First fish in a semi-eddy area between two faster current lanes nailed a chartuese Mann's 1-. This was after getting the MOTHER of all backlashes on my bait caster when hooking another rod with a spinnerbait on the backcast. The 14" guy nailed on a steady retrieve.
Tried a few more casts with the crank bait, Winco counter rotating buzz bait and Winco Predator Craw with no luck, so it was on to the next spot. As I was floating down to fish below the next riffle at the head of the next pool, two 10-11" smallies nailed the buzz bait. I went through the riffle at the head of the pool and swung into the bank so I could stand outside of the Tarpon and focus on hitting the current seam area. Little did I know what was about to happen
I saw a small bass chase a baitfish right in front of me, so I tried a couple of casts with the buzz bait and a finesse War Eagle Spinnerbait (sexy shad ?) with no luck. So I picked up the 3.25" Predator Craw rigged on a 1/8oz Predator Craw & threw into the faster current to let it drift/bang the bottom. It was GAME on for the next 30 minutes. I picked up 14 smallmouth all from 15.25" down to 10" letting the Craw drift in the faster current. There were a couple of stretches when I had a hit every cast, with a few getting off here and there. They were either slamming it or just there when I reeled up slack. I got another swipe or two on the buzz bait, but they wanted the Craw bounced on the bottom.
I went through my last couple 3.25" Predator Craws I had with me, from pinchers being bitten off & losing last one because I didn't check the leader. So I put on one of DT's jig and craws and caught another one from the area. This was like it was about a month and half ago with DT, where fish were nailing the jig and craws every cast or every other cast.
Here is the 15", a 14 or 14.5", the 15.25", and a 14" all caught from a 50' area at the head of the pool right in the faster current.
Once the action died at this spot, because you never leave fish to find fish (thanks HookUp), I moved down to the head of the next pool below rapids. I upgraded to a 3.75" Predator Craw and managed a couple of little smallies. Hit another similar area & caught two more little guys on the Craw & buzz bait.
But at least one big smallie managed to get some payback for the rest of them. I was up fishing the middle of another pool, again in faster current area, throwing the War Eagle spinnerbait. About the 2nd or 3rd cast it got smacked & a solid 18"+ smallie cleared the water. AND TOSSED THE SPINNERBAIT
Guess he had just enough slack or was the fish that took the trailer hook from the hole in the plastic holder getting too big.But I did manage to end the day with two little smallies on the spinnerbait, got the pic of this one.
All in all, still one heck of a morning. 24 smallies in 2.5 hours with my first two entries for the Regional Challenge Series. I'll take that
