Jump to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

Surly Horns

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

Featured Replies

34 minutes ago, 1leggedduck said:

Son and I practiced for the TTZ tournament on Travis that was weekend before last. He pulls a 6lb girl and I get a 5lb 12oz. We're going to win some money on tournament day!

That Saturday a front passes. We catch two that keep for about 4.25 lbs. The winning team had 23 lb bag. Anyone who thinks golf is frustrating has never tried tournament bass fishing.

Law of averages…gotta think really slow practice sessions means you’re in the money in the tourney.

I always feel bad for whoever is fishing with me the next time out after an epic day.

  • Replies 3.4k
  • Views 249.5k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Most Popular Posts

  • Ok I have left the building for the most part but I made an exception to come back and say I am THE queen of the fly rod.  It happened! thank the good lord above and all my living right, it happe

  • BearSchlong
    BearSchlong

    By myself, at the Sabine jetty. First time since my dad died in March. Hungry reds and trout. Thank you for the last 45 years of fishing, old man. And for leaving me a nice boat. I've seen you catch

  • MalibuSheriff
    MalibuSheriff

    Fishing trip with my son after picking him up in camp.  Rio Grande cutthroats caught last Sunday evening at an extremely isolated lake in southern Colorado.    

Posted Images

1 hour ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

Law of averages…gotta think really slow practice sessions means you’re in the money in the tourney.

I always feel bad for whoever is fishing with me the next time out after an epic day.

Wanna fish the El Palometero in 2024? May 7th-11th. 

1 hour ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

Law of averages…gotta think really slow practice sessions means you’re in the money in the tourney.

I always feel bad for whoever is fishing with me the next time out after an epic day.

caught 3 in 3 hours 12/25 (no guide), caught zero in 4 hours a few days later (no guide), caught zero 1/3 at the coast (with a guide, reds were just GONE) and caught 7 on 1/6 (with a guide).  definitely law of averages. it's like I want to get the bad days over with so I can have the good one again.

2 hours ago, 1leggedduck said:

That Saturday a front passes. We catch two that keep for about 4.25 lbs. The winning team had 23 lb bag. Anyone who thinks golf is frustrating has never tried tournament bass fishing.

Especially 2 and 3 day formats.  Adds such another layer of mental to follow up a few great days on the front of the tournament.  

Got a group going rainbow trout fishing on the Guadalupe River this weekend.  We rented a house on River road.  Does anyone have any tips, spots or other suggestions for us?

5 hours ago, Hook1997 said:

Got a group going rainbow trout fishing on the Guadalupe River this weekend.  We rented a house on River road.  Does anyone have any tips, spots or other suggestions for us?

I fish from rio Guadalupe resort to lazy L here on the map. 
 

5437AF92-4634-4FE4-89A7-3FD9A76CB8AE.png
 

There are a few public access points including both of those parks for a modest fee per person. Most of the stretch is private property so where you stay might be good too if it’s on the river.  

Kayaking is a good way to increase your chances.

water is cold so if you plan to wade or get wet you’ll want waders.

Look for deeper channels in the water and you’ll find the fish there. At rio guad resort you can sight fish if they are there, you’ll see as you walk down the hill, on a clear day with low wind the water is clear and you can see the trout hanging out waiting for you. 

if you haven’t fished the guad before it’s all nymph rigs no top water (late season you can try). And it’s deep too, 3-4 feet from your strike indicator to your last fly. You can also fish streamers too, I caught 2-3 on a game changer fly last week. Fish smashed it, hella fun. There’s a fly shop on river road go there they will set you up with what’s working.  Last week it was simple worms believe it or not. Me and a buddy caught like 14-15 trout between us on that set up minus my few on the streamer.  
 

have your license current, the game warden comes out all the time. Kayaks up and down asking everyone to show their license. 
 

if you don’t have the ability to get up and down the river, don’t have the full skill set or want to simply increase your chances call all water guides they may have a guide for a 1/2 3/4 or full day float trip. Those guys will put you on the fish, the guad is easy fishing for them. 

Edited by troph

Thanks for the helpful info!  We will definitely try out the Rio Guadalupe Resort. 

I feel bad for the trout stocked in the Guad. The survivors must get cooked come May or so.

Acquaintance lost a prop shaft deep into the shallows today during Freeze Out. Had a pretty good stringer but nope.  Nothing like having a couple hundred tied up in a bay boat and getting pulled back by an old airboat on a chilly Jan afternoon.  

8 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

I feel bad for the trout stocked in the Guad. The survivors must get cooked come May or so.

