This was my first trip here since being skunked there a year and a half ago. It was better than that day, but not by much. I launched around 6:30am, Steve about 7:15. We finished at noon. I finished with 6 spotties, Steve had 3. He also had big fish, 2.2#, weighed by DFG during interview. My bigest was maybe 1.75#. Started with three right off, plus a few dumped and some I just plain swung too late. Too bad Steve was stuck in traffic (yes, 5:30am and traffic), this was the best bite all day. They were eating pretty steady the first 30min. then it died. I went 3 or 4 hours before I found my other 3, and these were one right after the other also. Steve caught 2 right off, then he caught his third about the same time I was catching my last ones.

The good news is that my first three spotties were on a freakbait I designed and poured. The last three were on a 9" grub I also poured. 5 of the fish ate the motor oil/red and green flake. The 6th one which I caught first ate a purple/ red and multi flake. I actually was happier about catching fish on a bait I designed than I ever was about catching on a rod I built. I know I need to tweak the bait though, and I definitely need more colors. Only 2 tried thus far, the motor oil and the purple. Once I get a finished version I'll post some pics.

Brian, maybe a trade? Freaks for a trout?

Amish Ed
You Can't Catch it again if
it's Dead!
Amish Ed
You Can't Catch it again if
it's Dead!

hehe. I started making some plugs for you and Josh yesterday, unfortunately yours got caught in the band saw... Actually two of em did because the blade that's on there right now is too small, so only two out of three survived... I gotta get Josh's to him before I get yours off, so he's got priority. ;-) It's a rainy day today though, so I'm gonna go buy a blank and then come back here and maybe start on the rod, or make trouts. Good news is that I'm getting better at painting. This last one I painted looks the best out of all of em that I've done so far. I want to start messing around with glitter in the paint like on mann's crankbaits and stuff. I might screw around with that today or this week sometime. Of course tomorrow the mountains will be all muddy, so that day is reserved for four wheeling, but after that I can make some plugs :-) Definitely send some ed-hogs my way though. If I ever get down there in the near future we can avoid the mailing of stuff. Maybe sometime next month or something.
-Brian

Ed-hog, yeah that's good. Amish Freak might get me in legal trouble. Hopefully I'll have a new working version of mine by next Sat. I know what it needs, but doing it is something different. I'm still trying to work out a trip up your way too, I was getting ready to call you. Then my wife informed me we had plans for the weekend I was thinking of. Ugh. Glad your art skills translate to wood, I've been wondering if it helped. Caught any fish on your trout? Have you even fished one yet, or is it all trials so far?

Amish Ed
You Can't Catch it again if
it's Dead!

I don't think I've caught any yet. I haven't fished em too much, and the times I have fished em weren't prime trout plugging times. It's been so frickin cold at night that I've been staying away from the trailer park, but I'm dying to throw some of my plugs in there. Tonight I think I'll be able to shape another one or two and get em painted up. It's kinda fun finding out what works and what doesn't. I'm making my plugs out of thicker wood now (same as 9" slammer) but I haven't tested any of those. They look way better, and hopefully they'll swim good.
-Brian