Autumnal coloration

After I was back from fishing, I took my wife and daughter to a forest park near our place to enjoy leaf coloration there. The park was so crowded because it was the best season to walk around there. We stayed a couple of hours there, and I took a lot of pictures.
The two ladies said they're too tired from walking, but it was not enough for me. Then, I ran 20 km in the evening after we're back.

The last chance? Maybe

It was very warm yesterday, so I expected that fish would get active today. I got up early and went fishing in the morning. The pond I fished in is located in a mountainous area, and the air temperature was almost as low as the freezing point, though water temperature was rather warmer. I wore so heavy layers of clothes that I didn't feel chilly, but my fingertips ached with coldness for the first time in this fall.  

I tried to fish as slowly and steadily as possible today, and used a wood lure, Gilmore Hoodler, to give a kind of irritating action to fish. After several casts, I saw a very small change on the water surface, and when I retrieved my lure, I fortunately caught a bass (automatically hooked).

Then, I tried faster actions as usual, but I got no reactions for a while. So I tried to take much longer pausing time. This worked well, and a big blow-up suddenly occurred when I fished around fallen glasses. I set a hook hard, and successfully caught another bass. It was not so big, but was a good fighter.

The irritating strategy worked again, and I got another good hit. It was also a good fighter, and I barely caught it (only one hook of the tail treble was hooked). The water was very clear and I could totally see how the fish swim, dive, and try to unhook in the water. 
It's already the late November, and ordinarily it's high time for me to winterize my bass fishing tackle. I felt very happy to enjoy fishing in this time of the year. 

 

Today's tackle:  
ABU Royal Gold LE, Daiko Prestige PBC-56L, Stren 12lb (Hi-Vis Gold), Gilmore Hoodler and Heddon Original Zara Spook.     

BF=18/29

Don't know when to give it up

We had a few warm days this week, and it was very fine this weekend. I had a lot of chores yesterday and today, but I tried to finish them one by one, as quickly as possible, and finally I could spare time for fishing on Sunday afternoon. 

I did NOT expect to catch a fish, because it's already late fall. However, I wanted to go fishing to try my new camera and lens. I recently bought a super wide-angle camera, Kenko DSC880DW, and a wide-angle (fish-eye) lens, Bower 7.5mm f/3.5.

It was good for me that I saw a fish chase my lure just after I started fishing. Then, my incentive got big. When I cast a Heddon Hedd Hunter Minnnow (with a tail prop) near fallen reeds, a big blow-up occurred. I set a hook hard, and enjoyed the fight. I could catch it, and it was about 1-3/4 or 2 lb bass. I was totally satisfied with it (I took some pictures of it, but I deleted the files by mistake).

After I caught it, I could catch a few more bass and bluegill, though they were small. Anyway, I could enjoy the fishing very much, and I now don't know when I should give up my topwater bass fishing. I was planning to run a full marathon next week, but it was cancelled because the course was crucially damaged by typhoons in September. I'd like to try going fishing again next weekend.

Today's tackle: ABU 5000 DL, Fenwick Fenglass Lunkerstik 2053, Stren 14lb (Hi-Vis gold), Heddon Lucky 13, Hedd Hunter Minnow (w/ prop on the tail), etc. 

  BF=17/28

In autumnal sunshine

After a series of typhoons in October, we have calmer days during the daytime, though it is getting cooler and cooler early in the morning and after sunset. The color of leaves around my place has not changed, yet, suggesting that I may have a few more chances to enjoy topwater bass fishing.

When I got to a pond and wore my waders, I felt 'wet' around my right foot. After I used them last time, I washed both outer- and inner- sides of them. I thought I dried them up, but it seemed some water was left inside the right sock part. Anyway, I started fishing with a feeling of a kind of discomfort on my right foot.

Water temperature was colder than I expected, and fish were very slow. A lot of fallen leaves were floating on the water surface of leeward side, and I felt difficulties to fish with topwater lures. I got some bites, but most were small, or I may say 'subtle'. I caught three small bass and one big bluegill, and I was very happy not to get skunked.

 

Today's tackle: ABU 5000 DL, Fenwick Lunker Gear LGX 38C, Stren 14lb (Hi-Vis gold), Heddon Zara Spook (NLT), Lucky 13, Chugger Spook, Hedd Hunter Minnow (w/ prop on the tail), etc. 

  BF=16/27