When the big white PA Fish and Boat truck rolls into Roulette!
And it's game on!
And toss the trouts into the crick
Even the little guy got into the act
And hauled his share of buckets (with the help of dad)
Tight Lines,
Mikey D Fishing
Friday, March 3, 2023
Potter County Stocking Report, March 2: You Know Opening Day is Close ...
Tuesday, February 28, 2023
Monday, October 24, 2022
Potter County Fishing Report, 23 October: Fall Fishing on Kettle Creek
The down sides of fall fishing; limited daylight and cold. The up sides; you don't have to get up early to fish, the prospect of Indian Summer, and few anglers on the water.
Temps the past few days have been in the upper 60s, so I lit off to fish Kettle Creek, about 50 minutes south of the WBT. Did some stream reconn on the west branch the day before, but Potter County is back in a drought watch, and the stream looked every bit of it.
So I headed south, hoping that there'd be enough water in Kettle to wet a line. Parked in the PA Fish and Game lot, a couple of miles south from the beginning of the C&R section, around noon. The lot was pleasantly empty. Walked up to the overpass to check out the water, and the trout were stacked up just below the bridge, I guess enjoying the afternoon sun.
(If you look carefully, you can kind of see the trout)
Fish were finning and rising in ankle to shin-deep water to something (midges?) really small. Not having anything tiny to throw, I tied on a hopper (on 5X)/dropper rig (on 6X), with a 16 bead-head Pheasant Tail as the dropper. After a couple of misses I managed to hook my first Rainbow for the afternoon, a thick 15 incher.
The trout quickly tired of the PT, so I dipped into the box and tried a variety of nymphs. No dice. So I looked in the terrestrial box, and noticed a small Cinnamon Ant. Figured what the heck, added a foot and a half of tippet tot he hopper, and tied the ant on as the dropper. I dressed the ant once with floatant, figuring if it sank a bit, more the better.
That proved the ticket, as I managed four more Rainbows. One went all of 18 inches, (and chunky), with the final three between 10- and 12 inches.
And then, about 2:00 in the afternoon, the catching shut down. The fish were still eating, but apparently figured they'd given me enough of their time, and preferred to eat bugs that will get them through the winter.
Which is just around the corner. The moral of the story is get out while you can!
Tight Lines,
Mikey D Fishing
Friday, October 14, 2022
Cape Charles, VA Fishing Report: Month in Review
I spent the last month in Cape Charles to see if the claims of great fall fishing are true. While restricted to wade fishing off the beach near Plantation Creek, it provided some consistency in the experiment.
In general, I'd say the fishing did improve as we moved from September into October That jives with the locals who said that cooler water temps would improve the bite. In September air temps were in the high 70s to low 80s, with water temps were in the mid 70s. By the first week of October air temps dropped to the low to mid 60s (lows in the 50s), and water temps dropped to the mid to low-60s. Too cool to wet wade, but a pair of cheap boot-foot waders did the trick.
If I compared the last week with the previous three, I'd say the Redfish bite improved. Prior to October we picked up a fish here and there, but no real consistent bite. By October, things improved significantly. With the exception of a few days of turbid water due to Ian's arrival and departure, I managed to land Reds ranging from 15 to 24+ inches. (Apologies for the poor photos. Tough getting a good photo while you've got a rod under your arm, the camera in one hand, and a fish in the other. Couldn't get photos of the bigger fish. Will invest in a GoPro and head mount for next season).
The trout bite, as well as the size of trout I was catching (not many, they're more finicky eaters, and tougher for me to hook) certainly increased, from 10-12 inchers in Sept, to a nice 18 incher I picked up yesterday,
There are some other factors that seemed to come into play:
Tidal flow: I consistently fished according to the solunar calendar, during the hours which predicted the best fishing (https://tides4fishing.com/us/virginia/old-plantation-light). While I did not have the time to hit both incoming and outgoing tides, I'd say the calendar accurately predicted the best time to catch fish on the outgoing tide. Doesn't mean you won't catch fish outside those windows. But you'll probably be doing more casting than hooking up.
Water clarity. If you can't see far down in the water, neither can the fish. If the water is turbid, pack it in and drink some bourbon.
