The BGW Comes Through

After my last visit to Lake Evans I was ready to redeem myself.

I was going to go back to Cypress Flats and fish the BGW and catch that big mouthed baby if it was the last thing I did.



You can see the small cypress tree in the photo and I felt sure that if I snaked the BGW across the shallows I would find the usual hungry fish waiting there for me.

After several casts with no takers, I began working my way around the pond to a sunken brushpile. I got a hit but didn't give it enough time before trying to set the hook and pulled it out of his mouth.

Fishing this time of year can sure be tricky! The fish are not very active due to the water temperature and low oxygen levels but I wasn't going home skunked tonight.



I got to enjoy a nice sunset and put on my game face as darkness fell on Lake Evans.


I made a long cast to within 2 feet of the opposite shore near a small point when I felt the old familiar feeling - "tap-tap-tap" and I gave plenty of slack to insure that the fish had the whole worm in his mouth.

Then I tried to pull his lips off!



Yee Haw! The fight was on! I made sure that I got this one to "smile for the birdie" before turning him loose.

The agony of defeat has turned to sweet victory.

Fishing is great and I love it but tonight I was reminded that the ultimate goal is to catch a fish.

Lost My Touch

After being gone for so long it was time to take a trip to Lake Evans to see if I could still catch a bass or if I had lost my touch.

The water level is still low and the heat of the summer has the fish off their feed.

I started with a new Zoom Horny Toad called Watermelon Crawfish.


It seemed like just the right color for the bass in Evans Lake.

I approached the lake from the East so I could cast in a shallow area I call Cypress Flats that is known cruising territory for big fish.

I made a good cast and sure enough I had a taker as the big fish violently engulfed the soft plastic frog.

Then I smartly jerked it out of his mouth!

What was I doing? Where had my sensibility gone? I reacted to the take just like the first time I saw a rise to a topwater lure - pure adrenalin reaction.

OK lets try again. I fished the toad for a while but didn't get another strike.

I switched to another new bait called a Slug-Go.

I had watched Robert Young at Rio Brazos use one and was intrigued. This soft plastic stick bait has great action and the one I had was colored like a baby bass. Nothing doing.

Sooner or later I will learn that the magic of Evans Lake is that there is one bait I can always count on. I put on the BGW and took a few casts when I got a hook up.

I would like to say that I landed the fish and had a good picture to post. Infortunately in my rush to beach the big-mouthed beauty I practiced the art of LDCR.

I guess I will have to settle for another beautiful sunset over Lake Evans.



Always worth the price of admission.

Carpo Diablo

Today I was up early hunting carp.

I was stalking along the rocky shoreline looking for bronze backs and tails in the early morning sunlight. I found several pods of feeding fish and tried everything I could think of to throw at them. I tried nymphs, streamers and dries but nothing seemed to interest the big beauties as they worked along the rocks in the shallows. I found that I could get close enough but most casts eventually got hung up in the algae covered rocks. I would get one or two casts before the fish would spook to the deeper waters.

As the sun got higher the carp moved off shore to feed or up into a favorite holding spot near a rock or cove. I was about to give it up for this morning when I saw a nice pod of about 5 carp still feeding in a protected area that the sun had not yet fully reached.

It was going to be extra challenging since there was a lot of wood – logs, sticks submerged branches, and roots - in this area. I could tell that I was only going to get one shot and it had to be a good one.

I tied on a small non-descript nymph that was mostly peacock herl wrapped on a #18 lead weighted hook. The fish seemed to be eating the vegetation off the rocks and wood so maybe this would look like a chunk of algae.

One nice fish pulled away from the main group and I eased into position to make a cast. The carp was working the edge of a submerged log and I tried to cast alongside the log.



You can probably guess what happened – I made a great cast but hooked the log instead of the fish! I froze and tried to contemplate my next move. The carp slowly turned and swam directly at me trying to figure out what I was. I stood like a statue as he approached and rolled on his side to look up at me. He passed within two feet of my legs and headed out to deeper water as I stood there with my mouth open and my fly hooked on a log.

Next time I will come prepared for battle.

I'm already thinking about tying a "dog food fly"



Grow big and fat my friend....



