocacy did not disappoint.

Jud shows one of our many doubles. He swears the big fish was his.

'I'll take 'em all day like this!'

A couple fish we had to chase when they got in the current.

Hairjigs & plastic did most of the damage.

This long, deep pool was a 'hawgspot'.

We got several 17 inch smalls on the day...cool!

To make a long story short, Jud and I covered about a little over a half mile of water and caught and released 60 smallmouths...high numbers just about anywhere. Many of our fish ran from 14 to 17 inches making this just crazy good ultra-light sport! Despite the cold and slow-to-develope-spring, we found pre-spawn smallies rockin' and rollin' as we donned our chest waders. Here are a couple more pics of our adventure...

Some bass took crankbaits.

'Yeah, I can go for this!'

Jud grabs one in mid river.

And...a few smaller ones for the mix.

One of the really cool things about this kind of fishing is that you don't have to spend a lot of money to get in on a quality experience. You don't need a guide, or a bass boat, or a ton of gear or an overnight stay or a long, gas-guzzling trip. What you will need, however, is a little research for potential quality smallmouth streams, a good pair of chest waders, a handful of jigs and small crankbaits a willingness to walk, wade and bushwhack and finally...a good friend like Jud to share the experience with. Yes...you will need to work at it.

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 27:19...'As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man'. If you could have seen the looks on our faces as we were hooking, playing and landing these fish, you would have seen two of the happiest, giddy, goofy, giggling semi-elderly old men you have ever witnessed. It was insane! And once the rain set in, and I had to abandon the camera, we went back out after a break and wore 'em out for another hour in a downpour. Yes... it was joy.

But the greatest joy I have ever experienced was not in the outdoors, but rather, in the presense of a Holy God and His incredible calming and overwhelming love for me. Sure...it actually does happen,  sometimes, in the beautiful outdoor world that He created. You, too, can have that incredible feeling of peace and love from this incredible Savior known as Jesus Christ...all you have to do is ask. Like the stream smallmouth gig, it's not expensive...it's absolutely FREE! But, you do have to ask, ask Christ to come into your heart, forgive you of your sins, cleanse you and change you, You will be different and you will change if you make that simple request. And when your life concludes on this earth, you will spend an eternity, dancing before the King! WOW! Now that's a catch of a lifetime!

Like the Massacre on the Monocacy...conditions have to be perfect. Today, right now, perhaps your condition is perfect for receiving this incredible gift. This may be your moment of salvation...

The time is right for New Life.