In case you've forgotten, always look beyond the fish in the pictures. I'm showing you where I was, the type of structure and the type of water. Easier than spelling it all out.



Didn't plan on going fishing, I'm done for the year. I think I've said that 3 times now. But the deer hunters were in the woods shooting at anything that moves in the hopes it might be a deer. So a couple of squirrels live to see another week. What I don't get is that next week is muzzleloading rifle weekend, but I get to be in the woods with them. This is starting to tell me something about firearm deer hunters.

Hit the outflow when the air temps finally got above 32 degrees. Won't go fishing when its below that. Finally happened about 1 p.m. As I was walking up to the start of the outflow, someone else was coming from the opposite direction. They had 3 rods, which meant they were going to camp out and zig zag the area with lines. I hate fishing around people like that. No use for them.

Started heading down stream to see someone else already there. They gave up soon after and came by, Lance from my site. Asked if it was now worth going further. He said to ask Travis, he's even further down. Travis eventually showed and they insisted it would still be worth it. It's funny how I fish all year and not run into anyone. But on a cold December day I run into 3 in less than 100 yards.

They both tied into a couple and missed a few. I didn't have my hopes up, but the fish tend to move back into the warmer current relatively quick. I gave it a few more minutes before heading down.

I've noticed when I'm not hurried I get into this methodical, fluid way of fishing. My daughters would say I'm even OCD about that. I don't give it any thought so it can't be OCD. Lance had mentioned his hits came real tight to shore, so I stayed about 5 feet out and just floated a light jig and twister down stream in front of me. Swam it and hung it in the slow current and worked every indent in the bottom and every piece of shore line structure I could get near. It was almost like fishing in slow motion.







This got me 10 smallies and I only missed 2. I had switched to 6 pound test trilene figuring the PowerPro may be a little too thick in the clear water. That may have helped. The largest smallie was 16 inches. I forget what a thrill that is on light line. Got to see that big one come out from an undercut bank and hit the jig. I had already cast to that stretch twice. I guess it got tired of looking at it swim by barely a foot away.



I don't have the patience to fish like that in the main river this time of year. If I'm going to torture myself fishing in the cold, I'm going to increase my odds and fish water that's flowing at 55 degrees.

Take a look at the scars on the backs of most of these smallies. The ones I didn't photograph had these too. Those are heron scars. That's how the herons try to grab them. These got away. Look at the back of the bigger one, right behind it's head. You'll notice it's slightly deformed. This one got away years ago with nothing but a scar.

My feet were numb and I couldn't feel my fingertips. Was still getting hits far back around a bend and in a corner, but I no longer cared. I lost the ability to feel the hits. I was done, possibly for the year.

I swear, this is the last time I'm getting out for the year. Really.