Chattooga Christmas Eve

[trout4life]

Got on river about 11:30am on Saturday. No one else on river all day. Caught 5. One brookie that looked like smallmouth bass in body size. Three bows and one 17in brown. The brown had another 6 inch fingerling in mouth in addition to my worm. Left around 2:45pm.

[flyflicker]

Hey trout4life, I hope that was a San Juan worm you mentioned.

[trout4life]

Should have been more descriptive. Plastic worm. When I re-read the post I knew someone would ask. Don't have any pics either because left the camera in the truck. Got to river crossing SC/GA side and remembered but didn't walk back. Always works that way.

[Fletch_W]

Texas rigged bass style?

[trout4life]

Texas, this is GA/Carolina. :) Carolina rig, 3/0 and bb with #8aberdeen hook. BPS wobblehead purple. Caught others on red/pink.

[Fletch_W]

That's incredible. I always felt like a jackass fishing with spinners on the Chattooga instead of flies. You must catch alot of hell and funny looks. But I applaud you.

[trout4life]

Not too much hell nor looks. Either way the regs don't say flies only. Then again, there wasn't anyone else there Saturday. I have spoken to others on the river but they kept a poker face if they were upset. Oh well, not there to impress anyone anyway. Just to get away and enjoy what the lord has made. With a little help from GA/SC DNR. :) I use the same setup for Smiths, Hooch(settles to 20), ami. Have had many 20+ floats with friends on Hooch. Had day in spring this year on Chattooga where buddy and I quit counting at number 47.

[Fletch_W]

6 inch worm? 4? 8? 10? Do you do the "ooh son" hook set? Tell me more. I'm drooling right now. Trout on a plastic worm. Priceless. That's Soul Fishing.

[trout4life]

3 inch. No "oh son" Roland Martin hookset. Just raise the tip usually with some force. Sometimes they hook themselves. Have had strikes all thru zone from upstream 3/4 cast to the swing. I have used flies/nymphs before with bubble but have never tried flyfishing. As we all know somedays its catching and somedays its fishing and some in between. Best of all is the fresh air, mtn scenery, occasional wildlife and once in a while you catch a bigun. Here is a pic of a trout caught last Feb/or 2004. Not sure.

[Speck]

Oh I like it! Aside from trout fishing, fishing for bass with a 6" Zoom worm is my passion!

Lately I've been considering fishing for trout with pieces from my used-up bass worms. Should be pretty similar to my beloved nightcrawlers, with less potential for fish fatality.

Glad to know someone's tried it and having some luck.

[trout4life]

Careful with the Zoom worms. I think you can't have scented lures on a DH stream. Pretty sure you know that. Anyway, thanks and maybe we'll see you there sometime. Probably will be there this Friday if work allows. Here is the wildlife pic. I tried to attach it last night but put it in photo gallery instead.
http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=2002&cat=503

[threejack]

i have never tried fishing with a plastic worm although i have heard of other folks doing it. what is your technique? i would really like to try it

[trout4life]

Just bumping the bottom as it floats down thru even with me and thru tailout. Then slow to medium retrieve with occasional lift and return on the downstream side. Especially in slower water. Look for pauses in line or you can feel the strikes on the line. Was up there on Friday the 30th with a buddy and we caught twelve between two of us in about 2.5 hours fishing. Some nice size ones too. Brook, rainbow, and brown. Had to leave after he took a dip in the river. :yikes: Was his first so I got a good laugh out of it. He has had his share of laughs with my shenanigans on the hooch.

[Speck]

Next time you get a chance, think you could photo copy us that rig? I got it from the description, but seeing is believing, ya know?