Gary, Doing It Right

I wanted to write this post a few weeks ago but Gary kept sending me pics so I kept waiting. While this is a bit about my lures in that they are seen in some of the pics, it is really about Gary who has the stripers and bass on Logan Martin scared. I have known a lot of people that fish for stripers but he catches more quality fish than anyone I know.

Gary does more than fish, he is an electrician, amazing gardener, founded a program to get kids fishing and on and on. On top of that he is a good friend and just a good person. Not a couch sitter that’s for sure. Like I said in the Pro Staff post he also helps in designing shapes and colors for some of the lures I make and doesn’t mind telling me what doesn’t work. But I wanted to show everyone what he does on the water and why the fish are scared.

He sent me some shots from his last few trips on Logan Martin which just makes me wish I could get there to fish with him. Remember he does all of this out of a canoe in a part of the country ruled by high powered bass rigs. I won’t spend a bunch of time telling about each fish the pics do it better than I can, but can you imagine getting these just about every trip? He told me he had 9 a few days ago before switching baits to go after spotted bass. I couldn’t do that in a month of fishing here especially on topwater.

If you are on Twitter you would be hard pressed to find a better person to talk to about fishing or just talk with, period. He takes time every day to study what is going on in the sport then pass it along to others. Unlike some people or companies using social media, Gary talks. Need to ask a question or just talk for a bit, he will gladly do both.

So thanks to Gary I don’t need to write a lot to get this one done. He provided some cool shots that saved me from thinking and on that note here we go……

In no particular order, a photo essay on a few of Gary’s trips to his honey hole in Alabama.

 

 Photo Credits: Gary Hanson

This is the kind of fishing I wish I got to do as often as Gary does. I can promise it wouldn’t be hard to find me if my truck wasn't in the driveway.

Pro Staff, No, Really

Well, I have been doing quite a bit lately on my lures, both originals or repaints, and I am happy to say that many have found new homes. From North Carolina to California, from Alabama to Wisconsin to New York and several states in between, people have ordered lures painted in the baitfish patterns of their area or one of my collectible lures. Some are already in use for stripers down south and others are in the waiting stage for water conditions to warm. I can’t thank everyone enough for your support on this new venture and I want to introduce you to a couple of guys that are helping me out and keeping my chin up. There are many more I owe thanks to but this is for Gary and Joe and how a simple request by Joe turned into what I hope is a way to say a thanks and keep getting help from some great fishermen.

As I started writing posts about my cedar lures one of my friends on Twitter, Gary Hanson ( @mgaryhanson on Twitter ), was the first to order one of my baits. Before he was done he had asked for several more and had me paint some other lures in a pattern that he just knew would work in his waters. I modified this one a bit from an artist’s point of view and now it is available as a standard pattern named Gary’s Golden Shiner. Does it work? Why yes, yes it does and here is the proof from Gary’s first two trips to Logan Martin at his favorite striper spot.

We talked about other colors that show up in baitfish which led to a new shad pattern which is now in my line and is available for order on any bait. He also got me thinking about another shape to use for when a quieter approach is needed. That one is still being tested and looks promising. Other modifications we have talked about are in the works.

On the other side of the country and fishing salt water is Joe Sarmiento ( @socalsalty on Twitter ) who ordered a couple of poppers from me. We talked quite a bit and he helped me to start figuring out what salt water anglers needed in a bait to hold up to tough conditions. This part I am still working on along with help from some other great guys like Jason DeCarlo since I am 8 hours from the ocean I didn’t know what they needed. Joe is going to be testing salt water lures and telling me what needs to happen to make them better and what baitfish are in the area. His first two are in mackerel and anchovy which have some changes I want to try to see why they don’t work.

 As we talked Joe said (probably as a joke) he wanted to be on my Pro Staff. Not realizing I had a Pro Staff I laughed and said sure. Joe said if he was going to be on it then Gary had to be on it and I needed to tell him. I thought that was a great idea since Gary has been the most help in design and in showing off my work and both of these guys fish, a lot. I said I guess now we would need t shirts so they could wear them when they head to the water as big time Pro Staffers.

Gary and Joe, along with several others, have been great support and a huge help in giving me ideas for colors and shapes and if they want to be included in what I do that is the least I can do in return. Things are moving along with this project and having support from everyone makes it easier to head to the shop or sit behind my airbrush.

So to Gary and Joe, thanks for everything and now we have a Pro Staff but still no t shirts.



If you are on Twitter give these guys a follow you won't be sorry.
Here is a link to Joe’s blog. Give him a follow to keep up with all the happenings in Lower California.
http://socalsalty.wordpress.com/

Overlooked, River Silver

I grew up in Nashville, actually , East Nashville, which let me have access to some of the large TVA lakes and dams that dot the state. Just outside of Nashville is Old Hickory and Percy Priest, both have been favorite stomping grounds since we were kids. Priest is a draw down impoundment, turbines below the dam only run a few weeks a year to pull the lake down to winter pool or if we have a lot of rain, enough to hold the level. Old Hickory is different, it runs 24 hours a day, providing electrical energy to the grid, the more power needed the more of it’s twelve turbines they run. This provides good fishing on both sides of the river just about whenever you feel the need to head that way. Rockfish (stripers), hybrids, catfish, sauger and a list of panfish are caught below the dam either from boats or the two catwalks, one on either side, built for fishermen.