The water is deep enough in the ruts and they’ve started feeding them in the summer and they can survive. A lot are taken as they are caught during the winter. But yes it’s an artificial habitat and there are summer deaths for sure. 

  • 3 weeks later...
  • Popular Post

My son really, really needed a massive haul. 8:30am - 2pm, 5 for 7 on the nymph rig. He missed his first two, landed a smallie, then went 4 for 4 with the big mammas the rest of the day. 18-20 inches for all 4. He was about to quit flyfishing all together, couldn’t stop talking about his haul yesterday and this morning.  Said he’s in for the catch. As long as we watch the ratio the next few years I think I’ve got him. 

 

FA4013DE-54D6-4B7F-88B4-DE3B89D2802D.jpeg
 

Edit - I meant to add, I’ve got a GREAT guide for you dads that want to introduce your kids to trout fishing on the fly. And if you need a slump buster, the Guad fits the bill nicely most days. 

Edited by troph

Super busy here I’ve been in Costa Rica 3 weeks now and have already fished 10 days, including a few tournaments. The bite was great for the first 2 weeks - 3 to 5 shots a day at marlin and 15-20 sailfish each trip but it’s slowed some the last week. Also had the most devastating end to a tournament ever in the Quepos Pelagic Rockstar. A boat beat us with 2 minutes left in the tournament and dropped our check from 250,000 to 13,000. Just brutal.

Marlin bite. If this video doesn’t post right let me know and I’ll put it on YouTube 

Damn! What a kick in the balls to miss out on that check at the buzzer! 

Edited by RMac5

On 1/29/2023 at 9:22 AM, troph said:


Edit - I meant to add, I’ve got a GREAT guide for you dads that want to introduce your kids to trout fishing on the fly. And if you need a slump buster, the Guad fits the bill nicely most days. 

it's not the dude that sawed his mom's head off, right?

Edited by DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt

43 minutes ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

it's not the dude that sawed his mom's head off, right?

o_O

59 minutes ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

it's not the dude that sawed his mom's head off, right?

 

15 minutes ago, troph said:

o_O

It's not. 

Tied my first fly today. To get out of Nor Cal, the family moved to northern Idaho and I go back and forth for work.  Local store has free fly tying lessons in the winter.  This is supposed to be a golden stone and looks pretty good if I say so myself because I had some oversight. The second attempt I was on my own mostly and it looks like I tied it with my feet.  DF5AC0B9-C40B-4767-92FF-7EB8E847377C.thumb.jpeg.76f5dee834138ef8c34a39cac9d5ddcb.jpeg

 

2 hours ago, Lhorn said:

Tied my first fly today. To get out of Nor Cal, the family moved to northern Idaho and I go back and forth for work.  Local store has free fly tying lessons in the winter.  This is supposed to be a golden stone and looks pretty good if I say so myself because I had some oversight. The second attempt I was on my own mostly and it looks like I tied it with my feet.  DF5AC0B9-C40B-4767-92FF-7EB8E847377C.thumb.jpeg.76f5dee834138ef8c34a39cac9d5ddcb.jpeg

 

that'll fish.

sidenote: i'm guessing they picked that fly because it introduces you to different elements of tying, but jeez, start with a zebra midge, master those concepts, then start adding concepts.

2 hours ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

that'll fish.

sidenote: i'm guessing they picked that fly because it introduces you to different elements of tying, but jeez, start with a zebra midge, master those concepts, then start adding concepts.

The classes have been going on for weeks so I got involved late.  It seems fun enough that I’ll definitely be going again and get some supplies to try more introductory type flies.  Come spring/summer I’d like a hire a guide and get myself on the water and catching fish. 

  • 2 weeks later...

Quick help from the more experienced anglers.  headed down to central america.  Pacific.  will spend a day inshore fishing with a guide.  other days will be spent just chilling around the resort which is right on the water.  they have a dock so i thought Id take a travel set up and just grab a beer and throw some line out.  not sure ill have access to any bait so my thought was to take a few hooks and lures.   Guide says grey snapper aka mangrove should be around.  So what should I do?  Popper?  use a spec rig?  internet says #2 hook.   any thoughts on a few lures to take?   Also might take my set up to the beach or any place else anyone recommends while down there.

