Bream fishing report by J.B. Hillard
June 7, 2021 – My friend Freddy Baker and I fished out of Smokehouse Lake on the Choctawhatchee River this morning. After launching the boat we ran into a zillion yellow flies down the run to the river. This is about two miles. Slow down at your own peril. Even on the river in numerous places they were thick. 98% Deet helped but I haven’t found anything yet that is 100% effective. Both of us got a few bites, but it was tolerable where we fished. We saw only one other boat all morning.
Once it got started, the ‘fish’ bite was good. We ended up with a half box full of very nice bream for table fare. Thirty-six to be exact, but that was maybe half of what was actually caught. We call this crop of fish “dinks” and they get to live for another day.
Crickets were the primary bait. We slash fished up and down the river from Smokehouse to Half-Mile Lake. Beautiful overcast morning which fits the definition of a good fishing day on the water. The river is in perfect fishing condition and is producing some excellent results if you can find them.
J.B. Hillard is a resident of DeFuniak Springs, and has been fishing along the Choctawhatchee River and its tributaries for many years. He is also president of the Bent Rod Fishing Club; a group of fishing enthusiasts who meet once a month in DeFuniak Springs. If you would like to learn more about the club, email jbh37@panhandle.rr.com.