Christina and I headed over to Dinosaur Valley State Park here in Texas, which sits astride the Paluxy River.
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(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag133/glitchmo1/IMG_6929_zpsefgc7oxh.jpg)
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DVSP's major claim to fame is the plethora of preserved dinosaur prints found throughout the limestone riverbed. There are two kinds of tracks, some from Acrocanthosaurs (like a small T-rex) which are shown below. There are also some from Sauroposeidon (a small apatosaur) but these prints look mostly like round depressions in the mud, so they didn't photo well.
(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag133/glitchmo1/IMG_6851_zpsvwzekoph.jpg)
(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag133/glitchmo1/IMG_6848_zpsilifprzy.jpg)
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The Paluxy river's other claim to fame (or at least my source of interest) was as an excellent bass fishing river, especially for wading and fly fishing. I still can't get bass to go on topwater, but the chartreuse bugger was slaying them this morning. I actually didn't catch the target species -- largemouth bass. I'm trying to improve on my PB 14", and didn't manage that this trip. But, I did catch three new species, so I'm pretty thrilled with how the day went.
First up was this handsome fellow, which looks like a LMB, but I think is actually a kentucky spotted bass (mouth does not reach past eye). Unexpected, but not at all unwelcome.
(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag133/glitchmo1/IMG_6900_zpsicu9az8o.jpg)
Next up were a few sunfish -- these I think are longear sunfish, but they're much lighter in color than any other I've seen. The limestone river bottom may contribute to that.
(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag133/glitchmo1/IMG_6902_zpsyxl0fva6.jpg)
(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag133/glitchmo1/IMG_6904_zpsf83gmepn.jpg)
Next up was the highlight of the day for me -- the biggest fish I caught and my first smallmouth!
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(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag133/glitchmo1/IMG_6915_zpsxxg7oevu.jpg)
I hooked and lost a few more smallish bass as I worked back down the river. Interestingly, most of my fish were hooked on a second cast -- the fish would follow my prospecting casts back in, and once I saw them they would hit a second cast of the same fly in their vicinity -- that's the opposite of how it's supposed to work, but I'll take it.
As we headed out to lunch, I stopped by a bush and landed another longear, though this one had a much darker color scheme.
(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag133/glitchmo1/IMG_6928_zpsnen99epp.jpg)
For lunch we hit a local barbecue joint, which was delightful.
(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag133/glitchmo1/IMG_6931_zpsdrpalo18.jpg)
Afterwards, we headed back to the river. Unfortunately, the water temp, which was 75F in the morning had risen to near 90F by 2:00, and I think that really suppressed the bite. I was still seeing fish, but they weren't hitting the fly anymore, and I didn't catch any more bass.
Great report! Man, i have read and seen so much about that spot most of my life. I have found many dinosaur tackway sites, but I've always wanted to go down there. So cool.
Thanks for that report as it really was a prehistoric soul post!
I thought you'd like that. ;)
KenT informs me that it's more likely a guadalupe bass, not a SMB.
I was going to mention that. Dorsal fins are connected like a smallmouth, but lips pass eyes which is not smallmouth. Really cool colorings though! Fish and fossils at the same time. So jealous!