Even a blind squirrel ..

[hookup]

... finds a fish during the red moon

A buddy and I hooked up at o'dark thirty to do some water I've done recently a couple times.

This time it was different.

We started catching them immediately and loosing them. You could tell by the cussing.

Moon was red, air was like smoking cigs, river was ours.

Stumbled on the pattern after a few hours and it was a Cinderella session the rest of the day

Did I say there was allot of cussing due to missed strikes? From both of us?

Here are two of the high lights





edit. Those are different fish

 

[Hawnjigs]

Man, those are some bloated gluttons - what are they eating?

The bottom fish is particularly impressive, how much did it weigh?

As mentioned previously, maybe bigger smallies have harder mouth structure resisting fully penetrative hooksets?

 

[hookup]

Top fish was the big girl. She was 19.5" and was heavy. Bottom fish was 18" and heavy too. No scale.

I have two theories and not sure if they work together? First, the red sun. It was hazy, dark & dull all day. No sun shone through. I believe fish become more active during this time because they aren't as easily spotted from a predator in blue bird skies. Second, is the water and fish were full of cray fish. They were actively feeding on them and I believe this causes a frenzy where they throw caution to the wind and eat. Not sure if the crayfish being out was a function of the red sun?

 

[Hawnjigs]

Shucks boy, out here they call em crawdads. Was your lure choice imitating them?

 

[hookup]

Shucks boy, out here they call em crawdads. Was your lure choice imitating them?

Nope

Fluke

Not even the secret color swim bait would solicit a bite

 

[Hawnjigs]

So much for "match the hatch", eh ? Maybe show em something different ?

 

[hookup]

So much for "match the hatch", eh ? Maybe show em something different ?

Fish were chasing. Drop it in front of their noses and they bite.