EricM, Chickamauga, Several big blue cats (HOF), 2-25-09

[FishNews]

It's been a while since I've been on the water since I'm still trying to be careful of the temperatures and wind chills. Too much wind today, but I'm having a "procedure" done tomorrow morning, of course on the nicest day in weeks, so I went today instead, after going to cardiac rehab.<br /><br />There wasn't much happening on the river. Nets were stretched around my favorite fishing spot and for a long time I couldn't buy a bite. Finally, about 1 pm, the fish either showed up or else turned on and I took fish on every drift. It started with a 10 lb and a 6, and suddenly I was in the middle of a whole herd of BIG blue cats. First a 46 pounder, then on the next drift a 52 lb smacked the skipjack. I got in a hurry and didn't think to change the snelled hook after those big fish, and sure enough another very big fish hit and broke me off. emoDoh After a quick hook replacement and a fresh chunk of skippie, I was back on the drift line and hooked up a puny 36 pounder. The big fish just quit at that point (or I had caught them all emoBig ), and all I could interest were 5 and 6 pound fish. Since I have to drink a gallon of liquid (prep for my "procedure&quot starting at 4 pm today, I hauled my smiling face home. Here are a couple of pics - I still don't have a lot of strength and lifting the fish is still a bit difficult (note the sticking out on the pic of the 52). emoTongue