An old guy told me once that the trick is to get out when the fishing is good, not just when it's a good time for you to go fishing.

I like that line. Much longer story behind that, but maybe another day.

With that admonition in mind I sized up last Friday's fishing like a hawk on a field mouse.

Hadn't rained for a couple of days. The creek in Batavia is one of the few with a real-time gauge on it and it was saying that the water level was just slightly above normal, which is good. I knew it would be slightly stained, which is also good. Keeps the fish from being spooked.

I had the time, which is good and bad, but may as well take advantage of it if the conditions are favorable.

It was going to be a cloudy day with a slight chance of rain. Which is good and it did a little bit of raining while I was out there. There was a chance of some real nasty weather called for later in the day. Fishing in front of or at the beginning of one of these extreme weather changes has always been good for me.

The favorable conditions made for some pretty good fishing and I wound up staying out there longer than I thought I would and wandering up the creek further than I had planned. For the effort I was rewarded with 24 smallies, 2 crappie and a green sunfish. As well as the same amount of missed hits. The smallies would chase lures into the shallows and just swipe at them, pulling at the tails. I think they were chasing it away more than wanting something to eat.

"5/21/10 Fox Creek Somewhere".......are you just not telling us what creek or did you forget where you were?

Like you don't know.

I just liked the way that sounded.

I have time all weekend to go fishing and everything is blown out, more or less. That figures. I may have to try something different.

There seems to be very little info on these mysterious fox creeks.