Monday, April 26, 2010

Sweet bucket on a mixed-bag weather day

(Above: Sweet bucket on a “mixed-bag” weather spring day in Colorado. I do not control the weather and have to fish through whatever comes my way.)

Can you believe we are still getting snow in Colorado? I drive through a near whiteout and then fish for bass. Yes I know…its lunacy. My only hope was that water temps would carry over from the past few days when everything was so sunshine sparklingly and warm.


This is the snow I faced going up I-70 trying to fish Clear Creek up by Idaho Springs earlier in the day. Fish for an hour or so with no bites, flashes or follows. Back on I-70 and head back down to Denver.

Finally reach the pond and the shoreline is wet but not too muddy. I feel the water and it is warm. Work a few areas and nothing. Moments go by as I work every nook and cranny of water trying not to get discouraged. Fishing is as much of a mental game with yourself as it is test of knowledge, skill and fishing conditions.

One the way back I take a second cast structure that had been a no-go earlier before. I feel the bump on the line like a small tremor of electricity to my hand. My elbow springs back the hookset and my lips mutter that common phrase, “Come on baby. Hold on!”

The fish was landed and released quickly after a short photo op. A small hike out, back in the truck and then return to blizzard watch. Never a dull moment with the weather in Colorado this year.

My name is Matt and I’m a fishaholic.

4 comments:

Bigerrfish said...

ha ha Bucket... I like it, and a bucket it was... do you eat those fish? or let them get smarter?

Bill said...

Very nice fish!

Coloradocasters said...

Bigerrfish...I tend to release all of my fish especially the big ones. This fish was released and swims to reproduce many more future buckets. If I am in a keeping mood (as I do eat a fish from time to time) I will take one of the common size slot of whatever species is prevalent.

Bigerrfish said...

glad to hear I saw a guy take an 8lb large mouth from the local pond the otherday....Im thinking big ones taiste nasty anyhow.... I dont eat fresh water fish myself