Percy Preist in the summer. You might call this limited fishing opportunities.


I loaded up the boat to try for rockfish and cats one warm Saturday afternoon during mid summer. No wind and a partly cloudy sky promised a good evening on the river. I got to the ramp at Old Hickory, which I hate, it is extremely steep, long and narrow, got the boat launched, then headed upstream to the dam. The turbines are on the left side going upstream with flood gates in the center and the lock on the right. Underwater downstream of the flood gates are large rock piles that hold fish but steal terminal tackle at an astounding rate. There is a good current break where the turbines meet the flood gates, this break flows down the edge of these rock piles at mid river, this is where rockfish and cats cruise.

Gary Hanson with a nice rockfish from Alabama. One of the fish we were after. Photo credit: Gary Hanson

I was at the far end of the turbines. This view is from the fishermens' catwalk.


I pulled up to the face of the dam where the current break begins, we rigged heavy jigs and started casting into water flowing fast from the turbines. This provided good exercise but no strikes so I started wondering what I needed to change. I was tied to the corner of the dam in an eddy and noticed something running shad along the front of the flood gates in the slack current. Stripe (white bass) do this all the time and I sure don’t mind catching them, I’ve caught big stripe in this spot, so my decision was made.

I rigged a 6 ½ foot spinning rod with a #7 Countdown Rapala, another with a white ¼ oz Roostertail and started casting where I could see strikes. It only took a couple of casts for the rod to bend to the handle and a fight to start. After a few seconds a silver rocket came out of the river, back arched, mouth open, twisting and throwing spray. My fishing partner throws into the same spot and gets the same results, now two skipjacks are putting on a show like miniature tarpon, at times several feet in the air. Landing a 2 pound skipjack, I smiled, forgot about what I had come to the river to catch, made another cast and held on.

Tennessee tarpon. Great fighters and almost completely overlooked.


Skipjack are called Tennessee tarpon around here and have earned their name. Besides being some of the best live or dead bait, they are an absolute blast to catch. Every evening during warmer weather they move along the dam and riprap assaulting baitfish. This particular evening they were moving, along with schools of stripe, against the dam face keeping shad pushed to the surface. All along the walls shad were jumping out of the water trying to shake the predators. All I needed to do was follow along with my trolling motor, casting past the splashes, then retrieving through the school. Very few casts went without a strike.

We had hit after hit from stripe and skips, spinning rods bent, reels screaming from the strain as good fish stripped line. We followed schools along concrete surfaces watching shad as they flew out of the river, onto the sloped face, flopping as they went from frying pan to fire. We weren’t the only ones that knew about this evening ritual, black crowned night herons and great blue herons, stood along the water’s edge waiting for shad to appear. They happily speared a shad supper they didn’t have to work for. The action continued, larger fish began showing up as light levels dropped. As bigger fish came in they got more aggressive, several times we had two large skipjack on one bait, straining the poor light rods and eight pound test we were using.

As dusk set in the action slowed, so under the sodium lights illuminating the river from the dam, we rigged up for catfish with a fresh stock of bait. With a live well full of stripe, any cats would be bonus fish. Darkness came and we drifted the current break with a breeze created by water from under the dam rushing by cooling us and keeping the skeeters at bay. We did manage to catch a couple of good cats that night, one blue going about 8 pounds, before packing it in. If we hadn’t seen a cat that night it wouldn’t have mattered, stripe and skipjack had given us a great time.

When I lived close enough to run out in the afternoons many times I went just for the skipjack. I would fish the lock side of the river since it has less current, waiting for the schools to start running the banks late in the day. I use several baits to catch skips, jig and twister combos, Roostertails, #7 Countdowns, anything 1 ½ to 2 inches in length mimicking a shad works. 6 ½ to 7 ½ foot spinning rods with 8 to 10 pound test is all you need. These are fish that so many people never fish for and I love to catch, they are incredible fighters and provide bait for my catfishing trips.

Skipjacks are simply one of the best baits for cats and stripers, either live, cut into chunks or whole, they are great and free. I get as many as I can and freeze them, guts in one bag and fillets in another for later use. Most people use a cast net and it works like a champ. There are several guys from Viet Nam and Laos I’ve met that net big numbers of skips and big gizzard shad to eat. They cut the bellies out leaving a really nice fish which they stack into boxes, the bellies and innards go into a bucket. They will gladly give you the insides which saves me time on those days if I just want to catfish and they are at the river.

Keeping with my theme of having fun outdoors, not making it work like tournament fishing or big time deer management, I have no problem fishing for species most people turn their nose up to if you mention fishing for them. I am out to enjoy whatever time I get plus I need skipjack to help fill my freezer and those of needy families I bring food during the year. In many areas skipjack are plentiful, almost completely overlooked, great bait and better fighters. Do I even need to say it?

