One thing I've learned over the years, is that you can't always judge a fishing trip, based only on the size of the fish you catch.
As I was recently reminded, quantity can sometimes be just as rewarding as quality...
I've always enjoyed fishing on overcast days. So, when the opportunity presented itself on a recent Tuesday morning, I decided to check out a local creek I hadn't previously fished.
Most local anglers will have at least heard of the Conewago Creek. I chose a spot in Northern York County, accessible through a patch of woods near a bridge..
When I arrived at the creek, there was another angler under the bridge, probably about 17 or 18 years old, using worms. Unfamiliar with the Conewago, I asked him what he was fishing for... to which he replied, "Well, I'm seeing some nice bass. But I can't figure out how to catch them!"
I wasn't immediatley encouraged. Not only by his admitted lack of success, but also because the creek seemed to be fairly shallow where I had entered south of the bridge, and the water was thick with vegetation... what a lot of fisherman often describe as "seaweed," that makes casting with a lure a constant pain. In conditions like this, you tend to get frustrated with the amount of grass you pull in, instead of fish.
So far, I wasn't impressed with the spot... But at least found one sign of life, in the form of a single sunflower growing out of a pile of debris dammed up behind the bridge during a flood.
For the first 45 minutes or so, I stayed fairly close to the bridge... Wading across to the far side of the creek, and making frequent casts of my black Rooster Tail lure.
No Luck.
As I made my way upstream, I got further away from the other fisherman, and after a few more minutes, noticed that he had given up and left altogether.
With the creek to myself, I decided to focus my attention on the western bank of the creek. The water was deeper on that side, and having sneeked up the eastern bank, I shouldn't have disturbed anthing.
With the change in approach, I also decided to change lures. This time, attaching a floating Rapala lure, with a rainbow trout pattern and dual treble hooks.
WHAMMY.
To my surprise, my efforts paid off in the form of a pleasant surprise... This Walleye is about 11-inches. No trophy for sure, but fun to catch.
By the way, if you've never caught a Walleye before, you may not know about one of the drawbacks... Big, sharp, teeth!
I admit, my BlackBerry doesn't take the greatest close shots... but if you look closely at the fish's lower jaw, you'll see why you don't want to tango with these guys, if you don't have to.
A few casts later, and another Walleye strikes the lure. Again, a little guy, but plenty of fun to catch. I'd describe catching a Walley as, a very hard initial strike, followed by the sensation that you're pulling in a dead log. Then, once the fish approaches the surface of the water, it tends to "freak out" a bit, making it a little difficult to get it in your hand.
Welcome some more species...
After catching a few more small Walleye, I again found myself pleasntly surprised. My next catch was this medium-sized Rock Bass. Note the red eyes, that account for one difference between the similar Small Mouth Bass...
Okay... I might as well just show you... Because I caught one of those, too!
The fattest catch of the day, this 12-inch Small Mouth Bass was no prize, but it did give me my third species of the day.
And to round things out... a fourth.
This Sunfish was actually quite a "whopper" by my standards. Not a bad fight in him, and you've got to be impressed with his imagination, thinking he could swallow a lure this size.
After about two hours of fishing the Conewago, the overcast sky was beginning to make way for some sun... And it was getting time to pack up my gear, and head back to my truck. After all, I still had to go to work!
And while none of the fish I hooked up with today were keepers or prize catches on anyone's scale... The concept of quantity over quality certainly was appreciated in this casual outing. And for that, if you ask me, it was still a trophy day on the creek.
Until next time,
-- Mike
