There is something different about chasing smallmouth in a river compared to fishing a lake. River smallmouth act like they are constantly training for a fight. They live in current, they feed with purpose, and they hit a lure like they are trying to break it in half. If you have never fished for them in moving water, you are missing out on some of the most fun and rewarding fishing out there.
Hey there, fellow anglers! Today, I’m diving into one of my favorite tricks for reeling in those bucket-mouth bass, the whacky rig. Now, if you’re scratching your head wondering what in the heck a whacky rig is, don’t worry, you’re in for a treat.
Growing up amid the wild beauty of northern Wisconsin, where a trip to the nearest Walmart meant a solid hour's drive, my childhood in Winter, WI was nothing short of an outdoorsman's dream. The woods were my playground, and while hunting held its allure, it was the world of fishing that truly captivated me. My initiation into the realm of musky fishing began early, courtesy of my father, and I can still picture myself wielding an old Shakespeare medium-heavy rod during my middle school days, attempting to conquer the elusive creatures that were said to be the fish of a thousand casts.
Introduction:
Last week Erik and Tyler with the CookHuntFish crew set out on Orman Lake in sunny South Dakota. The goal was to get dialed in with our bow fishing set-ups for the first time for Tyler, and for the first time in 10+ years for Erik. Now bow fishing to me seems confusing as I don't know if I am fishing or hunting. In a sense you are fishing because you are shooting fish in the water. On the flip side, it could be hunting because you are hunting the fish using a bow and arrow set up for bow fishing. I reckon this is one of those "glass half empty or half full", or "apples to oranges" type scenarios. Whatever the hell it may be, all I know is that it was a slam-packed day with arrows flying at carp, excitement was high, foul words were said, and memories were made.
It all started out on a foggy damp day along the coast of NC. I met up with my buddy Dustin at 4 in the morning and set out for the day pulling the boat. After a quick stop at the gas station for some energy drinks and some grub for the stomach, we hit the ramp. When we launched the boat, it was still dark, but we made it to where we wanted to fish at. Almost right away we had started throwing Mirror Lures and the bite was hot hooking Speckled Trout left and right. There were a few times we even doubled up on them! As fast as the bite came, it left, so we eventually made our way from the creek to the mighty Neuse River that would eventually connect to the Pamlico Sound. We got a mile or so putting along the creek with the trolling motor, and off in the distance we saw a ton of smoke. We were wondering if it was a yacht on fire, or even one of the waterfront homes on fire. When we got closer, we were soon mistaken as the worst fog we had ever seen swallowed us!
