High water and weeds in August

Lots of people talking about the weeds along with our unseasonably high water for this time of year.

I spent about a 1/2 hour on the main river Saturday around 11:00. The weeds were bad and the heat made me question why anyone goes out during the day…but to each their own, I guess.

Normally the flow this time of year is around 3000 cfps and I would be fishing the main channel as flats would be moving out of the spawning areas looking for more current (oxygen) to off set the heat.

With all the rain, 17,000+ was the reading for the day. This made me wonder if I should be fishing tributary’s, back channels and cuts. This should cut down the flow a little and the weeds.

Mike, Jared and i spent the evening working a snag and a hole in one of these areas. We arrive a little on the late side as I like scoping the area out before dark.

As we anchored up to our first spot, I noticed one thing that made me lose confidence in my thoughts. No minnows along the shore line. Normally a swing of the spot light would produce hundreds if not thousands of minnow jumping out of the water. I spotted one lonely minnow all night.

For bait we had one 10″ bullhead, regular size bullheads around 7 inches, 6-7 inch suckers and a few mega suckers that measured around 15 inches. We placed one of each across the face of the snag.

It wasn’t long and the jumbo sucker was “thunked” in the deeper water. I’ve often found that suckers seem to work better in August than bullheads. I’m not sure if others have seen this trend, but that’s been my experience.

I could tell by Pugs grunting it was a good fish. He brought it to the boat like he’s been doing this all day. Jared was right there with the net and made the most fantastic net job I’ve ever seen. It looked like he missed the flat and was trying to knock it off the hook, but when he lifted the net out of the water, there was Pugs 38 pounder in the bottom of the sack! Nice job Jared!!

None of the bullheads were hit this night. We did have a funny run that produced a headless sucker. I think this was the result of a lifeless sucker and a hungry snapper. Whatever it was, I’m just glad I didn’t have my tootsies in the water!

We moved up to another snag with a deeper hole close to it. Jared fish came out of around 4 feet of water. This 4 pounder hit a 5 to 7 inch sucker minnow. Although we gave her a good try, this was to be the last fish of the night.

FYI- to Mike and Mallory,

Stuff happens to everyone on the water. Our cranking battery died on us and I couldn’t talk these guys into using a rope to start the 90 horse. Exchanging a trolling motor battery with the starting battery we were back in business. Redundancy is a night fisherman’s best friend!

Thanks for a good time on the water guys. Even though we didn’t land 2 incredibly huge fish, I hope you enjoyed the evening in what normally would be a tough time to fish…and you didn’t have to clean weeds off your line all night!

Pictured below:

MplsPug with his 38 pound personal best flathead.

The headless sucker minnow.

Pug with his Everts Resort Personal Best Catch and Release Pin.

Nice catch there Pug!

just a piece of advice regarding dead batteries. i picked up a set of 12 ft jumper cables, that come in a bag, for like 15 bucks at walmart. i keep those in the boat, and then if my main battery dies, i don’t have to swap batteries, just give it a jump.

and also is nice to have in case someone on the water were to have a dead battery.

nothing fancy, just cheap and practical.

Jumper cables<<

Good idea Perch!

I forgot to mention how romantic it was out there once the clouds move on and the meteor display started.

I got laid out in the bottom of the boat once when the motor had an electrical issue. My buddy is a mechanic and he was working on the motor so I sat there tying on a new hook or something when all of a sudden I was seeing stars. He decided to pull start the 85 horse and when the rope came undone his elbow drilled me in the back of the head. And no it didn’t start, we got to paddle back to the launch.

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I got laid out in the bottom of the boat once

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Thanks Stevens. It took a while to get one over 30 and break my 18# pb. Now when people ask what the biggest one I have caught, I don’t have to be coy and stumble through an answer. Since I mentioned the 18#er, this is normally where I feel I have to qualify it, that it was caught on 10# test, on bass gear, in 10 feet of snow, fishing from a 50′ cliff…

Don’t have to do that anymore.

I should apologize again and send a thank you out to Jared. It looked like he missed the fish with the net and was just standing there with the hoop in the water to tangle up the line. He sold it very well giving us a nonchalant dead pan look as if he missed the fish and was just standing there. Then he says, “It’s in the net”. I almost didn’t believe him. I like that. It’s like the old saying in football about celebrating a touchdown, “Act like you’ve been there before”. We can celebrate once the fish is released to fight again.

Anyway, Karma got me in the end. His excellent work with the net was countered with me getting the net caught on the gunwale and me fumbling around to net his fish. It was good practice for me I guess.

I just wish another one came a thunking on our boat. I gave Jared dibs on the next thunk, even after he caught a small thunker.

We had plenty of false runs and all the evidence points to a turtle messing with our heads (and an unfortunate sucker’s head). That sucker had his his head sheared off cleanly and there were no other noticeable marks on it.

It was a great night on the river. From the lightning in the distance, unnerving us, which magically paused while over us and resumed when it was well off in the distance. It was interesting watching the meteors, Jared and I realizing we’re Adobe guys and the family of raccoons who shared our spot.

