Stocker Trout Fishing News

Took the GoFish Cam camera yesterday for another round of scouting the local pond for what is lurking below. Had some catfish strike a doughbait but forgot to turn the GoFish Cam recording on. Lesson learned… went back this morning to scout the same spots plus a drainage channel that we know holds fish. Still have some adjustments to make with the GoFish Cam and its setup but did manage to capture the underwater action to include a bass that had a Panther Martin inline spinner in its mouth! Do stay tuned for more as we seek out other areas to go scouting with the GoFish Cam!

This round we talk about cast nets and catching bait… shad in particular.  Recently, we learned we could freeze shad for use at other lakes. That said, it’s has been hit or miss catching them. But, we do have a few bags ready to go for our next fishing trip. Do check out this week’s podcast where we talk about where, how, and why we cast net for bait!

For a change of pace, decided to checkout the Waterfall Pool at the local pond. Normally catch little Sunfish, Bluegill, and the occasional Bass. Brought the two-piece Micro Fly Rod and started fishing a Near Deere with the Corq Strike Indicator, but switched back to the Line Strike Indicator… fish seemed to be distracted from the fishing fly and wanting to strike the Corq. Also, tied a Scud on as the Near Deere was just too big for the little fish in the pool. Fun time catching and releasing the scrappy fish… but of course, had trouble with determining which cast would be the last cast for this trip… aka “one more cast” for your’s truly!

Made it back to Lavon Sunday for more cast net fun. Was working the beach area at Brockdale. Was able to wade further out until the water felt cooler and cast. Caught smaller Shad compared to the ones caught at Highland. Did shift to Highland and was able to add more Shad, filling a Ziploc bag. Was using an 8ft diameter cast net that we repaired. Did get the chance to try a fishing buddy’s 14ft diameter cast net earlier in the week. It’s heavy but sure covers lots of water!

Had a tough time catching shad for bait Thursday at Highland Park on Lake Lavon. With Charlie watching things and urging us on… was able to net enough Shad to fill a Ziploc Bag… in only 37 casts! At least it was a good workout! Did observe windy conditions, and the water was unusually warm as if you were in a bathtub. This may have impacted the Shad and their wanting to tend to a windward shoreline. Spot we tried has been a consistent producer of Shad in the past. Caught some nice size Shad; just took a lot of strikeouts to finally get enough to fill a pint size Ziploc bag. No worries… bait will come in handy for upcoming fishing trips!

This video answers the mail – a YouTube Viewer requested we show the hand hold we used in the video One Rod, No Reel. The intent of the One Rod, No Reel was to show quality fly line was more important than the fly reel, and the suggestion was to focus more on a quality fly line, followed by the fly rod, and then the fly reel for most fishing situations. In One Rod, No Reel, we used a premium but old 5wt WF Fly line that we have since retired… keeping about 8 yards of the forward portion of the fly line, attaching it to a short section of dacron backing, and a rubber band. We then attached the rubber band to the rod handle, and then demonstrated casting without a fly reel as well as catching a trout or two at a local pond. To answer the mail, we removed the 4wt fly reel that was zip tied to an Orvis Practicaster, and used the heavy “rope like” practice line that came with it to show the hand hold used. And since, we still had the fly line used in the One Rod, No Reel vi...

Mixing things up with the catch and cook recipes. This time going to cook the Catfish we caught Sunday at the local lake using a Blackened Fish Recipe. Recipe calls for the following: 1 Tablespoon of Lemon Pepper 1 Tablespoon of Garlic Powder 1 Teaspoon of Black Pepper 1 Teaspoon of Red Pepper (or less if you want less spicy) Salt to taste as desired, suggest less than a Teaspoon possibly 1/2 Pan fry preferably in a cast iron skillet using a 1/4 stick of butter and olive oil. Cook 1″ to 2″ for thin fillets, 3″ to 4″ minutes for thicker fillets on high heat. Fillets are done when white and flaky. Cook in 1″ increments each side if fillet does not flake with a fork. Do try it out first chance you get… it’s tasty!

Posted an earlier video that shows the items we like to keep at the ready in our kayak fishing jacket. As a follow-up, decided to grab the jacket and show the items we currently have pocketed away like… a whistle, extra line, multi-tool, etc! Do check it out!

