2015 Fishing

2015 Year in Pictures

Published: 27 December 2015
Written by Bait Bro
No comments
Categories: 2015 Fishing, People

Let’s see, the best thing that happened to me in 2015 regarding fishing, was getting the itch to fish again.  This only happened the last few months, and was triggered by my boy, Cameron Smith winning at Lake Hartwell.  I have been looking at various models of boats that can be stored at my house, but also serve as fresh and salt crossover fishing vessels.

2015 was mostly about my career, and getting myself back in the big leagues of software sales.   I started with a new company in March, and it’s been a busy year of travel, new Cities, new Partnerships and new relationships.   I have literally been everywhere in the West, including Alaska and Western Canada.  It’s not horrible, its just hard to travel a lot and be on top of fishing at home.

Besides software, I spend a lot of time working on surfing. I’ve gone from 9-10′ boards down to 6.5 and 7 foot boards.  It’s a quantum leap in effort required to paddle and catch waves.  It takes superior strength and agility to get on your feet, make quick pumps and fly thru sections on a shortboard.  I love it. It’s been a worthy challenge and I continue each swell to learn and progress.

Here goes:

Corbina happen and most people don't realize they are there. I'm trying to figure out how to catch these buggers on fly rods.
Corbina happen and most people don’t realize they are there. I’m trying to figure out how to catch these buggers on fly rods.
They weigh 2-3 pounds and eat sand crabs at the surf line
They weigh 2-3 pounds and eat sand crabs at the surf line
My saltwater fly fishing tackle box. Crab eaters and little baitfish clowsers
My saltwater fly fishing tackle box. Crab eaters/sand crab patterns and little baitfish clowser patterns.

 

I have a 'trout eater' scene in my living room. It keeps my mind in the game
I have a ‘trout eater’ scene in my living room. It keeps my mind in the game

 

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Xmas 2015 in Cotter, AR.  Staying at my parents’ place:  The Rainbow Bridge Lodge in Downtown Cotter, Arkansas.  That is my little boat parked under my second story bedroom window.  The White River is <1 min drive from here, and Cotter is home to many big brown trout.

 

 

 

Dry Run Creek underwater shot. My nieces and nephews wacked 'em.
Dry Run Creek underwater shot. My nieces and nephews wacked ’em.
My boy Cameron Smith breaking the 'ice' so to speak. We have both banged our heads against the wall with tournament fishing. Cameron has stuck with it, and won the ABA Nationals for the West on Lake Hartwell. The best news is he earned an invitation to the Lake Hartwell in late April 2016. Cameron is going to win again on Lake Hartwell.
My boy Cameron Smith breaking the ‘ice’ so to speak. We have both banged our heads against the wall with tournament fishing. Cameron has stuck with it, and won the ABA Nationals for the West on Lake Hartwell. The best news is he earned an invitation to the Lake Hartwell in late April 2016. Cameron is going to win again on Lake Hartwell.

 

 

Mick Fanning and Kelly Slater, after a killer heat at Lower Trestles. I consider Trestles sacred water.
Mick Fanning and Kelly Slater, after a killer heat at Lower Trestles. I consider Trestles sacred water.  When the World Surf League makes a regular tour stop in your backyard, you know you are blessed with good surf.

 

The 11" Triple Trout in 3 Dot Olive w Pink sides. Whitmer made me this a few years ago now. Wow, what a killer bait.
The 11″ Triple Trout in 3 Dot Olive w Pink sides. Whitmer made me this a few years ago now. Wow, what a killer bait.

 

I love watching seams, billowing water, vortexes, eddies, etc.
I love watching seams, billowing water, vortexes, eddies, etc.

 

The very corporate Matt Peters. I had a friend shoot some posed photos for my LinkedIn profile. Find me at www.linkedin.com/in/southernswimbait
The very corporate Matt Peters. I had a friend shoot some posed photos for my LinkedIn profile.

You care to get a flavor of what I do in the corporate world?  Follow me on LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/southernswimbait

I’m oddly content and pleased about where I am in life. I am not married, I have no kids, which makes me a unicorn in some respects.  I continue to enjoy living a normal life that doesn’t revolve around boats and fishing gear.  I got into yoga over a year ago, and cannot say how much yoga has helped me.   Yoga has opened my body and mind up to all sorts of new and healthy activities, practices, people, and disciplines.  I have made many new awesome friends thru yoga.  Let me be clear, I suck at yoga, but nobody benefits from it more than a guy like me.    I highly encourage those of you who need something physical, spiritual and awesome to do during the week to check out yoga.   Vinyasa Power Flow is my favorite.  I love energy and positive energy and how contagious it is.

