September Woes

The 39.5 inch long fish pictured above was as good as it got for me in the month of September. While I am always thankful to catch a fish like that, September as a whole wasn't very good to me. I ended the month without catching a single fish over 40 inches. That is the first month all year where that has happened.

Why was fishing in September so bad for me? Good question. It could be any number of things or more likely a combination of factors. I have continued on with my year long experiment of anchoring down in one to two spots for the duration of my trip instead of constantly moving like in years past. This experiment paid big dividends during the first half of the year, however, the second half of the year hasn't gone as well. Mid July through September are always great months when I drift and troll. I tend to catch good numbers of fish and get some quality fish mixed in too. The fact I am not covering a large amount of water this year could be what is limiting my catches during this time period.

Another potential factor is that I have been fishing mostly during the morning hours this summer. Most mornings, TVA isn't generating so the lack of current could be what is hurting me. It could also be that I have just been in the right place at the wrong time or the wrong place altogether. I try to always put myself in a position to succeed but it is very well possible that I just set up in the wrong places this past month.

Regardless, I am looking forward to getting back on some good fish again or at least getting back on a consistent bite. While I want to see this experiment through to the end, it is tough to stay motivated when having bad trip after bad trip. The one bright spot this month was the quality of bass I caught. I spent a portion of the month preparing for the Fishing for Soldiers tournament and was able to catch 80.25 inches of smallmouth bass on tournament day which got me a 4th place finish and $350.

Hopefully as the water starts to cool down in October and November, I will get back on some big catfish again. At the very least, the cooler temps will make it more comfortable to be on the water. Until then, I will keep doing what I do. Eventually I will find myself in the right place at the right time and get to tangle with a whopper again.