Big fish

On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 17:20:36 -0600, Rodney Long
wrote:

I just came in from fishing in the rain from the bank, I was using my
tiny pan fish worm and the wiggle rig,, I was catching a number of 2 to
3 pound spotted bass on it having a ball, the water temp was 48 degrees
and these guys were not fighting a whole lot, Kind'a like dragging in a
stick.

I was using a 9 1/2 foot St. Croix steel head rod, and a Abu spinning
reel lined with 6 lb test, I have caught highbred strips up to 12 lbs on
this rig, and a 22 pound flat head cat on a rig like it, with 4 lb line,
so I'm used to HOGS hitting this rig,, but not like this.

I threw out about 50 yds and I'm wiggling this tiny worm, now we are
talking 1/8 in dia, and 3 inches long, tiny, I feel a bump on it and set
the hook, It was like the fish did not know it was hooked, the rod
doubles, and the line starts feeding out slowly, no head shaking, just
slowly going out, until he pulled it "all" out, and then the 6 lb line
just snapped, that fish pulled 100 yds against a 4 lb drag setting, I
never even turned him, he never slowed up, but he was going slow anyway,
it was like he didn't even know I was back there. I have never had a
fresh water fish do me this way, I have had some big sharks do it to me
though. I don't have a clue about what kind of fish this was, this lake
has stripe, walleye, big bass, and huge catfish in it. Man I just wish
I could have seen the fish,, and no, the water was too shallow for any
Russian Subs :-)


I've kinda done that too. I use 8 pound spiderwire and have my drag
set just so it won't break the line. I've had fish on the line that
were way huge and spent lots of time trying to get them to the boat.
I've only managed to get one up close enough to see it before it
bolted, but it was no less than 5ft long. Catfish that size can
swallow a small child whole. It's head was bigger than my tacklebox.
When they decide to go in a direction, all you can do is hope they
quit before you run out of line. I've had to raise my anchor a couple
times and just let the fish drag the whole boat. Still doesn't seem to
really tire them. It would be a serious personal accomplishment if I
ever get one into my boat. Don't know how I would do it though.
There's no way my net would hold it. And I ain't sticking my hand in
any 5ft long catfish's mouth. And those spines? Those suckers hurt
worse than anything else I have ever endured.

But yeah. they's some huge ass catfish in lakes. One's no one ever
gets to see because very few people have the gear to haul them in and
only random fisherman at random times ever hook them. The chances of
anyone actually being prepared for that size catfish actually catching
one are so remote that it almost never happens. When it does, you get
records being broken.

Seems you almost got lucky. Dad was fishing on New River when I was a
little kid and caught a 45 pound catfish from the bank on 10 pound
line. Fought it for over an hour. He kept a picture of himself with
that fish in his wallet until the day he died. Takes much more skill
than I have to land one of those.

Ookie Wonderslug wrote:


But yeah. they's some huge ass catfish in lakes. One's no one ever
gets to see because very few people have the gear to haul them in and
only random fisherman at random times ever hook them. The chances of
anyone actually being prepared for that size catfish actually catching
one are so remote that it almost never happens. When it does, you get
records being broken.

When I target cats, I am always prepared for that giant. I have a huge
net, but on the back side of it's handle, I also have a gaff, I
inserted, and locked into the nets handle. My biggest so far has been 82
lbs. I use 20 to 30 lb test on my cat reels, depending on the reel size.

I also used huge baits, I try to always have at least one reel baited
with an eating size blue gill, or an 8 to 12 inch gizzard shad. Most of
the time these reels never get a bite, while I catch smaller cats on the
other baits, but just in case one swims by, I'm loaded for it, I manage
to get two or three 50+ cats a year.

A friend of mine caught a 50 lb blue last year, when he cleaned it, he
checked it's stomach content, and found 4 whole raw pork chops, bones
included, it seams some one's freezer must have died, and they threw the
chops into the river. I never would have thought of pork chops for bait

--
Rodney Long,
Inventor of the Mojo SpecTastic "WIGGLE" rig, SpecTastic Thread,
Boomerang Fishing Pro. ,Stand Out Hooks ,Stand Out Lures,
Mojo's Rock Hopper & Rig Saver weights, and the EZKnot
http://www.ezknot.com

Rodney,

Every spring I respool my thirty (30) fishing rods with new line. I
just finished last night and it was probably the fastest respooling
ever thanks to your "ezknot" tool. I was a bit skeptical but that
little tool is fantastic. Thank you!

I start my Lake Erie fishing charter season mid April and can't wait to
try the standout hooks and the wiggle rig on the spring walleye. If you
ever get up this way I would love to have you as my quest jigging up
some walleye on the big lake.

Best regards,
Capt. Al
"Just One More" Lake Erie Fishing Charters

http://www.justonemorefish.com

Fish wrote:
Rodney,

Every spring I respool my thirty (30) fishing rods with new line. I
just finished last night and it was probably the fastest respooling
ever thanks to your "ezknot" tool. I was a bit skeptical but that
little tool is fantastic. Thank you!

Thanks

I start my Lake Erie fishing charter season mid April and can't wait to
try the standout hooks and the wiggle rig on the spring walleye. If you
ever get up this way I would love to have you as my quest jigging up
some walleye on the big lake.

Man I love northern walleye fishing,, this year I found out or waters
down here are full of the southern walleye,( look just like the northern
version , but don't get as big ) they are rarely caught because no one
knows how to fish for them in this hot water. I have got to figure out
how to do this,, no one here to teach me, because no one targets them,
most fishermen don't even know they are in the water



--
Rodney Long,
Inventor of the Mojo SpecTastic "WIGGLE" rig, SpecTastic Thread,
Boomerang Fishing Pro. ,Stand Out Hooks ,Stand Out Lures,
Mojo's Rock Hopper & Rig Saver weights, and the EZKnot
http://www.ezknot.com

Man I love northern walleye fishing,, this year I found out or waters down
here are full of the southern walleye,( look just like the northern
version , but don't get as big ) they are rarely caught because no one
knows how to fish for them in this hot water. I have got to figure out how
to do this,, no one here to teach me, because no one targets them, most
fishermen don't even know they are in the water


They like to feed at night or in deep water. At dark they will move into
the rivers to feed from larger lakes, and will move up on to the shallow
flats. Early morning, fish live bait at the base of a drop-off at 12-15
feet. As the day progresses, troll sinking rapalas over sandy bottom at
15-25 feet, or float live bait in the dark under the bridges on the river.

They like a swift current. A dark deep run on an overcast day will hold
walleyes. They will sometimes stack up below the dams in the spring.
Anchor and cast live bait, but the crappies, white bass and gar will
interrupt your walleye fishing.

If you have a topo map of that water, we can tell you where to look.