As I was swinging out the bullheads tonight along the line of timber, I said to the FW and FD “if we get a fish on this outside rod, it’s going to be a miracle if we can get it to the boat.”
That bullhead was the longest cast plopping next to the wood in 4 feet of water. With all that line out we didn’t have any way to control a good size flat and they automatically head for cover. Once in the wood, the game of tug o war is generally over and the cat wins.
Our annual Fathers Day Outing started out with my daughter breaking her personal best by 3 pounds, a scrapping 14 pounder just after we arrived. The skunk was out of the boat.
It was a long hour and a half later when my Favorite Wife brought in a 10ish pounder. Both of these fish were good practice for them. Niki gets out catten with me once a year ever since I caught her 51 pounder on Fathers Day a few years back. She backed out of that trip but hasn’t missed a Fathers Day since. Deb, gets out with me a little more often, but mostly for channels and sturgeon during the day. She has a fondness for daylight fishing.
The time was 12:08. The moon just rose over the bluffs when the pronounced THUNK came from the outside rod that I was worried about.
The Favorite Daughter set the hook and I could immediately tell by her reaction this was going to be a good fish.
“OH DAD! I don’t know if I can do this!!”
I told her she was doing good, just keep the tip up and try to keep the fish from the wood. With every kick of the flats tail I could hear line being pulled out of the cranked down Garcia 7000 drag, she really didn’t have any control of this fish.
Then the words I was hoping not to hear came. I think it’s stuck, Niki said. With a sigh of relief she handed me the rod, I thought the fish would have been broke off. Although I was happy I could feel the solid tug, I wasn’t very optimistic about landing her since she was defiantly tangled.
All I could do is let out some line, then reel it back up hoping she would swim out of the tangled mess of wood she was in. She made me grunt every time she kicked…she was a good one for sure!
It must have been the sixth or seventh time of letting her run and reeling her back up when she came out of the wood. What better time to hand the rod over to the FW to bring her home. Pump reel, pump reel…until she was right below the boat still in 4 feet of water.
I’m convinced the Team Catfish Tug O War 80 pound braid and the 10/0 Super J’s are as good as any product on the market after this battle in woods and water!
The photo’s show the rest.
Just a shade over 45 pounds for a Fathers Day Flathead.
In fact, she was a Family Fathers Day Flathead!
