Well I broke my long string of skunks – not a big fish but at least I had something trying to pull me out of the boat. I usually stay off the St Croix on Saturday nights because the big boat traffic can get crazy but the weather conditions were perfect for fishing last night so I went out late. I didn’t have hooks in the water until 2115. River is just about lowest I have seen it at 675.1′ and the water temp was 76 degrees.
I started watching the Twins game at home but when they got behind early I figured it was time to give it up and go fishing. I ended up jumping up and down in the boat in the bottom of the ninth when the Twins put on a good rally but they lost a tough one 8-7 – sure was a great finish though..
The big boats were a pain in the buttocks until 2200 and then I pretty much had the river to myself. I had a couple of bullhead rods out with a couple of acrobatic bullheads raising a fuss in one of my favorite holes. It didn’t take long after the boat traffic settled down. At 2230 I had a long screaming clicker run and all I had to do was engage the reel and hold on. He slammed the circle hooks home on his own. I thought it was a big fish, he was all over the place. He turned out to be a rather small fish with a chip on his shoulder. He put up such a struggle I decided to take his picture. He measured out at 35″ X 23″ about a 22 lb fish by the Flathead Weight Conversion Chart.
I stayed out until 0100 but nothing else after that. Beautiful St Croix night: Clear, dead calm water, 1/2 a moon giving enough light to see well, cool enough to make me break out the comfortable jacket. The kind of weather you dream about in February.
I’ve got a bait tank full of fresh bullheads. I’ll be out again tonight I hope.
