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Silver Bass 
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Down Below

Johnny Brundage (Jon) operates a sewer and plumbing service business in the city of Niagara Falls and enjoys the free time he gets to go fishing along the shore of the Power Authority fishing areas because of the wide variety of fish species available.

Jon called it fishing "down below"

Early one spring day, it was a bright clear blue sky looking down, and Jon decided he better take advantage of this golden opportunity. Jon decided to just take a day off work and called in sick. Spring fever maybe? He decided to take a trip "down below" where you can catch and release carp, suckers, sheepshead, lake trout, silver bass, rock bass, and more…all day. He always had "catch and release" on his mind.

Breaking a sweat while rushing to pack his gear in a gas guzzling truck he named Johnny Be Good, Jon screeched his wheels on the way down the street from his driveway.

Jon pulled into the parking area provided for anyone willing to walk the steep service road leading to the New York State Power Authority fishing access area. On the walk down, Jon felt the drastic change in the temperature but it was still warm enough to keep the spring jacket tied to his waist.

As he approached the rocky path that will lead him to the fast moving waters of the Niagara River "down below", he spotted his off-shore fishing rock that peered out in the river in the area known as Bloody Run. This is the first on the list to start fishing "down below".

Making his way down the steep rocky path, after rigging his gear he made his first cast standing on that favorite rock that peered off the river shore.

Catching and releasing Small Mouth Bass like there is no tomorrow, Jon watched the mammoth Carp break the water surface, and see these giant fish swim in the shallows. He was hoping not to mistakenly snag one of these giants while jigging for bass, then it happened. Jigging off the bottom resulted in a huge problem. The equipment he was using was not heavy enough. Fighting this fish that could be a carp, was lost down river in the fast white waters near a huge boulder. Retrieving his line Jon jumped up and down like a baby with a dirty diaper. Clearing the moss off his jig, he notices a fish scale the size of a quarter on the hook. Inspecting the mammoth scale Jon has concluded a carp was snagged. This fiasco left the equipment in a state of disrepair.

Tired of catch and releasing so many different species of fish Jon decided he needed a break and moved downriver.

Walking the very rugged path he settled on a spot he could relax and check out his equipment. This was a spot where night crawlers are the choice bait. Jon noticed the afternoon sun dried up the morning dew on the young leaves of the trees and the scent of a warm spring breeze. This energized him like the energizer bunny and he decided to cast jigs instead of the worms.

He made repeated casts and no hits or misses. Finally he tried different colors. Letting the jig touchdown on the rivers rocky bottom in the fast moving current, a hard and heavy strike occurred. Setting the hook and battling this fish for a good 30 minutes in and out of the current, exhausted him. Reaching down to grab his catch, the Lake Trout decided to get his last get away attempt before being set free.

Walking back up the hill to the luxuries of his "Johnny Be Good" pickup truck, Jon was glad he called in sick and went down below that day.

THE END

The Land Marked the Spot 

The Orange Sky Peace Of Mind
Time To Kill Lucky Cal The Last Day
The Last Day Cont... Beating The Odds Gifts Unanswered
Down Below Jim Presario The Great Getaway
Catch and Release A Reel Christmas The Bar
Wide Open Spaces One More Day The Power Of Silver
A Lesson Learned Crawlers by Night Back to Index

Back to Index

   Fishy says, "Always practice good catch and release"
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