Junk fishing: the new normal

I laughed out loud when I counted 19 rod-and-reel combos on the bow and leaned against the passenger seat of Jeff Gustafson’s boat.

“It’s not good at all when you see 19 combos,” he said. “Two would be better, but it’s not going to happen here this week.”

That made me start taking inventory on other boats arriving at John C. Land Boat Landing, where Andy Crawford and I did Dock Talk.

This photo of Chad Pipkens front deck tells the story. You can’t blame Santee Cooper for being a poor fishery–it’s one of the best in the country–the reason for the piles of combos is the time of year.

Being from the South, from my personal experience the fall is the most difficult time of the year to go bass fishing around here. And especially now, when the lakes are in transition.

Hank Cherry told me several creeks he fished were in the process of turning over, which also explains why the bass are scattered, the bite so random.

What to do? There’s only one thing. Everything, as in junk fishing. Expect to see that pattern in play this week, and the next week at Lake Chickamauga.