Great day at Normandy

[Alphahawk]

Headed to Normandy hoping the Spots were making the spring run......they weren't. I knew if no Spots then I could hit the trout action. Well the trout fishing was the best I have seen in my 6 years of fishing for trout there. These things have been eating well since November. I started fishing at 8:00 a.m. and walked up to the car at 2:00 p.m. My clicker read 166 trout caught and landed. That is not only a great numbers day but the majority of the trout were like little footballs......bursting at the belly with fat. Not sure I could have done any better on the Caney....maybe a few years back...but the size of the trout at Normandy are the biggest I have seen there. The colors for today were a Bison Trout Magnet and when the bite slowed I switched to chartreuse. The river has trout for approximately 6.5 miles. I can only assume they are that size the whole length. I don't know why they wouldn't be. I was fishing in very heavy current and was using a 3/32 ounce jig head. That was my setup for Spots. On my first cast I hooked what I thought was going to be a decent Spot.....instead it was a fat rainbow. It was just an awesome day of fishing. The rod today was a Volkey UL Super Finesse rated for 2-6 pound test and a 1/64-1/4 ounce lure. May head back tomorrow if the wind doesn't blow too hard. I am headed to North Carolina for the weekend and coming back Monday...will start fishing again Tuesday somewhere.....God willing. Have a trip booked with my son to the Little Red River for April 9th.....so I guess I got in some good practice for the trip today....LOL....life is good! I told all my friends this was going too be "The spring of all springs" for me fishing...so far the start is great!


Regards

[jad2t]

Man those things sure are chunky, they've been eating good! The only times I've ever caught them fat like that is below Center Hill Dam when they're eating the shad that came through.

[commdd]

WOW...those are toads! congratulations

[Travis C.]

What a great day Alpha. Those are some chunky bows.

On the last pic, how big is the hook on the jig? Compared to a TM or a CM double cross?

[Fishbus]

Floated it 3 weeks ago and a big shad kill had come through the dam. Dead and dying fish by the thousands in the river. Had to have helped with the fattening. We couldn't buy a bite. Going back Saturday with a friend from out west and hoping for a day like yours all the way down the river!

Billy


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[Alphahawk]

What a great day Alpha. Those are some chunky bows.

On the last pic, how big is the hook on the jig? Compared to a TM or a CM double cross?

It is a #6 Mustad XS bronze hook Travis. The TM hook is #8 and Double Cross is a #3. I tell you a great jig head I like from TM is the 1/32 CM replacement heads....from the old Crappie Magnet jig heads. It is a #6...perfect for Gills when you want something bigger than the 1/64.


Regards

[Alphahawk]

Thanks guys.....probably 130 out of the bunch were that size...very few little stockers. Many of them were regurgitating shad....and craw fish. You can see some of the stomach contents on the Hawg Trough...LOL.



Regards

[lupanfreitag]

Well, one more.

Jealous.

Great catches.

[Travis C.]

It is a #6 Mustad XS bronze hook Travis. The TM hook is #8 and Double Cross is a #3. I tell you a great jig head I like from TM is the 1/32 CM replacement heads....from the old Crappie Magnet jig heads. It is a #6...perfect for Gills when you want something bigger than the 1/64.


Regards

Interesting. Thanks for the info. I was wanting to find something a little heavier/bigger hook to cull out some small gills but not too big of a gap.

[XxthejuicexX]

WOW. I did not even notice the regurgitated shad on the board until you said it, to distracted by the fish! I have not fished down there in 15 years I bet. You should be able to fish out of a yak or is the current just going to blow me down stream? EDIT: Just looked at the sat image and I doubt I could stay put in the yak. I used to float it with my dad years ago.

[Alphahawk]

WOW. I did not even notice the regurgitated shad on the board until you said it, to distracted by the fish! I have not fished down there in 15 years I bet. You should be able to fish out of a yak or is the current just going to blow me down stream? EDIT: Just looked at the sat image and I doubt I could stay put in the yak. I used to float it with my dad years ago.

You can stay put about anywhere you want at 40 CFS......even up to 100 CFS. It is great time to float it....but figures we would have some cooler weather this weekend.


Regards

[Paincave]

I thought that was you but wasn't sure so I didn't say anything. Sounds like you had a awesome day for sure.

[Alphahawk]

I thought that was you but wasn't sure so I didn't say anything. Sounds like you had a awesome day for sure.

Did we meet today? Where were you fishing?


Regards

[Paincave]

That was me in the shorts with the other guy that came down and talked to the guy in the blue shirt beside you. We didn't have our fishing gear but we're hopefully going to hit the lake tomorrow before the bad rain gets here but if all else fails,we'll park the boat in the parking lot and fish there for a bit if the lake is a bust.