Here is the follow-on video of yesterday’s kayak fishig trip to Lake Lavon. Bought new kayak fishing sandals from the Columbia Allen Outlet Store to replace the ones that “blew a flat” last year. Had to give them a “test drive” and take them fishing. Decided on putting in at Lavonia South Ramp. Lots of boats and jet skis but did manage to catch a nice Catfish, several Yellow Bass, and a Crappie. All caught bottom bouncing a Slab and Jig Rig by backpaddling the kayak along a drop off near the boat ramp. Fun stuff… do stay tune for more videos and be on the lookout for the new kayak fishing sandals, our footwear of choice in the Summer!

Been missing the kayaking sandals but finally found the replacement pair – Columbia’s Ridgeway! Water shoes were not cutting it; this will be our fourth pair of Columbia Sandals – First two were Santiams (I think), third one was the Riptide, and this one is a Ridgeway. Columbia is our favorite for fishing shirts and kayaking sandals…. will see how the Ridgeway works out this season and on! In the past, the sandals stay secure, can get wet but not slippery, and makes a cool tan line when you take them off! Do stay tuned for more kayak fishing videos… and be on the lookout for the Kayak Fishing Sandals!

Made it to Lavon for a chance at an evening round of kayak fishing the point at Brockdale Park. Another hot day but luckily not too hot to stop us from fishing! Arrived at the boat ramp with only one other boat at the park. Quick launch and was on the lake trolling shortly after. Fished a couple of hours without a strike, then shifted to the back paddling technique where we paddle the kayak backwards, and let the slab and jig rig bounce bottom. Managed to avoid a strikeout by getting one Yellow Bass. No worries… best thing about kayak fishing, can always get a workout in at least! Posted video of the trip, and then added past video from a trip last year that shows more details on the back paddling technique. Do check it out!

Monday made the run late in the day to Bethany Lakes. Was trying the Bennett’s Lunch fishing fly we picked up in Gruene a few weeks ago. Late start because the temps were hot that day… in the 100s, opted to wait till just before dark. No takers on the Bennett’s Lunch, will have to keep trying as we know it is a great pattern for Stripers and Bass. Did catch a couple of Bluegill on the Foam Spider using the Discount Switch Rod – Maxcatch Fly Rod, Orvis Fly Reel, and Rio Trout Max. MaxCatch 2wt Fly Rod: https://amzn.to/2UfM8FG Orvis Hydros Sl1 Fly Reel: https://amzn.to/2UiRCPS Rio Trout Max (200 grain): https://amzn.to/2HiT2Bs Rio SlickShooter Running Line (35lbs): https://amzn.to/2GGIVsZ

Throw back Wednesday to celebrate “Hump Day” and get us through the midweek blues… how about a catch and cook of trout we caught last season? Froze the trout in ice, and they stayed as fresh as the day we caught them last Winter. Used a Rubber Legged Near Deere to get them to strike! For cooking, decided to try a new recipe – Pan Fried Habanero Trout! Ingredients: Salt Pepper Garlic Powder Chopped Habanero (with or without the seeds, proceed with caution) Stocker Sized Rainbow Trout fillets Directions: Season fillets with salt, pepper, and garlic powder Sprinkle chopped Habanero over fillets Let sit in the refrigerator for two hours or more Pan fry in oil on high heat for two minutes each side. Three minutes if crunchy fillets are desired

This round we provide another update on the Team’s fishing activities this past week! Temps are in the 100s but somehow we have made the effort to continue fishing or at least do things related to fishing. We started out making much needed repairs to our Cast Net, broken braille lines and temp fixes were hindering our abililty to use fresh shad for Stripers, Gar, and Catfish! Next, the GoFish Camera arrived, have started fish scouting local ponds with some promising results. Hope to twaek our rig to get better action shots and clearer video of the fish. And then, the Saturday trip to Lake Lavon made for some fun times catching Catfish on juglines for the Beer Batter Fish Fry that evening… plus a nice Gar went for one of our lines; fun time playing with that one before finally releasing it. Have more things – fishing things, to do this next week. Do check back for another update!

Had a fun time kayak fishing Lake Lavon. The repairs to the cast net made for a much easier and faster means to catch Shad for bait. Brought jug lines to work the area of the point at Highland Park, bite started out fast, then slowed down as the temps rose. Did manage six Catfish – 5 Blue Catfish and 1 Channel Catfish, one Yellow Bass, and a Gar. Kept the Catfish for a Beer Batter Recipe Fish Fry as well as flash frozen fish fillets for later grilling! Release the Yellow Bass and the Gar. The Gar put up a nice fight but no POV action shots as your’s truly deleted the GoPro video by accident. Still managed to capture the essence of the trip… do check it out; was a fun time!

