Field Reporter
@anorak_szn
Date:
March 2022
Location:
Potomac River, Maryland
Target Fish:
Smallmouth, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout
Trout size: 2 lb, 17 inches
Fishing Style:
BFS (Bait Finesse System) Creek fishing
Tackle Information:
-
- Rod: Smith SS4 – Custom 51UL
- Reel: Daiwa Japan Silver Creek Air TW Stream Custom
- Line: VARIVAS Double Cross PE 8 (Gou #0.6, 9.6 lb)
- Leader: VARIVAS Area Super Trout Master Limited Shock Leader VSP Fluorocarbon (Gou #0.8, 4 lb)
- Lure: D-Smith Compact 38s Minnow
- Hook: VanFook Minnow Expert ME-31BL Single Barbless Replacement Hooks, size 8
A fun day of fishing at a not-so-local park stream. Temps were much lower than the seasonal average with wind and a bit of snow. I had been to this spot one time before and was pleasantly surprised with creek smallmouth. This day was a touch cold for bass, but I was in for a fortunate surprise.
I started with a minnow lure on a typical retrieve but figured out quickly that with the current, I needed to allow the minnow to sink a bit in the deeper pools rather than being washed out. Once the lure was allowed to drift and fall, the current would eventually cross over into deeper water. The trick was to jerk it out of the deeper pools, triggering a bite. This proved to be successful because all my catches and bites were duplicated using this tactic.
The rod and reel I brought were a treat to use. It allowed me to throw these 2.5-gram minnows with solid distance and accuracy. The keys to my success, I feel, had a lot to do with the line, VARIVAS Double Cross PE x8 braid, which kept me out of trouble, even with the wind. The weather was less than favorable for casting, but the stiffness of the line allowed it to stay true, which enabled me to fish more and deal less with line management issues. Medium to short accurate casts and the hi-vis color always let me know where the lure was within the fast-moving water. The sinking nature of the line was vital. It allowed me to get down quickly and keep my lure from washing out over those deeper pools. A floating line would have made it more challenging to keep the lure in front of them. It’s a game of inches, as they say. Rocks and underwater foliage provided an additional hurdle. The thickness and added strength to the diameter from the older version is a bonus because you want that thin line for casting distance, but still need that assurance in strength and abrasion resistance.
This turned out to be a great day. It was truly touch and go for a minute, because of the responsibilities, distance, and unseasonal weather. But it just goes to show you that if you are prepared with the proper gear and willing, wonderful things can happen.
Learn more about @anorak_szn‘s fishing tales, visit his on social media channels:
Thanks @anorak_szn for sharing these photos of your surprise catch and description on what it took to get them biting. Wishing you more days of fun fishing surprises. – from VARIVAS Staff
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