Edited by midtown

13 minutes ago, midtown said:

Quick help from the more experienced anglers.  headed down to central america.  Pacific.  will spend a day inshore fishing with a guide.  other days will be spent just chilling around the resort which is right on the water.  they have a dock so i thought Id take a travel set up and just grab a beer and throw some line out.  not sure ill have access to any bait so my thought was to take a few hooks and lures.   Guide says grey snapper aka mangrove should be around.  So what should I do?  Popper?  use a spec rig?  internet says #2 hook.   any thoughts on a few lures to take?   Also might take my set up to the beach or any place else anyone recommends while down there.

Where are you going?  A few simple silver spoons and a few chrome rattle traps in different sizes should work pretty much anywhere.

On 2/1/2023 at 3:54 PM, Lhorn said:

Tied my first fly today. To get out of Nor Cal, the family moved to northern Idaho and I go back and forth for work.  Local store has free fly tying lessons in the winter.  This is supposed to be a golden stone and looks pretty good if I say so myself because I had some oversight. The second attempt I was on my own mostly and it looks like I tied it with my feet.  DF5AC0B9-C40B-4767-92FF-7EB8E847377C.thumb.jpeg.76f5dee834138ef8c34a39cac9d5ddcb.jpeg

 

Once you catch a fish on your own fly, you’ll be hooked.  Great hobby to de-stress.

We are in the golden age of fly tying thanks to YouTube.  You can become incredibly proficient in short order.  Follow Charlie Craven, Kelly Galloup, tightlinevideo, and East Rosebud Flyshop and you’ll be well on your way.

Kelly Galloup was in Tulsa last week for tying sessions and a couple of presentations.  The real deal and someone who takes time to educate all the historic patterns that still fish.  Said he fished a hare’s ear, one of the oldest patterns, almost exclusively when nymph fishing.

971C8DCF-9A1B-4F2A-97AF-A97AF65E90C2.thumb.jpeg.3a02f032650be70f2374278aeea74fbe.jpeg

9E06639E-DB4C-4084-B26E-210048916F1E.thumb.jpeg.f25631033859e2dc113fe93aa81aef61.jpeg

  • Popular Post

April weather in February.  Loving it.  Only two bites in an hour and a half but both quality.

 

 

E2A55D2C-1D56-47A8-A7D4-87EBA4048ECF.jpeg

73CFF396-64CF-4B17-A462-12C114427066.jpeg

AB6F144B-BB91-46A1-8697-8B520F247A9F.jpeg

  • Popular Post

Took the kid on a recon trip yesterday to the Oklahoma Ozarks.  We were definitely pushing the season but the smallmouth are starting to get active.  He lost a nice two pound fish right at the bank.  White bass will be running soon as well.

Okie smallmouth water:

006C8AD6-391E-4A06-99DF-6BC7F419F52A.thumb.jpeg.62d7cd43e16b21b957d5af4793630da7.jpeg

DFDDE796-5194-46FB-B288-CC3005C67E7E.thumb.jpeg.644efde018dec57b5c6f043ba0df38b4.jpegED6607AD-A69F-4EBD-BE47-8F0AB239E456.thumb.jpeg.f5041791cf77b4c2c6634419705194cb.jpeg

6AAB570C-7B8A-4562-B824-AEA87432885E.thumb.jpeg.a17753e84221089c397a0e2e96c689e0.jpeg


972C8D9E-60E3-4D83-9076-30ABF358E0EA.thumb.jpeg.e2549ab73dfeb816d81826bce5e46f3c.jpeg

3285ECB3-A66D-42D2-BBC3-C11E60DF5345.jpeg

5B2389C1-210E-4A47-919D-71238D1DAD8F.jpeg

 

Edited by MalibuSheriff

Fished inshore today in Boca Chica Panama.  Hoping to report here with some good fishing tales and pictures of a big ass rooster or some cubera snapper but I got skunked.  I have not been skunked on a charter in a very long time.   The water was terrible.  Green and cloudy.  Rough too.  I will be bruised to hell tomorrow.   I was out on the bow with a u-shaped railing and I almost went down at least twice.  and it was brutally hot.  Fine if the fish are biting but miserable when not.  Oh well.  That's fishing. 

21 hours ago, Johnny Chimpo said:

Looks like a beautiful river to wade and fly fish. 

I think I could get a canoe down that thing. 

On 2/21/2023 at 10:57 PM, MalibuSheriff said:

Took the kid on a recon trip yesterday to the Oklahoma Ozarks.  We were definitely pushing the season but the smallmouth are starting to get active.  He lost a nice two pound fish right at the bank.  White bass will be running soon as well.

