WHEN GIANTS FALL...

A very big fish on a very tiny bait. Lucky catch?

I have always been amazed as to how a very big fish can somehow find such a tiny morsel of food so attractive as to attempt to devour it. Would the tiny morsel even replace the energy it took to consume it? I don't know. But recently, I managed to land a couple of very nice bass on 2-pound test and in environments that weren't good for the light line gig. Basically, I was lucky.

Why would a largemouth eat such a tiny morsel?

Let's face it...the maw of a largemouth bass is certainly big enough to consume a large shiner, big bull frog or even a small bird. An intimidating force to vulnerable prey. So why would a big fish like these take a little teeny worm on a little teeny hook baited up for bluegills? I don't know. The fish probably never even gave it a thought...'I can handle that'...they think.

White crappie...they eat what's small, and large.

Giant white crappies have very large mouths for their proportionate body size, yet they will go after tiny minnows that measure less than an inch long. And, at times, they will pound a spinnerbait intended for a 10 pound bass. Greedy, I guess. Maybe having it all, but wanting more. I don't know. Fish, of course, act on instinct and the instinct to feed and grow is strong.

I don't always get away with not being ready.

I got away with a couple of 'lucky catches ' lately where my 2-pound test line held up as big bass crossed other lines, wrapped me up in the weeds and made me have to go in after them. Fishing for the bluegills enabled me to catch a few that I might not have been able to land. It doesn't always work out that way. More often than I care to admit, I get into trouble by not being ready ( line too light ) or being too impatient (hurry up and land the fish) or maybe, just maybe, I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Hopefully, I will learn from these mistakes. This happens in my personal life as well...not just out fishing.

'Oh lord, open my lips and my mouth will declare your praise.'

Recently, we had a dear friend and brother in the Lord fall...a very deep and shattering fall...one that will take many years, perhaps decades, to heal and restore. He may have thought that the tiny morsel was small, that he could handle it. I wonder if he even gave it a thought. I don't know. But I do know this...when King David grieved over his actions with Bathsheba he wrote Psalm 51, and pleaded...

'Have mercy on me, O God
according to Your infailing love:
blot out my transgressions
Wash away all my iniquity...

                                               AND CLEANSE ME FROM MY SIN.'

Then King David went on to ask...

                                            'RESTORE TO ME THE JOY OF YOUR SALVATION
                                           AND GRANT ME A WILLING SPIRIT,
                                                             TO SUSTAIN ME.'

My brother, if you are reading this, know this...that you and I will one day walk shoulder to shoulder, fish on this God-given earth with our children, praise and fall on our faces before a Holy God in thanksgiving and mercy. It will take time...but it is my prayer that it will happen. Love never fails.

SMASHING PUMPKINSEEDS

Beautiful female pumpkinseed fell for the Gulp! Redworm.

Okay, I know that this post won't get anybody's blood up too much, but I just wanna give a quick shout-out to the unheralded pumpkinseed sunfish and close kin...the Pumpkingill. The pumpkingill is actually a naturalized hybrid between a pumpkinseed and a bluegill, and some of them can get pretty big. We have been blessed to find a small local public venue that has a abundance of seeds, gills and the PG's. Matt and I have been catching a ton of these the past few weeks...nearly 400, and all have been released. Live worms below bobbers work great, but we have recently switched gears to Berkley Gulp! Redworms impaled on a #8 Aberdeen hook below a bobber fished slowly through the vast spawning areas of these fish. Check out some of these fish...

Plus-sizes male Pumpkingill...great fighters!

Matt with daily double of male bluegill and male pumpkingill.

Matt with a colossal male PG...what a fish!

Spawning PG in superb condition.

Major-league gills are also in the mix.

Ten-inch Pumpkingill on a live worm.

Bona fide pumpkinseed, and a beauty!

