9-23-2011 - Private Ponds

Since the weather has been getting gradually cooler, I've slowed down a bit on fishing because I'm stuck in the time period where the bass, carp, drum, panfish, etc. start to slow down a bit and the pike haven't started up heavy yet. I used to fill this gap by chasing salmon up in Michigan, but I'm not going this year. That's not to say that the fish don't bite though. I killed some time yesterday chasing largemouth bass and bluegill at the ponds yesterday afternoon for a couple of hours. It turns out the mini-clousers colored like emerald shiners bring out the cannibalistic behavior in bass. While in the water, the olive top turns darker and when combined with the flash and white belly, it makes the fly appear very similar to bass fry. I caught a largemouth bass about two feet from me in the first thirty seconds of fishing. I ended the day with six fish under my belt, so I was pleased to not walk away empty-handed. Here's some pictures for all of you.