Mousing Video

I'm a sucker for mousing videos and this is a pretty good one!  As a side note, I will be offering a new fly at the online store soon and it will be a small mouse fly.  I'm still tying some up for the inventory but will let you know when they are in stock.  Have a great weekend and I hope you're able to get on the water this weekend!

Link: https://vimeo.com/286180852

Complex Twist Bugger by Fly Fish Food

Sorry for the late and short post.  I am absolutely swamped at work right now and I'll be honest, this is a B Team effort.  Sorry guys.  I'll do better tomorrow.  However, in an effort to post every day, Monday through Friday, here is a cool little Wooly Bugger type fly with a unique twist.  And it's not just any twist...it's a complex twist.  It's a great fly tying technique that I have absolutely fallen in love with.  It add depth, bulk, and action to flies in a simple way!

Painting Video

I have zero artistic ability.  I mean zero.  I guess that's why I have so much respect for what Bob White can do.  This video really resonated with me and I just had to share it.  I also have to give all credit to the folks at Moldy Chum for posting this video because that's where I found it.  If you don't frequent that site, you should check it out.  It is updated daily, and I mean daily.  Literally, everyday.  They also post a lot of amazing videos and conservation info as well.

Also, and I'm sure I'm not the only guy that has noticed this, how ironic is it that a guy named Bob White became an outdoorsman and painter.  I wonder if he feels any sort of spiritual connection to the quail.

Link: https://vimeo.com/286028980

Fly Tying: Clark "Cheech" Pierce's Flügenzombie

I'm going to be really honest about something.  Sometimes I will see fly tying videos and even post fly tying videos where I think "Yeah, I might not have the skills to tie that."  Other times I think "Holy monkey, if I tried that, it would look like garbage!"  This fly however, I think I can tie.  It has a couple small, tricky parts but I think even someone new to fly tying could tackle this and be happy with the results.  Good luck if you decide to give it a try and let me know if you do!  Email me, post it on the Facebook page, or even tag me on Instagram.  I would love to see someone add their own twist on this puppy!

ON THE HORIZON - Teaser

Recently, Woodard Rod Co. released a teaser for an upcoming film and it sure grabbed my attention.  It appears that this is going to be a "stripers on the fly" film and I can't wait!  I don't mean a bunch of New Englanders at Martha's Vineyard chasing "stripas" on their daddy's Boston Whaler either.  This looks like a good, midwest-based, available to the little guy film...and that's the type I like!  Enjoy and I'll keep you posted when more info about this film comes out or even better, when the film is released in its entirety. 

Fishing T.Y. Park near Fort Lauderdale, Florida- Part 3

A couple of days later, we decided to hit the water one last time.  Our three day license was about to expire and we wanted to get our money’s worth.  Prior to the trip, I had conducted some research to find public lakes near the spot that we were staying.  One of the parks was T.Y. Park and it held the promise of largemouth bass as well as peacocks.  I really wanted Wendy’s son to get into some fish as well as her mom and step dad.  We found a fishing pier near the entrance to the park and immediately found fish.

I couldn’t tell what they were but they kind of looked like shorter, squattier versions of peacocks.  They had spots on their bodies near their tales so I just thought they were peacocks.  We threw some mini-jigs under indicators at them first.  We tried this because we had been told that peacocks are lethargic in the mornings and thought maybe they would want something slow.  This technique got no repose and the fish we had spotted eventually moved off. 

Now I’m not going to lie to you, it was getting hot, and getting hot fast. I could tell that the group was not as enthused as they had been on the previous outing and I didn’t think we had much time left to fish.  I thought that we needed to make the most of our time and try one more spot. 

We went to another pier and didn’t see a thing.  Folks were starting to drop like flies but Wendy’s mom and I found a couple of good looking spots not far away.  Trees and brush lined most of the bank but we each found a spot that had a break in the vegetation and offered a casting path.  I put on a john deere under an indicator and started casting to some fishy spots near the bank.  After striking out in those spots, I tried casting far, and to open water.  It was about this time that I THOUGHT that there was an outside chance that I just might have gotten a bite. 