Lures: Fished exclusively with soft plastic paddle tails (Z-Man shad suspended below a popping cork) and Paul Brown's Dyne XL swim baits. While the guys at Ocean's East tackle shop claim many colors work, I had success with the paddle tails in Electric Chicken color, and the Dyne XL in purple and chartreuse. (Note, if you're fishing alone, take two rods rigged with different lures. Saves time switching out, or when you experience a braided line malfunction.) At least for this piece of water, the Dyne XL in purple and chartreuse is the only swim bait you need, for Reds and Trout. Down side is that big Reds will bend the Dyne XL ($12 a pop) beyond its ability to swim correctly after 2-3 fish.
Scents: Captain Kenny Louderback turned us on to Pro-Cure gel during our recent Cobia trip. So I purchased a bottle ($7.99) of Mullet scent (there are many, from shrimp to Menhaden to garlic, etc.) at Oceans East:
Did it work? See last factor below.
Stay in one place or wade around: I had about 400 yards or so of beachfront to fish. Most of the time I'd just hold in one area, figuring that the fish would eventually swim through my casting range. But there was also ample space to walk around and look for fish. On occasion during the summer I would wander up and down the beach, and see Reds as singles, in pairs, and in small schools. But no success. Could have been warmer water, or spooky fish in the shallow water.
Yesterday, however, was a different story. I was fishing a "sauced up" paddle tail, and spied some fish moving behind me. Initially couldn't tell if they were Reds or big Mullet. I threw a cast to where I thought the school had gone and BAM!, 18-inch Red to the hand. So I started moving towards the school parallel to the beach, and saw that it numbered around 30 fish. Another 4 casts resulted in hook ups with fish ranging from 18 to 20+ inches. Then the school headed out to deeper water. Based on prior failed attempts stalking fish, the only difference (aside from water temps) was the scent.
Much more work needed on the experiment. But a fun way to work through a problem. Saturday it's back to Potter County. Hope to get some trout to the net before the snow shows up next week.
Tight Lines,
Mikey D Fishing
Monday, September 5, 2022
Cape Charles, VA Fishing Report, 22-26 August: Cobia Time!
Wade-fishing the beach this past week proved particularly unproductive. Weather was sunny with temps in the high 80s. Winds were relatively calm. Water clarity was pretty decent. And nearly every day I spooked small schools of slot Reds (aka "Puppy Drum") as I waded in knee to thigh deep water. Only problem was these fish were just not eating. The culprit, as the guys at Oceans East tackle shop informed me, was water temps. Too warm (78-80 degrees) for a good bite. My wade-fishing experience confirmed, at least as far as the catching went. I picked up only one decent fish, a 21 inch Red, early on in the week. That was it.
Disappointing, but the real reason we were in Cape Charles was our annual Cobia outing with Capt. Kenny Louderback of Fish Freaks Guide Service (https://www.facebook.com/fishfreaks2014/) This was our 6th year fishing with Kenny, and we were unanimous that it surpassed all our other times fishing with him.
How important is this outing with Kenny? Capt. DiPaola's travel itinerary answers that question. We were to meet up with Kenny on Thursday at 8:30 in the morning. On Wednesday, Joe began his day in Greenville, SC, then flew to Chicago for meetings and dinner with his company board. He boarded a plane at Midway Itl after dinner, arriving in BWI around 1:30 in the am. Then it was a four hour drive to the Cape Escape. He rolled in around 5:30, and fortunately got a couple of hours of rack time before fishing. Tells you all you need to know.
Our loyal blog followers will know the ins and outs of Cobia fishing in the lower bay in late summer. The most important variable is when the fish decide to migrate out of the bay to more southern waters. The later you get into the summer, the greater the chance that you'll head out into the bay to open stretches of water and no fish.
I'm almost certain, though, that even under the worst conditions conditions Kenny would find fish. As it turned out, our timing was good, the weather was conducive to productive sight fishing, and Kenny was once again on his game. About 11:00 am on Thursday, once the sun got high enough for good sight fishing, he found fish congregating about 4 miles north of the bay bridge tunnel. Over the course of the day Kenny (and sometimes us as well up in the tower) spotted well over 100 Cobia. A lot of singles and pairs, but also a good number schools holding with rays, and in one case about 12-15 fish swimming around the biggest sea turtle I've ever seen. And many of the fish we saw were quality fish; well over the 40 inch minimum, with some fish in the 50-60 inch range.
