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3. Topwater action already! (Subtitled: Fun in the Marsh)

Some have said that it's too early in the year for topwater action, but these fish beg to differ! The sunnie looks like a possible green/pumpkinseed hybrid. I couldn't believe I was nailing sunfish on bass poppers! I probably hooked about half of them that hit. And are they ever FAT - they're built like little tanks and fight like them too! Several times I was sure I had a bass on and then up comes one of these little chunkers. And as for the bass, it took me TWO HOURS and several color combinations to finally get him to hit, but when he finally did he went airborne a couple of times and bent the rod over double. Worth the wait!

It must be spawning season because fish were moving around all over the place this evening, chasing each other and flopping around like crazy. A great way to get some fly fishing in while the danged trout streams are all too high and muddy, though tomorrow I will go out again to see what's happening on the Pine. Hoping to find neither high off-color waters nor tourists...And then there's more freakin' rain due on Sunday...

Jonathon

Thanks for the report. The crazy good spring fishing has already come and gone here in Missouri (although I will say it's still pretty good). There is just something about that first couple weeks when the water is warm enough for them to be up on the surface. It's my favorite time of the year for warmwater fishing. I know all about those pumpkinseed/green sunfish hybrids. They are pretty common in the lake right by my house and they are one of my favorite kinds of fish to catch.

I like the bass bugs by the way.

You catch some impressive panfish!

MO and Jason, panfish will always be near and dear to my heart. I just use flies these days instead of worms! And the waters they live in don't get blown out by the seemingly continuous rains we are getting this spring - in fact we're due for more within the next few hours, that's why I hit the trout streams today.

If you think these are impressive you should have seen the ones I caught in the San Marcos River in central Texas, beautiful blue-and-orange redbreast sunnies up to 10" long and they'll put a good hard bend in your fly rod! They also hit caddisflies in the evening just like trout do. I also once got invited to fish a private pond in Missouri that held bluegills the size of salad plates. I actually had bluegills breaking 6x tippet!! Mo, how big do they get in your neighborhood? And Jason, next time you find yourself in the south ask around about the "bream" (or "brim", or if you're in Texas, the "perch").

Jonathon

P.S. Just heard the first rumble of thunder...gonna have to wait a while for more trout fishing.