Top of the Morning to You!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!   Back home and the sun is rising over the Mississippi River as Captain Rich and I took Beau and Jeremiah out  to snag for paddle fish. 
Recreational anglers can still snag paddle fish here in Iowa. The daily limit is two and the season is short, usually cold weather but, this morning the temps were in the 70's*.   For the past 5 years the four of us have fished paddle fish together.  Last year we limited out.  This year we came up on the short end.  There were about 20+ boats out walleye fishing and three boats out paddle fishing.  We just saw one paddle fish hauled in all morning.  Beau hooked a little sand sturgen that we released and Jerry hooked this little kitty cat.
Rich and I didn't fish,  we just  shot the breeze while the two boys fished.
Yesterday, Beau caught eight bass and 2 little snakey  northern pike.  So, on my way home I stopped to do a little pitchin for some smallies.  I caught six and missed a few strikes.  Beau hit the stream again this afternoon and caught a few more bass and a little larger northern.







 Spring days like this are special and this will be a St. Patrick's to remember.