I cast back to the same spot a couple more time to no avail.  However, on the third cast, my fly got absolutely smashed.  I set the hook and the fish instantly made a strong run.  I started to gain ground on the fish, but then it made another solid run.  I kept pressure on him and felt it begin to tire.  As I got it closer to the bank, I saw a spot near the tail and bright colors.  Of course, my brain immediately reverted to thinking that I had caught another peacock.  The fish got wrapped around a log a couple of times but after I finessed it out, I realized that I wasn’t a peacock at all.  I drug it to the bang and literally had no idea what I was looking at.  I wanted to lip the thing but didn’t know if it had teeth or not.  After inspection, it seemed to have panfish-like teeth so I lipped it and took it back to the group. 

After pictures were taken, we let the little guy free.  We fished for a little bit longer without any bites and called it quits.  In the comfort and air conditioning of the truck, I got on the Florida Fish and Game website to find out what exactly my quarry was.  Come to find out, it was a Mayan Cichlid.  I thought it was a beautiful fish and thought that I had caught some extremely rare and exotic fish.  A couple of days later, a local told me that they were considered trash fish by locals and should have tossed it in the grass for the coons to eat.

This concluded my Florida fishing experience and I could not be more grateful.  I caught two new species on a fly rod, watched Wendy catch a largemouth bass, and landed a peacock bass.  I want to thank Sharon, Mark, Wendy, and Collin for allowing me to tag along for the trip and for allowing me to fish so much!  You guys are awesome and I am so grateful for your kindness and generosity.

Fishing Brian Piccolo Park near Fort Lauderdale, Florida- Part 2

On the way to the local, “secret” honey hole, we ran into a massive South Florida midday thunderstorm.  We got some snacks and waited it out in a parking lot near the lake.  It slowly passed and we all made our way down to the water only to find that this dock the locals told us about was about 4 feet wide and 12 feet long.  It certainly wasn’t big enough for three people with fly rods and a young man with a spinning rod.  It is also important to note that we ran into a “You’re in Gator Country” sign on the way.  Our excited quickly waned but Wendy and I were of the opinion that we should go ahead and give it a shot since we were there anyway. 

I spotted some fish that seemed to be rolling like tarpon, but they were WAY out of casting range and I didn’t expect them to come close to the dock.  I made some casts to the cover and structure that was near the dock but didn’t get so much as a sniff.  I was about ready to call it quits since it was starting to rain again, people were waiting in the truck, and the thought of being eaten by a Florida gator did not interest me in the least.  It was also about the same time that Wendy spotted a peacock between the dock and the bank.

She pointed it out to me and I agreed that it was indeed a peacock.  She had been using her son’s spinning rod with an X-Rap and decided to see if the fish was interested.  It was too close to cast towards so she would run the lure towards it and away from it to try and get it to bite. 

The fish didn’t spook and seemed moderately interested but just wouldn’t bite.  That’s when I had two thoughts come to mind.  One was that they guy at the Bass Pro (where we bought our licenses) told us that you could tick a peacock off to the point it would bite.  It might not even be hungry, but would hit a lure just out of sheer crankiness.  The second thought was that I had encountered this very thing before.  I went fishing in Canada about 15 years ago and was caught how to catch pike that would follow lures to the boat.  If you would run your lure in a figure eight motion repeatedly in front of the fish enough, it would just sometimes bite out of frustration.  I decided to employ this tactic and I’ll be darned if the peacock didn’t hit on about the fourth figure eight.

I was in shock for a moment and didn’t really know what to do.  I had a peacock on the end of my line and was in disbelief.  It wasn’t until Wendy squealed “you got him, you got him” that I snapped out of it and realized that I needed to fight the fish and keep it on the line.  The critter fought pretty hard!  It didn’t make any large runs or swim erratically, but you could feel the power on each dive to the bottom of the lake that it attempted.  He eventually tired and came to the surface.  While I was pumped to put my hands on an actual peacock bass, I was hesitant. 

