I've been catching those 8-10 inch stockers pretty regularly since last weekend. I first found them in the duck pond when I started throwing a spinner(1/8th oz. black/silver Roostertail) and have chased them into the creek where the bulk of them now reside.(I changed to a 1/16th oz. Panther Martin in a similar color in the creek......the blade spins better in the shallow water).

There is nothing of any size in there, but a whole lot of fun on my fast action ultra-light. And for those of you who might not be aware of it, the creek is open year round to the dam/fish ladder.(I've been approached by numerous people telling me it's closed) and due to the exceptionally small size of the creek, anymore than two people present within a 1/4 acre represents a "combat" fishery. The secret to "finding" the fish is to retrieve spinner as slow as possible, while keeping the blade spinning. Once you've gotten a strike, you can usually spot them tailing in a pool of moderate speed and under overhanging brush. Once found, you'll need to speed your retrieve up a bit to prevent them from inhaling your spinner(assuming you plan to release them). I have also "barbed" my treble hooks without ill consequence.

However, on Saturday evening......the day in which I'm actually reporting, I arrived at the creek to find a couple of guys working feverishly in my most productive hole with little result. So, I tied my Roostertail back on and went for a walk. It was rainy,wet, and "finger-numbingly" cold. I noticed the water level in both the creek and the lake seemed to have gone down. I flogged the water pretty hard from the duck pond to the boathouse. As I neared the boathouse(I was a little closer than I should have been) I felt the blade on my spinner hesitate. I slowed my retrieve and had a little 9" stocker clear the water with my Roostertail in his mouth. A couple more casts produced another...only slightly bigger this time, though both fish seemed to fight harder than their brethren in the creek. The next cast produced a rolling "missed" strike, this time from a fish that appeared to be in the 1lbs. class. After that it went dead. Made my way to the dock and spoke briefly with a boater who said he didn't get a single hit all day. There were a couple of folks on the dock, but they had just arrived.
I worked my way back to the duck pond without result, and decided to call it a day(it was a two and a half hour trip altogether). All fish were C&R'd accepting the two who swallowed my spinner earlier in the week and were made a proper meal of by a fish eating friend. I am eagerly awaiting the migration of the Triploids, rumored to have stocked, from the south end.

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