05-27-2019, 02:06 PM
Weather guessers were pretty accurate the last 3 days. Got out to the BRBR Friday morning about 8 a.m. got my lines wet (well in the water wet, cuz it was raining and they were wet just laying in the truck bed) about 815 a.m.[sly] Was just getting comfortable in my truck, radio on, fresh cup of coffee, warm, dry, and figuring on a long quiet day of watching Catfish poles stand out in the rain.
Well it was ALMOST like that. 20 ish minutes after lines in the water, one rod bent over and by the time I could get to it, the fish was heading toward the open gate on the south side of the bridges. Got it brought up short just in time to keep it from getting into the branches collected up around the gate abutments.
Hmm, a good size Carp. OK, fresh bait. And for the rest of the day, that was it. Except the weather did improve a bit.
Saturday, wife had to work, so back to the river I go. Got lines wet about 715 am, not raining but cloudy and lots of mud everywhere. [:|]
Spent about an hour each at several different bank spots. Met up with Ahi1953 at the boat ramp, me working my way back out and him just getting there. Took home a skunk about 2 p.m.
Sunday, a slightly different story. Wife and I decided to put the boat on the river. Got to the boat ramp about 0930 and out in our first anchor spot by 1000. Since the last time I had the boat on the river couple weeks ago, I have just had this overwhelming hunch that if I could get my lines over to the north bank of the river, my chances of hooking some bigger Cats would be greatly improved.
Well, that hunch paid off, sort of [:/]
First anchor spot, first piece of fresh cut carp, line in the water less than 10 minutes, BENDO (darn good thing rod was in rod holder) BIG CAT with very wide shoulders, and weighing at least 10-12 lbs, stripped off 20 yards of line before I could step the drag down and start reeling. I reeled, he ran, I reeled, he dove and rolled, I reeled, he headed under the boat, I reeled. Got him up to within 2 feet of the boat, could see the big 6/O octopus hook thru his lower jaw and the braided leader in his mouth. Holding rod in right hand, net in left, every time I would get him within reach of the net, he would dive or thrash violently. Was just handing the rod to wife to hang on to so I could get down lower with the net in 2 hands. POP ! Line snapped just above the hook eye. 30 lb. braid, new leader tied to new hook, and that sucker sawed thru the line with his little nubby teeth, made a big splash, flipped me his middle fin and disappeared. Now I know that sounds like "the big one that got away fish story" but for this one I have a witness.
OK, moved to next likely spot, anchored out. Several taps and tugs, a couple short run line strippers and the wife boats a junior kitty CPR.
Couple more moves, lots more tentative inquiries and bait strips, but no hook ups.
Headed back to the ramp so wife could make a trip to the ladies room at the bottom of the road. She drives off, I go back out to first river bend, north bank, drop anchor, and a fresh piece of cut carp. That line probably never even hit the bottom, line stripped off the reel with another big cat heading down river.
I netted and boated this one. Not as big as the first one, but respectable length and weight, by my guess anyway. Wife was gone with the truck, the bump board, and the good camera.............[crazy]
I stringered the Cat, headed for the ramp, and just as I'm edging the bow onto the concrete ramp, wife pulls back up. Got the Cat out measured, weighed, photoed, and back in the water not too much worse for wear.
We headed back out to where I had just caught the big Cat. Baited up, lines out. Wind coming up, clouds moving in from the south, as if mother nature was saying "OK, you each boated one, you're done for the day" And then as if an after thought, allowed me to boat a small kitty to cap off the day.
[signature]
Well it was ALMOST like that. 20 ish minutes after lines in the water, one rod bent over and by the time I could get to it, the fish was heading toward the open gate on the south side of the bridges. Got it brought up short just in time to keep it from getting into the branches collected up around the gate abutments.
Hmm, a good size Carp. OK, fresh bait. And for the rest of the day, that was it. Except the weather did improve a bit.
Saturday, wife had to work, so back to the river I go. Got lines wet about 715 am, not raining but cloudy and lots of mud everywhere. [:|]
Spent about an hour each at several different bank spots. Met up with Ahi1953 at the boat ramp, me working my way back out and him just getting there. Took home a skunk about 2 p.m.
Sunday, a slightly different story. Wife and I decided to put the boat on the river. Got to the boat ramp about 0930 and out in our first anchor spot by 1000. Since the last time I had the boat on the river couple weeks ago, I have just had this overwhelming hunch that if I could get my lines over to the north bank of the river, my chances of hooking some bigger Cats would be greatly improved.
Well, that hunch paid off, sort of [:/]
First anchor spot, first piece of fresh cut carp, line in the water less than 10 minutes, BENDO (darn good thing rod was in rod holder) BIG CAT with very wide shoulders, and weighing at least 10-12 lbs, stripped off 20 yards of line before I could step the drag down and start reeling. I reeled, he ran, I reeled, he dove and rolled, I reeled, he headed under the boat, I reeled. Got him up to within 2 feet of the boat, could see the big 6/O octopus hook thru his lower jaw and the braided leader in his mouth. Holding rod in right hand, net in left, every time I would get him within reach of the net, he would dive or thrash violently. Was just handing the rod to wife to hang on to so I could get down lower with the net in 2 hands. POP ! Line snapped just above the hook eye. 30 lb. braid, new leader tied to new hook, and that sucker sawed thru the line with his little nubby teeth, made a big splash, flipped me his middle fin and disappeared. Now I know that sounds like "the big one that got away fish story" but for this one I have a witness.
OK, moved to next likely spot, anchored out. Several taps and tugs, a couple short run line strippers and the wife boats a junior kitty CPR.
Couple more moves, lots more tentative inquiries and bait strips, but no hook ups.
Headed back to the ramp so wife could make a trip to the ladies room at the bottom of the road. She drives off, I go back out to first river bend, north bank, drop anchor, and a fresh piece of cut carp. That line probably never even hit the bottom, line stripped off the reel with another big cat heading down river.
I netted and boated this one. Not as big as the first one, but respectable length and weight, by my guess anyway. Wife was gone with the truck, the bump board, and the good camera.............[crazy]
I stringered the Cat, headed for the ramp, and just as I'm edging the bow onto the concrete ramp, wife pulls back up. Got the Cat out measured, weighed, photoed, and back in the water not too much worse for wear.
We headed back out to where I had just caught the big Cat. Baited up, lines out. Wind coming up, clouds moving in from the south, as if mother nature was saying "OK, you each boated one, you're done for the day" And then as if an after thought, allowed me to boat a small kitty to cap off the day.
[signature]
"OCD = Obsessive Catfish Disorder "
Or so it says on my license plate holder
Or so it says on my license plate holder
