Backwaters VS The Current

I don't think there is a definitive difference this time of year, although
some of the more popular and well known current spots seem to have been
hammered pretty hard producing fewer fish. Less well known ones gave up a
couple yesterday, even though I have to say I didn't spend that much time
fishing them.

Michael and I headed out about safelight yesterday morning and headed to a
little backwater I had fished with some success a couple weeks ago. We
caught fewer fish there this time, but they were better quality. Michael
whacked a solid chunky fish that was in the 2.5 to 3 pound range. I
followed up with a couple shorts and then a little later a 5.6 that we
actually weighed. It was a lot of fun since I had just switched to a
lighter rod and lighter line.

We headed out into the river. We had caught two decent fish and two shorts
in our backwater, but not much else in about three hours of working it
pretty thoroughly. The current did ok. I have a stretch I use as a
measuring stick because in about 150 yards it covers 4 or 5 different types
of current banks. The spot on the spot money spots on it did not produce,
but I did pick up a short and then a another that was pushing the 3 pound
mark. I think if we had continued to pull the current and flipping we would
have done ok, but I wanted to switch back to light tackle and do some more
fun fishing.

A short run put us in another backwater with similar conditions to the one
were we had started the day, and I picked up two shorts on almost back to
back casts. Not too much longer I got into a section that produce 4 or 5
keepers. I lost one in the tulies because I was fishing light line on a
light rod, and didn't want to horse him out. By the time I got over there
he had slipped off the hook. For some reason a million amateur canoers
decided to go through our area banging their boats and the water as they
went. Our bite shut down almost instantly, and we had been on a pretty good
bite. Mike and I both managed to pick up one more keeper as we headed out,
but it took a lot more slow deliberation to pick them out than before the
noise and disturbance. We were catching them on almost every obvious spot
before they overran us.

Back to Fishers for some lunch about 2 o'clock and then another hour or two
in the current flipping community banks. Like I said the well known
community banks did not produce, but a less obvious spot put one more keeper
in the boat for us and I decided to call it a day.

All in all it was a fun day with 3 decent fish and 7 or 8 keepers mostly
caught on light tackle including the biggest one. We might have some
pictures to post on the forums later.