Okie smallmouth water:

006C8AD6-391E-4A06-99DF-6BC7F419F52A.thumb.jpeg.62d7cd43e16b21b957d5af4793630da7.jpeg

DFDDE796-5194-46FB-B288-CC3005C67E7E.thumb.jpeg.644efde018dec57b5c6f043ba0df38b4.jpegED6607AD-A69F-4EBD-BE47-8F0AB239E456.thumb.jpeg.f5041791cf77b4c2c6634419705194cb.jpeg

6AAB570C-7B8A-4562-B824-AEA87432885E.thumb.jpeg.a17753e84221089c397a0e2e96c689e0.jpeg


972C8D9E-60E3-4D83-9076-30ABF358E0EA.thumb.jpeg.e2549ab73dfeb816d81826bce5e46f3c.jpeg

3285ECB3-A66D-42D2-BBC3-C11E60DF5345.jpeg

 

Where in Oklahoma?  The GRDA sign makes me suspect NE Ok.  I spent a bunch of my childhood fishing Grand Lake at my grandparents' place.

Edited by Jerry Callo

On 2/13/2023 at 6:03 PM, MalibuSheriff said:

Said he fished a hare’s ear, one of the oldest patterns, almost exclusively when nymph fishing.

buddy of mine, no matter what river we are on, at some point during the day pulls out his seine, dips it in the water, pulls it out and goes 'yep, looks like a hare's ear"

 

4 hours ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

buddy of mine, no matter what river we are on, at some point during the day pulls out his _____________, dips it in the water, pulls it out and goes 'yep, looks like a hare's ear"

I was definitely expecting a different word when I read that the first time.

11 hours ago, Sam Lin said:

I was definitely expecting a different word when I read that the first time.

Yep. Deep, too. 

On 2/23/2023 at 2:26 PM, Jerry Callo said:

Where in Oklahoma?  The GRDA sign makes me suspect NE Ok.  I spent a bunch of my childhood fishing Grand Lake at my grandparents' place.

Upper Illinois River and a tributary.

When I grew up in Tulsa, 30+ years ago we always had native smallmouth in the Illinois but a big fish was as 3 lbs.  Oklahoma Department of Wildlife stocked Lake Tenkiller (which Illinois River feeds) with Tennessee-strain smallmouth in early nineties.  Those Tennessee-strain fish have migrated up the Illinois and those fish are huge.  Legit 7 lb.+ smallmouth are abundant now both in the lake and tributaries.  Below is not my fish/photo but one shared on a guide’s website that was caught recently:

931D16F8-536D-48BB-90C4-AA9A1797C190.thumb.jpeg.ba0e34ca3b9c3d904b8444f9f512aae8.jpeg

They are loving the jerkbait in the fog this morning.

 

.

 

 

20230226_074824.jpg

20230226_074919.jpg

20230226_074843.jpg

Well, I slept with your wife.

Any recommendations for a good baitcasting reel under $50 - $75? Mainly for fishing stock ponds and small lakes. 

Edited by Brothahorn

51 minutes ago, Brothahorn said:

Any recommendations for a good baitcasting reel under $50 - $75? Mainly for fishing stock ponds and small lakes. 

You can get a Abu Garcia Revo X on Amazon for about $70 to $80 bucks depending on what day it is. They go up and down. My favorite reel for under $100. I’ve got one in every gear ratio. They usually let you do 3 interest free payments, if you need to spread it out.

You can still get the Abu Garcia Black Max at Wal Mart for $47 or so, left or right handle retrieve. One of the most popular baitcasters of the last decade, tried and true.

I got my Max X, the successor to the Black Max, around this time last year on sale at Academy for a similar price. They should be having big fishing reel sales soon. Also got a Max Pro for under $60. 

Last summer I got a Lew's Xnfinity in a pawn shop for $34, still in the clear pack. 

I have a Black Max and Max X. In my experience, the Revo is worth the extra 30 bucks. Its smoother and and cast further, which when pond fishing is nice,as you can cover more area from the bank..

I also find the Revo throws smaller baits better. 

What was the reel they had on Amazon which was the Chinese knockoffs of the $400 Shimano Metanium or Anteres? Was about $60 IIRC and had great reviews? I’d go buy a half dozen of them now. Anyone? I can’t remember if it was this site or one of the ancestor sites where that discussion occurred.

Needed to get out of the house yesterday, so I went exploring a potential white bass spot.  Quite windy for a 5wt flyrod, but still managed to find some nice female white bass and one gaspergou.
 

ab7496d559886315340ce0d4cc055eef.jpg

Whereabouts?  Ive got the white bass itch and am just looking for an excuse to play hooky from work.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.