08-11-2002, 01:44 PM
Started the trip off with a short run from Smith Bridge to Thompson Bridge. This section of the river that has never produced any big fish. We caught a lot of average sized smallmouths (~10 inches) and I was able to pick up one 12 incher on a 3 inch flat tailed grub.<br><br>The next day we took the main run from Highway 1 down to the the Smith Bridge. The river is very low and the fishing wasn't that great. We caught still caught a lot of average sized smallmouths, some sunfish and creek chubs. My nephew Kevin got a 14 inch smallmouth (his largest ever). We got a handful of 12 inchers and each got a 13 incher. Most of the fish were caught on the Rebel Teeny Wee-Crawfish, 3 inch Pepper Trout Big Hammer on a 1/8 oz. head, 3 inch Amber/Blue Beavertail Grub. I got a few strikes and one fish on the chartreuse/white buzzbait. I saw one large bass (~18 inches) in the spot where I caught a 19 incher two years ago but couldn't get her to eat. I got one largemouth and quite a few chubs. The creek chubs are a rough fish that hit lures, fight relatively well, and jump when hooked.<br><br>The next day was a repeat of yesterday. I got a 14 incher on the grub in the same area where we saw the 19 incher yesterday and sighted another good fish where I caught the two 19 inchers last year but once again I couldn't get her to eat.<br><br>Two days later I decided to do a little exploring and experimenting. I started at the Highway One bridge and hiked up instead of floating down. I got a 13 inch fish right off the bat on the buzzbait. Years ago I began using trailers on my buzzbaits. Since buzzbaits don't usually come with trailer keepers or anything I weld "Hitch-Hikers" onto the hook shanks using solder and melting part of the lead head. This holds the trailers very well. The proper way to rig these is to just snap them onto the hook shank but I found that to produce too many short strikes.<br><br><IMG SRC="http://leapinbass.com/fishing/images/hitchhiker.jpg"><br>Hitch-Hiker<br><br><IMG SRC="http://leapinbass.com/fishing/images/buzzbait-hitchhiker.jpg"><br>Buzzbait or Spinnerbait head with Hitch-Hiker<br><br>About 1/2 a year ago I began using 3 inch Big Hammers as trailers instead of the typical curl tails, straight tails, etc. and found them to be pretty productive.<br><br><IMG SRC="http://leapinbass.com/fishing/images/buzzbait-skirted-hammer.jpg"><br>Buzzbait with Big Hammer Trailer<br><br>When I first started using buzzbaits back in the 80's I used to think they represented a frog or bird skipping across the water (that's what I was told) but now I know that they just look like a fish or some kind of food swimming near the surface. All the fish sees is from the lead head back. The blade is just an attractant. So, on my way under the bridge and up the river I looked at my buzzbait and thought, "why am I covering up the swimbait with the trailer? Wouldn't it be better to make what the fish see look as much like a baitfish as possible?" So I took the skirt off my spare buzzbait and believe it or not on my first cast I caught my biggest smallmouth ever - a 20 incher (Actually it was about 1/4 inch over 20 inches). What a fight - those river smallies are amazingly strong and they almost always come up for a couple spectacular jumps.<br><br><IMG SRC="http://leapinbass.com/fishing/images/buzzhammer.jpg"><br>"Buzz Hammer"<br><br>It's a little funny looking but it works - with a little more tweaking I could probably make it look pretty good. In the next couple hours and hiking about 1/2 mile upstream I discovered a few more very nice spots and caught an 18 incher, a 16 incher, and a handfull of 12s and 13s. Not to mention a bunch of smaller fish - all on the "Buzz Hammer". One of the best trips on the Brandywine I have had. I can't wait for next year.<br><br>**********<br><br>You can't catch tomorrow what you kill today, please practice catch and release.