No Fish On A Clouser or Leech; Switched To Yellow Grasshoppers And Caught A Few....

Fished Bethany Lakes to try the Clouser Minnow.  No fish using the Clouser after 30" of fishing.  Switched to a Leech Pattern without success. Then, tied on a Yellow Grasshopper and caught 5 Bass and some Bluegill and Sunfish.

A lot of activity in the shallows, even a few Bruisers working the area.  Just did not like the patterns used.  Did notice they were feeding on 2"-3" Bluegill and Sunfish! Posted a sampling of today's catch below.

Click-on 2010's COAF Fishing Leader Board to checkout top fish caught this year by our readers. Also, click-on One Fishing Fly Challenge to checkout the Field Team's flyfishing informal contest. Feel free to join; it's simple!

Opening Day Is Here!

Early Teal Season opening day is here!  Went out this morning, set up decoys and the Roboduck, and managed to get shots off at two flocks passing by.  One flock came right over the decoys, knocked one down but did not kill it cleanly.  Lost it soon after.  Another flock passed by low and fast but did not touch a feather. Promising start, just hate to lose a bird....

Today's Results - 4 Empty Shells!

Was The Day Before Early Teal Season....

Took the boat to the Lake and ran the motor.  Made sure last year's path through the trees wasn't too bad... only had a couple of bumps over submerged logs.  Water level is still low despite the heavy rains the past few days.  May have to do a lot of rowing to get to the shallower areas.  Oh well.... part of the fun and games!

Two Bass and Two Sunfish On A Bead Head Leech!

Able to fish Bethany Lakes this afternoon.  Was a tough go the past couple days with all the rain.  Tried Clouser Minnows to tempt the Bass; no hits after 30" of casting.  Switched to a Bead Head Leech and had a little Bass strike on the second cast.  Stayed with the Leech pattern and caught two Sunfish and a Bass that went just over 13" in size.  Not bad trip....

Click-on 2010's COAF Fishing Leader Board to checkout top fish caught this year by our readers. Also, click-on One Fishing Fly Challenge to checkout the Field Team's flyfishing informal contest. Feel free to join; it's simple!

Jon Boat Paint Job!

Each season brings a new paint job to the trusty, old Jon Boat.  Got it done today while cooking out on this Labor Day Holiday!  Not bad after a few "brewskies"!

FYI: Homemade Dough Bait Article.

Was asked the question, "What Dough Bait are we using?"  Here is a Squidoo Lens article - "Homemade Dough Bait"  that shows the bait we are using.  PS:  When fishing with Dough Bait, we are freelining using Spinning Gear.  No weights....

One Catfish That Fell For Dough Bait!

Preseason Preps Continue....

Preseason preparations continue.... Checked boat lights... needs batteries.  Checked Roboduck... needs a new battery.  Checked boat motor.... Running smooth!  Early Teal Seaon here we come!

A Catfish and A Bluegill At Bethany Lakes!

Fished Bethany Lakes this morning.  Caught a Catfish on Doughbait, lost several others.  Watched the little Bass working the shallows; switched to flyfishing gear and managed a few short strikes on the Bass but no hook-ups.  Finally, landed a little Bluegill.  Fish were active, looks like the cooler temps are making a difference!

Click-on 2010's COAF Fishing Leader Board to checkout top fish caught this year by our readers. Also, click-on One Fishing Fly Challenge to checkout the Field Team's flyfishing informal contest. Feel free to join; it's simple!

Preseason Preparations.... Early Teal Season is Near!

With Early Teal Season approaching, did a few preseason preparations.  Recharge batteries, check gear, fix up the decoys.....

Celebration Park Catfish Continue to Bite....

Stopped by Celebration Park Friday evening to kickoff the Labor Day Weekend.  Made up another batch of Doughbait and was itching to try it out.  Did not have much time to fish but did catch several with the largest going about 15" in size!

Click-on 2010's COAF Fishing Leader Board to checkout top fish caught this year by our readers. Also, click-on One Fishing Fly Challenge to checkout the Field Team's flyfishing informal contest. Feel free to join; it's simple!

Quick Trip To Brockdale Park And Then To Celebration Park!

Brockdale Park

Stopped by Brockdale Park at Lake Lavon to checkout the action on the Point.  Water level was low with minimal activity observed. 

Moved on to the East Pond at Celebration Park to continue testing the Homemade Doughbait. 

This batch had stayed on the hook much better allowing for longer casts. 

Managed several 16" Catfish, else it was small Bullheads. (Sampling of today's catch posted below).

Sampling of Today's Catch!

Slow Action This Evening; Only One Catfish On Doughbait Using The Bamboo Stake Rod!

Slow action this evening.  Caught only one Catfish on Homemade Doughbait.  Also, used the Bamboo Stake Rod in hopes of a Bruiser testing it to its limit.... No luck this round.

Click-on 2010's COAF Fishing Leader Board to checkout top fish caught this year by our readers. Also, click-on One Fishing Fly Challenge to checkout the Field Team's flyfishing informal contest. Feel free to join; it's simple!

