# Smallies under fire



## AtlantaKing (Jul 7, 2002)

Since the weather on the coast looked rather poor this weekend, I decided to meet up with a friend to fish the Shenandoah for smallmouths on Sunday. With the weather cooling, the leaves changing colors and the river pretty much deserted, I figured it'd be a good time to yak fish the river. 

For the most part, I was right on. The leaves up in the Shenandoah valley were in full color and with a bluebird sky for contrast, it was glorious. In fact, there was a line of cars waiting to get onto Skyline Drive through the park (which I've been told is a very nice drive this time of year). Anyhow, we get to the landing, which was deserted, offload the yaks, suit up and we head off. The water was still low and clear, and a nippy 50 degrees. Paddling out, I see nice smallmouths cruising as well as a huge school of catfish and a bunch of sunfish. 

The plan was to paddle upstream a couple of miles from the landing and then float back down and fish every fishy looking hole, riffle and pool. It was going well until we get to the second (or third bend, I forget) bend and ran into "the fire" (explained in detail below); it was hairy for a while until we got squared away and then we proceeded upstream. The river being low meant we had to get out and drag our yaks up some rapids to get above, but it wasn't too bad. It also gave us a chance to get out, stretch and rig up, which I was glad I did. 

On the first float, I hook a really nice smallmouth on a Rapala F7, one of my new favorite lures. This fish pulled me around, turned my boat a bit and nearly caused me to bounce down a rapid sideways  Anyhow, I lipped it right as I was approaching the rapid so I drop the rod and fish in my lap, picked up the paddle and move away. My friend moseyed over to take a picture, which I'm glad he did since this is my PB smallmouth!  










I didn't measure it since I didn't have a ruler (no point, as I was C&R that day) and didn't weigh it since I lost by Boga a couple of months ago being boneheaded :redface: I just know it was my personal best since most of my other smallmouths were like a foot long, and this one was significantly larger and fatter. Sadly, this was the only good fish of the day. Although we did hook a few smaller ones as well as some fat sunfish, there was just too much algae and grass floating around. Even my weedless senkos were getting clogged up. The fish were actively feeding, but we just couldn't get through the weeds. Every retrieve that wasn't clogged up with weeds would buy a strike, but that was only one in ten or so casts  If there weren't so much grass and junk, it would have been a really good day 


OK, here's the harrowing experience: "*The Fire*". 

As my friend and I came around the second or third bend, we heard some gunfire. Now, being small game season, I didn't think much of it. People hunt on their land, no big deal. However, the one thing that caught my attention quick was this sharp "piiinnnnggg" of a ricochet off of the water. I couldn't figure out which direction it was coming from so I couldn't figure out which way to take cover. I tell my friend that there must be people hunting close by and they must have shot low because a round just ricocheted off of the water. He didn't hear it and it seemed to have ceased at this point so I chalked it up as a freak occurrence and proceeded on. 

A couple of minutes pass, and then we start to hear more rapid fire, like some target shooters plinking with a .22, short, rapid barks indicative of a rimfire. We hear "bang", "bang", "bang", and then followed up with "ping", "ping", "ping" with their accompanying splashes. HOLY COW, WE'RE UNDER FIRE!!! We both start yelling and blowing our whistles and waving our arms to attract the attention of the plinkers. We finally did and the shooting stopped; these two or three guys were hurriedly cleaning up their targets to leave. I realized that they were plinking on the land, but didn't have a back stop and since the river had many bends, the rounds were traveling through the woods into the river. I guess they thought we were calling the cops so they were leaving quickly. 

OK, here's the thing. I have no problem with people shooting guns, especially on private land. Hey, it's your land. However, I implore you: please, please, PLEASE observe all the rules of firearms safety, especially rule number 4: *know what you're shooting at and beyond the target*. Shooting into the woods is _not an adequate back stop_, not even for a .22. The last thing law abiding gun owners need is for a tragedy to occur like this and cause a media wildfire.


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

Where on the river were you approximately?

This is my favorite spot, just north of the town of Shenandoah. See where 340 crosses the river? There's a road just before the bridge and you head east about a mile or two down along the river and park.


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## Fins&butt4me (Sep 7, 2009)

Congrats on the small jaw. My favorite fish to catch.


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## Fishbreath (Nov 11, 2004)

Combat fishin' eh? That's a nice smallie for the 'Doah.


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## Grady-Black (Mar 25, 2007)

WTG on that Smallie AtlantaKing. I can imagine how you felt being "under fire"

GB


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

Nice fish. Congrats, glad you giys didn't get hurt.


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## landlocked (Jun 10, 2001)

Nice fish and glad noone got hurt. I use to live up there and fished from Woodstock to Front Royal quite a bit. My favorite lure was a rapala in fire tiger and fished like a jerk bait.Fish the end of May for HOT action!!


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## bbcroaker (Jan 6, 2005)

WTG! Nice fish. Not good sportsmanship on the shooters part.


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## beach_chic (Sep 1, 2007)

wow! nice fish but im sorry you had to be "under fire" by people who didnt care where their bullets were going... Good thing you had your trusty whistle to alert them of your position! wtg


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