Themes from our Southern Trout Eaters DVD

Pole Cats and Muddy White Rivers

Published: 4 January 2016
Written by Bait Bro
No comments
Categories: 2016 Fishing, The Ozarks, Themes from our Southern Trout Eaters DVD, Trophy Ozark Brown Trout Fishing
Getting ready to unload the SS250 in another fishy looking section of river. Notice my left foot and the pole where the camera is attached. My foot is holding the pole from rocking back and forth. I later would fix with electrical tape as gasket for a tighter fit.
Getting ready to unload the SS250 in another fishy looking section of river. Notice my left foot and the pole where the camera is attached. My foot is holding the pole from rocking back and forth. I later would fix with electrical tape as gasket for a tighter fit.

I’m aboard yet another SouthWest flight, this time, leaving Little Rock, heading to New Orleans.   I scrambled to get my stuff packed up.  All the sudden, my 2 week fishing adventure/holidays 2015/ New Year 2016 trip is over.   The first week I was here, the fish and the fishing was feeling right.  Then, we got hit with Winter Storm Goliath.  That sorta wrecked the second half of my trip.

Final tally –  1 bite (Huddleston), 3 BIG followers (1 Huddleton and 2 on the Slide Swimmer).    No catches.  Yay.  At least I got to feel the burn of sore wrists and forearms from lobbing the bigbaits around.

This is the confluence of the Cotter Spring and the White River. It is usually crystal clear. Winter Storm Goliath wants me to come back to AR again soon. Sorta cramped the trout fishing!
This is the confluence of the Cotter Spring and the White River. It is usually crystal clear. Winter Storm Goliath wants me to come back to AR again soon. Sorta cramped the trout fishing!

Pole Cat –

I’ve been messing with better ways to shoot video.   GoPro cameras are awesome, but I find them a little challenging to get good footage with, when it comes to filming your day of fishing.   I use the heck out of my GoPros for underwater footage.  They rock for that.  I’m trying to get away from a camcorder style camera in the back of the boat on a tripod.  The GoPro tends to excel at up close, in your face type action.   I don’t particularly care for footage that is shot from a head or chest mounted camera.  You miss a lot of what is going on.

The GoPro, I've found, is great when suspended about 2-3 feet above and 1 foot behind your head.
The GoPro, I’ve found, is great when suspended about 2-3 feet above and 1 foot behind your head.

I ended up with a 10′ piece of 1/2″ conduit, purchased for $2.50 at Lowes.   It miraculously fit perfectly in the seat mount/pedestal mounts in my little Tracker Grizzly aluminum river rig.    I have some refining to do, but the POV (point of view) and accessibility of the camera while fishing was great.

 

You can use the web application to dial in your mounting. I find myself going manual a lot. I sorta know where to aim it now.
You can use the web application to dial in your mounting. I find myself going manual a lot. I sorta know where to aim it now.
This is what I was looking for. I want to see the bottom and have more of a bird's eye view. Yes, I like to fish grass beds, whether I'm trout or bass fishing. Big fishes like grass.
This is what I was looking for. I want to see the bottom and have more of a bird’s eye view. Yes, I like to fish grass beds, whether I’m trout or bass fishing. Big fishes like grass.

 

You get a much better feel for the river, the bottom, and how shallow it can be, even when there is water running. I would love to show you what catching a big one from up here looks like!
You get a much better feel for the river, the bottom, and how shallow it can be, even when there is water running. I would love to show you what catching a big one from up here looks like!
I cannot believe how different I am than a few years ago. It didn't phase me to not catch any fish, and didn't phase me the flood conditions pretty much messed up 50% of my trip. I have better control of my emotions and expectations. I am enjoying things and not getting all fussy about nothing. Amazing. Thank you yoga.
I cannot believe how different I am than a few years ago. It didn’t phase me to not catch any fish, and didn’t phase me the flood conditions pretty much messed up 50% of my trip. I have better control of my emotions and expectations. I am enjoying things and not getting all fussy about nothing. Amazing. Thank you yoga.

