February?

[Ed Wahl]

It hit me hard yesterday. The sunshine, warm air and green grass. I had to go fishing.
But where to go?
I thought long and hard about that and a term I believe belongs to Dan Blanton came to mind. I'm not sure if I got this right but something like HPS's. High Percentage Spots. I know of some fairly shallow ponds that just might be warm enough. So off I went.
My first pond, Bluegill Pond, for you guys with maps and googles, was true to it's name. I used a floating line and a Cutters Perfect Ant to catch a ton of small 'gills and sunnies.

Here's a Bluegill.


http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a288/edfish333/3wt%20Bass/winter%20fishing/IMGP2752_zps6af6ad45.jpg (http://s13.photobucket.com/user/edfish333/media/3wt%20Bass/winter%20fishing/IMGP2752_zps6af6ad45.jpg.html)

And a Redear Sunfish.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a288/edfish333/3wt%20Bass/winter%20fishing/IMGP2751_zps69c31aef.jpg (http://s13.photobucket.com/user/edfish333/media/3wt%20Bass/winter%20fishing/IMGP2751_zps69c31aef.jpg.html)

I had an audience while I fished, I'm not sure if they were impressed but they didn't complain.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a288/edfish333/3wt%20Bass/winter%20fishing/IMGP2754_zps1314c93f.jpg (http://s13.photobucket.com/user/edfish333/media/3wt%20Bass/winter%20fishing/IMGP2754_zps1314c93f.jpg.html)

So after about an hour of that I decided to try a different pond. This one is called Little Bass Pond.
Not because it's small, but because it only has little bass. It also has some rather large and mean Green Sunfish but alas I couldn't find them.
The water here was tinted to about weak coffee. I wasn't expecting much but since I know there is a huge population of runts in here I figured that I could eventually get a fly in front of one of them.
I switched over to a type 3 sinking line and an Autumn Splendor, which had done well for me in the past for winter bass. After 15 or 20 minutes of nothing I had to stop and undo a tangle which just left my fly out there. As soon as I started to retrieve after the tangle was undone I got one on.
And that gave them away.
I switched over to a black 'bugger and let it soak for at least a fifteen count before stripping and started getting bit on almost every cast. Strip speed didn't matter, I tried fast and caught, tried a slow line twist and caught, and just a medium strip and caught.
Most were about a foot long, that's all this pond grows.


This it the first one I caught. Autumn Splendor still in it's jaw.



http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a288/edfish333/3wt%20Bass/IMGP2756_zpscfd63fb7.jpg (http://s13.photobucket.com/user/edfish333/media/3wt%20Bass/IMGP2756_zpscfd63fb7.jpg.html)


I caught a few of these. Not sure what they are. They seem a lot like Largemouth Bass except that they are much,much smaller. A new species maybe?

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a288/edfish333/3wt%20Bass/winter%20fishing/IMGP2758_zpsca32d3fc.jpg (http://s13.photobucket.com/user/edfish333/media/3wt%20Bass/winter%20fishing/IMGP2758_zpsca32d3fc.jpg.html)

All in all a great afternoon. I only had wood ducks and western pond turtles for company. The warm sunshine and pleasant surroundings just about put me to sleep.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a288/edfish333/3wt%20Bass/winter%20fishing/IMGP2759_zpse8909800.jpg (http://s13.photobucket.com/user/edfish333/media/3wt%20Bass/winter%20fishing/IMGP2759_zpse8909800.jpg.html)

But I wasn't satisfied. What if I could top it off with a larger bass? I know of a smaller pond, oh, for you guys looking for it it's called Nursery Pond, you're welcome. So I humped the toon over a ridge and down to the fence. Dropped the toon at the fence as this is a really small pond. But it's spring fed. I'm figuring to make a quick cast and photo opp and get out.

Man did I call that bad. The water was the color of chocolate milk. I tried for a while but this pond was too far gone. Oh well, a quarter of a mile walk back through terrified cattle and I was done for the day.
A bunch of fish, although none were big, the water under me, the warm sun above me, made for one glorious day out fishing.

Ed

[jbird]

Thanks Ed! I really needed that! Waking up to our 48th morning below 0 this winter. 48th!!!!!! The wind has us at 31 below right now according to local news. I don't think Ive ever been jonesing for fishing this bad in my life. Your report helps a little ;)

[Scott V]

Nice, I love that place. But there is another place we need to get out to again. It was that place where we saw those guys catching and keeping the big lmb's. Out where the ducks fly. Let me know if your down for a trip.

[gene goss]

Looks like you had a great day of pond fishing, lets hope the drought doesn't hurt our small ponds.

[Ed Wahl]

Jay the thought alone of 48 days dipping below zero chills me to the bone even out here.

Yeah Scott, we gotta get there before it weeds up. That place grows over solid.
We should scope out the Sutter Bypass with the kayak and pram too.
Ed

[Charlie Gonzales]

Sounds like an interesting spot.......

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

It doesn't take much warm weather to get those shallow ponds warmed up.

March might be very good for those little places.

.

[Scott V]

Jay the thought alone of 48 days dipping below zero chills me to the bone even out here.

Yeah Scott, we gotta get there before it weeds up. That place grows over solid.
We should scope out the Sutter Bypass with the kayak and pram too.
Ed

I'm down for the Sutter Bypass, I am open next Sunday the 9th. I'll give you a call tonight or this weekend and see if we can figure something out. I wonder how bad the weeds are at the other place, I wouldn't mind taking my kayak there either. It has wheels and I can take it a long way.

[Charlie Gonzales]

water has been very low at "the other place".

[Ed Wahl]

Scott, I think it would be a good idea to wait a bit for the water to stabilize after these storms. I don't think I'd bother with ponds this week either for the same reason. If you or Charlie have time this weekend I could use a hand training Rio down at Hastings Island.