Thanksgiving is full of traditions, and one of these traditions is hunting and fishing with the family.
Our family always hunted together for deer the morning of Thanksgiving. Then we would have our afternoon feast, giving us kids enough time to grab our fishing poles and head down to one of the three family farm ponds located on my grandparent’s land. It was paradise.
Well, well, well, the big orange boat struck again this last week. Kevin Miller, owner of Hook-N-Book guide service (479) 616-7352, hooked into this beauty of a 10-pound walleye. Go to facebook to see the video of him releasing this wonderful creature back into the water.
Kevin guides on the Beaver tailwaters for rainbows, browns, and walleyes. A lot of guides on our river only will take you walleye fishing in the spring, at the end March or 1st of April when walleye are spawning and easier to catch. Kevin hunts them down all year long.
He was using custom painted jerkbaits. He paints all his own hard baits. He said he has been working for months to get the correct size and color. He added that walleye fishing this way has been surprisingly good.
I asked him what time he starts and said, “I start at 2 p.m., and go to six, so not late night lately. We fish thirty minutes past dark. All fishing has been done jigging or throwing hard baits. The jerkbaits have been best, l even weight them so they suspend exactly the way I want them to.
“My wife Jessica Miller took the picture. I was doing some scouting/prefishing for upcoming trips. Fishing for me is more than a job, it’s a lifestyle. I work every day to improve. I don’t feel like you should fish only when the fish are spawning. The challenge is the part that makes it fun – catching fish when everyone else is at home.
“Never giving up the battle. It is so satisfying to watch your clients catch fish after all the hard work you put in. That never gets old.”
Kudos to Jessica, the photo is great!