Upper river 7/16

[John Pensyl]

Ok so let me preface this report with a couple things. When me and Riley Himmrich fish together fish have a tendency to go absolutely bezerk. Some of the most fast and furious epic bites I've seen have been with him on my boat. We went 8 for 10 the first night we ever trolled together and followed that up with a 7 for 9 in 3 hours December outing with some fat tanks. Then last year we had fish go nuts on a trip up north and hooked 4 fish over 50 in an hour and both put giants in the net before the trip was over. Today had the potential to be another 1 of those days. 1 more note before I start. I pride myself on my landing percentage and hookup ratio these days. Even on tubes I've found a method and way of doing things, with gear, stance, hooks etc that I can usually stick them pretty good. Hell I just got back from one of the most difficult fisheries with the biggest baddest fish on the planet and went 7 for 9 with 2 giants so I was feeling pretty good about myself when we launched at 5:30am. Ok begin report.

Riley and I launched from sheridan this am at 530. We shot right up to thompsons because it's mid july, the water is clearing, and surface temps are over 70. That's actually the exact recipie for thompsons and all of un1 I'm pretty sure. I start off with a black mag dawg and riley with a walleye shadzilla. Few casts in and I'm already netting a fish. Good start. Spunky little guy and the hooks come out easy so I figure what the hell and stab him with my tagging gun b4 he swims off. Success, feeling good, shadzilla didn't make it but riley has a spare so all is right with the world. We drift down toward the bridge and make it to the drop off behind the flat when riley has his 2nd encounter of the am. Mid 30s fish smashes his bait at the surface as he pulls it from the water and leaves his mark in the tail. Fish are hot. We jig and cast down to the bridge and run back to the top. I place the boat in 18 on the ledge this time and drop down my black tube. Whap, instant bite and I swing for the fences expected that sweet gooey soft resistance we all love and nothing. Whiffed hard. Tube shredded. First miss for me. 1 for 3 bites combined for those keeping track. I say screw the tube and snap on a shadzilla, pull the boat out to 30 fow on the current break and bomb the thing back into the flat with the concrete barriers, few cranks on that first cast and whap!! Good hookset, rod loads, fish ensues and riley nets a fat low 40s fish for me! She's hooked bad, spreaders, cutters, teamwork, dip the bag and she's off like a shot. Can't ask for more than that, fought hard and swam off hard. Back to .500 we are 2 for 4 bites! We continue our drift down and it doesn't take long for another fish to smoke my shadzilla again, whap! I set hook, rod loads up, hook pulls free, shadzilla is shredded... 2 for 5 with 2 dead shadzillas. I put on a new shadzilla and continue casting, little further down on the same drift..whap! Hookset, nobody home but my new shadzilla now has some beautiful new razor marks through its tail. 2 for 6 in less than an hour, idk whether to be happy or sad at this point. We do a couple drifts jigging in un1 and un2, then cast un1 all the way to un2 and around 10 am find ourselves up on the humps way above strawberry casting our shads again. Sure enough a few casts in a solid mid 40s fish comes in hot to the boat, I stumble and pull it away from her but I throw it back and she smokes it! Game on! I set back into her head and watch her spit the damn thing right at me without ever feeling a hook point! How can this even be! 2 for 7..... We continue the drift down towards the corner pocket past strawberry and then go set up on it again. This time on the exact spot she just ate she gives riley a deep follow on his bait, she's to smart now, game over on that 1. We make it a bit further down the hump and I snap on a nice new walleye colored tube. I start popping it around some of the shallow shelves and then drag it through the deep drop offs and holes. Sure enough right behind the drop 1 makes the mistake I've been waiting for, thump. Rod tip is low, bite is perfect, hooks are new, this is too easy, she's already in the bag in my mind. I smoke this fish with the greatest tube hookset of the season, my slingblade loads to the cork with that squishy weight we love, she starts to budge off the bottom and poof, she's gone. Hook pulls free and it's over b4 it even starts. 2 for 8 and I'm dropped to my knees feeling once again humbled by these damn fish. We finish out the drift and I go back for more. We set up on the drop this time, 18 fow west side of the humps, that's the recipie for tube action every day of the season right there. Sure enough half way down the drift as I plop my tube along my plop fails to plop. Slack line.. My absolute favorite tube bite!! I send the 2 hand hookset with everthing I have already smelling the slime aaaannnnddd, nata. Swing and a miss. Tube looks like it's been through a war. A war me and Riley lost today. 2 for 9 bites. It could have been epic, now it's just a pile of shredded plastic and another story to tell. It was super fun tho! I need more days like that! Lol. See u out there soon!

[Scott McKee]

John, what was the surface temp while you were out this morning?

[John Pensyl]

72 and change when we launched. Up to 73 and change by noon.

[Mike Rowan]

Only been out on the river twice this year, and nowhere near 9 bite days, but I'd also like to report half a dozen or more metal mouthed fish. And I sharpen my hooks every drift

[John Pensyl]

Bite was off today but I batted 1000. 2 for 2!! Lol

[3r18sb1ehgc6k]

Usually im a curse in everyones boat except John's!
Its a win win because he puts me on all the good spots, and i net his fish.
Ive gotten really good at it since he always out fishes me!
Hope everyone is having a great season, hope to finally make it to a meeting!

[Josh Ketry]

Great report. Keep em coming. Hopefully with better outcomes....