Stories – Page 7 – Velox Seeker

The Cross Timbers Ecoregion…

This blog post is not about fishing obviously, instead I thought I’d share some information about where I live.

I live on a cuesta in the Cross Timbers Ecoregion. This is a unique transition zone between the Ozarks to my East and the prairies to the West. It consists primarily of a tangle of Blackjack Oak and Post Oak trees. It is a mix of woodlands, savannah and prairie, some of which are found together in a 5 acre stretch, or a 5000 acre stretch and sometimes one or the other are in an exclusive swath spanning many miles.

I keep a half acre wide patch of my property in its natural state. Since I have horses, they have pretty much manicured the rest of the property to their liking. But there are areas around me that are true old growth forests. You couldn’t tell by looking at the trees that they were actually really old.

This particular Post Oak is at or near 100 years old and it might be 30 feet high at the highest point.

Not far from here is a preserve named the Keystone Ancient Forest that holds 500-year old Eastern Red Cedars and 300-year old Post Oak trees. It is a sight to behold.

The landscape is rugged, water can be difficult to find and the heat can be oppressive. Anything growing here has to be hardy. But it has a beauty to it that has to be experienced to fully understand. I’ve ventured through forest areas that were so thick and intertwined that you were forced onto your hands and knees just to traverse through a section. I’ve meandered through areas of savannah that had knee to waist high prairie grasses that remind a person of the African Savannah complete with non-native Mimosa trees. And the rocks…they are everywhere! They comprise every shape and size from pebbles to house size boulders.

No shortage of Prickly Pear Cactus around here.

If you spend the time and do the research, you begin to notice the abundance of edible and medicinal plants in this ecoregion. I have cataloged 63 different varieties on our property so far. What most people call weeds are actually very useful plants. And for those who don’t know…Botany is another hobby of mine! I just read an interesting article this past Friday about the effects of Taraxacum officinale on the COVID-19 virus…that’s the Latin name for Dandelion by the way. And as a side note: look into the US Pharmacopeia Book from the 1800’s–before modern pharmaceuticals took hold.

This is a picture of the soil in this area. Since this area used to be covered by the Western Interior Sea during the Cretaceous Period 145 million-66 million years ago…we have LOTS of sand.

I could literally start another blog just on the topic of edible and medicinal plants but I’m sure there are plenty of those out there.

Anyway, enough of me rambling on. I thought I’d share a small snippet of the area I call home. Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. The pioneers weren’t too impressed with this region and saw no economic profit potential here. That’s fine by me as they ignored it and left an amazing old-growth area intact for us to experience today.

MONACHOPSIS: the subtle but persistent feeling of being out of place.

Change is inevitable. That’s a fact and a fundamental law. We are surrounded by change and are a function of that process. Not all change is good and not all change is bad…we know that, we see that, we experience that, but more importantly, we deal with that.

As humans, we are generally disinclined to change unless we are forced to. Yet all around us things are constantly changing and we have to adapt or die. Sometimes we can be overwhelmed and we struggle with it.

I struggle quite often. I try to keep my bearings amidst chaos, amidst responsibilities and balancing my life. Thats where my passion for fishing comes into play. When I step into a stream all of the bullshit fades into the background. Somehow when I’m at the car and gearing up, I do a cursory check of my gear, and consciously decide to leave all of that unnecessary “mental detritus” locked up in the car. I hit the key fob and begin to relax and calm my mind.

I focus on being present and trying to blend into the river. My mind begins the process of focusing on “solving the puzzle.” I try to find my place! Doing what brings me a semblance of joy and happiness. I feel completely out of place surrounded by coworkers or mobs of commuters and being choked by the hustle and bustle of change.

I am not an “escapist” by nature and take my role as parent, husband, co-provider etc. seriously. But not to the point where I feel overwhelmed and lost. I know when to take a break and go somewhere that allows me to recharge my internal batteries. That place where I feel as if I belong. And for me, that is usually a place where I can fish and be away from people. A place where I find happiness. We ALL deserve a chance to not feel Out Of Place. To do something that brings us joy.

What the Future Holds?

DISCLAIMER: I am not a Climatologist or a Meteorologist.

I am curious by nature and tend to observe and absorb things. I do not possess enough information or facts to have a firm position on Climate Change. What I do have is observations spread across decades in my area. And with that, I can safely say that things are abnormal, or at least abnormal to my eyes and brain.

I don’t remember having a “rainy season” like we’ve been experiencing for the past several years. I remember having “heat waves” where we endured multiple weeks of 100+F days. Now those events have shifted to a few days of high temperatures. Winters have changed as well. The weather is often dismissed here because of the old saying, “if you don’t like the weather wait a few minutes and it will change.” I say dismissed because people believe that it’s normal. Yet you can clearly see things have changed.

So why am I bringing this up? I began to think about weather and how it relates to my fishing. I try to read any and all scientific papers I can get my hands on in regards to my beloved Micropterus dolomieu velox…the Neosho-strain Smallmouth Bass.

