Always Looking Ahead

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In our fishing lives, I figure there are a lot of you just like me in the sense we have big dreams of things to come.  Even though we are in the middle of trout season at Blue River, I'm looking ahead to this coming spring. 

Of course, Charlie and I will be pursuing those wonderful amazing creatures known as the prairie bonefish, commonly called carp, but there are other species that also have my attention. 

This spring, I want to catch and set the next lake record smallmouth for Arbuckle Lake.  Why?  That's easy - there is currently not a lake record for smallmouth on Arbuckle title holder! 

Arbuckle Lake is well known for the big bass it produces and has the potential to produce the next largemouth or smallmouth state record. 

Now, I'm not trying for a state record smallmouth, but rather the lake record which is a program launched by the Oklahoma wildlife department.  Currently, the state record in Oklahoma for the smallmouth species is eight pounds and three ounces.  Sheeeeee... that ought to be a piece of cake, huh?  Well... maybe not.

A six pound smallmouth good easily become a lake record for Arbuckle Lake and will set a benchmark for other anglers to break.  I think it's achievable.  However, there are a few things that will need to be arranged before such an undertaking can be pursued.

To get to where the big bass are, a boat will be required and I don't own a boat.  However, I have a good buddy that does!  So, my plan over the next two months is to polish by patronization skills and basically kiss his butt, until it's sore, so he'll take me out on his boat quite often this spring.  Hey.... it's a means to an end...( no, not his end... you know what I mean.). 

As far as gear... another 8 weight will have to be acquired.  My beautiful Temple Fork Outfitters 8 weight survived exactly two outings before another friend accidentally stepped on it.  I have the reel ready with the sink tip and hopefully that will suffice, negating the need for full sink.

Over the years, I've amassed a good assortment of bass patterns from friends and fly-tyers from near and far. So... current offerings to the smallmouth should be ample. 

Think everything needed is pretty much accounted for, except a healthy supply of Chapstick... for all that butt kissing I'm going to be doing.