Fishing Forum

Johnny and I have been talking about getting away for a big fish trip for several months now. And at last minute threw a trip together with hopes of catching a cooler full of skipjack and maybe a few cats along the way. We were much more interested in the skips but our attention soon shifted to those whiskers fish we love to catch. <br /><br />When we arrived there was some fog on the water but we were not prepared for how foggy it was. There wasn't 30-50 foot visibility it was idle speed only kind of fog.  <br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/D6D94A50-89FF-4AC1-A096-D5B9F843A4D5-143-00000100EA9858C1.jpg<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/9248D7D3-65D8-411C-A179-CE150FACFF63-143-00000100EF103740.jpg<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/011EFCEF-84DD-497B-87FC-868FD1F017B2-143-00000100F6CC82A4.jpg<br /><br />Now keep in mind we left home around 2:30 A.M. So by 9:00 with no fish just fog we were getting restless to make something happen. <br />As the fog lifted so did our spirits and hopes of some skipjack pulling on our lines so we went in search of them. We did find a few spots where they were at but even trying to get near them with the trolling motor proved impossible. They would just disappear. We got the message to start cat fishing when Johnny snagged the first cat of the trip right in the top of the head. <br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/00AB8F30-B979-412B-B4FC-3ACB596199D6-876-000000EFBC72CCC9.jpg<br /><br /> So we decided to anchor out and hope they were close enough to us to cast to. <br />The first semi proper pull down we had I told Johnny to get it and it turned out to be a 12 pound blue. <br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/5690E719-D265-4E26-990E-7C88FE11D680-876-000000EFC0C04FD2.jpg<br /><br />Since Johnny was 2 fish up on me I was hoping the good lord would be kind to me. And boy was he I saw the rod take the bow to the water and it was on. They were only moving <br />25-27 thousand cubic feet per second of water and this fish was using all that water to take me on a ride of drag stripping power. Ole flop was getting excited as this fish was making me look bad. Even Johnny was giving me that come on sissy look. But when that big blue surfaced and surrendered to the net we both were excited. This big headed male pulled the scales to a new personal best 60lbs<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/1F3060CC-CAEA-4905-9961-CC2EE6B0DDC1-876-000000EFCB1BB63F.jpg<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/76FC8D20-9D90-4872-BB69-5175AB39DBBE-876-000000EFC5767822.jpg<br /><br />But wait while we were getting the fish unhooked another rod was buried and Johnny was all over it pulling another cat into the boat so now we had a double and had to get pictures fast. <br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/F41F61B0-AADD-4B47-8CA5-6A2DB366F291-876-000000F0793538A6.jpg<br /><br />Just to the right of the picture I see a rod get hit as we were taking this picture. So we get the fish released and while Johnny is moving nets and things around I walk over and pick the rod up. Johnny said what yah doing flop haha I grinned and said catching another fish. And whooo it was on. Johnny said its just hung flop but he wasn't feeling the other end like I was. Technically it was hung in another big fish. <br />About half way through the fight I told Johnny here get you some of a big fish and he declined until 60 yards of line was ripped off so I offered again and he finally grabbed it. There's nothing like seeing a grown man go from standing straight up to having his elbows on his knees with this look of what do I do on his face. After whet seemed like an eternity the blue came to the net and we knew it was bigger. A new personal best for our very own flip was 66lbs<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/627D165E-499E-4624-AFE9-5A37A46E491A-876-000000F07F4E615B.jpg<br /><br />Of course I had to hold it<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/E9483A95-07DB-4024-99DB-6F4DBE75B8DF-876-000000EFDC8A87D3.jpg<br /><br />So two new personal bests beast blues. 4 fish boated in about 20 minutes and we were whooped. Even my boat was nasty. <br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/B76537D6-9F2E-411A-89A3-11F444C3D9C1-876-000000EFE76ECE95.jpg<br /><br />After that the fishing slowed as noon approached so we went sight seeing and looking for live bait. <br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/143B04FB-1FDE-48A8-B578-C1F6DFAE025F-143-00000100CF4E803E.jpg<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/F66D50D7-C7B1-4270-9940-49BF3786648E-143-00000100CD7C70C6.jpg<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/E6F709A7-5809-4BC6-8D6D-398F96699556-143-00000100D0BF7C7F.jpg<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/628D1329-6AFC-41FA-B1DE-81533E99F4C2-143-00000100DF26AA55.jpg<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/8C7F3CBD-3FC5-4F3B-83BD-DB2719DCE1E8-143-00000100E55EEB57.jpg<br /><br />With several hours passing and no bait caught. Except for the few tiny bream. <br /> Johnny took a nap as we took the long ride back to fish some more whiskered fish. With the water cycle running wide open our initial plans were not happening so you've got to adapt to what will work. We talked our options over and although they weren't what we had planned on and lost sleep dreaming about we adapted and went to it anchoring back out hoping to do well.<br /><br />  Johnny captioned this picture on our way to anchor back out.