Most of their habitat is classified as “discontinuous streams” which means that they don’t always flow or have a consistent water level. Droughts and floods are possible and negatively affect these fish. Which brings me to the present year-2021. These fish cannot successfully spawn if the river is running at 18ft. It completely washes the nest and eggs away. Yes, the water level drops and the Velox begin to rebuild and start over only to be faced with another high water event resulting in a second loss. Rinse and repeat for 2021 has been the norm. Which causes concern for me.

The hottest part of our local climate hasn’t come yet. That usually entails high temperatures and low water flows due to lack of rain. This forces the Velox to seek refuge in deeper pools to wait for better conditions. This species relies on flowing water and relatively cool water temperatures (around 31C max) compared to other bass species. As stated before elsewhere, this species of fish does not grow to enormous sizes and as such, most people overlook them in favor of Largemouth Bass. I seriously doubt if anything will be done to help these fish if it becomes necessary for their survival in the face of extinction. That may sound drastic but it is a very real possibility.

As a person who fishes…we take all of these things into consideration when planning our trips. If the water is really low or really hot, we don’t go. We know that these stressors negatively affect the fish and don’t want to add to it. Also, they generally spawn over a 3 week period so we leave them alone as well. There are other fish we can chase.

I’m not suggesting that we are perfect. Even practicing catch and release and using barbless hooks, we know about mortality rates after release and try to mitigate that as much as we can. So I wonder how much mitigation we can do to offset climate change. I’m sure we can do more as a family…

It’s About the “Hyphen”…

I ran across a headstone in a National Cemetery. It listed the gentleman’s date of birth and date of death. Under that was the Branch and Unit, as well as the War. At the bottom it simply said, “Gone Fishing.”

I got a chuckle out of that because it sounds like something I would put on my grave as well. I stood there paying my respects and began to realize that this guy had lived a long life…yet it had all been compressed into a hyphen. An entire lifetime reduced to one symbol.

It makes a person wonder about what all he did, where he traveled, his family and many other aspects of his life. A simple hyphen cannot express all of that and seems like a huge injustice. All I know is his name and that he’s “Gone Fishing”, hopefully one day we might possibly fish together. I have a lot of questions…

The Heated Dock…

When I was between 10-12 years old, my father used to take me to some of the heated docks to fish during the winter. We would fish all night and try to catch Crappie…when you needed a “fix” that was an easy way to get it.

The wood burning stove helped keep the enclosure relatively warm but you could always feel the cold coming off of the lake. Whoever got up to stretch was usually the one who would feed the stove. I do remember curling up on that nasty carpet and sleeping til sunrise. You do what you have to do.

I distinctly remember my dad had a Daiwa ultralight setup that I believe he had picked up in Okinawa when he was stationed there. I thought it was the coolest thing ever when compared to my Zebco 33 combo. I rarely if ever got to fish with it but I always admired it. This was long before I knew about JDM tackle.

I’ve never been known as someone who had patience, but when fishing, I could sit there and watch a bobber or rod tip for hours. My job was usually to retrieve a minnow from the minnow bucket and hand it to whomever was baiting their hook. Or to bring them a cup of coffee.

On one particular night I remember re-baiting the hook on my dads ultralight when I got a bite on my rod. I set his down and grabbed mine to start reeling in a fish when all of a sudden, his rod leaps off the railing and plunges into the lake. I watched in hopeless horror as it sank out of sight. I had forgotten to secure the rod handle with one of the rope loops that were affixed to the railing.

Talk about feeling bad! I was so apologetic and at the same time worried that he was angry. To my recollection he wasn’t overly mad. Disappointed I’m sure, but he didn’t seem as upset as I was.

I have searched and searched for any information on that rod and reel and have yet to even locate a picture. I remember it was green and white with a cork handle and came with a matching push-button reel. To this day I thought it would be cool to hand him a replacement…even if it’s for the sake of nostalgia. So yes…after 40 years I still feel guilty for losing that rod. I’m still sorry Pop!

Ditch Water…

That’s what my friends call it. I call it an opportunity.

Oklahoma has a few trout streams and they usually contain too many people for my taste. I prefer my own company and hence, try to find overlooked or ignored places to fish. And catching trout is fun, I just prefer another species at this moment in my life.

I’ve spent thousands of dollars chasing the Micropterus dolomieu velox or Neosho-strain Smallmouth bass. I don’t see an end to it in the foreseeable future. Sure, I could go to the North Country and catch really big Smallmouth bass, and I’ve done that many times, but there’s something special to seeking out our native Smallmouth bass.

I don’t go with the “societal flow” or “social norms”, in fact, I could care less. I am on this Earth for a certain period of time and plan to use as much of that time as I can wisely. So I prefer to chase whatever species I am interested/fascinated in. And if I do it right, you will never know I was there. Since I enjoy my solitude and “soul time”, I don’t always give trip reports or name locations of where I’m fishing…and I think most readers understand the WHY behind it. It’s my way of recharging my internal batteries.