Go out and give these guys a try. What a fun way to spend a summer afternoon, rod bent double, drag screaming, silver in the air throwing spray and a smile on your face.
　
　

On the Rocks

Stripers, rockfish in this area, for years caused some massive traffic jams on local lakes and below area dams. I can remember acres of boats side by side on Percy Priest centered over a huge school of rockfish. They would drop live bluegill down and wait for a strike. Below dams, people would line up shoulder to shoulder by the hundreds throwing 1 ounce jigs into the tailwaters, drifting them with the fast flowing current. This was the heyday of rockfishing, when a 2 fish limit was common enough and fishing could be fast and furious. It was a blast to head to the lake at dusk to wait for schools chasing shad to the surface. A big top water bait made out of an old broom handle produced great strikes. The fish were predictable, fairly easy to catch and I miss those days even though the crowds could be trying. The addition of hybrids just added to the fun.

Photo credit: My friend Gary Hanson with one of his recent catches in Alabama.

There aren‘t as many as there were but during cold weather, I still head to Old Hickory or Priest to chuck jigs into the fast water. While you can catch them year round I like the cold weather fishing when there isn’t much to do.

7 a.m. I parked just above the steps leading down to the catwalk. Nice of TVA to pour this for the fishermen. I scan the area looking for the old men that are here almost every day during scheduled generation. If you don’t fish dams this is what they call the water release through the turbines. The rockfish and hybrids love it, they show up about 30 minutes after it starts. This day it was 6 a.m. till noon. I see the old guys, they have already moved down to the lower end of the catwalk leaving the boils where the water exits the turbines empty. Today there are only 5 of us here.

The water is literally roaring, spray filling the air as I get to the edge of the river then turn right to get to the spot I love to fish. It is even with the end of the wing wall where you are standing on big chunks of slippery rock. I can cast to the face of the dam and let my jig drift along the wing wall, brushing against it, then dropping into the eddy spinning at the end of the wall. I rig a favorite, a 1 ½ ounce white on white jig with a bit of silver tinsel for flash, take aim and deliver my first cast exactly into the corner. It drifts fast, makes it to the eddy in a few seconds and drops at the current break…..then stops. Nothing to hang up on here so I slam back on the rod and feel the head shake. Three cranks of the reel handle, get the rod tip down, hit him again and again. The head shakes get harder.

 I only had a 7 ½ foot spinning rod loaded with 14 lb test while most folks fish heavy surf rods up to 15 feet. I knew what was next, he turned and made the first run. Line was screaming from the reel . Between a big fish and fast water all you do is hold on and hope. If they head downstream you get the added fun of running across big chunks of rock till you get back to the catwalk then sprinting along trying to not get spooled. This fish ran straight across the river to stop within 5 or 6 feet of the far bank. Fine by me since I was down to maybe 8 loops of line on the reel.

I yell, “Fish on!“, so the guys downstream know to look out. This is a good fish, I can see his back out of the water, a wide tail breaking the surface. My green fluorescent line looks like ski rope in the sun as it stretches across the current. I start to slowly get line back, this part reminds me of ocean fishing, reel down then raise the rod to make a few cranks. I head back to the catwalk, I want a flat surface under my feet and to get closer to my net man. All the guys stop fishing, one grabs a net and all head my way. As they get even with me I have managed to get 50 yards of line back, they are asking how big, has he made a second run? They got the answer when the fish hits the heavy current at midstream, turns downstream and takes every inch of line back. The rod is popping, the drag protests against fish and current.

This repeats for what seems like 20 minutes but might have been 5. I work slowly down the walkway to the very end, finally making my stand. The fish decides to fight rod and current, fine by me, since I get the advantage. My net man is ready as the fish drifts to the bank, he does a good job, getting him on the first pass. A nice fish pushing the 30 lb mark.

I walk down to the edge of the river and get the hook out. The fish is in good shape, the old guys want to get a good look before I take him to the truck. I get him out of the net smiling to myself cause I have a surprise. Everyone says how good a fish it is, how they wouldn’t mind getting one that size, man he will cook up good…….then it dawns on them where I’m standing. I have eased back to the edge of the river while we talked, turned and to the shouts of “NO”, thanked the fish and put him back. I don’t like rockfish for the table. There were some long faces among my fishing buddies.

I have caught many rocks and hybrids from that spot. Some on my first cast, some on my last. Fishing for rocks this way isn’t easy or fast but I love to go when I get the chance, not often enough these days. During the winter the dams are where the rockfish run, when you find them it is a blast. I look for the shad running the banks. If the bait is there the rocks are, too. That is the reason for my favorite jig, it mimics the shad plus I use a heavier jig to fish part of the water column others miss. The down side to that is losing a lot of jigs to the rocky bottom.

My current rockfish arsenal. 9 1/2 ft Shimano casting rods. Top one of my favorite reels BPS Catmaxx. Bottom a reel I hate Shimano Catala.

If you have rockfish or hybrids in your area and haven’t taken advantage of them I hope you do. They are so much fun to catch and you can use a wide range of tactics to find them. From top water or downriggers, to chucking lead below a dam, even cut or live bait, they provide fishing during times of the year when other fish can be slow.