Took the new GoFish Camera out to City Complex Pond in Murphy, TX for some scouting… fish scouting for Bass! Used to do this in the past with the Water Wolf Camera but our efforts were on hold since we lost the camera last year. After several hits and misses using the GoPro Hero (older model), took advantage of the price drop of the GoFish Camera and ordered one. After a few oops in setting the camera, able to put a live bluegill on the hook and observe the underwater action. It was mainly bluegill and a little bass “eyeing” the live bait, and then it was turtle avoidance after the turtles started showing up and taking the bait! Did get a brief glimpse of a bass. Looked like one of the bigger bass that we used to see in pond in past years. Unfortunately, the pond’s clarity was not as good as it normally is. But, after tweaking the video settings and slowing the speed, we were able to see the outline of the bass. Good to know there is a nice size Bass still in the pond…...

Short notice quick trip to Lake Lavon at Highland Park for a chance at catching a fish or two kayaking one of of the points. Windy conditions and some waves to deal with, else no issues other than no fish on our hooks. After fishing a double rig using shad for bait, switched to trolling a slab and jig rig. Neither had a bite, so headed back to the boat ramp. Good thing we were able to catch some Shad else the trip would have been a strikeout! No worries, one of the reasons why we like kayak fishing… if no fish, can at least get workout in!

This podcast we recap the July 4 Weekend’s activities where we headed South to New Braunfels and Gruene to fish, kayak, and tube a river or two as well as have some tasty food and have a margarita or two or three or more… LOL! Key items this round: Faust Street Bridge Park Comal River at Landa Park Guadalupe River Cantina Del Rio Grist Mill Gruene Outfitters Upcoming fishing fun!

Been trying various cameras and rigs or underwater fishing videos like we did when we had the Water Wolf Camera. Ended up losing it last year, so have made several rigs for an old GoPro Hero. So far, able to observe fish and their reaction to treated and untreated Scud patterns as part of our test of the Gulp Garlic Marinade. Plan to continue “testing” as our results are inconclusive. Did get the itch to try capturing a live bait strike with a Bluegill… no luck this round, but did find old video from the Water Wolf Camera as a consolation. That said, since no Water Wolf Cameras are in stock, and learned GoFish – with a wireless feature, has cameras in stock. Placed an order! Do check back, plan to do more “testing” of the Gulp Marinade and live bait action shots! GoFish Camera: https://amzn.to/3gBYgsj

Second test of the Gulp Garlic Marinade. Another inconclusive test that requires us to continue testing to answer the question… Does Gulp Garlic Marinade work? This round, it appeared the fish liked the Gulp when initially treated with scent, but once diluted after soaking in the pond after several casts, it was not certain if it made a difference to the fish. Lesson learned… need to reapply the Gulp often. Will try this next round!

Had a fun Friday on the Guadalupe River kayaking and fishing. Water flow was slow; mainly paddled upstream and observed the “tube hatch” as we kayaked to the 3rd Crossing. Did catch a couple of Bluegill and a little Bass. Caught one using a Kastmaster with its hooks removed and a trailing scud. Caught the other two using a Roostertail. Although the fishing was slow, gotta a good workout in paddling upriver and downriver! Happy 4th of July!

Made it to New Braunfels for some fishing fun. Planned to fish the Guadalupe River by Faust Street Bridge, but it was closed. Headed to Landa Park and fished the Comal River. Was a slow bite with only one Bluegill and a Bass caught. Both went for a Guadalupana!

Here is the follow up video we mentioned on one of our earlier iFishNews Fishing Podcast and YouTube video about Micro Fly Rods. This video shows five micro flyrods – three are ones we made and have a micro flyreel mounted on them, and two are practice fly rods from Redington and Orvis with a flyreel zip tied to the handle. We marked 25 feet as a reference, and then cast the rods to show the 25 feet distance is readily attained. There was a strong crosswind and one of the rods had less than 25 feet of line but overall all rods could easily cast 25 feet. That said, based on time fishing with them, there are several that can cast well past 25 feet. Fun stuff! Also, here are links to Amazon showing the practice fly rods we converted to micro fly rods: Redington Form: https://amzn.to/3esIjV2 Orvis Practicaster: https://amzn.to/2YkqMbD Pen Rod / Reel: https://amzn.to/2BwaELD