Rod and Reel Radio Interview March 2014

Published: 15 April 2014
Written by Bait Bro
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Categories: Southern Trout Eaters DVD, Themes from our Southern Trout Eaters DVD
rodandreelradio2
Click the Above Image to hear the Podcast. Fast Forward to 1:05:20 to hear a recent radio interview I gave about Southern Trout Eaters, what we did, and some insights into where we are going.

I was recently interviewed by John Cassidy, Stan Vanderburg and Stacy Tochihara from Rod and Reel Radio.  I want to thank John Cassidy for his years of support and just general good nature/aloha all the time vibration. I always appreciate dealing with good guys in fishing,  and John is one of them.  He owns Anglers Arsenal and has been a fundamental player and supporter of all thing San Diego bass fishing.  He is a fisherman, a tournament director,  he runs Angler’s Arsenal (killer bait and tackle shop with an online presence for localized/specialty San Diego style bass fishing baits), and he’s always involved in the El Cajon Ford Open, which is the funnest 2 day tournament I’ve ever fished.

You need to browse thru the Archives of Rod&Reel Radio sometime.   You will find interviews with guys like Dean Rojas (former San Diego guy), Kevin Van Dam, Ken Huddleston, and others.  There are regular fishing reports and updates, but interesting content freely available out there, with good information and entertainment value. I was interviewed by the Rod&Reel Radio Crew the summer of 201 that we released Southern Trout Eaters in the summer of 2011 after the release of the DVD.

To listen to the podcast, click HERE  (fast forward to 1:05:20).  Approx half way thru.

 

The Super Slammer From Mike Shaw

Published: 6 August 2013
Written by Bait Bro
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Categories: MS Slammer, Themes from our Southern Trout Eaters DVD

I just saw this and had to share.  The Super Slammer, are you kidding me?  The beauty of the MS Slammer, and the wood bait thing, is that in a 12 or 14″ bait (14″ is the size of the Super Slammer) it doesn’t weigh that much.  I’m shocked at how easily the 12″ MS Slammer fishes, so this 14″ big daddy Super Slammer makes sense to me.  14″ Big Wood baits will fish far easier and low impact on your body vs. composite material or soft plastic baits of this size.    I think the striper guys will go nuts over this Super Slammer, but so will the guys who hunt big largemouths.  Walk, stall, pause or just straight retrieve…..day or night, rain or shine….I’m gonna get some of these and test them out, I suggest check you them out HERE

Supah Slammah!
Supah Slammah!

 

XL Nezumaa Rat from Okeechobee

Published: 19 May 2013
Written by Bait Bro
3 Comments
Categories: 3:16 Lure Company, Florida, MS Slammer, Nezumaa Rat, Owner Hooks, Rate of Stall, Rods, Themes from our Southern Trout Eaters DVD

It’s getting really hot, really muggy, and the grass is getting way thick. I always look for the cleanest/blackest water I can find with the most beautiful hydrilla, and usually the fish are there.  I found a few instances where I could fish the XL Nezumaa around isolated clumps of reeds and buggy whips.  The bottom is just carpeted with wonderful hydrilla, that really good green hard and crisp hydrilla, and the water is by far the deepest and clearest water   I’m fishing the XL Nezumaa along walls of reeds too, and just trying to get a big bite where I can.  As the heat sets in, I highly suggest rats and big wakebaits, like MS Slammers or 3:16 Hardbaits.   Big topwater baits basically, the can catch a big one at high noon, blaring heat in the right conditions.  And rat baits are super fun to fish-my favorite.  Just super fun fishing and helps endure brutal conditions and heat.

Enjoy:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAT9aeiE-FU]

