Yesterday morning I launched @ 07:10 @ New Albin Ramp to pick up clients @ Blackhawk for 8 a.m. trip. No fog until arriving at the ramp. NOrmal time to Blackhawk is about 4 minutes, enjoying the vies. Yesterday the fog was SO THICK I didn’t arrive until 07:57.

Normally morning fog is a consideration about half the time in August. This year fogust showed up mid-July. Water temp yesterday as 76–down from 82 a couple days earlier. Isuspect it will bump up again with hot weather forecast this week. But when the heat wave passes, expect temps to drop quickly to low/mid 70’s triggering fantastic fishing.

Exactly the scenario for panfish, pike & bass since the temp went down! Not so much for the walleyes. Struggled on one trip–even with willocat. Blaming a major mayfly hatch, BUT the pannies didn’t seem to mind. Bartered a couple of Northland panfish jigs for 4 nightcrawlers. Put pinches of crawler on tiny jigs fished on walleye rods and caught a respectable number of perch, gills and crappie in the last hour of the trip.

Eel grass has been a factor at times already. Sometimes you can get away from it by switching sides of the River. Sometimes you need to go to a single hook presentation with a split shot or barrel swivel about 18″ up the line to keep the bait appealing long enough to provoke a bite.

The Ol’ Miss is one of the most dynamic fisheries in North America. Character of the bite can change drastically in as little as five minutes due to a wind direction change that impacts barometric pressure, a passing towboat or a dozen other subtle reasons. This is part of the reason i love that river so much!

It takes me at least an hour every single day to figure these dynamics out. The SMART play is listening to the River and harvesting the bounty she wants to give up.

Species-specific pursuit in a waterbody that has over 130 species can be beyond challenging. Something like a major mayfly hatch can put the ki-bosh on your very best plans BUT if you listen to the River you can usually find SOMETHING to stretch your string.

I have seven open days remaining In fogust as of July’s last day. I’m not foolish enough to say that you’ll catch fish. But I will promise you’ll exit the boat a better angler than when the trip started.

Pride & unfiltered sarcasm are probably my 2 biggest character flaws. Only God’s unseen hand on my attempts at mastering the immortal Mississippi has any impact on personal humility.

Far as the other flaw goes, those who refuse to eat the flesh of the cloven hoof need not call. Chops will be busted. Witty retort is encouraged. gotta go get the boat rigged for tomorrow’s adventure