The only issue, and I'd classify it as a first-world problem, was that the fish were finicky eaters. We got plenty of shots with live eels and a good number of looks and follows. But we only got six fish to eat, and landed three. Technique was the villain in our losing fish. These fish have hard mouths, requiring sustained tension on the rod. Give a Cobia some slack and he's off. And to be honest, we lost some nice fish.
But ... we also boated our limit; two nice fish that went 48 and 51 inches! The third was a "rat" which went about 30 inches. We also got a few shots (and follows) with the fly rod.
To add to the experience, Capt. DiPaola enjoyed a short "swim call" in the bay when his fly line inadvertently got tangled up in the boat prop. (Pro Guide tip: keep an eye on your fly line when its dragging in the water around a running boat motor....)
So we went .500 for the day. But we limited out (we wore out the electric Bubba Blade with about 40 lbs of filets), and saw more and more quality fish than we had seen on any previous outing. Best of all was spending the day on the water with Capt. Kenny. It's the highlight of the Mikey D fishing calendar, and we're already booking into 2023.
Tight Lines,
Mikey D Fishing
Wednesday, August 10, 2022
Libby, MT Fishing Report, 02-04 August: Hopper Time!
By late-July, most of the mayfly hatches on Montana's rivers and "cricks" have ended. But the advent of hotter and dryer weather brings the trout another important food source; terrestrials such as grasshoppers, beetles, and ants. Blown off of grasses and and trees into the streams, these bugs, quite a bit larger than their ephemera mayfly cousins, provide hearty meals before the onset of fall and colder winter.
The Mikey D team took up a most gracious invitation by former Navy football tailgaters, Annapolis neighbors, and good friends Mike and Mary Kay Shina, to visit their spread out in Libby, a relatively small city in the northwest corner of the state.
The major watershed is the Kootenai (pronounced KOO-TEN-EE) River, which begins in Canada. The river is dammed just above Libby, then flows for over 50 miles into Idaho. The beauty of this river is that, as a tailwater, it stays clear year round. Second, the water coming out of the dam keeps the river cool enough to ensure good fishing, even in the late-summer.
While we were on different flights, Capt. DiPaola and I avoided the issues many of the flying public have experienced this summer, and landed in Glacier Park International Airport in Kalispell around 2:00 PM on Monday. Capt. DiPaola having secured the rental car, it was off for the 90 mile drive to Libby.
We stopped short and met up with Mike at Happy's Inn, a western Montana landmark, and about 30 miles from Libby. A lot of like the Friendly Inn in Roulette. After a couple of local beers and a "spider bite" (a shot of Tarantula tequila and Rose's Lime juice), courtesy of the barkeep, we headed off to the Shina abode.
Mike and Mary Kay's gorgeous home is on 5 acres of wooded property, sitting at the base of Swede Mountain.
A short ATV ride up the mountain, and another 2000' or so of elevation, and you're at the fire station on top of the mountain.
We booked guides for a Wednesday drift on the Kootenai, bookmarked with DIY trips to local waters. On Tuesday morning we stopped at Libby Sporting Goods to check out the fly assortment and pump the locals for intel. Fly selection was not difficult; hoppers and "chubbies" in black, yellow, and purple, Chernobyl ants. etc. Guy behind the counter sounded a bit cryptic, but said the best small stream fishing would be on Fisher River, a tributary to the Kootenai a few miles up from Libby.
So off we went. This was Mike and Mary Kay's first time flyfishing. So it's really important to have easy access to the water, lots of room for casting, and accommodating fish. The Fisher turned out to have all of those, with spectacular views to boot!
As I said, a great place to introduce newbies to fly fishing. And it didn't take long for both Mike and Mary Kay to develop decent casting skills, and by the end of the first DIY day both had landed trout.
The trout in the Fisher, at least what we caught, were all wild Rainbows. Most went 4-5 inches, a few went 6-8, we caught a couple that went 10 or so, and Joe caught one that easily went 12 inches. Absolutely gorgeous fish, which proved more than willing to hit our hoppers and/or droppers consistently throughout the day.