For now I'll stick to what I know:


Green Sunfish


Pumpkinseed


I also got some nice pictures of a butterfly feeding on a thistle

Solo Hummer

While amusing myself with the "seed eaters" I noticed this female hummer working the nearby cedar tree looking at the blue berries. It then took a perch in the oak next to me and began preening.

That's what I call a Minolta Moment.


Hey! Where is the nectar?


Suspended Flight


Sitting Pretty


Soothing the Itch


Fluffing Up


Profile


Now I feel Better!

Back to the Feeder

Here are some more scenes from the bird feeder.

Tufted Titmouse


Three Amigos


One at a Time


Bird Feeder Buddies

Chillin' Out

How do you beat the heat when you are covered with Feathers or Fur?

You've just filled up on some free seeds and nuts
compliments of the generous park guests.



Now you need to chill out for a while.

First look both ways...


Next stretch out below a nice shade tree.


Then take a nice long nap.


If you are woried about wandering poochies or errant weed whackers,
try the loft.



For the risk takers in the crowd,
the asphalt can be smooth and cool in the shade.

Be advised, those RV drivers can be dangerous! Look first..


Then..... ahhhhhhh


If done correctly this can fool passersby into thinking you are already history but not so much that the buzzards start gathering.




Oh yeah - don't forget to tell your friends!

Fishing Report - Arcadia Lake

Ok I have been fishing.
I know it's hard to believe but somebody's got to do it.

I got up early one morning and yesterday I got to fish most of the day as Tracy went with her Aunt Linda to see her grandmother in Madill. They had a nice visit but got caught up in a traffic jam on the return trip due to a fire in the Arbuckle Mountain area.


Smoke billows Thursday from a wildfire that forced authorities to close Interstate 35 near Davis. The interstate remained closed Thursday evening.
Photo by Don Alquist, The Daily Ardmoreite

Wildfires that consumed about 1,200 acres Thursday are largely under control today. Firefighters struggled overnight to keep lines of fire from overtaking structures in the Arbuckle Mountains and are now monitoring hot spots to ensure the flames don’t flare up again.

The fire is a reminder of the severe drought in southern Oklahoma and the extremely hot and dry conditions make it possible for more fires to continue if there is no relief.

The hot and dry condiutions also makes the fishing challenging for the fish and the fishermen.

I started out using a small crawfish on the ultralight.
There were some willing bass along the rocky shoreline.

This guy had a fat belly.



These bass were all small but very scrappy.



Next I switched to the flyrod and caught several bluegill along the ledge.
They liked the hand-tied nymph from Needville.



Later when it got almost too hot to fish (not)
I worked some magic off a boat dock on the other side of the bay.
I had purchased some bait shrimp and thought I might find a catfish or two.




More small bass



This nice bluegill had some pretty coloration



I also found some big green sunfish like this chunk.



The bluegill liked the shrimp too!



I found a "nest" of these small catfish.
They came to the bait shrimp like an Atkins dieter to a honey bun.



In the evening as the wind died down,
I switched back to the flyrod and the nymph.
This bass took a #14 hare's ear with a partridge style wet hackle. Yum!




Bluegill on the flyrod. It doesn't get much better!

There are some nice carp along the shoreline and in the flats.

They are my next target.


I want to catch a carp on the fly!

The boys at Bass Pro told me to bait them with floating dog food and then through a fly that looks similar to dog food......

Maybe - but first I want to try something else.
Stay tuned.

Bird Feeder Blues

I don't know what day it is. I guess that means I'm on vacation.

I'm not wearing a watch and I try not to wake up too early.

One of our favorite pastimes used to be feeding and watching birds. At our home in Needville we don't have too many interesting birds and there are too many sparrows.

Out here in Central State Park however, there are some nice birds including several juvenile cardinals, some chickadees and tufted titmice.

Oh yeah - there are also plenty of squirrels.

I'm tired from having to work so hard keeping up with all the responsibility of keeping the feeder filled. And the squirrels keep messing up the corn feeder we put up just for them. It's just exhausting........

Black Capped Chickadee


Mama Cardinal


Papa Cardinal


Guarding the tree


Youngster


Buddies


Tasty Snack


At the Feeder

Maybe I need to go fishing so I can relax!