TWRA Free Fishing Day and Chattanooga Boil & Cement Pond Pool Party 2010

Saturday, June 12, 2010 is designated as Tennessee's Free Fishing Day. No license needed. Im thinking to offer another opportunity for regional NANFA members to share in some fishy fellowship for a couple days here in Chattanooga, similiar to what we did last year.

Day 1, Saturday, we would seine and dipnet around Chattanooga, South and North Chickamauga Creeks, staying in local urbanized but interesting streams. That late afternoon, after a quick pool party rinse off, we would have a Low Country Boil that a friend of mine can do for us. Corn on the Cob, Potatoes, Carrots, Sausage, Shrimp and maybe Crawfish if we catch enough. Hopefully some folks will fix another round of fine desserts like last time, and i will request another case of Moon Pies from the Chattanooga Bakery.
Folks would be welcome to camp on the property setting up a tent or staying in the teepee or they are welcome to stay in the apartment above my shop a few miles down the road.

Day 2, a Snorkeling Sunday, we would head over to the Conasauga and or the Hiwassee. Its about an hour east and both offer excellent underwater views. The June weather should be warm and the Conasauga may be bareskinable. The Hiwassee demands a wetsuit though, but Tangerine Darters always beckon.

Im thinking $20. would help cover the "Boil" expenses. Last year there was about a dozen of us and we all seemed to enjoy ourselves fully. Rain came in Sunday morning and my back went to pained anquish but with a bit of luck we can get Sunday Snorkeling in this year.

Let me know if your interested and send me an email at prizma@aol.com and i will update my contact and info list.

I also have an idea for a unique speaker if things work out. Coyote Larry.

Kay wants to go. I am gonna have to juggle some priorities to see what events I can do and which I can't.

A last notice for the "Pool Party Seine & Snorkel".

Note recent regulations have prevented bait collecting in Tennessee.
This will still be a lot of fish, fun & fellowship though and we may drop down into Georgia or Alabama Sunday as we are on the border here.
I have a list of those who have expressed interest and i have been updating. Let me know if you are interested in attending.

Casper

prizma@aol.com

Wish I could make it down Snorkelmeister!

I hope I can make it Casper, mostly likely I will.

I am very interested in coming if I would be welcome. I dont know too many of you NANFA members from up north of here, but Martin & Kay are planning to attend and I do know them. Is just anyone welcome?

Remind me the date?
Gotta couple things in the works, gonna take cash, then long mental health adventures, bug bites and sun burn...
All about the funding. Hope to hear soon.

My fingers are crossed, sounds like just what the doctor ordered.

Mike, you know you gotta bring the cash to Casper's house, I'll meet you there...

Grrr! Just got the news, funding is not suffcient to cover impending procedure and roadtrip both.
Seriously consided selling my last few belongings and just running away for ever and skipping said procedure.
They'd just track me down.

Wish I could make it, I really really do. You have no idea how much.
I need it bad.

Todd... we will provide a video homage to your skills. A digital image of you will be present.

President Bruce, you are welcome to the throne whenever you wish. Providing it is unoccupied.

Bullhead, is just anyone welcome? Well that depends. I see your from Mississippi. Errr... minus 1 point. You are NOT a member of NANFA? Well thats minus 3 points. You say you know Martin? Minus 13 points!
Of course your welcome which is why i posted this. However you may be the only Mississipian as Martin and Mrs Martin will not be present.

Mikez... Im not sure what "procedure" you speak of but surely with the skills and professions of those attending and the tools i have available, including tiny ones, we can perform just about any procedure. But Bruce is right you will have to bring cash, and plenty of it.

