# The River and the Rain, my epic adventure



## oldstinkyguy (Mar 28, 2010)

I pushed the kayak away from the bank at my friends house leaving the baggage of regular life on the bank for a couple days. Little did I know I was going to have one of the best trips I've ever had I lazily traveled downstream drifting as much as paddling. The little kayak was loaded like Fred Sanford's pickup truck anyways, it was probably best to take it slow the few miles down to my camping spot for the night. I stopped a few times to halfheartedly fish but only had a six inch smallmouth to show for it by the time I made camp. Camp was a big rock bar facing a couple hundred yards of some of the best fishing I know. Having all day, I decided to put off making camp and headed straight for the water. On my second cast I caught another six inch fish and was wondering if it was going to be one of those kinds of trips. About a minute later something thumped my swimbait and bore deep pulling line off the reel. A big channelcat I was sure. It got out into a swift run of water and used the current also putting up a great fight. Finally I got it into the eddy and it rolled up giving me a good look. It was a big smallmouth. It didn't jump at all though most fish this trip did. It just made great runs each a bit shorter than the next till I closed my hand on the lip of a 19.25 inch smallie. What a start!









I fished the rest of the day catching five more. Plus two small channel catfish. But one more fish was a hefty 18 inch fish that fought even bigger. 










With evening fast approaching I headed back to make camp. While I tinkered around putting up the tent I threw out some doughball on a heavier rod equipped with a baitrunner. With rain due I'd brought along a small backpacking tent. 











As I began to gather driftwood for the nights fire the baitrunner began to purr. I set the hook into what seemed like a compact car. The fish just slowly and steadily began to cross the river. I began to wade after, the rod bent into a D shape. For some reason the fish swam across and into a spot of slack water and just sort of drug me up and down the bank for quite a while. Finally I was able to beach it on a gravel bank.










Finishing camp I sat by the fire enjoying the night and catching a few smaller carp.










After a wonderful night spent mostly by the fire. It began to rain at daylight. As I gathered my things for another day smallmouth fishing the baitrunner sang again. 










Setting out I walked ten minutes downstream to a deep run that had rock and boulders all along one side. As I lifted the rod after the first cast a small bass swiped at my swimbait. I just dropped in down and jigged it up and down and blam A ten inch smallie smacked it. In steady rain over the course of a long soggy morning I caught a couple largemouth, a spotted bass, a white bass and ten or twelve smallmouth. The rain quit and I headed back to camp for lunch. After lunch I waded back into the river in front of camp. In the good water. Over the next couple hours the river raised a few inches and colored up slightly and the fishing took off like a rocket. Unbelievable Canadian shield lake quality fishing. I remember catching an 18 inch fish on one cast and a 17 inch fish on the next. Then a 7 or 8 inch fish and in a few casts another 17 inch fish. All on a three inch swimbait. What River Rock's website calls green pumpkin with pearl. I'd waded across a run and realized the river was coming up. I found a stick and waded back. With heavy weather in the last forecast I'd heard a few days back and a ways to go in the yak before getting out I reluctantly headed back. I think every inch of my body was wrinkled from the rain and river. It was the kind of trip dreams are made of...


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## sammerguy (Jun 7, 2011)

Very nice fish. Those carp are monstrous!


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## Dandrews (Oct 10, 2010)

Nice Fish!! 
I thought for sure you'd get a 20 incher on your trip, but hey anything 16" & over is a good one in my book.
Too bad we're in for another deluge.


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

OSG, thanks for sharing! Those fish are amazing and I think its great you're given up the low down on those sweet swim baits. That size of a lure and action must be just to much for pig smallies to pass up. Wicked fishin man. 

Although those are amazing fish I'm more jealous of the trip than anything. This is just the kind of solo trip I've got on my bucket list. To do that and nail pig smallies is just a dream. Congrats! No better way to start the season. The paddle back must of been a reluctant one. 

