"Ain't nothing but a G Rod baby." My spirits are high as it's Tuesday morning and I'm making ripples in my old stomping grounds, my pole already bent with a Cedar Creek crappie. I'm teamed up with Glen Miller and Douglas Johnson of G Rods International, the owner and right hand man of the best rods to ever hit the market. Guiding us is the finest fisherman that Cedar Creek has to offer, Chris Webb. I spent 20% of my life guiding alongside Chris, and we both agreed that it had been way too long since we hit the water together.
With moisture laden skies and a building southwestern wind, we are already at our first brushpile with the skunk smell long gone. Given the low light conditions, Chris has us floating in about 8ft of water, fishing a clump of brush that tapers down the side of a hump. I used to fish this pile a lot, and given the number of fish coming in the boat already, nothing much has changed since I left.
You gotta keep that jig moving, and be expecting a push up bite. They havent wanted it still, and they havent been thumping it, so be ready for anything. As is usually the case when you fish with someone who is on the water six days a week, Chris advice is spot on. Doug and Glen are fishing Jerry Taylors hand tied jigs in blue and black, while Chris and I are fishing Thump Buddies and Thump Jumpers in the Swamp Thang color. The one thing we all have in common, is were all fishing dark bodied jigs with chartreuse heads.
Lane, try this rod. Looking over at the offer Douglas is presenting me with, I gladly accept. Hold on, let me reel this fish in real quick. (I love it when that happens). I pitch one of Jerrys jigs into the wind toward the shallow end of the pile, and it never makes it back to me. All the fish had to do was look at the jig and I was able to feel it. I put another four to five fish in the boat and hand back the rod to Doug. You better take this fast or you aint getting it back.
We shovel through a few more dinks at spot one, and shift over to the west side in order to get out of the wind. This time were in 10-12ft, fishing a ledge that drops off quickly. Looking at the Humminbird as we drive by, theres a whole lot of pretty white dots suspended above the shallow end of the structure, which just so happens to be exactly what were looking for today. Throwing out the marker and spinning the nose around, its fish on in no time.
Like the pile before, these fish want the jig moving. I am stuck on a new Thump Jumper in the Timber Rattler color, affixed to a UV enhanced chartreuse jig head. Chris did me a favor and stopped on a log that has a big root ball at one end. If my memory serves me correctly, those fish are going to be stacked up around those roots, and they are going to be big black crappie. I pitch out, and set the hook into a head-shaking brute of a fish. I put the net under a 14, broad shouldered black crappie. I do the same thing three more times in a row. Man, I forgot how much I missed this lake.
This same type of scenario holds true throughout the morning. We bounce around from spot to spot, catching 4-6 keepers every time the captain tells its time to fish. Glen and Doug were kind enough to let us fish an assortment of rods, ranging from custom salmon rods to personal favorite dock fishing poles. Each and every one crafted by a master rod builder with a passion for fishing that runs deep.
The trio of talents that we have on the boat, mixed with the fact that we are spanking the fins off of the fish on a Tuesday morning, equates to a fantastic experience. One that had to be cut short, as I had to get back into the office to make sure the bills got paid. Shaking hands at the ramp and talking about future plans, Chris and I couldnt be happier with how the morning had gone. Judging by the smiles on Dougs and Glens faces, I think they had a pretty good time themselves.
A big thanks to G Rods International and Chris Webbs Guide Service for letting me tag along to enjoy a morning on the water. Their passions and abilities are refreshing and are a very welcomed part of an ever growing and changing industry, and Im glad to call them both my friends.