I do like fishing certain bigbaits on snaps. I really find the Owner Hyper Cross Locks fit this bait, and my application beautifully.   I like to walk and stall my rats.  I do like to slow reel and wake them too, but man, I just can’t help but make that bait look alive and struggling out there.   I only have small pockets of fishable water, I don’t usually have long runs of clean swim lanes to bring a top water bait thru, a bait like the XL Nezumaa, I can throw it right on the ‘point’ of a good isolated clump of reeds and usually there will be a hole in the hydrilla around the reeds enough to fish it out a few feet or more.  You just don’t get 15-30 feet of swim most times, you only get 2-6 feet at times to work with, so you need a stallable bait, and a topwater is the bait, the ultimate stall bait.   So around grass, or isolated layown trees, or around shade pockets, you want a bait that hangs in the little ‘pool’ you have to work with, and where too, you can get maximum action out of your bait when you do decide to walk it and really jerk it.  The XL Nezumaa is violent and raucous, and you get a lot of action and noise and the bait only moved 4-6″ toward you.  And with the right wind or bow in your line, you can float a bait like the XL Nezumaa rat in place.  I am fishing 80# straight braid on my XL Nezumaa and recommend a Low Down Custom Rods 8′ XH  if you haven’t ever tried one of those rods for lobbing a BIG bait like the XL Nezumaa or Slide Swimmer 250.

 

 

Gallery:

Cross Over Fishing for Brown Trout

Published: 10 November 2012
Written by Bait Bro
2 Comments
Categories: Themes from our Southern Trout Eaters DVD, Triple Trout, Trophy Ozark Brown Trout Fishing

 

Fishing for trophy brown trout on the White River in Cotter, Arkansas, is making me a better swimbait fisherman. There are new challenges of current, water fluctuation, baits, rigging, and access. This fish went 29.5 Inches and ate a 3 Dot Olive 10″ Triple Trout at the base of a shoal.

 

I haul a lot of water, with swimbaits, hunting trophy brown trout….but it’s all about learning. I’m still rigging my modified jon boat into a better river boat. I’m still learning the river, how to control the boat, and what angles the fish seem to prefer. The bait selection is easy: Huddleston and Triple Trout for the most part. Duh.

 

Above the Narrows, White River, Arkansas

 

The quiver of boats you need in the Ozarks. I love my Ranger Boat, but goddam I’m tired of burning fuel. Drift boats are awesome, and Honda 4 Strokes, are incredibly efficient.

 

River fishing, current, and the orientation of the fish makes casting angles and how you line and position yourself up so much different than I’d do in lakes, but it’s still very similar.

 

It’s safe to say Simms Fishing Products rock, and fit perfectly into the ‘cross over’ conversation. Love their products, their company and style.

 

Not lots of room to work with up on the deck, but shoot, room enough. Love how jon boats fish, and just love getting on the river and having access. Forgot to put the spare trailer tire in the truck, I don’t usually bring spare tires in the boat!

 

Fishing with 2 Fly Fisherman this day, out of a drift boat, you have to understand how different they fish. You have 3 people in a small boat. You have shuttles to run so you have a truck at the end of your drift, and maybe a trailer too. You need someone to row, and 2 guys to fish and you rotate. I can cast 4 X further than these guys, so I am rarely at a disadvantage, even from the back of the boat.

 

You don’t grip a brown trout by the jaw. Their mouth and teeth could probably eat a tin can. Trout fisherman are super careful about fish care and handling fish. These big White River brown trout are healthy and hearty, and this one was released unharmed.

 

The Trophy Brown Trout in the White River are eating the stocked rainbow trout. The browns are wild fish, and savvy fly fishermen are using streamers to get big browns. For a guy like me, swimbaits and bigbaits are a no brainer.

 

BigBaits, Simms Fishing Products, Drift Boats and a slowed down pace of fishing. This isn’t tournament fishing. This is trophy hunting, and brown trout are an excellent cross over opportunity. The White River in Arkansas is accessible to most of the MidWest and South very easily.

Bigbaits in the Ozarks Presentation for Rod&Reel Club, Mountain Home, AR

Published: 5 November 2012
Written by Bait Bro
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Categories: The Ozarks, Themes from our Southern Trout Eaters DVD

BigBaits in the Ozarks Presentation

I’m going to be giving a presentation at Rod & Reel Club of Mountain Home, AR this Thurdsay, November 8th at 7pm.  I’m going to be focusing the presentation on bigbait fishing, and tying into the Ozarks and sharing pictures, videos, baits, and just hopefully educating some guys on bigbait fishing who have never been exposed to it all.  Consider yourself invited, if somehow you are near Mountain Home or have any interest to travel and visit.  Meeting starts at 7 pm and is at the Redeemer Lutheran Church Family Life Center, 312 West North Street, Mountain Home, AR.

MP