About Me

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Raleigh, NC
Born in Richmond, Virginia, grew up in Kernersville, North Carolina, and now reside in Raleigh. I attribute most of my fishing prowess to my father, who took me fishing often as a child. We would regularly do float trips on the James River in Virginia, which is where I learned to love canoeing and river fishing. Unfortunately, my father has passed, but he lives on through my passion for chasing fish from my canoes. I intend to pass this love for fishing and the outdoors onto my children and can't wait to share these experiences with them. I currently have 4 canoes: Customized Old Town Guide 119, Customized Mohawk 16 Royalex, Coleman Scanoe, and 12' Indian River Solo.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Why Did the Bear Cross the River?

To get to the other side, of course.  More on the bear later ...

Up in MD this weekend visiting the inlaws. Fished the Patapsco near Sykesville and Potomac near Brunswick.

They had mucho rain up here on Thursday night so my 1st choice (Monocacy) was high and muddy.

The Patapsco was very small and shallow and I didn't get very far from my launch point, but I caught a few small largemouth on a spinnerbait and weightless fluke jr. This section is downstream of Liberty Reservoir and was super clear and full of leaves.



I fished the Potomac yesterday on a beautiful breezy day hoping to find reasonably clear water. I caught 6 or so smallies on a rebel craw crankbait and weightless fluke (arkansas shiner color). The water was super clear with 15'+ visibility and I probably saw 100 bass in the 3.5 miles I floated along with hords of carp and catfish. It was tough not to spook the fish as I was swept along by the downstream wind. I wore my water shoes with no socks and the water was very chilly, probably in the mid to upper 50s.





So, enough with the fishing ... I saw a bear at close range! I was facing river right and heard some splashing behind me and when I turned, this black bear was swimming across the river about 200 yards from me. I paddled closer to get some photos thinking I could probably paddle faster than the bear could swim as long as the water was deep. I got within 100 yards or so and got a few shots at full zoom. That was a first for me and quite a surprise considering how populated it is around where I was fishing. In fact, I got play by play from the local kids football game loud speaker from river left for 1/2 of my trip.





Leaves are turning up there and the scenery was great.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Back Again

After having a delicious fried crappie dinner with my family this week, I have to replenish my freezer stash.

I went back to the same piedmont flow where I slayed bass with Steve. However, today my quest was crappie.

I floated 2.5 miles of river tossing my jigs and bettlespin at every slack pool laydown I could find. Net result = 0 crappie. I know they're in this stretch of river, but either not where I was fishing or they didn't like what I had to offer.

I did catch 20 or so sunnies and a few bass on various lures. Water was chilly with overnight lows in the 40s over the last few days and I think the cooling trend and high-pressure kept most of the fish out of my canoe. Beautiful weather yesterday and a nice peaceful paddle with only a heron in sight.

Big bass (~3 lbs) was caught within the 1st hr trolling a clown colored shallow running suspending rapala x-rap as the wind blew me downstream and I worked the bank for crappie.



Buzzbait got one dink bass.