Least importantly, I didn’t want to get hooked by one of the two treble hooks that the lure had.  Most importantly, I remembered the gator sign.  Everything happened really fast but the idea of a fish flopping around on the surface of the water and acting like a gator call really started to spook me.  After building up some courage, which took a few seconds, I quickly reached down and grabbed my prize.  I had my peacock in my hands and was as excited as a little kid!  Wendy literally jumped up and down clapping with excitement and I did a goofy looking dance.  Wendy and I ran the fish back to the truck that folks were waiting in and snapped a few pictures.  I dropped the fish back in the water gently but wasn’t about to try to revive it or nurse it back to health.  Remember, there was probably a 14 foot gator under the dock ready to eat an arm for lunch and a leg for dessert.  It swam off and I was glad because I REALLY didn’t want to kill such a pretty and so special. 

We fished a little longer but didn’t get anything to bite.  I was still on cloud nine and so happy that I caught my peacock when Wendy informed me that it wouldn’t have been possible without her son’s rod, her eyes, and ultimately, her generosity.  I thanked her profusely and still do to this day.  If you’re reading this Wendy, just know that while I know I will never hear the end of this…it was worth it!

Fishing C.B. Smith Park near Fort Lauderdale, Florida- Part 1

A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to head down to Florida for some fishing and fun with my girlfriend Wendy, her son Collin, Wendy’s mom Sharon, and her stepdad Mark.  One thing we were all excited about was the prospect of doing some fishing.  My goal was to catch a peacock bass because as far as I know, you can only catch these beauties in Florida and South America.  I would have settled for just seeing a peacock or even just catching a fish in Florida.  I’ve caught fish in Missouri, Canada, Colorado, and Arkansas but never in Florida.  I brought Wendy’s Echo 5 weight for smaller flies and my Echo 6 weight for slinging bigger meat.  While we were there, Collin purchased six foot telescopic Zebco spinning rod as well.  As far as flies go, I brought some small jigs & indicators, wooly buggers, and streamers.  Collin picked up some number 7 Rapala X-Raps and some ¼ ounce Rooster Tails.  All of this info will come into play later.

Before we arrived in Florida, I did some research.  I heard that canals were the best to try but we didn’t have a boat and I didn’t want to learn about trespassing law in Florida.  I also read that getting a guide was the best bet too, but I didn’t have the money for that.  So that narrowed down things to public water.  Upon investigation, I found out there were plenty of public places to catch peacocks.  I found about 4 parks near where we were staying in Fort Lauderdale, but I’ll be honest, I didn’t have high hopes.  I thought I would pick up a fish here and there but knew my limited time would make catching a peacock difficult.

We decided to hit T.Y. Park first.  It had a pier and some fishable shoreline that looked promising.  While I was rigging my rod, Collin came running up to me telling me that he spotted a peacock near the pier.  I was optimistic but skeptical.  Collin is fairly new to fishing and I wasn’t sure he would be able to tell the difference between a peacock and a largemouth. 

You can only imagine my surprise when I walked over to the dock and found not one but three peacocks patrolling the area.  They seemed to be hanging out near cover in deeper water but in casting distance.  We all took turns throwing at them with in-line spinners, mini jigs, X-Raps, zonkers, and clousers.  The only thing that they seemed interested in at all were the clousers, but even then, they wouldn’t bite.  They finally dispersed and we were forced to find a new spot. 

About fifty yards away I found another spot that looked a whole lot like the other spot.  Everyone else decided to take a break in the shade.  It was getting hot and I didn’t blame them but I really wanted a Florida fish…any Florida fish.  I tied on a conehead Madonna with a chartreuse body/tail and a natural deer hair collar.  I didn’t have a good reason for picking this other than it was smaller and had some good action to it. 

