Kayuta Lake
Alder Creek, NY
Smallmouth Bass
As life progresses relationships can grow further apart. Brothers that once saw each other on a daily basis can get to the point where a handful of memories together is all that surfaces in a year’s time. Careful examination reveals no crime or victim, just people filtering out the “music” that flows through them.
One thing that is cool about having a brother is that no matter how much life changes us on the outside, we always recognize each other’s core. Certain characteristics that make a person who they are on the deepest level are recognized in a very translucent manner. We know the auras of the elements of each other’s awareness; An understanding that is beyond words.
This morning, two brother’s started the day by catching crayfish for bait. Months had gone by without spending much time together yet we took to the misty morning stream in unison. The real phenomena here, was that we did it without needing to have much of a verbal conversation. It had all been said before…
We caught our bait in the exact location where I began fishing over 30 years ago. It is a place that hasn’t been visited in quite a few years. Being there with him was a very mystical thing. Sometimes it seems as though life is just some sort of strange dream that recycles itself in infinite ways.
Proceeding from the Oriskany Creek in Clark Mills, our effort made its way to the dam on Kayuta Lake in Alder Creek. Hard fighting smallmouth bass were the target species. This location has proved to be quite a consistent producer of good quality smallies in the 12-18” range.
The bronze colored fish with its cool looking stripes have earned a special place in many an angler’s heart. Pound for pound they sure put up one heck of a fuss! Spastic bezerkoid fights for freedom and survival are deeply written into the fish’s genetic code. Perhaps the common admiration comes from the ability to relate with the rugged little fish.
Our tactics for enticing the fish to bite were simple. A crayfish is placed on a hook below a bobber and drifted through the pockets of water below the dam. The leader length is adjusted to the depth of the water one is drifting.
The action was fair today. Quite a few fish received free meals at our expense. A lot of good strikes with submerged bobbers came back with only an bare hook. Perhaps it was smaller fish for the most part. Hard to say when you never see them.
A few hook sets did find there mark and we managed to land a handful of bass. The best one being a hard fighting smallmouth that ran about 14 inches long. It came after a few drifts through a deep hole with smaller sized crayfish. It wasn’t a small crab that did the trick though. The fish came on the first drift after switching to a larger sized crayfish. As soon as the mini lobster hit the water, the bobber was sucked down into the depths. Guessing that fish was looking for a meal, not a snack.
Some bigger fish would have really put the icing on the cake, but we really did enjoy our time together today. Making it the best was warm breezes and sunny blue skies.
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