17" Catfish On Doughbait And A Surprise Guest At Bethany Lakes This Evening!

Went back again with another variation of the Homemade Doughbait to test.  Caught more Catfish with the largest going 17" in size.  Had a late start, so ended up fishing in the dark.  While fishing noticed several Water Snakes chasing fish close to shore.

While unhooking the 17" Catfish, looked up and saw a four foot Water Snake had worked its way out of the water and was about 2 feet away from me eyeing the Catfish.  Surprise, surprise, surprise.... First time had one actually come out of the water for a fish!

Click-on 2010's COAF Fishing Leader Board to checkout top fish caught this year by our readers. Also, click-on One Fishing Fly Challenge to checkout the Field Team's flyfishing informal contest. Feel free to join; it's simple!

New Season Is Near....

A new Hunting Season is near as September 1 approaches!  Have to take care of a few admin things to prepare for the upcoming Season.

• Hunting License


• Duck Stamp


• Local Lake Permit (Lake Lavon is requiring a Hunting Permit for 2010/2011).

That said, hope this Season is good one.  Last year was tough with record rain and lake levels!



Good luck and good hunting!

More Catfish At Bethany Lakes On Doughbait....

Went back to Bethany Lakes this evening to try out a homemade Doughbait.  Worked well... caught several Catfish with the largest going just over 16"!  But, did lose a Bruiser that broke the line.  Not a bad outing; really like the Circle Hooks I picked up while on the coast.  Getting a lot more hook-ups and no deep-hooked fish!

More Catfish At Bethany Lakes On Doughbait....

Baited Hook, Doughbait, and Circle Hook

Click-on 2010's COAF Fishing Leader Board to checkout top fish caught this year by our readers. Also, click-on One Fishing Fly Challenge to checkout the Field Team's flyfishing informal contest. Feel free to join; it's simple!

Catfish At Bethany Lakes On Dough Baits...!

Fished Bethany Lakes this evening and caught several Catfish on Dough Baits.  Fun stuff on light tackle!  Even had a few Bruisers, estimating a couple that went 17"+!

Click-on 2010's COAF Fishing Leader Board to checkout top fish caught this year by our readers. Also, click-on One Fishing Fly Challenge to checkout the Field Team's flyfishing informal contest. Feel free to join; it's simple!

One Way Slide Rig

While surfing the net noticed a fishing tactic used for fishing piers and other elevated locations....

Tactic calls for casting a heavy weight for distance, then attaching a "Slide Rig" (also called a "Trolley Rig") that holds the bait.  The bait then slides down the line until it reaches bottom.  Works well for heavy baits that are too heavy for casting and "fragile" baits that may break up on the cast or on impact with the water.

After checking a few sites online, managed to construct a "One Way Slide Rig" using materials on hand.  Then, tested it out at Bethany Lakes.  Worked well for fishing "fragile" dough bait; however, next test will use a heavier weight. 

Also, the key to using this rig is elevation; higher elevation allows the bait to slide more readily down the line.

Click-on 2010's COAF Fishing Leader Board to checkout top fish caught this year by our readers. Also, click-on One Fishing Fly Challenge to checkout the Field Team's flyfishing informal contest. Feel free to join; it's simple!

Two Bass and a Turtle At Kroger Park This Evening!

Fished Kroger Park this evening and caught two Bass and a Turtle on a Black Bead Head Leech Streamer.  First Bass hit the fishing fly on a slow retrieve; second Bass struck immediately after the fishing fly landed in the water.  Second Bass was the larger of the two, measuring just over 12.5" in size.  Not a Bruiser but enough to take the lead in August's One Fishing Fly Challenge!

Two Bass and a Turtle!

Click-on 2010's COAF Fishing Leader Board to checkout top fish caught this year by our readers. Also, click-on One Fishing Fly Challenge to checkout the Field Team's flyfishing informal contest. Feel free to join; it's simple!

A Few Surprises At Bethany Lakes' Feeder Creek!

Stopped by the feeder creek that runs into Bethany Lakes this morning.  Noticed some surface activity despite the shallow water.  Tied on a Bead Head Leech Streamer and soon after landed a little Bass.  Then, lost a bigger Bass, then caught some Bluegill and Sunfish.  Surprised the shallow water held so many fish.... A lot of small ones but there were a few bigger ones mixed in as well!

Click-on 2010's COAF Fishing Leader Board to checkout top fish caught this year by our readers. Also, click-on One Fishing Fly Challenge to checkout the Field Team's flyfishing informal contest. Feel free to join; it's simple!

A Few Fish Right After The Rain Storm Passed Bethany Lakes.

Caught  a few fish - Sunfish and a Bluegill, right after the rain storm passed Bethany Lakes.  Fish seemed tough to locate and water was murky from the rain runoff.  Managed to find a few fish lurking in the shallows but no Bruisers!

Click-on 2010's COAF Fishing Leader Board to checkout top fish caught this year by our readers. Also, click-on One Fishing Fly Challenge to checkout the Field Team's flyfishing informal contest. Feel free to join; it's simple!