Outside Iowa® & Midwest Iowa Outdoors®
With Thomas Allen
(August 2nd, 2010)
I know there is speculation as to whether the word “crick” is grammatically correct or not. And as far as I know, it will not appear in any dictionaries, making its use improper especially regarding professionally published literature. (Except for the country song that I consider one of my anthems, “Fishing in the Dark”). To be perfectly honest, I don’t care! The rest of the world who refers to small meandering streams as creeks or brooks or whatever is WRONG! To this back-40 Iowa country boy, I’ll go to my grave referring to my earthly piece of heaven as a crick. Don’t even try to change me, EVER. The End.
Now that I am finished with my rant, we can get down to business. I grew up just a five-minute bike ride from a crick that quite possibly was the best friend I had during my formidable years. I learned how to read the water and began to understand that its what’s underneath that is most important. Years later, I proposed to my wife in the very water that is responsible for the passion I now have for angling.
I spent every single summer day down at the crick fishing for carp, suckers, gar, big channel cats, and the occasionally smallie or walleye. What’s better, cricks are Iowa’s very most overlooked fishing opportunities and can provide hours of angling fun for the novice or even challenge the veteran.
Being mobile is key to success, so wear old nasty shoes and shorts, as navigating through the water is the best way when traveling from bend to bend. As I said last week, don’t wear this stuff back in the house before you get hosed off, that usually won’t end well. Take one to two rod and reel combos strung with 10-12 lbs. line; both braids and monofilaments work well in these situations.
I know this is no longer acceptable in the fashion world, but I like to take a fanny-pack loaded with extra hooks, weights, pliers, small fillet knife, and enough bait to last for several hours. (NOTE: I refused to wear that fanny pack around my waist!)
Channel cats are known for loving an assortment of large, smelly baits. The rig is quite simple. A single 4/0 to 5/0 hook will work great matched with 1/2 to 1 full ounce of weight, depending on the strength of the current. I prefer fresh cut-bait consisting of chunked bluegills, shad, or chubs cut into two-inch chunks. Run the hook through one corner of the bait, leaving the point and barb exposed. Take a few extra hooks as this rig can occasionally get hung up.
Cricks have very defined current areas and knowing where the fish prefer to stage when they are feeding or are inactive will help you eliminate unproductive water. It has been said that in rivers and cricks alike, 90% of the fish live in 10% of the water.
Active fish will stage behind the current break where “eddies” are formed, as they await the current to bring food by. They will also stage above and below major snags, in slack waters below quick moving runs, and any current manipulating structure. Spend no more than 10 minutes on a specific location; the great thing about this fishery is there are always more opportunities at the next snag.
I challenge you to get back to your roots during this final month of Iowa’s summer, wade the riffles and runs of a local crick as a little more heaven awaits you around the next bend.
Good luck and tight lines.
Feel free to contact me with any questions!
(Thomas Allen is a professional outdoor writer, photographer, videographer, and outdoor talk radio show host; for more information visit www.outdoorpursuitsradio.com. If you have questions or comments feel free to email Thomas at tha481@gmail.com)
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