NANFA-- post nanfa/ jackson alabama wanderings

Prizma_at_aol.com
Tue, 5 Sep 2000 12:17:34 EDT

hey bernie and dave...
im getting settled back in w/ biz and our ongoing new home renovation.
i have wanted to do a nanfa postie but am overwhelmed w/ other demands.
but i will fill you guys in on our post jackson activities... thanks to you
2 for directional guidance!
after the dissapointing jackson lookabout on saturday ( tho the pearl river
was interesting ), and then the stunning bluenose shiner foray sunday where i
had clear water to snorkle in w/ gators and peter unmack, we... being mark
otneas and i, headed north to tuscaloosa arriving mid sunday evening.
the next morning we drove nw to the sipsey. the water and banks were nice but
the visibility was only a foot or so. after thrashing about w/ minimal
success we loaded back up and headed s to centerville... the catawba. again
about the same... lots of effort, no visibility, minimal success. very
dissappointed. both these locales asked/demanded for a group of sieners w/ a
big siene! not a couple guys w/ small nets. not even much w/ well placed
dipnets in the riffles... and no stunning specimens to speak of. we do think
we caught and released some harlaquins but they were smallish and minimally
marked.
but...
ive learned to study topo maps and saw that i could head upriver to shultz
creek a catawba trib, and i remembered bernie speaking of rainbow shiners in
the vicinity... and i asked a local where the kids like to swim in clear
water. ( always a good clue! ) off we went... and i was fully fullfilled! at
least a dozen species seen within 10 minutes! awesome, enthusiastic. shultz
creek at the bridge.
i cant find my list but i recall...
logperch, small redhorses, the goldline darter... oh!...just found my list...
goldline, logperch, speckled... and 2 similiar to banded and redline darters.
alabama and blacktail shiners.
riffle minnow and bigeye chubb ( or something very similiar )
2 species of redhorse... juvies.
bass, sunfish and drum.
hogsucker and creekchubb/stonerollers.
its very tough for me to id fish and i know this is not accurate... but
similiar.
it was very nice. the black tail and alabama shiners were still in breeding
color. nice vegatation... several types of mosses.
the goldlines were just above riffles on flatish sculptured rocks... with
water flowing smoothly over them. easy to see and not scared or hiding. the
"redlineish" were blue throated, husky and hiding... i had to turn over
rocks... but they were in abundance near the goldlines. very quick and
dashing for cover... just peeking out at me.
i was sure i was viewing a big herd of smallish big eye chubbs but upon
studying scott's book i saw they were not found there..? what were they?
then we headed up to little shultz creek at the church... looked in... and
once again dave!... i said those there are to be rainbow shiners! i worked my
way carefully downstream and lay in the cool clear spring water/pools for an
hour or so just watching them. i want to be there this spring when they are
ablaze! i brought a few home and am treating them w/ clout as they started
white specking up pronto. ick? seems to be working after 4 days of treatment.
later i read in scott's al book where that was the actual site he spoke of. i
bet i saw over 1000. every pool had 2 or 3 dozen. hard to catch thrashing
about. but they kept coming back... not hiding. eventually, as i lay, i just
lifted my net to catch the 10 or 12 i now have.
i was really looking forward to seeing some type of sand darter... but to no
avail. i certainly tried tho. looking in the sand flats carefully and its
edges. from the book they are stunning!
i see from my notes that you mentioned greenbreast and clear chubb... maybe
that is the "redlineish and bigeye" i saw. i will check it out tonight.
i also think i saw a 3" freckled in the riffle... not big tho.
both these sites need to be visited again... im looking to this spring/may.
perhaps yall could accompany me :) sure would like to view those rainbows!
after all that fun we dried off and headed back for a fine bbq meal at
somewhere between twixt and tween! nice little establishment. i always like
those local places and folk.
hey! do either of you know about cabins or lodgings in that vicinity/along
the river for a smallish group... 5 or 7 people? it would make a great
rendevous site for fishheads.
thanks again guys... with yalls guidance i certainly had the highlight of the
jackson ms conference viewing and wandering in central alabama! well... lets
not forget bessie and bg's cajun cookin! all and all it was a fine nanfa
gathering that mr martin hosted... great food, fellowship, real deals and new
friends.
casper

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