These are just a few shots of the many we have taken the last part of May. We found a large spawning area where there are literally hundreds, if not a few thousand, big 8 to 10 inch and larger sunfish like these. It's a small public venue, and thus subject to overharvest and that's why we keep things quiet. Some waters are just too fragile to tell the world, and, BTW, this is the internet! Most folks fishing here, however, seem more concerned about catching the over abundant sub-legal largemouth bass. To each their own.

God's handiwork and detail.

I am often reminded of God's beauty and His incredible attention to detail in all the creatures of the earth that He has made.Most folks would just call them sunfish and go on with it, but to me, these creatures are stunning in their own right. Whether pumpkinseeds, bluegills or pumpkingill hybrids, they were all ordained by His hand and are part of His glorious plan for us to enjoy. As it clearly points out in Genesis 1:22...

AND GOD SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD. GOD BLESSED THEM AND SAID 'BE FRUITFUL
AND INCREASE IN NUMBER, AND FILL THE WATER IN THE SEAS...'

The next time you go fishing, remember who created the fish you so love to catch!

PYMATUNINGS GIANT SLABS

Local hot-stick Ken Smith with a giant Pymatuning slab. Wow!

Just got back from a great trip in NW Pennsylvania where the 2014 PA CRAPPIE CAMP, hosted by outdoor writer Darl Black, was held at massive 17,000 acre Pymatuning Lake on the Pa-Ohio border. Weather was warm, hot, actually, and the big black crappie were on the bite in pre-spawn and spawn modes. Got to fish with local hot-stick Ken Smith and he put us onto many 13 to 15 inch slabs.

Average sized fish exceeded 13 inches.

We drift fished the expansive stump flats of the Linesville section of the northern part of the lake and scored on 1/8 oz jigs tipped with various plastics and Crappie Nibbles. Ken knows his stuff and had us on the fish quickly. We fished 5 ft down in 7 to 8 feet of water. On Tuesday morning he and I had 19 crappies over 13 inches. Other guys in our party of writers and crappie pros and tackle reps did just as well down lake fishing in the shallow padfields for big spawners. A few more pics...

Big slabs bring big smiles!

Crappie pro Dan D. with a slab from the pads in the rain.

Some of our fish pushed 15 inches.

I enjoyed using the local fish cleaning station.

Our group of about 7 anglers had a four day total of approximately 300 crappies with about 250 running from 13 to 15 inches...high quality crappie fishing  anywhere! Bobby Garland plastics and jigheads dominated the catch as spider rigging and other Southern Style slab tactics filtered north. We fished other area lakes for crappies and bass, and a full report will be upcoming on those trips as well. But the crappie fishing at Pymatuning was outstanding, and the size of the fish were phenomenal for a lake north of the Mason Dixon Line. These fish were in pre-spawn and spawning phase and it was May 13 thru the 16th that we fished. We 'hit it just right'...none of that 'you should have been here last week' stuff!

Dixie Cricket strikes again!

 Along the way I caught about 100 bluegill down behind my cabin at the Jamestown Area of Pymatuning State Park. My 1/64th oz Dixie Cricket Jig did em in.

Bobby Garland blues and chartreuse were hot colors.

Biggest white crappie was Dan Dannenmueler's near 15 incher from Shenango.

We also slipped over to Shenango River Reservoir one morning and crappie pro Dan Dannenmueller schooled me on spider rigging techniques that he uses for tournament slabbin'. Although the white crappies ran smaller at Shenango, Dan did manage a monster white crappie.

Spawning male black crappie has the tuxedo on!

I just want to thank Darl Black and his wife Marilyn for putting on such a dynamite event...great friends, great food and great fishing. Seldom does it all come together like that but it certainly did on this trip.
And, as always, I need to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for watching over us and ordaining this event to happen. Good things don't just happen...no...more often, we like to give ourselves the credit when it all comes together. Truth is, God is always in the mix. As it states in Psalm 139:16...