I plan to fish more in 2016 and keep perpetuating this blog.  I have Southern Trout Eaters #2 on my plate, and let me just say….it’s complicated.   I just don’t have time to do it all.  However, as the Jay Z song goes, 40 is the new 20. I have high hopes for a productive, fun and positive 2016.  I am only 19 according to Jay Z.   There is plenty of time to fish still.

Happy New Year.

 

 

The Deps Slide Swimmer 175 Blue Back Herring

Published: 25 May 2015
Written by Bait Bro
4 Comments
Categories: 2015 Fishing, California, Glide Baits, Herring Eaters, Okuma, Rate of Stall, Reels, Shimano, Smallmouth/Spotted Bass Swimbaits

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This may be completely “duh” to some people, but I am still acquiring my arsenal of glide baits and learning how to properly fish them in all sorts of places.  The Deps Slide Swimmer 175 is a killer medium sized swimbait that is going to catch you quality and quantity.  If I lived in Georgia and fished the Blue Back Herring bite, I would be all about the Deps Slide Swimmer 175 (SS175) in the Blue Back Herring color.  This bait is 7.5″ long and weighs 3 ounces.   It fishes like a a ‘fluke’.

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Herring Eaters

May – June tends to be awesome time for the herring eaters.  I think the bite goes thru the summer, you just have to adjust and fish thru crowds and the heat.   Fish this thing on a medium 8′ swimbait rod, 65# Braided line (direct tie) and a 200 or 300 series 7.1 or 6.3:1 low profile reels.

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Applications / Approaches for Herring Eaters with the Slide Swimmer 175 Blue Back Herring:

Docks-Fish the seawalls in between docks and long runs of seawalls anywhere you can find them. Especially early morning bite.  Cover water with the Slide Swimmer.  You can have a lot of fun high sticking with braided line and really pumping your bait upward so the glide breaks the surface.   Then stall it out and let it just die.  Or just parallel good sections and fish it slow and steady, sorta spinner bait style.

The Slide Swimmer is an amazing bait.  I don’t care how you fish it.  You can really jerkbait/fluke style fish it.  So around certain docks, you could even pitch it into open slots and fish it out and draw out a biggun.   I would stall it around shade spots, and just use it pull fish out from under floating docks.  Fish the windy / outer side of anything if you get the chance.

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Points-I would fish the Slide Swimmer 175 Blue Back Herring like a mad man on places like Lake Murray or Clarks Hill.  I would run and gun as many red clay points and just good rocky points I could hit.   I would spin around and fish way offshore those points. I found fishing over grass that was 15-12 feet deep with a Triple Trout a really good way to catch quality fish on Clarks Hill.  I think the Slide Swimmer 175 would do some real damage on the herring lakes if a guy knew where the fish were.  Herring eaters are hard to find and stay on.   You gotta be able to fish up shallow then pull off the point, fish ontop, fish double fluke rigs, etc to pull ’em up.  The SS175 is going to be another tool in your tool kit.

Red Clay
Red Clay

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Notice, the 175 next to the 250 Slide Swimmer. The 250 has fins on the belly, the 175 does not have those same fins.
Notice, the 175 next to the 250 Slide Swimmer. The 250 has fins on the belly, the 175 does not have those same fins.

 

The Tail of the 175 vs. the 250 Slide Swimmer. More of a Cleaver than the 250s tail.
The Tail of the 175 vs. the 250 Slide Swimmer. More of a Cleaver than the 250s tail.

BrushPiles- I always think of Ryan Coleman from Flowery Branch, GA when I think of brush piles.  I hired Ryan to take me fishing on Lake Lanier.  He took me to some brushpiles and showed me the how they do it with the FishHead Spin over the brush piles.   It was really cool to see how Ryan had the brush pile game down.  I told him we’d be shot for cutting down a tree in California.  I would suck at creating brushpiles.    But if you know where there are brush piles, I would fish this bait over those brush piles, like you would your Zara Spook or GunFish.

Brush pile revealed by low water. Clarks Hill 2008.
Brush pile revealed by low water. Clarks Hill 2008.

Laydown Trees of course, too.

Man Made Structures – Whatever you do, DO NOT fish this bait around dams, big concrete pump houses, around bridge pilings.   You will probably get your arm broke!

Smallmouth/Spotted Bass – Because this is a ‘medium’ sized swimbait, it makes it extremely attractive to guys who hunt big smallmouth. And spotted beasts. Spotted bass that eat herring are different than largemouth that eat herring.    All I know is, the SS175 is a great selection when you have spotted or smallmouth basses on your agenda.

Saltwater –  The BlueBack Herring is descendant the saltwater run herring.  Herring are a great bait offshore in Southern California. I plan on feeding some calico bass, white sea bass, and yellowtail some Slide Swimmer 175 this summer.

 

 

Purchase from Tackle Warehouse Now:

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