Just wow


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## TurtleJugger (Jun 2, 2013)

Awesome report. Sounds like a lot of fun and wow those carp were nice!


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## fishdealer04 (Aug 27, 2006)

Great read OSG! Congrats on some nice fish and I am jealous you were just able to "escape" for a couple of days.


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## Core_d (Apr 7, 2014)

That looks like fun. I used to take similar adventures on the scioto after catfish. Ide yak down about a mile or so to a secluded bend with a dozen nite crawlers a couple cat rods and a bait rod. The idea was catch the bait( live or cut) then catch the cats.


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## oldstinkyguy (Mar 28, 2010)

More fish pics...


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## deltaoscar (Apr 4, 2009)

Wow, awesome looking fish. That carp is huge. That white bass looks pretty big too. Congrats on a great trip.


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## Fisherman 3234 (Sep 8, 2008)

Great job OSG!!!


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## BornWithGills (Feb 26, 2006)

Awesome a couple of those smallies are so thick it's ridiculous


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## GarrettMyers (May 16, 2011)

Awesome stuff man. Like Dandrews said, I thought the race to 20" was going to end during your trip. 


Sent from my iPhone using Ohub Campfire


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

That's a neat trip osg..I have taken an overnighter on the GMR a few times also with my dad in the canoe..I always thought the best part was waking up in the morning and and cooking an egg and making coffee over the fire... Those smallies are impressive...thanks for sharing!


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## co-angler (Jan 3, 2010)

Your photography is stellar my man!
Great report and an even better outing.


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## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

Epic adventure indeed! Congratulations on a great trip.


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## trailbreaker (Oct 11, 2008)

nice catch OSG


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## Bazzin05 (Feb 2, 2011)

Nice report OSG... As always a great read and awesome sounding trip.


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## HOUSE (Apr 29, 2010)

Awesome report, Mr. Stinkster! I can't believe the size of some of these green fish you pull out of the water. Man!

-Question about that tent...what are those two extensions for in the black part? Does one leg go into each one while you sleep or something?


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## geneahn (May 1, 2013)

absolutely one of the best fishing posts i've ever seen!


A+++


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## Mean Morone (Apr 12, 2004)

Nice quality fish there Stinky, way to go.


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## oldstinkyguy (Mar 28, 2010)

HOUSE said:


> Awesome report, Mr. Stinkster! I can't believe the size of some of these green fish you pull out of the water. Man!
> 
> -Question about that tent...what are those two extensions for in the black part? Does one leg go into each one while you sleep or something?


It's a little rain fly thing you can put some gear under that's out of the tent. It's just unzipped in the photo and looks like two separate parts.
Honestly that tents a bit too small. Its called a bivy and is just big enough to crawl into and get out of the rain. If it's not raining I like to sleep outside by the fire but I realize most people wouldn't. I have a Kelty Salida three season tent that is actually a much better choice in my opinion. We had an REI tent for years that was great too. My wife and I spent a comfortable night in a blizzard one night on Maddron Bald in smokies in it. I think you dowant a full rain fly and not a little square that just covers the vents on top. A tent is one piece of camping equipment I wouldn't get at Walmart.


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## GMR_Guy (Apr 10, 2004)

Great results, story, and pics. All of those fish look really healthy. Though I spend 90% of my time fishing for carp, seeing your posts really makes me want to go catch a big smallie.

I'm going to link to your thread on my Facebook page.


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## greghal (Aug 22, 2013)

Man Steve, I don't know how you catch that quality of fish consistantly. That is a awesome trip, thanks for sharing, save some of those monsters for the rest of us lol. Great read as always.


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## master of none (Mar 26, 2013)

osg that's good stuff man. if you ever need a tag along pick me lol. I love those trips


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## Cat Mangler (Mar 25, 2012)

Now that's going out and getting em. I could use some solitude like that right about now! Superb report once again Steve!


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## Crawdude (Feb 6, 2013)

What an awesome report! You know how to live OSG!


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