I enjoy fishing immensely and hope to continue doing so for years to come. I don’t care if its a really small creek leading to a stream. And if I’ve never been there…that’s a bonus.

So…Ditch Water huh? You never know what you’ll encounter. You will never know what’s around the creek/stream/river bend unless you go. And I WILL GO.

It Still Surprises Me…

I have a natural inclination to observe things. And I find it fascinating to watch wildlife. I’m 50 years old, yet still find wonderment in seeing a deer or a fish or bird, or anything really. And I’ve seen thousands of deer.

As I was in the middle of the river fishing, I kept hearing subtle noises coming from the bank behind me. I would peek over my shoulder every once in awhile to try and locate the source. Once I spotted the deer as she quietly browsed on the shoreline foliage, I stopped fishing and perched myself on top of a rock and just watched.

I observed how she was moving, what she was feeding on and how alert she was. No doubt she knew I was there, but still, I dared not move. I was in awe and quite content to just watch. Her mannerisms hinted at wariness, as well it should. I was no threat to her but I’m sure she had a Ph.D in human behavior and was ready to bolt to safety in an instant.

All told, I probably sat there for 10 minutes just watching. Eventually her path took her around the bend in the river. I stood up, stretched and continued fishing. Happy and thankful for the encounter…

Frustrated…

I was really looking forward to getting out this weekend but that didn’t happen. I had quite a few chores I needed to get done instead.

Besides, the weather crushed any plans I made. Saturday was partly sunny and in the 80’s F but it was the wind that killed it. It was blowing out of the south between 20 and 30mph. This morning, 55F with winds gusting from the northwest at 15-25mph.

It’s no fun staring out the window watching the trees rock back and forth. In fact, a friend of mine just bought a brand spanking new bass boat and he’s suffering the same problem. Wouldn’t be much fun getting blown all around a lake while trying to fish.

Oh well, it is Mother’s Day after all so we will just hang out and enjoy a rare leisurely day together. We have a trip that needs to be planned so we might as well get started.

2021 Clean Ups So Far…

Looking through my fishing journal for 2021, it shows we have made 13 outings so far. The picture is of all the discarded fishing line we have recovered so far in 2021.

The image above is all of the lures we have recovered so far.

According to my records, as of May 2nd, 2021, we have picked up 31 bags of trash so far and have no intention of stopping! BE A GOOD STEWARD…

How Many?

I routinely catch “flack” about my fishing tackle from family and friends. Comments like “how many rods and reels do you really need?” or “why can’t you pick one and call it good?” And my favorite…”I can’t believe you have a “fishing room” in your house!”

I usually shrug it off or try to explain, but it never makes sense to them. The reality is that as a person gets older, other hobbies fall by the wayside. After a major back surgery and three shoulder surgeries…it’s not a good idea to continue rock climbing and mountaineering! Even kayaking and canoeing takes a toll. So I’ve essentially been left with camping, fishing and amateur radio. I only have one teenager left at home, but soon he will move on to start his life. And I have plans for my retirement that involve a lot of fishing.

I have loved fishing for decades and have no plans to stop until my body gives up. So how many rods DO I REALLY NEED? There is not an obvious answer to that! If all you do is sit on a bank and bobber fish with worms then you can get by with only one or two rods and reels. But you can’t effectively use a trout rod to catch bass or pike. Big catfish and stripers mean bigger rods and stouter tackle.

Fly rods come in an assortment of lengths and weights for a reason. The 5wt is the all-rounder that almost everyone buys as their first setup. But what if it’s windy…which is all too common in Oklahoma? You need a heavier rod in 6wt-7wt as well. And if you want to try tight-line nymphing then you’ll need a slightly different outfit.

I think tackle of any sort needs to suit the application and therefore I purchase accordingly. Certain streams need certain rods, certain styles of fishing require something completely different. And that’s what I do! THERE IS NO SINGLE MAGIC WAND.

Truth be told, I’m leery and skeptical of a fisherman with only one rod. Unless of course its a young angler just starting out.

If you like fishing as much as I do, in all of it’s vagaries, then you’ll need several rods and reels whether you like it or not…just sayin.

Rain, Rain and More Rain…

It has been a frustrating year so far due to the weather. Cold fronts, rain, Tornados etc. has made it tough. I keep an eye on the stream gauges of the rivers I fish. This particular stream is usually around 6.85ft but as you can see…it’s UP a wee bit. Perhaps you can see and understand some of the conditions my beloved Velox (Neosho-strain Smallmouth Bass) has to endure.

The month of May tends to be our wettest month in Oklahoma so we’ll just have to buckle up and ride it out…

I Turned 50…

Well it finally happened! I hit the Big 5 0. My family got me some wonderful gifts that I will be using this year while fishing and I couldn’t be more excited.

However, my Dad’s health took a serious turn for the worse so that has overshadowed everything else at present. We are hoping he will pull through and are sitting by our phones waiting for any updates on his condition.

I haven’t posted anything to the blog because it just doesn’t seem important right now. So please bear with me. Thank you