<br /> "notice the Cletus sticker"<br /><br />"Lets see I have already put this Ol Fellow on a couple of 30's, two in the 60's, maybe I should take him to Disneyworld!"<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/6B6D6F7D-BE85-45E4-928E-0371F405D364-310-00000112D3C5E95C.jpg<br /><br />Just as before things were slow and we had time to reflect and enjoy our trip. <br /><br />Now this is where things get interesting. I had added some braided line to a reel and used the blood knot to tie them together. I was looking at the line and noticed the know was half way between the rod and the water. Was I worried heck yeah I was and before I could reel the knot in the rod found its way down and I was on duty. After a short fight we boated another 30 lb blue. <br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/CA576A84-9F01-401F-BD9D-8196767FCC3F-876-000000EFF75FE1B5.jpg<br /><br />By this time we had 46 thousand cubic feet per second of water pushing on the boat. And we were not anchored like I wanted but oh we'll I can't fight that kind of water. So I baited the rod back up and put it back out. We started casting for skipjack waiting on the next fish. And yah know it stinks when you just castes out and a rod goes down you can't reel in fast enough especially when drag is screaming off the reel. It was Johnny's turn up and it was on. I was playing first mate reeling in rods so they wouldn't tangle throwing them back out and laughing as Johnny says "this fish is about to take me to my knees"<br />It was all teamwork as he fought the fish and I adjusted his drag. Funny how you've got time to talk about things like that old blood knot holding and hey flop loosen the drag a little please. Or dang I'm glad you use 80 pound tufline braid and watching a tiger jigging rod doubled over is a sight those things are stout!<br />About 60 yards out this fish comes up and rolls and we almost pass out but it was time for round two as Johnny was really hurting. When I put the net in the water and the fish barely fits I was worried. Good thing I got a big net! It took us both to lift it into the boat and over the rail. And boy was I glad I bought a weigh sling from bottom dwellers to weigh this fish but it barely fit. With the spring scales it bottomed out there was no more spring left in it so out came the digital scales and a whooping <br />102 POUNDS <br />New personal best and a once in a lifetime fish for ole flip. This fish whooped ole Johnny from the moment it was hooked until it was released. I had a fight on my boat and flip was getting tko'd by a catfish! In order of sequence. You'll see the uppercut!<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/907D65CE-817A-439C-A0B8-3BB5D4EB7417-876-000000F0010B2277.jpg<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/1DD69243-3A07-4E5B-ACB4-E5A4E178C8AE-876-000000EFFCBA35E4.jpg<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/1C97F13E-0FCF-405A-9955-E9CA4C5C86A5-876-000000F05B34055B.jpg<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/D938A7C3-F676-4F9F-8EBD-858B38394FEF-876-000000F06683380E.jpg<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/B95EBE34-FC4D-4B1E-B5B5-D36C5783E9E3-876-000000F00F9B3CFB.jpg<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/D651D605-E53C-43F5-A856-7D2483C92E05-876-000000F0152A921B.jpg<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/0FD112FB-0EF1-4577-B1C0-F938B5BF4E78-876-000000F01ACE78A3.jpg<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/4DE3DE2D-8B73-4421-833B-DE6EDB7CAE7D-876-000000F02F038BDE.jpg<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/6DF981A4-F587-4F26-8EF3-B9610B6D8917-876-000000F02438C2B5.jpg<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/12F07FB6-7D95-49C7-AC90-1E57232A288E-876-000000F03B0982D5.jpg<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/70C61879-27D7-459D-BAC4-2EDAA7AA7FDD-876-000000F034920C98.jpg<br /><br />Well yeah I held it<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/6AB0AAA8-CA8C-4780-B67E-BC7476FFC22D-876-000000F041093CBA.jpg<br /><br /><br />And the release<br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/AFDCC214-6D73-4C3A-BAFE-5A0FAC9BE11B-143-00000100C4BC34F6.jpg<br /><br />You see that spider man rod we had planned on catching s fish with it but it never happened. <br /><br />At this point I've taken Johnny to Disney world to see the fish we named Mickey mouse. And you would think we were done but oh no it was my turn and I wanted something bigger! I gave the fish an 11 P.M. Deadline cause I was hungry. <br />About 10:38 a rod goes to laying down so I pick it up and the fish is going upstream in 45k cfs of water. I reel tight and it gets mad shaking it's head and ripping drag off. The rod was cracking and popping and the peen international was almost bottomed out on drag but this fish was winning the battle. <br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/C60711EF-8FCF-44A5-996E-698305C16D76-876-000000F055C44997.jpg<br /><br /><br />http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/doodleflop/E7E0E6BC-A228-490C-8482-804076555B28-876-000000F051CC0DB6.jpg<br /><br />But right as Johnny slipped the net in the water I lost it the fish just came off. 2 feet under the water my new personal best fish disappeared I was sick<br /><br />. But oh well look at the trip we had it was awesome. Numerous times this year I have watched people catch they're new biggest fish ever. And watched a wounded warrior catch a 90 pound beast. I have been truly blessed to be able to take friends fishing and see the on they're face as they fight huge catfish. It is a great feeling and a blessed life to be living. <br /><br />Until next time!!!!!<br />