jude

Finally got to put the JudeBug to the test in slider mode yesterday. I was confident of it in popper mode, 'cause I caught gobs on it last summer. As far as slider mode goes, I knew I liked the action from tests in ponds earlier in the year, but hadn't really fly fished (fished period, actually) much to give it a real field test. Went to the S. Branch of the Kish (Deer Run) around 1:00 yesterday. By 4:30, I'd only caught one on a clouser. I was standing on the bank jigging the clouser in a hole, so I can hardly even say I was fly fishing. I was thinking of calling it quits, but opted to head up a different arm of the river. I flipped a white JudeBug into slider mode and cast upstream towards some sunken branches in a still area. As I stripped the Bug past the debris, I saw the flash and set the hook on my first smallie ever in slider mode. He was only about 10", but I was pumped anyway! I proceeded to pull several more out of the same area before heading upstream to a creek mouth. The action really picked up at the creek mouth. I would cast up into the creek, and as the Bug entered the main flow it would get nailed. The water was clear enough that I saw almost every strike. I was in HEAVEN. None were huge, two were about 12" and fat. But I ended up getting 14 smallies on the same white JudeBug in about two hours! God I love this hobby!

"SPOON!!!"

I'm a huge fan of the J7 Silver and Black Foating Rapala. If I only had one lure, that's it!

How'd it go, Rich...any progress?

I've got a similar system I use to avoid handling the fish. I usually release them when they're fifteen or twenty feet away. It keeps me from getting that fishy smell on my hands.

Sounds like a blast. Any specific day mentioned?

I will not be able to attend.

I've never been a real big "color" guy. I doubt it makes much of a difference. Last year I used mostly black. I figured black would stand out most to a fish looking up. Then, when Holschlag ordered his, he asked for bright colors, mainly yellow and white. He agreed with me that color didn't matter too much to the fish. His logic for wanting brighter colors was to make it easier for the fisherman to see it. That makes sense to me. Also, with the amount of backlighting as a fish looks up at a topwater, probably anything looks black. As a matter of fact, I just got up from the computer and did a little experiment. I turned all the lights off in the kitchen. I faced the window (surface) from the darkened room (river bottom) and held a black Bug in one hand and a yellow Bug in the other. I held them both out towards the window, and due to the backlighting, there was very little difference. I guess that answers my question! Since they look pretty much the same to the fish, why not use a brighter bug to improve visibility? In popper mode, I fish it with a pop and pause, pop and pause, varying the pause. Sometimes during the pause I shake the rod tip to impart a little quiver as it sits. To get the best pop, I point the rod tip towards the Bug, putting the tip almost in the water. A quick jerk/strip of the line makes a nice splashy pop. In slider mode in slow water I sweep the rod a couple feet then stop and let the bug drift back towards the surface. I find that works better than trying to strip it in. In current, I let it get way dowstream of me and then slowly strip it back. The current keeps it a foot or so below the surface.

Mark, I'll be putting two in the mail to you this afternoon. Let me know what you think! (Just be careful)

Good point, Joseph. I really should warn people about the dangers of being near water with an exposed Jude Bug anywhere on your person. Here's a true story: My wife's cousin's friend has a co-worker who bought some Jude Bugs. He was wading in the West branch of the East Kishwaukee River fishing for smallies. He's one of those guys that keeps some flies on his hat. Well, as he approached a hole on an outside bend that was know to hold huge smallies, the mother of all smallies jumped out of the hole after the Jude Bug that was stuck in the poor guys hat. Took his head clean off. They say it was a thirty incher.

OK, Jim. You started it: What did the smallie say when it swam into a concrete wall? v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v DAM!

Gurgler Schmurgler. PM me your address and I'll send you a freebie or two. (that goes for any ISA guys) It's now tied as a popper/slider convertible. With the hood forward it's a popper. Flip it backwards and it's a slider. Not all the ones that I gave away at the blowout work that way, but from here on out they all will be convertible. On the advice of Joseph, I've also gone to a slightly heavier, wider gapped hook. Thanks for the kind words, Joseph.

Informative post, Jamie. Thanks.

Getting Googled by your wife is a lot more fun than Googling yourself.

That would be the mighty Kishwaukee River. Not worth fishing. Nope. No fish there. Actually, I've never fished it in that area, but my guess is that it would be worth trying.

Orange kayak reflection?

That first one's awfully skinny for a flounder. Pic #2 really should have that beer looter dude somewhere in the background.

Salesman and politician. Congrats, Gregg. I'll take an autographed copy too!

Just got mine in the mail today, and all I can say is..WOW! Scott...you outdid yourself! Awfully impressive for a club newsletter!

I feel your pain. I looked at my river this morning and finally see signs of a sandbar! There's hope! (As long as we don't get any of the thunderstorms they're talking about. ) It's gotten so bad that, hard as it is to admit, I've been chasing greenies at a pond. Does that endanger my ISA membership?

I fished the Apple five or six times last year. If that site is chosen, it would give me an excuse to go there more often! The question is: are there enough ISA guys who fish the Apple often enough for this to work?

So are we talking about one specific site, or several scattered sites? I think that will determine who gets involved and to what extent. Chime in, guys!

Sounds pretty industrious. If we could get a high level of volunteer involvement/commitment it sounds like a very cool project. How many sites are we talking about? Obviously, individual involvement would depend on site location. If one site happened to be on the Kish, I'd be extremely involved. If all the sites were forty or fifty miles away, I'd be less involved. I already keep a diary so that's a no brainer for me. (this would force me to be more diligent) As far as the other "would you be willing"s, yes. I know I spend a lot of time on the river, so why not take advantage of that time and put it to good use! (Not that fishing is NOT putting it to good use) Sounds like fun to me.

Excellent site!

Congrats!