Weather Clears,... Caught Two Catfish at Celebration Park!

Weather cleared up, made a break for Celebration Park. Tested out the homemade Method Feeder and a new Doughbait recipe. Caught two Catfish. One went 17" and the other went 19.5"! Fun stuff catching fish while tinkering with other fishing techniques. PS: Not only was the Method Feeder homemade, so was the Baiting Needle and the Strike Indicator.

Foam Divers....

Still raining this morning, so no fishing yet.  Did finish two of the Foam Divers we were working on yesterday.  Tied one with a Red Head and Olive Body and the other with a Black Head and Purple Body.  Hope to try it out again when the weather clears and the temps warm up.

Till then, we wait....

Rain Delay....

Had a late start this morning, so by the time it was time to go fishing the rain arrived.  Ended up taking care of a few "honey do's" but more important did some tinkering with fishing related things!

Made a few more Foam Divers, made a "homemade method feeder" for Carp Fishing, tried a new way to make a Hair Rig, created a new recipe for a Dough Bait for Carp and Goldfish, stopped at Cabelas and picked up some flytying material (at 30% off), and then rigged up the "homemade method feeder" with the Hair Rig!

Now once the rain stops, hope to see what bites on the Dough Bait using the "homemade method feeder" and Hair Rig!

PS:  Did place an order with Bass Pro Shops for a Carp Rod and Big Carp Tackle for Method Feeders.  Hope the packages arrive in the next week.  Going to try having some fun with a fe Carp and Koi in the area,.. we hope!

Click-on 2012'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!

Foam Diver Gets Two More Bass at Bethany!

Short on time; had to make do with a quick trip to Bethany this round.  Stuck with the Red/White Foam Diver like we used in yesterday.  Much calmer today; caught two Bass.  No Bruisers but did spy a couple in the shallows... that did not want a fishing fly!

Click-on 2012'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 Went for a Foam Diver!

Went back to Bethany this evening to try out a Foam Diver and a Soft Hackle Dry Fly.  Too windy for the Dry Fly, so stuck with the Foam Diver.  Had a couple of strikes on a fast retrieve, then hooked and landed two Bass.  Kept at it despite the windy conditions... had two more strikes but failed to hook up.  Good Stuff!

Click-on 2012'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!

Flyfishing At Bethany This Evening....

Went with the flyrod this round for some flyfishing at Bethany this evening.  Caught a Bass on an Olive and White Damsel Fly, had another take it but did not set the hook in time.  Then, caught two Bass and a Bluegill using a Dry Fly!  Missed more while the fish were hitting on the surface as the bugs lay on the water.  Fun stuff!

Click-on 2012'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!

Five Sunfish and a Catfish on Bread and a Hair Rig!

Been testing the Hair Rig out these past few weeks.  This round gave it a try at Celebration Park's North Pond.  Caught five Sunfish and a Catfish that went 16".  Posted the Catfish on the COAF Leader Board as it made the 15" minimum.  Really liking the Hair Rig; getting hookups that are on the lips and not in the throat!  Makes for a better catch and release!

Click-on 2012'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!

Limit Taken at Towne Lake but....

Fished the latter part of this morning for Trout at Towne Lake.  Caught a limit in about two hours.  Had steady action, just a lot slower than it was last week.  Even worse, the Cormorant have shown, so the bite may get even slower.  All were caught using Rainbow Glitter Powerbait!

Another Limit Tonight at Towne Lake...

Made it to Towne Lake just as it was getting dark.  Caught two Trout in short order on Rainbow Glitter Powerbait, then the bite stopped right at dark.  Held out for about a half-hour, then managed to catch three more at a much slower rate.  Regardless, it's another limit.  And, this time, going to try a Lemon and Chili Paste Marinade and then saute them in olive oil!  Following the Dali Lama's advice... "cook with reckless abandon!"

Limit of Trout at Towne Lake.  Largest two went about 11".

Bite Still On at Towne Lake; Trout for Dinner!

