March 17, 2008Fish rare but stout on New River float
We floated from Fosters Falls to the Route 100 bridge and I really had high hopes. This was the same section I'd done exactly a month earlier and that day we'd caught a few walleyes and I'd lost a nice smallmouth. But I figured a few days of mild weather and the forecasted cloudy weather could really make for a good day. It was a good day -- when you're on the river, most of them are -- but the fishing wasn't as great as I'd hoped. Casting mostly jerkbaits and spinnerbaits, we couldn't buy a sniff in the morning. If there was any consolation it was that we were sharing the river with guide Forest Pressnell of Greasy Creek Outfitters and his clients Jim Sowder of Fairfax and Chris Rinehart of Blacksburg, and they weren't exactly knocking them dead, either. We had lunch with them and shared our tales of woe. Like me, Forest was surprised. They took off first and before they were out of sight Jim caught a really nice walleye of 23 inches. Alfie and I fished from shore for a bit then headed out. About 10 minutes later I finally hooked a fish on a Rapala X-rap jerkbait. It turned out to be a stout 16-inch smallmouth. Just a few minutes later Alfie hooked this nice one. We moved on down the river and I caught a 13-incher on a spinnerbait. Then it got quiet again until were were almost done, when Alfie caught a 17-inch walleye. We saw Forest and his clients at the take-out and they reported that they had only one more fish, but it was a dandy -- a 20.5-inch smallmouth caught by Chris. I was surprised we didn't do better. Maybe we should have tried jigs. Anyway, that's the thing with fishing in March. You usually don't catch a bunch of fish but they tend to be nice. (I noticed in the Greasy Creek photo log that several clients had stout bass on Friday.) Donnie Eaton knows this. On March 12, 2003, he caught only one bass on a New River trip. But it weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce and remains the state record. |
About this blog
While growing up in rural Southern Oregon, Mark Taylor developed a passion for the outdoors while he and his younger brother tagged along with their father on fishing, hunting and camping adventures. Graduating from Northwestern University in 1988, Taylor spent four years as an officer in the U.S. Navy based in Norfolk before moving into journalism. After five years writing about the military for a Norfolk-based publishing company, he became the outdoors editor at The Roanoke Times in 1998. He lives in Roanoke with his wife and twin daughters. .....Advertisement.....
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Comments
[March 31, 2008 12:37 PM]
fisher mannice fish but Bill Dance would kick Alfie's hind end for picking or holding up a smallmouth bass by his lower jaw. It breaks the jaw of a smallmouth bass. This is particularily cruel if you catch and release. Use a 2 hand hold on fish and put them back in the river!
[March 31, 2008 3:42 PM]
Mark TaylorThanks for the comments, fisher man.
That is the first I've heard of lipping causing damage to smallmouths. What is your source for that information? I'd like to read more about it. I certainly wouldn't want to injure fish before their release.
Oh, I think Alfie could take Bill.
mt
[April 1, 2008 11:39 AM]
TerranceI have researched this thoroughly and i have found that the proper way to handle a large small mouth is by the bottom lip and a smaller one with 2 hands on the body, i can't find anything that says it will harm the fish though, but i would like to know a source of this info because i do a lot of smallmouth fishing and have always handled them by the lip. Thanks
[April 1, 2008 6:06 PM]
Mark TaylorThanks for the comment, Terrance. I did some searching on this topic and couldn't find anything.
Unless Fisher Man can provide solid info I'm inclined to think this is one of those rural myths, along the lines of having to remove a buck's tarsal glands to avoid tainting the meat.
I'm still looking forward to seeing Alfie and Bill Dance in a MMA battle, though.
mt
[April 2, 2008 8:40 PM]
Alfie HFisher Man, Thanks for the compliment about the fish. Mark and I had a nice day away from work, and enjoyed the river that Friday.
I just went to the Bill Dance Outdoors web page to size him up, to see if I had to worry about a butt-whipping. Much to my surprise and pleasure was a picture of the old man lip-holding a chunky smallmouth bass exactly like I was holding mine. So be sure to check your source a little better next time you have a comment. And as for the butt-whipping, I'd let him do it if he would take me fishing with him. Enjoy your fishing adventures in the future. AH