Leadwood Access on Big River

” I  often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day.” – Vincent Van Gogh

Rain was out of the forecast for a few days so I thought I better take advantage of it so I headed for the river.  I got on the river around 5 am looking for a relaxing night.  I planned to set out 10 limb lines and do a little tight line fishing and naturally some bass fishing.

As I paddled up river to my turn around point, looking as I went for a place to set up camp.  I don’t require much, just a place to build a fire and a place to beach the yak.  I had two places in mind.  As I worked my way up river I set my limb lines and would come back at dusk and bait them.

Bad news was that the river was dropping and that was going to hurt the fishing.  I had a whole arsenal to throw at them and was hoping I could figure out the right combination. Didn’t take too long for them to let me know they apparently didn’t like my menu.  All night fishing and all I caught that night was a channel catfish around 4:30 am.

Camp was a sand/gravel bar.   I was tight line fishing off the bar.  This is where I caught the channel cat.  I only had one other bite.  The temps had dropped into the upper 40s and it was a little brisk so I got a fire going.  Now I am here to tell ya, it is hard to get a fire going with wet wood and a magnesium fire starter.  McGyver would have been proud of me.  I sat there in front of the fire listening to the crickets and the bull frogs.  Then the yotes joined in.  They gave quite the concert.  I even had six of the yotes appear on the ground above where I had built the fire.  I named them the showmen.  They put on quite a show, yipping, barking and growling.  They finally disappeared into the woods and I was alone once again on the river bank.

Up river from Leadwood Access

It had been some time since the yotes had visited me when I looked down the river toward a bend below where I was and I noticed the moon beams creeping into the darkness.  As the moon rose higher and lit more of the river up the “ghost dance” began.  As the moon light reaches out into the darkness and lights the river, one can see the fog lifting off to the sky.  I call it the “ghost dance” because when I see it happening I think it looks like ghosts dancing as they are lifted into the heavens.

My fire felt good.

The sun began its ascent in the eastern sky and signaled that a new day had begun.  I cleaned up camp and secured all trash in the yak and I shoved off.  I started running the limb lines down river from camp and would work my way back up river.  Nothing on any of the lines and a lot of them still had bait left.  Oh well better luck next time.

Largemouth Bass

On the way back down the river I managed to catch an eleven and a half inch smallmouth and Saturday evening I caught a 13 inch largemouth.  My time on the river was coming to a close.  I felt sadness in my heart but I also felt excitement caused by wondering what adventure would the river bring me next time.

Smallmouth Bass

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed my adventure.  Be kind to one another, share the love and don’t squat with your spurs on.  God Bless you one and all