Winds of Change - October 14th, 2011

  Brad, Greg, and I floated from the dam down to Brooks. We started at 7am, right after the rain had stopped. We were slamming fish early. The first stop we each caught about 5 good smallies. From 7 till 9:45 we did really well. Then just before 10am the wind started howling. It was a little cold front blowing in. When the wind did start it was like you flipped a switch and the fish stopped biting. We only managed a 6 or so more fish the rest of the day. If kayaks have a weakness it's wind. I can paddle and I can fish but I can't fish while paddling in the wind to postion the boat.  We had to really work hard to paddle our boats to Brooks into a strong headwind. We ended up catching 61 bass, all smallies with one spot Greg caught and one LMB I caught behind the old Honaker Lumber. Had the wind not took over I feel like we could have broke the century mark on the day as a group.

Hunt and Peck - October 13th, 2011

The bite today slowed down quite a bite from yesterdays torrid pace. I guess the rain from the the night before had really turned the fish on. Today on the same Bellepoint to the first ranger station we managed to catch 45 between the two of us, which is still a pretty good day just not as good as yesterdays 123 despite having one fewer fisherman. Today we never could lock down on just what color they wanted. I caught fish on both smoke with chartreuse and white. None of our fish were over 2lbs. And about 75% of our fish came from the dam to the first bridge. I suppose the oxygen turnover from the baffles has baitfish and smallies stacked on the upper end of the river. We had a good time and are going to give it a run again tommorow.



The water was about a foot higher than yesterday.




Greg with a nice bass.



Size and Numbers - October 12th, 2011

There were several  dead crayfish and all of them were this wild blue color.

Greg, Kevin and I made our usual run from 7:30 to 11:30am. It was overcast and had been raining much of the night. The fishing was unbelievable. On the first rock Greg stopped on he caught 21 fish. 21, without moving. Smoke with chartreuse g-tails were the lure of the day.The three of us landed 123 bass in 4 hours. Of the 45 I caught 8 were over 2lbs. I had two over 3lbs.,  one over 4lbs. and 6 more over 2lbs. The average fish today was bigger than any day I have had previously this year. Interestingly I did catch one nice largemouth right below the baffles for my first fish of the day. These fish are feeding up for winter big time. A cloudy, overcast day, with rising water made this fall day one of my best ever. The best part is were going back again tomorrow.

Big Fall Smallies - October 11th, 2011

Greg and I floated in kayaks from the dam to first ranger station between 10 and 2pm. We caught 46 on g-tails. White and smoke with chartreuse were the hot colors. We caught several really nice fish, including 2 well over 3lbs right below the baffles. The overcast skies and warming temps seemed tom make the fish feed. We floated down the bottem half of the Greenbrier and even caught a few there. Nice bass and fall colors made for a good trip.

Turning Leaves and Falling Squirrels - October 10th, 2011

Dad and I went to Little Creek in Greenbrier County to start the season. Even though season has been open for some time we have yet to make it out. The leaves up there were really starting to turn. I hunted from 7:15 till 9:30am. I killed my limit crazy quick. I ended up seeing 26 different squirrels in a little over 2 hours. We left with our limits. I saw 12 piles of bear poop, a turkey, but very little deer sign.



This one is not so good at hiding.



Two for the Road - October 8th, 2011

Brad and I floated from the dam down  to the first ranger station at 7am. It was foggy and cold early then got sunny around 9am. The water was very low and clear but still not as clear as the upper New around Shanklin's. We started over by the route 20 side of the river. I caught 7 fish before the bridge and 5 of them were really solid and over 2lbs. At the big shoals right above the bridge I cut my kayak into an big shoal way  too early and rolled my kayak over quick as can be. Needless to say I got dumped in. I flipped the kayak over and got back up. Everything was intact except my two St. Croix which I had fatefully not put the safety bungee on while they were in the rod holder. I tried to find them bu the was was too deep and too swift to recover them. I borrowed a pole from Brad to finish the trip. We ended up catching 24 fish by 11am but 7 of them were greater than 2lbs. Catching fewer fish but bigger fish is to be expected this time of year. As for my 2 KIA's, it sucks, but it has happened to me before, and if you fish long enough on the river, especially the New it will happen again.