Bite is still on at Towne Lake.  Caught a limit of five in less than 30 minutes using... guess what, Rainbow Glitter Powerbait!  Others using Powerbait were doing well.  Remember, use a slip sinker and small hooks - Sizes 14 - 16 work well.  After a quick cleaning, seasoned the fish and cooked them over coals on an iron skillet... tasty meal!

Click-on 2012'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!

Action Still Hot at Towne Lake!

Late start this morning but was able to make it back to Towne Lake in McKinney for another chance at the Trout.  Yesterday's catch made for a tasty dinner.  Hoped today's catch would make a tasty breakfast.

Caught a limit in less than 20"; used Rainbow Glitter Powerbait. Good thing we stopped at Cabelas last night to restock on Powerbait and Power Worms.  Also, the Hair Rig seems to be making a difference in hookups... Less deep hooked fish!

Overall, it looked like Powerbait and Power Worms were getting bites.  A quick check of the stomach contents showed empty stomachs, bits of corn, or Powerbait.

PS: Updated the 2011-2012 Summary of Lures and Baits on our partner website - Texas Rainbow Trout Fishing - Top 5 Lures and Baits for Community Lakes.  Check it out when you get a chance!

McKinney Trout Derby... Fun, Fun, Fun. Field Team Lands Two Limits!

Made it to the McKinney Trout Derby this morning.  Lotta fishermen, lotta Trout, lotta limits taken... and trophies to award!  Field Team's T-Bone and Fshng84 managed to limit out early.  Each taking a limit using Rainbow Glitter Powerbait.   Even better - Fshng84 ties for the 3rd Smallest Trout in the Adult Category... measuring a whopping 7-5/8"!

Hair Rig... We Used To Catch Goldfish!

FYI:  Here is a picture of the Hair Rig we used to catch the Goldfish today.  Used a size 16 hook, 4lbs mono for the knotless hair rig, and a piece of a spring from a ballpoint pen.

Two Goldfish This Round; Hair Rig Made a Difference!

Made it back for another go at Goldfish.  Caught two using bread for bait.  The difference today... a Hair Rig!  Fish took the bait and were hooked and released unharmed... no deep hookups!

A Goldfish and a Catfish!

Returned to the local pond we went to yesterday in hopes of catching more Bruiser Goldfish.  Had a great time... caught one Goldfish that went 14" in size and then a 16" Catfish.  Both went for Bread!

Goldfishing Anyone? ... Bread and a Homemade Automatic Hooksetter!

Went "Goldfishing" this evening.  Managed to catch and release four of them.  Used Bread for bait.  Two were caught freelining the Bread.  And, two were caught using the homemade automatic hooksetter. Great fighters... especially on ultralight gear!

Two Bruiser Catfish at Glendover Park!

Been tinkering with the homemade automatic hooksetter. Have tested it out several times and caught Bullheads.  Reworked the trigger making for more consistent hookups.  But, still need to work it just a little bit more based on today's outing.

Managed two Bruiser Catfish at Glendover Park using Bread for bait.  Missed several others when the trigger released either too early or too late.  One Catfish went about 17" in length and the other went about 20".

Going to start bringing a tape measure so we can quit "guestimating".  Also, this last modification to the trigger should make a difference on hookup rates going forward!

Annual Mckinney Trout Derby Scheduled For Saturday, 25 February!

Annual Mckinney Trout Derby is scheduled for Saturday, 25 February!  Get the kids together and gather up the fishing gear, then head out for the Derby.  4000+ Rainbow Trout are planned for release in Towne Lake.  For more info, check out McKinney Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department's press release!

Good Luck and Good Fishing!
COAF Field Team

Bullheads at Celebration Park.

Went back to Celebration Park to test out a homemade automatic hook setter.  Worked well but need to make a few more adjustments to the trigger.  Ended up catching several Bullheads.  None of which were hooked deep!

Click-on 2012'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 Bullheads On Bread This Round

Went back to Celebration this evening.  No Bruisers; just two Bullheads this round.  Caught on Bread and used the Hook Set Pro again.  Missed several other bites; still working out the kinks but feel the catch rate may increase once we figure it out!

Click-on 2012'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!