Not the kind of trip most post about here. Very different than how a lot of you go about this affliction. It is a way of fishing I enjoy greatly. Didnt get to the river as much as I'd liked last year. Had my mind set on fishing a place I'd not been in a while.
Most of last year I had determined to fish a place that was close but I hadnt fished since the summer after my senior year of high school 35 years ago.
I commute & travel by bike at every given oppurtunity. I also had no desire to bring more publicity than there already is to this spot by driving my truck & having local people recognize it. The local lake has a long history of producing very nice sized Flathead.
The weekend summer nights will have most areas of easy access along this lakes bank littered with lights from lanterns of the many bank fisherman. Because of this along with the lay of the lake It's a hard thing to place a bait where it's productive for bigger fish whwile fishing from the bank.
I paid a young fella to take me out for an hour in his & his dad's bass boat loaded with all the electronics that would be useful for me to get reaquainted with the lake. Not seeing what I'd hoped for I went to plan B. Remembering there had been plenty of rain & Ceder Creek that runs into this lake had pretty good flow & the area I use for bait would be well full of shad & & 1/2 lb. size bass. I was getting excited at the thought of it.
So I packed up for my trip to fish over night.... Jeff
The trailor is a 2 child carrier that I lucked into at a yard sale. It has worked out very well for camp/fishing from my bike. Though I wish it had bigger tires for the sand at the river. More to come... Jeff
I really like the way you set up the trailer to hold the rods.
I've been dreaming of setting up a fat tire bike for beach fishing. I like to surf fish but I'm not really interested in having a 4WD vehicle. The dream is to be able to access some long stretches of beach that are otherwise inaccessible. Pedaling in the sand can be really tough... an electric option would be cool, though pricey.
One thing that is great about biking versus a car or truck... it slows you down enough to observe what is going on around you.
Great setup! Stuff like that is very popular for the guys that fish Cape Cod Canal.
Well done, and thanks for posting, .. Lou
Jeff,
Great setup,
hmm, I have to think how I can use the same for a pier cart.
I dig that set up Jeff...flying under the radar is something we have to do also.
A great fishin' spot can become a free for all if someone sees you hook a decent fish. 8)
Quote from: Decker on January 12, 2018, 02:05:43 PM
I've been dreaming of setting up a fat tire bike for beach fishing.
STOP Dreaming & Do It ! Before this spring! I'll help you in any way I can. As we age a bike can be a great thing ! Depending on your fitness & activity level, how far you wish to go, your expectations could need to be to low at first. Start slow...
Just Do it !!
.....& POST SOME UP PICS... Jeff
awesome set up
looking forward to see more pictures of this adventure,
really like to see more of this kind of fishing
I practiced freshwater fishing and catfishing for sometime and liked a lot, but now Im 100% salty boy
...... First order of the evening was gathering bait. I love getting bait "almost" as much as I do the actuall fishing.
Not wanting to disturb my regular spot getting bait, cause I was fishing there I headed for the boat ramp having my favored tools for this, being my throw net & Penn 4300ss on 2 pc. rod.
Ramps are most always an excellent places to get bait. They also provide me with snag free tosses of my net. A good thing since I dont really like replaceing throw nets after every trip. A throw net along with a lite combo can reveal a lot of things about a body of water.
At this point of my evening I was getting pretty excited...
This reel has outlast no fewer than 4 rods, all broke beyond repair. Butter smooth, strong drag. One of my all time favs. Goes with me every trip.... Jeff
These small perch would work but not exactly what I was looking for. I'd keep at it, no hurries. Click on the last pic & if you look closely you can see 3-4 or more of what I was after only I wanted a bit bigger ones... Jeff
Quote from: Rivverrat on January 12, 2018, 07:48:26 PM
Quote from: Decker on January 12, 2018, 02:05:43 PM
I've been dreaming of setting up a fat tire bike for beach fishing.
STOP Dreaming & Do It ! Before this spring! I'll help you in any way I can. As we age a bike can be a great thing ! Depending on your fitness & activity level, how far you wish to go, your expectations could need to be to low at first. Start slow...
Just Do it !!
.....& POST SOME UP PICS... Jeff
YEAH, MAN!
Here I go. What I was wanting & a great size for bait.
Yup, large mouth bass. Here in Kansas we can use game fish for bait as long as they come from the water your fishing....
Thanks 🙏 for the pictures. Carrying all that stuff would be difficult. You got a great plan. Incognito. Anyone seen a guy on a red bike 🚲 pulling a train 🚂. Good luck 👍🧐
I agree...fishin' for bait is a good time. Sometimes we hit a small stream with ultralights and load up on panfish. Other times it's sabiki rigs at the dam. Catch a lunker Jeff! 8)
Quote from: mo65 on January 12, 2018, 10:35:01 PM
I agree...fishin' for bait is a good time. Other times it's sabiki rigs at the dam. Catch a lunker Jeff! 8)
A sabiki rig is something I need to get acquainted with & start using.
A couple of shad for cut bait. Might be channel cat roaming about. Yupp..... just tossem in on top of the snacks...Jeff
Wow, you Sir are a fisherman ;D
Fresh fish makes good bait for cats. I used to kill them on chicken liver.
Nothing like a Fishy Snickers. :D
I get my bait safely stowed & pack up to leave the ramp. A few stop & comment on the trailor & some who obviously have traveled by bike ask which way I came in. There thoughts on the ride out.
It's all down hill as you get within 3 miles of the Lake. the road out isn't bad if your in shape. But it's a bit much for a lot folks.
