February 10, Lake Wheeler, AL
Dan writes:
This morning I left the campsite and trailered sixty miles upriver to Ditto Landing. I fished five to ten miles of the river before deciding it wasn’t going to be worth this long trip. Around mid-day I loaded up and trailered back down to Decatur. I was planning to fish the flats again, and fish ’em real slow this time, but when I arrived the wind was blowing so hard it would have been impossible to fish slowly. Instead I left and trailered almost all the way back down to the dam. Here around three o’clock I launched again and fished for two hours in one of the creeks, with about twenty other boats around me. I never got a bite all day.
Now I’m really getting nervous. I have fished three days, and in that time have caught one, that’s right one, fish. I’m running out of time to find them, too. I know there are fish up on Decatur flats, but they’re going to be all largemouth. The water down in these creeks near the dam was significantly warmer; almost 45 degrees, and the fish there are going to include largemouth, smallmouth, and spots. The smallmouth and spots should be easier to catch in the cold weather. With only one full day of practice remaining, I think I’m going to spend it in these creeks, fishing deeper, and fishing slow… real slow.
Annie writes:
I offered to go fishing with Dan today, but it was windy and raining. He said it would be better for Cooper and I to stay home. No need for the three of us to be freezing and miserable.
I had plenty of company throughout the day to keep me busy. When I was not entertaining visitors, I tried to dry out the floor of the tent. One half of the tent was completely dry, the other completely wet. We are still experimenting with the best way to set it up.
Dan came in around 5:00 and we decided to go out to eat at the restaurant here in the park. We saw Bobby and Elaine, and went to their room in the lodge to visit. On the way home we stopped by John and Laraine’s, as Dan still had not seen them yet this week.