The highlight of our fishing experience, though, was a float trip on the Kootenai. It's big water, with a fast current to boot. There may be spots where you can safely wade, but we didn't see many. And there's so much water that it would be impossible to locate fish on a single outing. It's best to go with local expertise. So we book guides through Kootenai River Outfitters (http://www.kroutfitters.com/). Owner Jeanie Winstrom was waiting for us at the main office when we arrived shortly before 8 AM on Wednesday. Also waiting to load our gear were our guides, Tony Knapp (knapptimeflyfishing@gmail.com) and Johnny Pares (https://kcanglers.com/kootenai-river-fishing-guides-rita-adams-johnny-pares/).
What makes for a great guide? Well, knowing the river and putting clients on fish is a big plus. Knowledge of the history of the place helps pass the time when the fishing slows. Patience and the ability to teach is huge, especially when you have first-time or novice folks in the boat. Finally, and perhaps most importantly (except maybe for catching fish), is temperament. You never know whether your clients are going to be easy going, or flat out neurotics. Doesn't matter. When your stuck in a drift boat for 8 hours, you adapt to the clients, and make it the best day you can.
Tony and Johnny exceeded all of those qualities. Tony was the consummate instructor with Mike and MK in his boat, while Johnny was more than able to match our usual sarcastic fishing banter. Despite breezy conditions and a passing cold front (temps only got into the upper 80s), which seemed to diminish the bite from pervious outings, we had a fantastic time. Everyone caught fish, Rainbows, Cutthroats, and "Cutbows" (a cross between a Rainbow and a Cutthroat). Most of the fish went between 8-12 inches. But we did manage a few that went over 12, and a couple that would have measured between 16-18. As on our outings on the Fisher, flies of choice were a variety of hopper patterns. And, as this is big water, our guides knew exactly where to position the boats to put us on fish; banks with drop offs, seams, riffles at the bottom of runs, and underwater structure.
It was a memorable float. And a great four days of fishing, enjoying Libby's restaurants, "sipping" brown liquor and burning Perdomos on the back porch, and enjoying Mike and Mary Kay's gracious hospitality. Many thanks to Libby Sporting Goods, Kootenai River Outfitters, Tony and Johnny, and most of all, to Mike and Mary Kay!!!
Tight Lines,
Mikey D Fishing
Monday, August 1, 2022
The $190 Redfish - Mikey D Fishing - Cape Escape Jul 2022
Like many of life's passions, fishing is expensive. We anglers like to collect rods, gear, flies
and accoutrement over the course of many years and seasons. While part of the
fun, sometimes there are unexpected costs in pursuit of that tug on the end of
the line. I guess "unexpected"
was the key word on one of the last days July as I sped to Cape Charles to wade
for redfish near Plantation Creek. My
quick trip to catch a red was interrupted by the local law. Twenty minutes and $190 later, I was back on
the road anxious to focus on anything other than speed trap avoidance. Capt. Felker, patiently(?) waiting for me on
the porch at Cape Escape, was prepped and ready by the time I arrived.
As recent blog entries suggest, a morning outgoing tide is
often best for triggering a predatory response from red drum. However, our morning outing yielded zip. With the wind up, there was a lot of bay
grass snagged on each cast. Capt. Felker
broke out the fly rod, while I tried an electric chicken paddle tail on a
popping cork. No fish in the AM, but
wading through the water, it was very apparent why the mouth of the bay is so
prolific. Bay grasses laid out like a flowing
carpet, crabs, clams, oysters abound with baitfish everywhere. As slack tide rolled in, there was little to
do but head back to Cape Escape and wait for the water to start moving again.
We returned to the same area early in the evening and I grabbed for the popping cork while Capt Felker tossed the tried and tested Dyna XL. About 15 minutes in, I got my first hit. Never saw him, but the redfish crushed it. After a hookup that lasted about a minute, he came right at me and spit the hook. The second red wasn’t so lucky. He also hit hard and after a nice fight, he smiled for the camera in exchange for a release. Like Capt Felker noted in a previous entry, redfish will surprise you. A red came out of nowhere just feet from where I was standing and tried to inhale the popping cork. With a slap of his tail, he disappeared into the flats. All in all, a pricey, but great day. One fish in hand, several hits, and a great time on the water with Mikey D Fishing
Tight Lines,
Mikey D Fishing
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