Where the fish are easy and the crowds are light

The US Army Corp of Engineers is planning some scheduled maintenance on the last line of defense against Asian carp invasions into the Great Lakes and beyond.  Part of the maintenance plan is some easy fishin'.

• Rotenone affects all species of fish, although susceptibility to the chemical varies between species.  The chemical inhibits a biochemical process at the cellular level making it impossible for fish to use oxygen in the release of energy needed for body processes.

Though a noble cause, I think the electric barrier will ultimately prove inadequate.  All it takes is a power outage or some other equipment failure for these pesky invaders to find their way to the the eastern sea board.  None the less, while there is still a fight to be had we better keep fighting.  The Mississipi river basin is a lost cause, but the Great Lakes aren't....yet.

When you hear "Asian carp" you might think of bizarre YouTube videos, odd-ball red-neck fishing tournaments or even the new sport they inspired, but their proclivity toward spawning multiple times per season leads to extreme over population (see here for an example.)  Given a Big Head carp's tendancy to consume 40% of it's body weight per day, over population can quickly become an issue.

Imagine Captain Sully ditching in the Hudson due to jet engine injestion of "at least one" flying fish.

High production value and a sweet track

Enjoy this great topwater action. If you've never fly fished for bass, this will get your mouth watering...some good strikes here.

Think it a wise goal to have videos like this on LH? I'm not sure I have the time.

With spreadsheet grids still burned in my retinas

Dave and I hit the Snatch today right after work to squeeze in a couple hours before dark. Turning the clocks back really killed after work angling (we even left a couple hours early.)  We didn't catch a thing, but there is one good thing about fishing with Dave. He's always prepared.

Side note: I'm impressed with my point-n-shoot camera's ability after seeing this picture.

If we're quiet, maybe he won't notice we're here

My list of followers has been slowly growing and this pleases me.  If you check out list over on the right of this page, you'll notice an interesting (and recent) addition.  It seems Kurita-san has joined the ranks of us fishing bloggers.  One click and I think you'll recognize him.  This man is known for catching a particularly large fish AND taking a particularly sweet ass picture of it.

His blog is new and doesn't have much content, but that will change over time and I like the format.  We just need to convince him to allow comments.

Game time decision

This year I've gone river fishing more than ever in my life and have already learned an important lesson... Waterwatch

If you're already a river angler, you're probably already in the know. If you're new to the scene (such as I am) consider this link pure gold.

The site is maintained by the US Geological Survey, and holds real time information about water levels on most major rivers and streams. If you're new at this or targeting a small body of water, you'll still have to see it in person. After you've fished a listed river, go check the site. You'll quickly correlate "the water was too high" to "the water was x feet deep." I've also checked the depth on days fellow bloggers remark about the water being "in perfect condition."

Once you know, in feet, how deep good water is, make an informed decision before you hit the road. If it's good, rock on! If it's bad, go to a lake instead.

A cessation of normal operation

My ruler still hasn't let me down, but another reel bit the dust. As a result, the ruler will be seeing it's forth "upgrade" next season.

I bought this Shimano Sidestab 2500 a couple seasons ago to replace a Sidestab 2000. The bale on the older reel stopped closing automatically and I wrote that off as normal wear and tear. I decided to upgrade to the slightly larger 2500. Imagine my frustration when the replacement started doing the same thing this summer. "Upgrading" got me the same tear with half the wear. Well, now the bale has fallen off completely and I'm getting a little frustrated. I'm starting to question Shimano's quality, but I sure did love these reels when they worked. The Sidestab series isn't "top of the line," but using someone else's reel reminds me how nice they are.

I'm now a little torn. On one hand, I've had two Shimanos fail in short order. On the other hand I've got two extra spools waiting for a fresh Shimano reel. The replacement will be a spinning reel suited for 8-10lb test, but I'm open for suggestions on the model. What is your favorite make/model? Anyone have similar problems and looking for a place to complain?

Now I'm wondering if I still have the original reel....maybe I can combine the two. Maybe the combination would last a month.

Kayaks in the mist

The mahogany halls here at Lunker Hunt have been quiet lately, perhaps you've noticed. I'll take the blame as I've had a couple things going on in my non-fishing life to distract me. Nothing serious so don't fret. In fact it's been a pretty good month for me.

The last time I fished was Sep 27th, and it was a pretty boring trip. I didn't catch a thing, but enjoyed my time none the less. I got to watch a cow come down a steep bank for a drink and then see her panic while looking for a way out. Later I spent a long time trying to catch carp on the fly. The Bagel has a pretty good carp population and they were tailing in the shallows, but despite all my efforts I ended the day without a fish.

Tonight I'm acknowledging my apathy for you loyal blog readers, and feel like posting. Without fishing for a few weeks I don't have much material. But I do want to take the time to share a picture from that morning. It was immediately after I got in the water, and before I wet a line. I'm afraid a picture doesn't do justice to the moment.

Snake eating bass eating snake

Photo by: Matt Buedel of the Peoria Journal Star

Thank goodness I have good outdoor reporters in the the area. They give me a constant supply of great stuff like this. Sounds like the snake pulled through with some assistance, click on the photo for more info.

Snaggingist S.O.B.

For us here at Lunker Hunt, fishing isn't all peaches and cream - as this blog might make you believe. For every grip 'n grin picture or serene landscape, there are countless moments I'd rather not share.

Above is one of those moments. It came on the Mackinaw River last weekend; Dave happened to have a camera ready. At first glance you might see me making beautifully long casts to the log on the right in front of a splendid river scene. What you really see is me using the "brute force" technique on a snag I couldn't reach, in front of a splendid river scene. If you fish with me, you'll see more of this than anything else. Worms, cranks, spinners or flies - it doesn't matter. I've even once been called "the snaggingist son of a bitch."

But hey...if you're not getting hung up, you're not where the fish are.

Hair spin part deux

A while ago I attempted to spin deer hair into a Dahlberg Diver. The result was terrible and ended up meeting a razor before it met the camera - I carved one instead. Last night I tried again, having learned a thing or two in the interim. The plan was to keep it simple and just get the hair to stand up - shape didn't matter...success.

It is a little thin and not perfect, but I'm happy.

And I tied this thing too....