Casper

And as i stated you need to email me for details. prizma@aol.com

The Pool Party Seine & Snorkel was coupled with the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway Alliance Picnic and fell on Tennessee's Free Fishing Saturday this year. The last couple weeks have been brutally hot and the best thing to do is get in the water ASAP. We seined the creek running alongside the picnic site and caught Gar, Redhorse, Sculpin, Hogsucker, Stonerollers, Gambusia, Black Spotted Topminnows, Bluntnose Minnows, Bigeye Chubs, Shiners of Spotfin, Stripe and Scarlet, Croppie, Redear, Longear, Redbreast, Bluegill, Green, Rockbass, Bass, Silversides, and Darters known as TN Snubs, Redline, Banded, Greenside and Logperch. Many species were missing as we were not aggressivily seining, just setting up and gently shuffling or doing slow easy sweeps. The smaller fish we put in an aquarium so the attending members could see what critters lived in the waters they seek to protect.

After the picnic we went back to the house and cooled down in the cement pond and then visited a springfed creek down the road. Though it is a dumpy urban stream it still offers a lot to see. After another rinse in the pond we went inside where Connie had cooked and laid out a nice evening meal for us. Afterwards we watched a very impressive film that Jeremy Monroe has filmed and directed called RiverWebs. I urge you to order a copy and support his excellent work. He is working on a project of our Southeastern Fishes.
http://www.freshwate....org/video.html

The next morning we took a hike behind the house and collected some tree fungi for our eggs, onions and cheese breakfast, then loaded up for a drive to the Conasauga. A beautiful day, too hot but just right in the cool water. The shiners were in premium color. Alabama, Tricolors, Blues and Blacktails dancing in the sun. Longears were guarding nests, cleaned by their fanning tails. We spent the day enjoying the clear water and were content to stay in a small stretch and mostly focused on the spawning activity of the Alabama and Tricolors.

Species observed were Bass, Coosa Bass, Shadow Bass, Longear, Redbreast, Drum, Redhorse, Hogsuckers, Sculpin, Stonerollers, Studfish, Darters of Bronze, Bridled, Blackbanded, Speckled, Greenbreast and Logperch. Stripe Shiners. Riffle Minnows.

A few pics...

Peeking Speckled.
I was easing along a sandy stretch and saw a pair of eyes jutting just above the substrate. Before i could stop moving, out jumped a Speckled Darter. I did not know they hide themselves like that and now know another reason they prefer that habitat.



Coosa Bass. Redeye. Handsome. Always eager for a dislodged morsal or unsuspecting minnow.



A Longear. Guarding his well groomed pit nest from intruders. Nests were scattered up and down the length of a submerged log and in several other locations. Active breeding.



Blue Shiners. Common and beautiful.
They like the quiet flows. Much prettier with fins displayed and in the light than this photo. They are a truely elegant fish.



Greenbreast Darter.
They like to hide under the rocks in the riffle current. Very handsome and well marked. Kinda like the Redlines back in the Tennessee drainage.



Blackbanded. Very common, plain but friendly. Everywhere and can be quite large.



Tricolor. Caught in the act.
This well grooved chunk of wood was ideal for their spawning. A dozen males and females were working the length of it, in constant motion.



Alabama. He was at the end of the same crevased log and extremely defensive of his prime spot. Alabama Shiners are the power shiners of the Conasauga. At one spot i built a high chub mound and it was soon dominated by a dozen tuberculed males riding the swift current with dorsal fins fully extended, sparring and displaying. Tough to photo!



In the Torrent. An example of the sweeping current, the greatest males are in the fastest current. Get in and hold on.



That ended our day. I went home with 3 Gasper Gou for the chowder pot and Grunt Head Stew.

Here is a pic of Doug, Bryce, Alejandro and Blackberry in front of my son Cobalt's Eagle Scout Project just behind our house. An early morning walk before the drive to the Conasauga.

Edited by Casper Cox, 14 June 2010 - 01:43 PM.

Looks like you guys had a great time! I'll do my best to not have conflicting schedules next year, if you host another shindig. Thanks for the photos.

Awesome, Casper! Thanks for sharing!!

Brian