Right when I arrived at the new spot, I immediately saw fish.  The water was a little murky so I couldn’t tell what they were, but to be honest, I really didn’t care.  I made a couple of casts and they were definitely interested in my fly.  It kind of reminded me of fish looking over a fly at Bennett Spring or Roaring River.  They were so interested in the lure, you just knew that one of them was going to slip up and make a mistake.  On my fourth or fifth cast, a fish absolutely smashed my fly on the drop and I was hooked up.  I had no idea what I had hooked but it put up a nice fight and made a solid run.  I eventually got it to the bank but had absolutely no idea what it was.  I grabbed the line and hoisted the critter out of the water while I ran back to the group like a little kid.  After we snapped some pictures and let the little guy go, I used the Internet to identify the fish as a tilapia.  I gotta say, I was pretty pumped to catch not only a Florida fish, but also a new species on a fly rod.

The rest of the group followed me back to the same spot.  I was anxious for them catch some fish too.  We started pounding the water pretty hard with all kinds of flies and lures in hopes that we could duplicate my catch.  I spotted some fish out of Wendy’s casting range so I made a few casts for her.  On her fourth cast, I saw a fish dart out of the shadows and destroy her conehead Madonna.  When she got it to shore I recognized it as a largemouth bass and she was all smiles.

We made some more casts but the fish seemed to spook and head to other water.  It also looked like rain was headed our way and the group decided to call it quits.  However, before that could happen, we ran into some really nice locals that had been watching us catch our fish.  I guess it appeared obvious that we were excited tourists that wanted to catch some fish.  We started talking and they started to tell us about a spot that only the locals knew about.  To say I was excited would be a gross understatement.  They told us there was a lake at Brian Piccolo (yes, Brian Piccolo as in the guy from Brian’s Song) that had big largemouth and peacock bass.  We all got in the truck and headed to Brian Piccolo Park.

Fly Tying: The Howitzer Game Changer

I'm gonna be real honest, I have no idea when or where I would fish a fly like this but good gracious do I want to tie this thing.  It looks good on the vice, it moves well in the water, and it just looks fun and challenging to tie!  If you tackle this sucker or come up with some variant, I would love to see it. 

Common Mistakes In Fly Fishing - Episode 1

Sometimes I tend to overlook and neglect all of our newbie friends that could probably use a little help with some fly fishing basics.  Here's a good video on leader to fly line connections.  There's some do's and don'ts that I hope help make one of the many complexities of our sport a little easier to understand.

A Heck of a Day on Lake Taneycomo

Talk about a heck of a day on the water!  Lake Taneycomo was pretty generous to the Mahoney Outdoors crew.  Grandpa's second trout of his life was a trout of a lifetime to some folks, and a surprise walleye looked pretty exciting too.  Feel free to follow Mahoney Outdoors on social media for more info, pics, and video!  I hope you have a great weekend and are able to create some of your own memories on the water.

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGBszTFFoSYsu1S-g5BUTGg
Website: https://mahoneyoutdoors.com/
http://www.facebook.com/mahoneyoutdoors http://www.instagram.com/mahoneyoutdoors http://www.twitter.com/mahoneyoutdoors

Fly Tying: Double Barrel Phelps Frog

Overkill is greatly underrated!  That is the theme for this dude!  There are poppers and then there are articulated poppers with arciulated shanks, beads, and wire.  There are some really creative components on this sucker and I can't wait to get behind the vise and come up with my own version of this thing!

Orvis Presents: Mend

Wow.  This one might just bring a tear to your eye.  With this being the time of year when kids are headed back to school, this is a reminder that growing up can be hard and some young people need a little help to find their place in the world.

Río Grande Argentina Fly Fishing *TRAILER* by Todd Moen

Todd Moen, you beautiful, glorious son of a gun!  You've done it again and inspired me to go buy a two-handed rod and learn how to spey cast.  I hope this wears off.

Casting Lesson- Casting Heavy Flies

Don't let the start of this video fool you.  Yes, the host (Ian) starts off talking about "saltwater casting tips" and mentions tarpon and permit, but the information that he gives is VERY applicable to freshwater situations as well.  Don't get caught up in the salwater setting and references.  I am definitely reevaluating how I cast big streamers now!

