How often is it that we can hook into a fish of a lifetime?
A couple months ago I had a screaming run on a 6″ class bullhead.. I grabbed the rod and set the hook immediately.. this fish gave my brand new 80 lb power pro all it could handle.. and not to mention my brand new rod was flexing noticably into the handle of the rod. After the initial hookset.. the fish bull-dogged its way back and forth for probably around 30 seconds.. 30 seconds that seemed like an eternity when I was standing above helpless running back and forth to try to keep up with the obvious massive fish on the end of the line.. as quickly as it started.. the load abruptly ended on the end of my line.. I reeled in only to find the 7/0 hook had pulled out of the mouth of the fish… I could do nothing more than stand with a blank look on my face.
The following night I got a #40.5 out of the same spot on the same rod.. it handled that fish without a problem.. maybe a 5 minute fight.
Now for last night…
I had just got to the river at my location. Ralph was already there, and Paul(a regular guy that comes to BS) was down there holding conversation, and Chris was already there (I believe?).. awaiting another infamous *break off*. I grabbed my gear, rod already set up.. cut up a nice, fresh piece of cutbait and dropped it down next to the wall just upstream of a culvert that pumps water continuously(sp?). I set my rod down and set the clicker because I knew I would be a distance away from the rod.. and I walked over to join the conversation about 30 feet away. I made the comment immediately.. I will bet that line wont make it 10 minutes without a run…
Sure enough.. within that 10 minte time frame the clicker started to scream at us 1st in short sputs at a moderate speed, then it turned into a solid scream heading towards the infamous *boil* from the culvert. I got to the rod at this time and seen my line was under the boil and I set the hook. The hookset was solid.. like setting the hook into a telephone pole.. and it moved just as far as a pole would.. nowhere. For a few seconds I had thought I might just have bottom so I pulled harder and noticed it was moving slightly towards me.. maybe a few inches. Now the rod starts to pulse with giant head shakes and I know this is not a snag. Well.. the fish knew it was hooked and it took off.. 1st upstream for a short distance, then back under the boil(10mph current?), then it headed into a culvert that goes into the wall that we were standing above that I learned of before with another fish.. It ran what I would guess to be about 30′ into the culvert(entrane is 20′ below my feet).. it decided immediately it didnt like it in there and turned around and came back out under the boil again and had its way with me.. drag screaming the entire time… there was nothing I could do but hold on and keep my line away from obstructions whenever needed or possible. The end of the battle.. the fish made a run toward the bridge pilon.. just as the 1st battle ended.. my hook somehow pulled loose.. over as quickly as it started.. I never physically pulled that fish an inch off the bottom.. I tried, just couldnt do it.
I reeled my line in to see what happened.. I knew I still had a weight. Sure enough I still had a hook.. AND .. here is the kicker..
My line was coated with catfish Jelly… not only my 10″-12″ leader.. but also my weight was covered, and my line was covered for another 12″ ABOVE my weight.. so, there I stand with a complete rig, and 2′ of genuine catfish jelly.
At least I was given something for this battle that lasted a while… I wonder how big that fish really was. Its really hard to visualize the fish that can leave 2′ of slime on a line.. thats a deep mouth..
Its not impossible, maybe even probable that I had a state record on the end of my line yesterday… Maybe this fish isnt meant to be caught.. but I’ll be damned if I am not going to keep trying!
fish 2 Dave 0
3rd time is a charm?
