Jim's Citation Smallie

[BrokenolMarine]

Our kayak fishing group would do what we called River Raids, years ago. We would put in and float the river with a group from the online forum, fishing, floating, having lunch on the river and just having a good time. As a forum member I initiated the term and the concept twenty plus years ago and it spread around to the other fishing forums. It is a great way to meet the names you see every day and put faces with them, and to have a great time. On our first River Raid, we floated the Upper James River from Scottsville to Hardware fishing mainly for Small mouth bass. I decided to take only my fly rods and was lucky enough to have a great day. I had never caught a small mouth but hooked over a dozen. Just above the Hardware River takeout, I hooked what turned out to be a Virginia State Citation. Twenty and a Half inches.



Small mouth bass fight like tigers and are a fun fish to catch. I got several pictures of this fish, then turned her loose to make more small mouth.
We have made this float several times over the years and it's always been a great way to spend the day. Also available on this float, are the infamous Alligator Gar, but you would want to throw at least a Seven Weight Fly Rod.. DAMHIKT.

[Les]

Nice fish, BM. That looks like a great way to enjoy a day out!

[BrokenolMarine]

You never know what you'll see when you float the river. Deer, cows, fox, bobcats, all come to the river to drink. THIS was a shock. In the center of the river we spotted an otter with his lunch, a freshwater eel. HE was not happy to have the six of us floating past that morning and slipped into the water and swam past us toward shore. He hissed as he passed within a few feet of my yak. I was in a low sided Ride 115 that day, and happy that he didn't want to climb aboard and discuss River Rights.

[CT_Shooter]

Marine, I love your photographs nearly as much as your signature. I'm so glad you're here, Sir. The flavor of the forum has been greatly enhanced.

[daytime dave]

Great photographs. It looks like a lot of fun.

I really love that signature too!

[Squatch]

That's a nice smallie.

Are you on http://www.riversmallies.com/forum/forum.php ?

[BrokenolMarine]

Squatch,

No, but I know, or used to know, a lot of folks on the site... some before they became famous on youtube, back when they were just "little" I would see the guys at ARC demo days, or river floats on the James. I had a beautifully rigged Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140, then Jeff had me try his 160I...

Sold the 140... bought a 160I and was in that until I got the Hobie Adventure a couple years later. The 160 was a fast yak and smooth thru the water, great for larger lakes.