Out last night…again

Went out and got bait and got set up in a spot then a buddy called and I picked him up at the landing. Had a great night, caught three and missed three more. We used fairly big bait and had some trouble getting the hook home in a few. My buddy had the hot seat – I got an 8 and a 12 and he got this 40:

We got the fight and weigh-in on video, but I messed up and didn’t get the release. One of the cats he missed he had on for about 15 seconds and all it did was peel off drag rapidly – moreso than this one did – feeds the imagination!

Anyway, the river’s down to where lots of my old favorite spots are fishable again, and this one came out of one of them – a spot that’s known for lots of little ones and the occasional big. I got a 38 there last year and really wonder whether this is the same cat. Regardless – pretty cool. Going out again tonight – who wouldn’t?

Happy Hunting,

Matt

A true piggy – very nice.

What! No bite marks! (talk about feeding the imagination!)

I’m embarressed to post my picture…please forgive me for lowering your thread FlatheadWI…..

But this is the one that broke the curse!

Speaking of feeding the imagination – I went out again last night. It was a lot slower, but I did get a couple in a secondary spot. I’d caught a redhorse that went 13 inches and couldn’t resist throwing that out – it struggled mightily. I was just about to pack it in when that got hit – rod bowed, drag a peelin’. Anyway, I set the hook and almost immediately had my line broke at the knot – I use heavy braids, but the danged knot must have been old – that’ll teach me! I’m about to re-tie my knots for tonight – plain dumb to be neglecting stuff like that. That redhorse was a mouthful, though, so I’m assuming it was a pretty decent cat (of course it was – I lost it, that automatically qualifies it as a big one, lol).

Had enough hits to make my second stop spot last night my first stop tonight. Got 9 baits (perch and bluegill) after the rain – no time for more. Hit the spot at about nine and had a hit on a large perch at 9:10. Got three fish: 5, 17, and 19 pounders, but had 7 hits altogether. June/July are always this way for me – I go through a spell of having a bad hookup ratio. I had two hits where the fish just dropped the bluegill and didn’t come back, and two where I set the hook as usual but came up empty. They’re running away with the bait, but not having them fully in their mouths – could be I’m just having a lot of small ones, but one of my biggest bluegills was fully devoured by the five pounder.

Twice I had a fish on and had a hit on another pole – twice I didn’t get the second fish. When I got the nineteen pounder in the boat, I put it down and rushed to another rod that was heaved over with drag peeling – set the hook into nothing. When I caught the 17 I watched another rod heave over until there was a mighty splash about thirty feet out – didn’t get that guy hooked either. Heckuva spot, though – may have to keep it!

Anyway, here are the 19 and the 17 – the fog had begun to develop pretty good by the time the 17 came in:

Happy Hunting,

Matt

No need to edit them…big pictures for big fish!

“13 inch sucker…perch…sunfish” Are you rubbing it in FHWI?

Nice fish dude!

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“13 inch sucker…perch…sunfish” Are you rubbing it in FHWI?

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Sorry about that – I’m too insensitive to your suffering.
You can use any size sucker can’t you?

Of course we cannot use any size sucker!!!!! They must not exceed 12 inches in length!!! Only in the great state of Minnesota!! And I checked!! We have, by far, the most restrictive laws for flathead bait in the region, and probably the country. Hopefully MN flathead fisherman are learning this and are willing to respectfully let the DNR know this is a huge problem. Remember walleye guys – these laws we have to put up with would be like limiting night crawlwers to 4 inches and leeches to 1 1/2 inches!! Sorry for responding to a post meant for you Brian – I could help myself.

Not a problem Dirk…the reason I posted it was to playfully harrass FHWI and to get the word out.
I think both are accomplished….

PS only size 5 or smaller raps????

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Of course we cannot use any size sucker!!!!! They must not exceed 12 inches in length!!! Only in the great state of Minnesota!!

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Wow – I really do have to sympathize with you – that’s ridiculous. No justification they could make for that could really hold water, could it?

Ummm…MN doesn’t need justification…..(I wish I could put a smiling face here).

Hey FlatheadWI…I think if you adopt me I would be a resident of WI…

Now THAT’S what I’m talking about!! Nice fish…what a horse.

Minnesota… the land of 10,000 stupid rules.