Jackson County Shootout - August 25th, 2018

I got out of bed at 2:45am and drove solo to Jackson County for the WVKA Jackson County Shootout. Two large cups of  coffee and 2 hours of Metallica later I was there. I put on Obryan lake in the black dark having never seen it before. Something ironic about fishing Jackson County out of your Jackson kayak. The bite was tough and lake was crowded with good Anglers many of whom live on that area and make Obryan their second home due to it’s ability to produce big fish from time to time. Although it has some big fish it is highly pressured and difficult to find a limit. Greg Harper who fished with me never got a bite on this day. I pitched hula grubs in hydrilla grass edges all day and managed 9 bites in 8 hours. I landed a 16.5 early but had a 9” fish I never did get rid of. I did hook a 19”+ fish beside a bridge peer with an hour that go only to have it break off. That fish would have moved me up from 12th to 6th. Micheal Waid and I did manage to catch a limit and fishing 4th place out of 25 teams for the day. 

Total Fish Caught = 7

Biggest Fish = 16.5”

Best 5 Fish = 59.75”

Minutes per Fish = 68.5

Finish 12th out of 68 as individual and 4th out of 24 two man teams

Cloudy Morning On the Greenbrier- August 19th, 2018

Brad and I floated Pence Springs to Talcott on an overcast morning. The water was up there normal level after some rain earlier in the week. I threw a fluke most of the day and landed only fish under 13”. Having a hard time finding a good big fish pattern this year. Miles Floated = 6.5

Total Fish = 16

Biggest Fish = 12.75”

Best Five Fish limit 60.75”

Minutes per Fish = 14.75

Forty - August 15th, 2018

On my 40th Birthday I headed to Moncove lake solo. It was a Wednesday that I had off because I had worked the weekend prior. The morning was perfect, calm, cool, and no one around. I caught 26 fish today all on Ned rig  in 2 different colors. 18 if the fish came on one section of bank that was not 10 yards long on less that 1 hour. 

Total Fish = 26 

Biggest Fish = 15.75”

Best 5 fish = 68.75”

Minutes per fish = 7.65

John’s New Boat - August 11th, 2018

JOHN along his nephew float from the dam to first takeout before dark. John had his new Radar that he had picked up from Steve a few days prior. I worked with his nephew Sean for a little bit on how to throw a fluke. I found the bit to be tough until the last 40 minutes before dark. I found two holes with fish stacked in them but other than that it was a slow day. 

Miles Floated = 3.5

Total Fish = 22 (11 in last hour)

Biggest Fish = 11.75”

Best Five Fish = 56.75”

Minutes per fish = 8.3

Back in the Saddle - August 9th, 2018

After coping with some high water I returned returned to the river today. Stan and I floated from Brooks to Sandstone Falls. The bite was somewhat of a grind. There were many areas of the river that where unfishable today due to high current flows. The spots we did hit had fish holding very tight to wood and rock which is uncharacteristic for this time of year. We caught almost all of our fish shallow on a fluke. We both managed descent size fish before the day was over. 

Miles Floated = 3.5

Total Fish Caught = 14

Biggest Fish = 16.0”

Biggest 5 fish limit = 63.0”

Minutes per fish = 16.2

Nine Wide Grind- July 28th, 2018

Nine WVKA brotheren linked up at daybreak to float from Upper Shanklins to the Mouth of Indian Creek. Bryan Bostic, Timmy Lewis, Brandon Wamsley, Riley Freeman, Saige Cline, Greg Nahodil, LJ Ashcroft, Jared Meadows and myself. We ran into some tough conditions. I think thd big fish for the trip was only 14.5” landed by Timmy Lewis. I cannot explain why it fished so tough but it did. 

Miles Floated = 8.5

Total Fish Caught = 12

Biggest Fish = 11.75”

Best Five Fish = 52.75”

Minutes per Fish = 30

WVKA Elk River - June 21st, 2018

 






















After a 485 mile trip from Pauleys Island SC to Sutton WV Harper and I did a little prefishing. We waded around below the dam. Harper caught a 17.75” and a 20” walleye in tr short time we were there. After registering for the WVKA Open we headed 50 minutes up river to our put in and slept in our trucks. The next morning was great. The rain held off and we were in such a remote area we saw no other anglers. We were catching fish left and right in push water on flukes. But finding size was hard. I think I caught 42, but the biggest was only 15”. We headed to weigh in and enjoyed seeing some old friends and eating good barbecue provided by the City of Sutton. 

The Elk is an beautiful and amazing fishery. I cannot wait to get back there. 

Miles floated = 3.5

Total Fish Caught = 42

Biggest Five Fish = 66.75”

Biggest Fish = 15”

Minutes per fish = 8.57

Tournament Finish = 5th out of 81

Team Tournament = 2nd out of 24 teams

*Eric Cormack was my partner for the day. 

Mathew’s New Kayak- July 12th, 2018

I took Matthew out for a couple hours on the New River in his brand new Moken Lite Kayak. After going over some paddling basics we started fishing. I set him up with a Ned rig and he did well quickly catching four bass to officially get his Kayak slimed and catch his first river smallmouth out of a Kayak. 

Wind in the Middle- June 11th, 2018

Stan and I floated Brooks to Sandstone from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. The road construction was a hastle and the wind howled on the flat water in the middle but we still managed a descent day. Stan learned how to work a fluke and even got on a hot streak with it.

Miles floated - 3.5

Fish Caught - 19

Biggest Fish - 16.75”

Best Five Fish - 65.5”

Minutes per fish - 9.47

SCKBA Barbie Pole Cancer Benefit- July 7th, 2018

Today was an interesting one. SCKBA had our first ever Barbie Pole Fundraiser Tournament for Angie Cox. We had a cookout and a casting contest before the tournament. All poles had to be no more than 2’6” and could have no more than 2 line guides. The reel retrieve speed is what made this tough, instead of 6:1 this reels are like 1:1. It takes forever to reel a lure much less a fish in. Harper, Jarod, Steve and his sons all fished Brooks to Sandstone together. We had a good time. I figured out I could cast a fluke and still catch fish but the metal sheer pin inside these reels means you have to hand line anything bigger than 10” in. Somehow this day Brad Richardson still managed to land 70+” on the Greenbrier no less. 

Miles Floated = 3.5

Fish Caught = 19

Biggest Fish = 12.5”

Best 5 Fish = 58.75”

Minutes per Fish = 15.7”

No Rhythm - June 30th, 2018

Some days you have “it” and some you just don’t. Today I could not find the groove and get anything going. It was crazy hot even at daybreak. I struggled around and caught a small limit in the 50’s by doing a single access trip with Greg and Jarod. I felt tired and frustrated the entire morning.