Shanklin's To Mouth of Indian Creek - October 7th, 2011

On the prettiest of fall days Brad, Greg, and I floated in kayaks from the top of Shanklin's down to the Mouth. I sold my Old  Town to Greg and bought a Jackson Coosa which did well on it's first time out. Although I spent some time today just trying to get a feel for it's limits and abilities. It started off cold and very foggy, but when the fog burned off it was a bright sunny day with a high around 80. We saw several deer, 3 different bald eagles, and a mink. The water was gin clear and very low. As low and clear as I have ever seen it, which made the fish a little spooky. We caught almost all of our fish off of g-tails in moving water. I tried throwing flukes, suspending jerks, and even tubes in deeper water but anything other than g-tails had only mild results. We ended up catching 54 fish between the 3 of us with Greg doing most of the lifting with 24. We didn't manage anything huge but we did have some good ones. Even with low water the total float times was around 7 hours including a stop for lunch and a stretch.



It doesn't get much prettier than this.




Brad working some Cedar Branch Shoals.



Greg with a nice kayak bass.





My new boat the Jackson Coosa. 

More Adverntures on the New - October 4th, 2011

John Robert and I floated in kayaks from Bellepoint park to the first ranger station on this cold windy day. When we were putting in we talked to some Musky fishermen from Clay county who were floating the same route. We watched the one catch a 37 or so inch Musky in the big shoal right above the bridge at the State Police barracks. He caught it on a double bladed in line buck tail spinner. I paddled over and took a picture of it. As for me and John we ended up catching about 35 bass. We had 4 well over 2lbs. but under 3lbs. It was a fun float despite the brutal wind chill. In a moment of stupidity I flipped my kayak in front of Kirk's. Luckily it was it shallow water and we were able to get it emptied out. I was floating down backward and not paying any attention while telling some big story and the river jumped up and bit me. You can't loose focus on the river especially in shoals.  As for baits it was all g-tails. It seem the fluke bite is slowing down in this cooler weather. But the weather is supposed to warm way up at the end of this week  and I have a week of vacation coming and plan to float a couple more trips before things complete slow down.



Bluestone Dam




John with a nice smallie.




A chunky fall bass.




Mr. Musky



Bull Falls or Bust - September 29th, 2011

I squeezed in one more quick trip for the month. I went up to the lake and ran to Bull Falls to try to round up a few more smallies, because finding LMB's on Bluestone this time of year is way tough. I fished for 3 hours before the wind and lack of fish cooperation ran me off. I caught 3 smallies, one on a g-tail and two on a fluke. Of the three fish two were squeakers and one was 15 inches or so. The dead grass and moss is starting it's annual run in the lake and it is making fishing tougher.

Smallmouth at Sunset - September 27th, 2011

Brad, Greg, and I floated on the New this afternoon for a couple hours before dark. We did pretty well. We ended up catching 56 fish between the three of us, with 5 fish over 3 lbs. but none that made the 3lbs. mark. Once again G-tails were the order of the day. Brad and I went with white and Greg threw grape/black. The bite was much better today than on Saturday. I had a small musky chase a fluke all the way back to the boat before getting spooked. Right before take out we saw and awsome fall sunset over the city of Hinton.

 

Quick Afternoon Float - September 24th, 2011

I floated from the point to the first takeout spot on the New today between 1:30 and 3:00pm. The sun was out and bright. I went alone and had my Dad pick me up. I caught 11 total smallies, most on a white g-tail. I did pick up a few on a fluke. I had only caught before I got to the the second bridge. The other ten came down river. Today you didn't have to have waders but it won't be like this for much longer. The bite was much slower today than what it had been in recent trips. It may have been slower because