Rockbridge Trip Highlights Project Healing Waters Calendar

by Jim Kissane

Assistant Program Lead

Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing - Greater Kansas City

American flags lined the main road at Rockbridge Trout Resort, welcoming our Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing group.

It’s easy to understand why our annual Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing trip to Rockbridge Trout Resort is the favorite among our Greater Kansas City Program participants. We recently returned from our fifth expedition to Rockbridge, and each trip has been better than the last.

Rockbridge is a fishing and hunting ranch located about 30 minutes southeast of Ava. MO. This Ozark wonderland is owned and operated by the Amyx family, with a rich history dating back to the 1800s. Rockbridge used to be a bustling community, the county seat of Ozark County, with a sawmill and its own post office. The town is gone but Rockbridge still has a post office in the building serves as headquarters of the resort.

Project Healing Waters participants find peace on the river.

From the moment we arrived at Rockbridge, the Amyx family made us feel welcome, with the road to the lodge lined with American flags. Check-in went smoothly and most of our group headed to the stream to check out the water. It didn’t take long for us to realize that this was going to be an epic adventure.

We have always been impressed with the fighting nature of the fish here – Missouri steelhead, we call them. Fish would average about 15 inches in length, but would fight like those half again that size. This time, however, the fish were half again that size, averaging more than three pounds apiece, with several five- to six-pounders in the mix. You couldn’t horse these fish in, either: they took a minimum of 10-15 minutes to land, and most of us had the opportunity to test the knot connecting our fly line to the backing.

New participant Bob Weber made his first trout a memorable one.

Our trip started on a Wednesday morning, leaving Kansas City and arriving in time for a half-day of fishing, capped by a barbecue supper donated by Jack’s Stack Restaurant. Thursday began with breakfast prepared by program volunteers, after which our group attacked the water, stopping only for a streamside lunch of sandwiches prepared by the wonderful Rockbridge Restaurant (try the smoked trout salad!). The day ended with dinner at the restaurant and a bonfire in the fire ring. Volunteers prepared breakfast on Friday, followed by a half-day of fishing before returning to Kansas City.

That summary doesn’t begin to describe the trip, however. Our group included 17 participants – by far our largest contingent on this annual trek. Some were taking their first fly fishing trip. Others were catching their first trout. Still others were fishing for the first time with rods they built in the annual Project Healing Waters rod building competition. These are some of the memories that make the trip last forever. So, too, are the quiet moments on the stream in the still of a morning, shared among brothers in arms.

Prolonged standing and stream currents can be challenging for some participants, but Doc Pustka didn’t let that stop him. Volunteer David Cook stands ready to help Doc net his catch.

But don’t expect it to be quiet for long. Hardly a moment went by without someone – usually several someones – hooking a fish. Celebratory whoops intermingled with tactical advice – some of it serious, some of it sarcastic – Keep your rod tip up! Get him on the reel! Let him run! Don’t let him run into those tree roots!

The fish were brought to the net, followed by pictures and high-fives. Some participants, like Mike Davis and Steve Licata, always seemed to have a fish on. Others, especially those new to the sport, needed a little help, and volunteers tried to make sure that every Veteran got in on the fun.

Participants opened their fly boxes and shared their hand-tied creations with each other. Around the bonfire in the evening, they opened their hearts and shared their stories of the day.

Those stories continued on the ride home to Kansas City, along with a look ahead to next year’s Rockbridge trip. Because they just keep getting better.

Long-time participant Chuck Bradbury displays a six-pound trout that may have been the largest of the trip.

A bonfire marks the end of a perfect day of fishing for our Greater Kansas City program, and the fish stories required no exaggeration.

Our group wore Project Healing Waters shirts for RED Friday – Remember Everyone Deployed.

This year’s group of participants on our annual Rockbridge trip was our largest yet.

New State Record Silver Redhorse

Over the course of this summer, I have heard more about the Current River than I have ever heard in my life!  This press release just supports the idea that this place is a heck of a fishery and if I may say so, a place I haven't spent enough time on apparently.  Congratulations to Rick on achieving "State Record Holder" status.  It is something that I woudn't turn down, that's for sure!