'ALL THE DAYS ORDAINED FOR ME WERE WRITTEN IN YOUR BOOK BEFORE ONE OF THEM CAME TO BE.'

Thanks, Lord Jesus, as always, you have the perfect plan. Amen!

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.

KEEPERS...

Matt with a pair of 'keepers'.

Perhaps the greatest fishing partner I have ever had has been my son, Matthew. Matt and I started fishing when he was about 4 or 5 years old and we haven't looked back. At our humble angling beginings at local farmponds for bluegills and bass, it is safe to say that, at times, we return to our roots. We did just that recently when we hit a nice 4 acre lake in the Mason Dixon area in quest of fillets. Yup...we needed fish-fry material. Keepers. What better way to break in the early season?

Chubbo bluegills make for good eats.

Our goal was to ice a dozen or more quality bluegills in the 9 to 10 inch range, fillet them up, and have a little fish fry. This is what we have done in my family for nearly 40 years, and about 4 -5 times a year. What a heritage...to catch, clean and eat the fish you catch from local waters! No store-bought tilapia, farm-raised catfish or proclaimed 'wild-caught' salmon on the high dollar. Naaww, we keep our fish and eat them, sometimes. That's the way it is.

Matt's first gill of the year, a robust 10-incher!

Despite cold northwest winds and 4 inches of wet, heavy snow the day prior, we donned waders and fished the wind-blown shallows with simple bobber/jig/bait combos on 4 pound test and let the wind do the work. Along the way, a bunch of 12 to 16 inch bass were in the panfish mix.

'And while I'm at it, gimme one of those 18-inch bass!

All the bass went back and at another pond, we got a few up to 18 inches. It was another father/son trip that had special meaning. A 'keeper'. And it led to some great eating! Here's the scoop...

Fillet nice sized bluegills so they are ready for the pan.

Fry em up in hot oil at 375 til crispy brown.

Drain on paper towels and fight over them with family members.

It was all 4 adults and 2 young uns could do to down 26 fillets from those big gills. But we did it! And after a long afternoon nap, I had to reflect on the past few weeks of fishing...

Matt's first bass of the year is a nice 18-incher.

On this day, most fish were right at my feet in the muddy water.

This plus sized girl gave me a spectacular leap in chilly 50 degree water.

Ooodles of 2 pounders along the way.

Big head and skinny body...needs a few meals.

Ole Swooptail showed up. We caught her 4 times last year.

And, of course, dinks are always available.

There is something to be said about patterns, dependable lures, local ponds and fishing with family. It all would never be possible without God's Blessing. You see...I don't deserve all these cool fishing trips, or big fish, or great times with my precious son or even a hearty meal of fresh bluegills. I don't deserve my beautiful wife of 38 years or early retirement or two beautiful grand daughters. The truth is the majority of my life, I have been a self-centered, egotistical, prideful, lustful, boastful and just plain sinful wreak of a man. In and unto myself, I bring absolutely nothing to the table to please God. He can do just fine without me. He simply doesn't need me to bring Glory to Him in my unsalvedged state. I deserve hell.

But the cool thing is...He sought me out, anyway. Just like he is seeking you, right now, through this blog you are reading about this broken-down, shell-of-a-man who just so happens to like fishing. And...I might have enjoyed these things even if I did not give my life to Jesus some 39 years ago. Don't know. But I do know this...my live was empty, but now, and for a long time, has been made whole through the life-changing process of submitting to Christ as King. It's called grace, forgiveness, and it's free. And no, it's not perfect on this fallen and sinful planet. As it states in John 16:33...

'I have told you these things so that, in me, you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! For I have overcome the world.'

That verse, my friend, is a 'keeper', one you don't throw back. Put that one in your live well and meditate on it. When you feel the pressures of this fallen, sinful world are crushing you, pull it out and admire it, like a prized catch, and take a photo of it for your memory. Accept and embrace Jesus...He will never throw you back, or release you once you accept Him into your heart. It will be the catch of a lifetime!