Loaded up I head out. My excitement of finally being here has grown. I cant wait to get to this spot. I hope no one is there it is a small area & not much room for more than a couple of people to fish it proper.... Jeff
Finally I arrive. I stand for a moment & stare at the surface of the water watching for any signs. I see what I was hoping for & move to get settled in for the night.
You could throw a rock across it & It's no more than 3' deep. However the recent rains have brought Ceder Creek up to a decent level where there is constant flow into the small pool below which is the creek arm that leads into the lake.
Up above the pool I was set up on an old concrete wall where my light would have no effect on my fishing.
About 45 min. in nothing.
I hear baitfish & a coon comes down to the waters edge paying me no attention. A little bit later a pickup with a canoe in back slows down on the road & slowly turns toward me with lights on the water... Idiot !
Some people have absolutely no idea. This same fella does the same thing two more times during the night. After the last time I'm pretty sure he wont be back.
I finally get a good hit that turns into a decent sized hooked fish that wraps my 60 lb. line around a rock & immediately breaks me off......
About 1:30 the water in the pool below me seems to come alive with activity. 10 minutes later my clicker sounds off.
I throw the lever forward & the tip on my heavy bait rod bends nicely. Turns out to be decent Flathead around 25 -30 lbs.
nice fish and wonderful walkthrough
that looks really fatty.. the fish I mean
btw. nice to met you Jeff
I rebait & throw back out & wait. Soon catch another that could pass for the prior ones twin.
Quote from: Rivverrat on January 13, 2018, 02:20:56 AM
I reabait & throw back out & wait. Soon catch another that could pass for the prior ones twin.
I know many guys that will die if they see a Large mount bass use as bait like in the last picture, LOL
not me, so dont worry, I have actually used green bass as cut bait for shore fishing in the sea, it was an excellent bait for triggerfish.. sssshhhh dont tell anyone
About 4:30 in the morning things had slowed & I stood to fetch my coffee thermos & the clicker on the nights lucky rod sound off again. I throw the lever foward as before & the tip on my bait rod bends a little more than on the pior 2 fish.
A flathead over 50 lbs. a decent Flathead about any where you might catch one. I normally release big catfish but this biggest one was hooked really bad so he was taken home. ..Jeff
Quote from: steelfish on January 13, 2018, 02:27:55 AM
Quote from: Rivverrat on January 13, 2018, 02:20:56 AM
I reabait & throw back out & wait. Soon catch another that could pass for the prior ones twin.
I know many guys that will die if they see a Large mount bass use as bait like in the last picture, LOL
not me, so dont worry, I have actually used green bass as cut bait for shore fishing in the sea, it was an excellent bait for triggerfish.. sssshhhh dont tell anyone
Oh I catch heck for it here at times. Almost to the point of fighting which I dont want in any way. Thought one time I was going to have to bust out the pepper spray on an O'l Boy. Some people go nutz about this. Only people I know that can be worse are fly rod totten trout fellas.
One thing I've learned it's not an easy thing taking selfies while holding fish. First pic is one of the nights smaller rascals. Still a nice fish. Any I catch are nice fish regardles of their size ;D ...Jeff
Well that's about it for my last trip of 2017.
Gets me all excited for this new year with a strong desire to see it warm up.
With some new reels & rods I cant wait to use. I'll be waiting with excitement & making plans as I roll through the different places I've fished in my minds eye of places on the the river I so love & enjoy fishing.... Jeff
Awesome Jeff! ;)
Thanks for taking us along on your Adventure.
Nice to put a face to a name.
Glad you caught some fish.
Jeff,
Wow! That was truly awesome. Thanks for taking us along. I admire you for getting out there and "doing it"....
I almost felt as if I was there with you, great pics to accompany the narrative....so cool...thanks again
Brett
Quote from: bhale1 on January 13, 2018, 03:26:24 AM
Jeff,
Wow! That was truly awesome. Thanks for taking us along. I admire you for getting out there and "doing it"....
I almost felt as if I was there with you, great pics to accompany the narrative....so cool...thanks again
Brett
This is a much appreciated complement, Thanks, you also Daron, Jeff
What a fish!...cool post Jeff, thanks for sharing.
Sal
Cool beans Jeff.....that is a tutorial on Get'er Done....Great fish too....Bill
Sal & Bill, Thanks, Jeff
Quote from: steelfish on January 13, 2018, 02:27:55 AM
Quote from: Rivverrat on January 13, 2018, 02:20:56 AM
I reabait & throw back out & wait. Soon catch another that could pass for the prior ones twin.
I know many guys that will die if they see a Large mount bass use as bait like in the last picture, LOL
not me, so dont worry, I have actually used green bass as cut bait for shore fishing in the sea, it was an excellent bait for triggerfish.. sssshhhh dont tell anyone
You think that's bad, around here the preferred chunk bait for yellowfin tuna is cut up blackfin tuna.
Thanks for showing us how it's done Jeff, looks like a well planned and executed trip with the fish coming to the party. Great way to end the season although I don't envy the three mile climb to get out with 100 lb of fish in the trailer!
Mike
Great fishin' Jeff! 8)
Quote from: Caranx on January 13, 2018, 06:49:20 AM
Great post. I enjoyed it.
I can't get past the bait in the food/bev cooler....
Some of my friends do the same thing. For me, It's gotta be a separate cooler. Lol
You are hard core.
Awesome catches! 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Thanks Mike, Caranx. Ya somtimes I bag the bait. Other times things get crazy & I just leave with the essentials. When I used to drink I always put bait lose on top of my beer to keep people from drinking all of it.... Jeff