Now if Brian can get the guy who has been known to be jinxed when a guest in a boat 2 consecutive personal bests (remember the zipper walleye?), just think of what Brian’s guide service trophy flathead catfish, channels catfish and sturgeon guide service could do for you and your quest for a personal best.

Thanks again to Jared and Brian for making it a memorable night.

Checks in the mail Pug!

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Checks in the mail Pug!

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Here in Richfield we have a saying and it goes like this. “I have to give a shout out and props. Reckognize.”

James can confirm it is tradition and to not do it is a social faux pas known as a “dis”. Much respect and love.

Congrats Pug!

I missed that it was your PB Pug, congrats!

Now it’s on to the 40’s and 50’s

Nice job pug, You’ll have to buy a boat now. I’m going to leave the “laid out in the boat” comments as being too easy. Keep in mind they hand out those pins to bait fishermen like they are candy. I’ve got 3 of them.

NICE

Note: Bring my own starting battery when I go out with BK

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Nice catch there Pug!

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X2 Pug!

So tell me the truth guys, is it time to lose the soul patch? It doesn’t look bad with the 5 o’clock shadow (2 week shadow for me), but I think it is getting a bit obnoxious.

I didn’t catch that “laid out in the bottom of the boat” comment when I wrote it but after further thought, that would be considered another advantage to night fishing.

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I didn’t catch that “laid out in the bottom of the boat” comment when I wrote it but after further thought, that would be considered another advantage to night fishing.

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Depends on who your fishing with. With Pug and Jared…not so much.

Soul patch?

Good job on the nice fish… My 32#er with Brian was cool, but I think I’m more proud of the 15#er I caught with just me and my wife.

-Mike

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Soul patch?

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Yeah, the little not-quite-a-beard that just screams “I don’t have enough testosterone to grow facial hair, but I swear I’m trying anyway!”

I think you’re on the right track, pug.

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Soul patch?

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Is thigh tickler better? Or are you getting at that I don’t have a soul?

By the way Brian, thanks for making sure I was presentable while I had my hands full reeling in the fish.

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By the way Brian, thanks for making sure I was presentable while I had my hands full reeling in the fish.

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I’m always thinking one step ahead. Didn’t want another one of those pictures up. Besides, your knees were knocking together so hard you needed a stress reliever.

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I think I’m more proud of the 15#er I caught with just me and my wife.

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And you should be! There is so much satisfaction from everything starting at getting your own bait to that time when you say to yourself…”that spot just screams flathead” to the photo of the fish…and everything in between!

AND to be lucky enough to be able to share that experience with your wife?!

There’s only one thing better that comes to mind. That’s when you share that same experience but it’s your kid that finds the fish.

Nice report, and congrats on the new PB! Which would also (by definition) be, as Matt liks to say, your BOOTY as well!

Shawn

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Jared was right there with the net and made the most fantastic net job I’ve ever seen. It looked like he missed the flat and was trying to knock it off the hook, but when he lifted the net out of the water, there was Pugs 38 pounder in the bottom of the sack! Nice job Jared!!
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Thanks for a good time on the water guys. Even though we didn’t land 2 incredibly huge fish, I hope you enjoyed the evening in what normally would be a tough time to fish…and you didn’t have to clean weeds off your line all night!

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Thanks guys. I kinda pride myself on being the miracle net man and I have to admit that at first I thought I’d missed it. It was sort of a “Casey at bat” thing… no, impossible, I couldn’t have missed it, that was a perfect swing! But I wasn’t sure I’d gotten it because it was so close. When I pulled it out I had to give myself a moment of reassurance for not blowing a perfect record.

That was an awesome fish. By the time we released it, after pics and stuff, Mike’s arms were burning. Holding up a fish like that isn’t just about supporting the weight, either… it’s about supporting the weight while trying to keep the fish from killing itself on the boat or you in the river. Good job handling that pig, dude.

And BK, the last 2 times I’ve been out with you, you got the other guy (or girl, as in my wife) the big fish. The first time was bad enough, where her fish beat mine by roughly half again the weight (16# vs 11#). THIS time? DUDE! 38# to 5#. I’m deeply, deeply wounded.

Seriously, though, it was a blast and we didn’t go home skunked, and we made it home. And we had a very romantic night stargazing and watching the meteor shower together.

Manlove… it’s not just for The [censored] 90s anymore.

Nice PB sir! I think you should keep the soul patch. You never know when the three musketeer look will be in again.

dd

Soul patch=good. Mallory won’t let me have just a soul patch though,

-Mike

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And BK, the last 2 times I’ve been out with you, you got the other guy (or girl, as in my wife) the big fish.

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An old guides trick to keep you coming back for more!

Pug…you need to put up a poll with before and after photos. All I know for sure is that your Favorite Girl Friend has a major problem with your toes. Maybe some black marker on the blond hairs would be a place to start?

Speaking one guy to another here…

Like the avatar? I almost put a black bar where my zipper is, tv censor style. I look like I might beb having relations with that fish. I said might.

Ok then.

Ill put up before and after pictures, but I am leaving a little patch. Jared, I wish I could grow a full beard like a real man. I tried and I end up looking like a rastafarian(sp?), mon.