My friend Mike and I had some good topwater LMB fishing tonight.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

We went out in the fresh water canal in my backyard in my 14'x48" Jon boat with ultra light spinning tackle.


18502


18503


That is our new dock in the back ground.

[Tony Buzolich]

That certainly looks peaceful out there Bill.
Tony

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

We usually go out in the afternoon/evenings that are calm.

It is year round but winter is best. Some say December through April is the LMB months.

After 19 years here I think February/March are my favorites for fresh water warm water species.



It is a freshwater canal that twist through town behind the houses.

There are a few public launches were you can fish from a canoe, kayak, standup paddle board or small boat with electric motor.

We rarely see anyone else fishing here because there is so much water here to fish.

It is a big rambling irregular shaped horseshoe with a small dam on both ends to control the water level.

It is fed by springs and rain water so it is pretty clean.

When the neighbors who fish go out to the bass lakes for LMB come back they throw their wild shiners they use for bait into the canal.

We have schools of wild shiners feeding on top which make our bass fat.

It has LMB, Crappie, Bluegill, Tilapia, Mayan cichlids, gar, gators, turtles, Otters and all kinds of birds.



Our lawn guy said growing up here his high school friend got a 14# LMB in the canal maybe 30 years ago.

One of our neighbors who is an old serious fisherman has caught them to 8#.

We have caught them to 6# in recent years.


In the evenings when it is calm we cruise the banks casting small poppers to the "edge" on a 6 weight outfit.

We fish them "Leo Gutterres style", we don't move them too much, we just twitch them a little.

We cast the to the banks about every 4-6 feet quartering above the boat to the bank.

One of us runs the tiller electric motor from the rear and the other person cast from the front.


Umpqua small size 6 panfish pencil poppers:

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcTAWp1Sst05dJHzwEEPeg32nmg9-tzvwbGWYM4KYLUlYw97V8ceKHhrKP4Jy08avqKmaV8ABtro5h8 QOJNrGzJBobM-sBAM8HZvbxulE3Y8R4kzN9zeIhsb


Or Steve Potter ties up smaller spun deer hair bass bugs.

[Andy Guibord]

So nice to have good fishing in one’s backyard. Can’t beat top water