Hey guys and gals.
I launched out of the river park last night fished above and below the park.. water was up when I got there then at about 8:30 skies got black and started to lighting. Was'nt catching anything anyway , I had the wife and son with me .. so we went back to the ramp and we went to krystals to grab a bite to eat.. I dropped them off at the house and went back to the river..
It never did rain on the river last night (but saw lightning all night long) I was out till around 4am. But the river was way down almost no current last night.. I struggled to get even a bite half of the night .. then about 12:30 I cranked up 2 smallmouth about 16 inches long.. all my ussuall spots were dry last night .. so I started scouting places that I dont normally try .. thats were I picked up the smallies.. all the fish I caught last nite where in a outside bend in the river .. makes sense .. lil more concentraion of current in the outside bend areas..which in turn draws the shad.. never did see many schools of shad last night .
I was havin trouble finding any active fish after those 2 .. so I went up river near the locks.. and worked both sides of the river concentrating on the drop offs and ledges.. was drifting a black/blue flake tube jig along the drops .. when my spin rod doubled over .. and the line was ripping off like a frieght train was haulin it to Alabama .. I followed that fish for 45 mins with the trolling motor .. just as i was about to get worn out .. the fish did too. It finnally came to the top .. was the biggest freakin catfish Ive ever seen up close.. and aparently the fish felt the same way about me .. as soon as it came up and I got a look at it it flipped its tail and sprayed me with water .. and the line broke .. ohh I was heartbroken .. I just wanted to get a picture .. I would have let it go .. that fish had to have been 3 foot long minimum.. maybe 4 .. if I had to guess Id say that fish wieghed at least 40 lbs maybe 50.. I was sick to see it get off with out getting a picture .. dont know how I was goinna hold it and take a picture .. guess I would have had to lay next to it in the bottom of boat while holding camera up in the air ??
I caught 2 more nice blue cats on same jig after the monster swam away .. they where 8 lbs, and 6 lbs, also caught couple drum 15- and 18 lbs.. I fished down the bank on the side of the river park from the dam after caught the last drum .. just as I was getting back to the ramp I was casting a crankbait . and I caught a 18 inch sauger, then I caught a walleye about 18 too.. then caught a redeye .. and 3 more smallmouth 12 -15 inches.. at about 4am called it a night. All and all was good night .. just wish the Bass action would have been better .. but it was fun .
I launched out of the river park last night fished above and below the park.. water was up when I got there then at about 8:30 skies got black and started to lighting. Was'nt catching anything anyway , I had the wife and son with me .. so we went back to the ramp and we went to krystals to grab a bite to eat.. I dropped them off at the house and went back to the river..
It never did rain on the river last night (but saw lightning all night long) I was out till around 4am. But the river was way down almost no current last night.. I struggled to get even a bite half of the night .. then about 12:30 I cranked up 2 smallmouth about 16 inches long.. all my ussuall spots were dry last night .. so I started scouting places that I dont normally try .. thats were I picked up the smallies.. all the fish I caught last nite where in a outside bend in the river .. makes sense .. lil more concentraion of current in the outside bend areas..which in turn draws the shad.. never did see many schools of shad last night .
I was havin trouble finding any active fish after those 2 .. so I went up river near the locks.. and worked both sides of the river concentrating on the drop offs and ledges.. was drifting a black/blue flake tube jig along the drops .. when my spin rod doubled over .. and the line was ripping off like a frieght train was haulin it to Alabama .. I followed that fish for 45 mins with the trolling motor .. just as i was about to get worn out .. the fish did too. It finnally came to the top .. was the biggest freakin catfish Ive ever seen up close.. and aparently the fish felt the same way about me .. as soon as it came up and I got a look at it it flipped its tail and sprayed me with water .. and the line broke .. ohh I was heartbroken .. I just wanted to get a picture .. I would have let it go .. that fish had to have been 3 foot long minimum.. maybe 4 .. if I had to guess Id say that fish wieghed at least 40 lbs maybe 50.. I was sick to see it get off with out getting a picture .. dont know how I was goinna hold it and take a picture .. guess I would have had to lay next to it in the bottom of boat while holding camera up in the air ??
I caught 2 more nice blue cats on same jig after the monster swam away .. they where 8 lbs, and 6 lbs, also caught couple drum 15- and 18 lbs.. I fished down the bank on the side of the river park from the dam after caught the last drum .. just as I was getting back to the ramp I was casting a crankbait . and I caught a 18 inch sauger, then I caught a walleye about 18 too.. then caught a redeye .. and 3 more smallmouth 12 -15 inches.. at about 4am called it a night. All and all was good night .. just wish the Bass action would have been better .. but it was fun .