Link: https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/birch-tree-angler-catches-state-record-silver-redhorse

Gunnar Brammer Flies

A few weeks ago I posted a video by Gunnar Brammer that described how to fish a streamer in fast, shallow water.  I have seen Gunnar's name attached to many fly tying videos as well and this is a good one that I just had to share.  I'm a sucker for good, new, and creative bass flies.  This little devil checked off all of three of those boxes and looks like a fly with a lot of potential.

Here's another smaller, simpler fly if the Slow Jig Clouser was maybe above your ability level.  This one is tied in a zonker style and almost everyone knows me, knows that I loves me some rabbit strip zonkers!

Link to Gunnar's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC39CXkqNdSX98adw6YdyvdQ

For more tying ideas, tutorials, and a blog, feel free to check out Gunnar's website as well:  https://streamersbygunnar.com/

The Making, and Fishing of, a Mepps Aglia Lure

In true Bill Heavey fashion, this article will make you smile, laugh, and wince in short order.  On top of that though, it is a pretty informational article about what could be called "America's Lure".  Too bad it originated and still partially comes from France.  Regardless, I can't see how anyone could do anything but learn and laugh at this fine piece of writing.

Link: https://www.fieldandstream.com/making-mepps-aglia-lure

Floating on the Missouri River

There isn't much time to sign up for the FREE Missouri River float trips that are being put on by the Missouri Department of Conservation.  Floating the Missouri has always been a dream of mine but I'll be honest, that sucker intimidates me.  The debris, the fast current, and the unfamiliarity are enough to scare me away.  However, with some folks that are experts on the matter, I think this would be a great experience that could lead to some amazing future experiences.  So if you live in the Kansas City area or don't mind driving her for the experience, don't hesitate signing up for this event and just pull the trigger on this thing!

Link: https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/mdc-offers-free-missouri-river-float-trips-kansas-city-aug-25

New Listing at the Online Store

Hey everybody, I just waned to give everyone a short update about the online store.  I am now selling Griffith's Gnats on the site.  I am hopeful to offer some more patterns soon and will slowly increase the number and types of products available.  There are other flies in stock as well such as John Deere's, Braves, and Bluegill Bumblebees.  The John Deere mini jigs have been really productive lately and have caught bass, redear sunfish, bluegill, catfish, and even small wipers.  If you're interested in different color combinations on these flies, feel free to contact me!  Also, if you are interested in ordering other patterns, just let me know.  I promise I will be honest with you and let you know what I can and cannot tie!  You can contact me through the Etsy store or at showmeflyguy@gmail.com.

Link to Online Store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheShowMeFlyGuy?ref=search_shop_redirect

Yes, There Are Hybrids in Watkins Mill State Park

Yesterday I headed out to Watkins Mill State Park to do a little evening fishing.  When I arrived, the water was calm and I could see fish working on the surface.  I figured it was probably schools of bluegill working together and decided to see if I could pick up a couple just for kicks.  After a few casts with nothing to show, I decided to leave my fly in the water while I moved to closer to the bank to work areas that had cover.  As usual, I was fishing a John Deere under a strike indicator.  Yes, technically I was trolling, I suppose, but that's not any sort of trolling setup I have ever used or even heard of.  So you can only imagine the shock on my face when it worked and I got a bite. 

The story gets better too.  The fish on the end of the line was a hard little fighter!  I just assumed it was a bluegill but it didn't act like a bluegill.  The fish didn't do the quick circles that bluegill are known for.  Instead, there were head shakes and deep dives.  When I got the fish to the boat, I was absolutely astonished.  It was a small hybrid striped bass or wiper!  I continued the same unconventional technique and picked up 3 more!

Now I heard about two years ago that hybrids had been stocked to control the growing shad population at Watkins Mill.  What I hadn't heard about was anyone catching of these little critters.  I asked lots of folks and most didn't know that they were in there, let alone had anyone landed one.  So catching a hybrid out there was something I really wanted to do but was pretty surprised that it happened.  I can't wait to see the size that these guys grow to in the next few years because this could get to be a lot of fun!

