Late start and couldn't decide where to fish. Was listening to Tech game and in no hurry. Drive over bridge at Flat Creek, parking lot at ramp full..no thanks. Drive on up to Kickapoo and the lot is completely empty. Walk out on dock and water looks like mud... I'll pass. End up putting in under bridge near Moore Station on Flat Creek, just as Tech gets intercepted on last drive.

Road in is full of deep mud holes and ruts from recent rains and I'm not really excited about leaving my car parked here unattended and from the looks of the water, not too excited about the fishing either. On the water around 3:00 and start my paddle towards the lake... I've never been here before so that's the only good part.

Pleasantly surprised to see the depth of creek go from 4 feet to 14 in a deep hole not far from bridge. Spent a half hour here and had a couple of taps on worm but caught nothing. Continue paddling under the canopy of trees leading out to lake.




Once I'm through the trees and the landscape starts opening up, there's a lot more vegetation along the banks and I start throwing a weightless fluke.



It didn't take long and I get bit.

Now I'm fired up.

I caught 4 or 5 more in the next hour, all tiny, but it was entertaining as I was missing a few as well.


Kept moving on down and finally nearing the lake.


Thought for sure I would start catching them but never got bit. Spent an hour just graphing the creek channel which was only 4 feet deep at its max and no grass anywhere. Threw a spinner bait by every stump along creek channel, threw a topwater, threw a swimbait... nothing.


It was getting late and I turned around and started back when I got here.

Stopped and fished in all the places I got bit earlier and caught a couple of more on fluke. Hooked a couple of bowfin that I thought were bass and luckily they pulled off.

Make it back to deep hole near bridge and get thumped on swimbait but miss. Throw 10 inch power worm to same spot and let sink to bottom before starting to crawl it back. I'm reeling in slack and not feeling my bait. I'm watching my line and I have the distinct impression that its slowly moving at an angle and towards me. Reel more slack and then go into hyperdrive as my line is definitely moving towards me. By the time I've got all the slack reeled in, my line is under me and I laid into it. I almost get rod jerked out of my hands as fish shoots to other side of kayak and my rod is bent over the gunnel which is almost to the water as I'm leaning out the other side of kayak trying to get level. I loosen drag as I had it set tight as I get spun around. Finally get fish under control after it had totally splashed me and get to see what treated me so shabbily.


Biggest bowfin I've ever caught.

Don't want to use net on it as the last time I went through this it tore a hole thru net. Decide I'll just lift it out of water by its belly. Great idea.


It jumps in kayak when I start to lift it, slime and bloods me, then thrashes its way back into the water and splashes me some more.

Get it back in and decide I'll use net as I didn't have fish grips or pliers with me today.


And just like last time it went berserk and made its way out the same hole the last one made at top of net.



I'm sitting in disgust when I took picture above. I didn't wear waders today thinking I wouldn't be catching much and exactly for this kind of situation. I've been slimed, bloodied, I'm wet, and all right at the end of the day. If that weren't bad enough, I soon realize that the worm in my net doesn't have a hook in it and that damn fish is still on.

Back to fighting fish again... with line thru net. Decided it would be easier and faster to just pass rod through net instead of trying to get fish back thru hole in net.



Had to make the hole in net bigger to get my reel handle thru it.


Now I'm really really pissed off.

Drag that sucker to shore, get it measured, and then decide to weigh it.


Tie a knot in bungee cord on handle of net to hook scale up, let go of handle to weigh fish, watch weight shoot up to 7 + lbs as bungie is stretching on the way down and then net handle sling shots back into my hand holding scale


Damn rubber grip handle pulled off when weight of fish was applied.


I get a damn negative 5 lbs or negative 5 ounces reading on scale when hook slams back into scale housing ... can't remember as it all happened in a split second. I'm going to call it an even 12 pounds (the difference from high to low reading). Loaded up and had to go thru the mud ruts from hell in reverse as no room to turn around. High centered the ruts on way out but jammed the gas and powered through. Probably need to wash that nasty red clay off my car tomorrow.

The bowfin was carefully drop kicked back into the water to fight another day.

Awesome fishing report!

When the lake is full this is one of the best places to launch a kayak on palestine. Never had any issues with my vehicle being parked unattended.

Good to know as it saved me an hour's paddle from usual spot.