Pond Boss Forums FISH & FISHING Sunfish-Including Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass Leaping BG!

We spent most of last week at the farm and got to fish and play lots.

Monday, I rigged up one of my flyrods with a black popping bug and spent the afternoon floating around on a homemade float tube. Its 2 thirty gallon drums with a 1X12 tied to them for a seat. It looks funky but it works well. You can sneak around the pond and get under brush not assessable from the boat.

I was surprised at the number of fish that were striking top water during the heat of the day. They were feeding on something on the surface all over the pond. There were a couple of places that had large BG sitting under limbs, waiting on bugs to land and then they were leaping into the air to catch them from there perch. One particular BG kept leaping up to a limb that was about 6" out of the water. I saw him several times as I slowly made my way his way. I dropped the bug over a near by twig and as I was sliding it back over, he came completely out of the water and nailed it mid air. I had several fish jump completely out of the water when they would take the popping bug. It is a rare occasion that I have seen BG so aggressive. It was great fun. No telling how many 8 and 9 inch fish I caught and released.

I remember as a kid, fishing near the cows that were bathing in the pond and seeing BG leap up there sides to catch a fly. They are resourceful little critters, that for sure.

Anyway, just thought I would share a story.

Nice story & thanks for sharing.

Any sign of snakes while you were in you float tube?

I haven't seen any leaping Bluegill but I was attacked by a flying Longear Sunfish last week. It jumped out of the water and hit me while I was sitting in a boat. Must of had some silver carp in him.

We have a banded water snake that thinks it found a place to retire. I might have to help him RIP if he gets much friendlier. We used to have lots of snakes on the place. Most around here are non poisonous and just scare the mud out of you when your not paying attention. This is the only one I have seen this year. Not sure where they went. We have had a few cottonmouths over the years, but those are not welcome and we let them know it, if you know what I mean.

I have seen BG jump in the boat when a light is shinned on them at night.

8fish

You HAVE to post pics of you homemade float tube. I have an idea, and I want to see how close I am. The forum loves ingenuity and resourcefulness - let us have it!

It rides higher in the water than a typical float tube, but that helps me cast as I need all the help I can get. You stay a little wet which helps in the sun. There is a board that runs under the barrels with a 2X6 box on top of that and then capped with another 1X12.

If it were sitting flat on the ground, the top board would be around 7.5" high which raises you up out of the water a little. It was surprisingly stable. I was wade fishing but there was a lot of water I could not reach and a boat + fly rod + me = need for repenting! It works well. Now I need some flippers. I will try to post a pic of it out of the water.

Suhweet 8fish! Well done. Sitting higher in the water helps your false casting with the flyrod I'll bet. Also, painting your barrels white is genius - keep cool in the Summer sun! I definitely would NOT have thought of that.

8fish,

I once thought I had a smallie on in the pond because it came out of the water several times like smallie. Believe it or not it turned out to be a yellow perch! I need to take a fishing publication down to the pond and show them how they are supposed to act!