[Heiny57]

Excellent report as always ,:D

[Alphahawk]

That was me in the shorts with the other guy that came down and talked to the guy in the blue shirt beside you. We didn't have our fishing gear but we're hopefully going to hit the lake tomorrow before the bad rain gets here but if all else fails,we'll park the boat in the parking lot and fish there for a bit if the lake is a bust.

That guy was going to go crappie fishing along the dam.....until he saw me reeling in those fat rainbows. The next thing I know he is beside me fishing with corn....LOL. He did leave with 7 fish though.....and an empty pack of Trout Magnets so he could remember the name when he goes looking for them. Another guy showed up with a bait caster and 20 pound test line with a fluke and wanted to know if that would catch trout....LOL. We both told him he better get some lighter gear...he left. If the wind is not too bad I will be back tomorrow. Using 2# test and a TM in the wind is rough. Next time come and say hello.


Regards

[Saltwaterwalt]

Wow, great day you had! I haven't fished Normandy for at least three years. Maybe I need to go back. The trout use to be a bit small compared to the Caney, but you sure got some fat buggers there! Good job Alpha.

[Alphahawk]

Wow, great day you had! I haven't fished Normandy for at least three years. Maybe I need to go back. The trout use to be a bit small compared to the Caney, but you sure got some fat buggers there! Good job Alpha.

Thanks...I've been fishing there for several years and it has always been fun...but the trout there this spring are really nice.


Regards

[XxthejuicexX]

Alpha, I might have to try and get down there this weekend. I need some heavier jig heads for my TM's. Once again, fantastic day! I used to fish down there with corn or rooster tails with my dad, great memories.

[XxthejuicexX]

Looks like the only chance I will get to fish is Saturday afternoon. Do you think that either Normandy or The Caney will be less affected by the weather than JPP and the crappie? I don't know how trout in a tailwater environment handle the temp change.

[Alphahawk]

Alpha, I might have to try and get down there this weekend. I need some heavier jig heads for my TM's. Once again, fantastic day! I used to fish down there with corn or rooster tails with my dad, great memories.


Thanks.......There's plenty of places to fish a TM with the TM jig head and a size B split shot. But if you fish right below the dam you will need a 3/32 jig head. You can use other baits but I doubt you will get the numbers the TM will bring in. The guy next to me started with a Rooster Tail and didn't get a fish. He did start catching when he switched to corn but in the time it took him to get his seven I must have caught 20. He says when he comes back he will have some TM's. That lure is appropriately named. For whatever reason trout love it. If you want to know a good place to wade or bank fish with easy access send me a PM and will be happy to tell you. Those trout will be in there through June. As a matter of fact they will still stock through June.

Regards


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[SAMBOLIE]

Nice catch, Randy.
I have been wanting to fish Normandy for a week or more. May go tomorrow. Tell me where you will be and I will keep down stream so you do not get the JINX.

Just send a pm telling me where not to go.

[Alphahawk]

Looks like the only chance I will get to fish is Saturday afternoon. Do you think that either Normandy or The Caney will be less affected by the weather than JPP and the crappie? I don't know how trout in a tailwater environment handle the temp change.

I can tell you for a fact that crappie are much more apt to turn off than tailwater trout. I will be in North Carolina or I would be fishing for crappie or trout this weekend myself. I know at times after the crappie have moved shallow at Nickajack and we have one of these small cold fronts come in those crappie would move out from the rip rap and go deeper for a day or two and get lock jaw...that is what happens about 90 percent of the time. I would have to pass by Normandy coming home from Nickajack and would stop off there to catch some trout so I didn't feel I had a wasted trip. The last TWRA report I read which was done in 2012....I think....said that between November and June they stock the 6 miles of the Duck below Normandy with about 25,000 trout. That figures out to about 4000 trout per mile. That is why the catch rate can be high there. I am a firm believer that the pool I was casting into today had three to five hundred trout stacked in there. All I know is "If you don't go you won't know"......LOL. At least that is what Doug Markham says.


Regards

[Alphahawk]

Nice catch, Randy.
I have been wanting to fish Normandy for a week or more. May go tomorrow. Tell me where you will be and I will keep down stream so you do not get the JINX.

Just send a pm telling me where not to go.

PM sent.


Regards

[XxthejuicexX]

Thank you for the Info Alpha. I think I might head down to Normandy,depending on the flow and fish out of the yak for some trout Saturday afternoon. I just hope the cure of Sambolie has worn off by then!

[MNfisher]

Thank you for the Info Alpha. I think I might head down to Normandy,depending on the flow and fish out of the yak for some trout Saturday afternoon. I just hope the cure of Sambolie has worn off by then!


You just want a bunch of points! I hired Randy to sorelip everyone of them!


Mike