Split Shift Pond Play

Asher and I ended up fishing a split shift on the pond yesterday. We originally only planned to fish a couple of hours because of a mid-afternoon plan unrelated to fishing; however, the bite was so good that we couldn't resist slipping back out there after we got home from the other activity to fish the final couple of hours of daylight. Our rods were already rigged with what had been working, and the cameras and other gear were likewise handy, so running back over there was quick and simple.

Fortunately, the fish were right were we had left them and acting the same way. In fact, we caught more in the evening than during the first shift. Together, by our best tally, we caught 30 fish, which is more than  Asher and I had ever caught together at the pond. Most were bluegills, with good quality overall, and we also managed to catch a handful of bass.

Asher did almost all of his damage with a Rebel Bumble Bug, which is a lure he only discovered yesterday and that now seems to be one of his favorites. He would let it rest initially after a cast and twitch it a time or two, giving fish the chance to attack it on the surface, and then reel it back slowly so it wobbled barely under the surface. Most hit it on the retrieve.

I caught almost all my fish on a tandem rig, fishing a Rebel Micro Pop-R with a Prince Nymph on a dropper about a foot and a half beneath it. I caught some on each lure, but most took the nymph. I believe, the popper draws them in and then they see that easy looking meal dangling in front of them and simply cannot resist it. Often right after one slaps at the popper but doesn't quite take it, the popper darts under like a cork. Whether it's the same fish that does both in most cases or whether the strike attracts more fish, I'm not sure. I just know it works really well.

I also know that Asher and I will be back to the ponds with the same rods rigged the same way soon. However, our next stop might be in a trout stream. North Carolina's delayed harvest streams will open to the harvest in a little less than a week, and we might just have to give a couple of them one final shot during the catch-and-release period. The #RebelTroutTrek is only seven weeks away, so we need to be well practiced with trout fishing and travel!