 

 

 

 

 

The Strangest Pond I've Ever Fished

Last weekend I had the chance to travel to a friend's farm near Jamesport, Missouri, with my two boys and my girlfriend Wendy.  There were a few ponds on the property and we caught fish at all of them but one definitely stuck out in terms of size and productivity.  This pond was small.  When I say small, I mean this thing was almost the size of an average driveway.  Now I know what you are probably thinking.  You're probably thinking that was some sort of exaggeration but I swear that it isn't.  You could cast all the way across the pond and fish it in a total of about 5 casts.  I almost refused to fish it because of its size to be honest, but I hadn't caught much that morning and thought I could pick up a few small fish.

It looked like the type of pond that would be overrun with small, stunted green sunfish.  I thought it would be fun to pick up a few small fish on a fly.  I threw a John Deere under a strike indicator but that only got a few nibbles.  I was about ready to just give up on the pond when the owner walked by.  He told me to try a plastic worm on the north side of the pond.  That seemed like a pretty big bait to use on such a small pond to me!  Then he told me that he routinely pulls 15 inch bass out of the pond!  Now I'm not one to call someone a liar on a whim, but I gotta say that I doubted his claim.  This guy is very intelligent and I didn't have a reason to think he was pulling my leg.  After a few more casts, I decided to pick up a spinning rod with a larger lure.

I had a medium heavy action rod with a Zoom chigger craw already rigged and ready to go.  I thought about changing to the suggested worm but I had such little faith in the owner's claim that I actually figured "What's the difference between not catching fish on a worm versus not catching fish on a craw?"  I walked back to the pond and made a cast.  Nothing.  Second cast, missed a bite.  Third cast, one pound bass.  Fourth cast, small bass.  Fifth cast, one and a half pound bass.  

I was in shock!  I was also bragging to everyone that would listen that I was catching a fish on almost every cast.  That got the attention of my girlfriend that had only caught small bluegill so far that morning.  She picked up the same rod and started catching bass on every cast too.

Then my oldest son hadn't caught anything all morning, and he reeled in a bass too.  I couldn't believe it!  He was thrilled and his smile says it all. 

Next up was Grayson.  I had just met this young man earlier that morning but I could tell he was a good kid.  This poor guy hadn't caught jack all morning!  I was hopeful that the bite would continue and produce a fish to avoid getting skunked.  He had never used a spinning rod before so I made a cast for him and his lure got SMASHED on the retrieve.  As if I wasn't shocked and amazed by this little pond already, my eyes almost popped out of my head when I saw what he had hooked.  It was a bass and noticeably larger than the other fish we had caught.  Grayson landed the fish like a pro and the tale of the tape was 18 inches long and 3.5 pounds!

We picked up a few more fish, but nothing the size of Grayson's bass.  After eating lunch, we headed to another pond where the owner of the property caught a nice catfish.  It was late in the day and we were about to head home when Wendy jokingly mentioned fishing the small pond one more time.  After we got everything packed up and ready to head home, I handed her the spinning rod that we had caught everything on earlier in the day.  This time it had a 1/4 ounce spinnerbait with a trailer hook.  I've caught a lot of farm pond bass on this set up before and was hopeful that she would catch one more nice bass on it as the sun was getting low.  

She didn't catch a single bass on it but this peculiar little pond that had produced so well over the course of the day had one more surprise in store for us.  As she was retrieving the lure, we saw a boil and she set the hook on a fish.  As she was bringing it in, I noticed that the fish sure had a lot of white to it.  As it got the the bank I realized that it was one of the biggest crappie I had ever seen.  In the end, she landed a crappie that was 13 inches and right at a pound!

Even after a few days and while I am typing this, I am still in shock that a pond so small could produce so many fish as well as fish with size to them!  I'm still not sure how this is possible but I sure know that I will carry the tale of the little pond near Jamesport with me for a long time!  I guess it just goes to show that you never know what to expect when you go fishing and that anything can happen at any time!