Fireworks Are Bad for Fishing

My family spent Saturday celebrating the 4th at a parade in the morning, the in-laws' lake during the day, and a late night at the Kentwood fireworks.  We topped it off with our own little private display in the backyard at close to midnight. 

On Sunday we had a picnic at my parents'.  It was there that Josh said the magic words . . . "You going fishing tonight, Matt?"  He and Elijah were wanting to go after some river cats.  I was all for it.  I ran it by Michelle and got the green light.  I picked up some white suckers, caught a half dozen chubs, packed my gear and headed to the river at around 8:00.  Hoping to get a few suckers and rock bass, I fished with worms while I waited for Josh and Elijah.  I had a surprisingly tough time getting anything going.  They soon showed up with stories of raccoons in their garage.  A family had moved in and Josh wasn't sure how he was going to get them out.  We didn't have much time before dark, but we managed to stir up one sucker before heading up to get set for flatties.  We sat at the elbow for close to two hours with only one hit on a live chub.  It was the aggressive bite of a channel.  It got away with my minnow.  Just up river from us, there was a small party going on.  The people were setting off some pretty big stuff.  Not far down river, another party was doing the same thing.  The night was alive with huge booms and flashes.  Josh and Elijah were having a pretty good time watching the show.  I was beginning to cringe because I was starting to think that this had a lot to do with the lack of action.  I think that those huge percussions were keeping the flatties holed up in their snags.  Could still be the spawn factor, but the fireworks definitely weren't helping.

At a little after 11:00, we headed back down river to fish the flats below the bridge.  I tried everything down there from live bait to cutbait to dipbait.  Nothing.  I was sick about it.  I really wanted to put these guys into fish.  All I could say was that we'd do it again.  Elijah was pretty quiet during the trip.  He's more of a run and gun fisherman.  He likes throwing lures and switching baits often.  This waiting game must have been tough for him, but he was patient.  Hopefully there will be a big pay off for all of the waiting next time.  Josh promised him a late night trip to McDonald's so he had one more thing to look forward to when they hit the dock at a little after midnight.

I usually enjoy irony, but it was cruel to us this night.  I went back up above the bridge after I dropped them off and caught a big channel on a live chub within about 10 minutes of saying good-bye.  Josh probably wouldn't even believe me if I told him.  This thing ate a huge chub and got hooked up on a 10/0 hook.  I expect to catch flatties on these hooks, so it's pretty rare for me to stick a channel with one of them.  The wind really picked up after this.  I hung in there until 2:30, but I didn't get bit again.  I was hugely frustrated when I finally motored to shore.  I owe those guys one.