I'd Be Lyin' If I Said It Was a Surprise

Having read Charlie's fishing report last evening, I knew there was a better than average chance ol' Pepe would show his face today, and my instincts were right. Charlie said West Neck was muddy and filled with all kinds of floating debris yesterday, and those same conditions still were prevalent today--both above and below the bridge. Without sounding too gross, you might say the creek was "butt ugly."

Even so, Charlie managed to catch a few bass yesterday, and while I came up empty-handed today, some fared better. I twice talked to a couple guys fishing together, and during the second conversation this afternoon, I learned they had boated a couple of nice bass earlier on topwater baits. The man on the front seat told me they had caught a 5-14 and one over 3. He and his buddy both were throwing buzzbaits as they relayed this information to me.

I also ran across Steve Bailey and Rob Peppers in the creek today, but I didn't get a report from either one--just exchanged greetings, instead.

I can't tell you how many times over the years I've seen West Neck and other creeks along the North Landing during low water, but I still am amazed at some of the stuff you see that's usually completely underwater. It's an education I would urge all to get but only when the conditions are safe.

I bring up the matter of safety because of something Charlie shared with me in his email last evening. He told me there were a couple of guys launching boats at the ramp when he came in yesterday, even though their trailers were at the end of the ramp, with no water touching any part of the boat. Both parties somehow managed to get their boats in the water, but I don't need to have been there to tell you that whatever they did was, in no way, safe.

We all were given a brain--the problem is that it's up to us as to when, or if, we use it. I love to fish as much as the next man or woman, but I can assure you I will not, under any circumstances, ever try to launch my boat when it won't float off my trailer. That's just asking for trouble, and even though those gents yesterday dodged a bullet, there's no guarantee they'll be successful the next time.

My email inbox this morning (Wednesday, April 20th) had a note from Ron Ameika, giving me details of the Tuesday evening trip he and his son, Alex, had taken to Tecumseh.

Ron scored this 1-12 bass on a Pop R, as well as his first gar of the season on an XTS Minnow.

Meanwhile, Alex used a jig with craw trailer to boat the 1-15 bass at right.

Said Ron, "It was nice to be out in the warm and windless weather. He also noted they had spotted a few snakes and many birds of prey that "were catching many more than us."

I didn't mention it in my post above, but I watched the birds in West Neck yesterday also put on a clinic in how to catch fish. And, near the end of my day, I saw a moccasin all curled up in the hollow of an old cypress. Don't reckon I need to tell you that I just kept on keeping on in the direction I was headed.