rsimms
Well-known member
rsimms, Nickajack, A Catfish Smackdown (Biggun's on video), 9-15-2013, Ashley and Tommy (pic heavy)
Sunday was one of the greatest days guiding I've had in a LONG, LONG time... perhaps ever.
Ashley Conkle and her boyfriend Tommy Frick came to Chattanooga from South Carolina for a friend's engagement party, but knowing Tommy loves to fish, Ashley lined up an afternoon on the water with me. They're a cool couple. Ashley trains and rides horse professionally ... those horses that jump over stuff and kill people if they fall. emoEek Tommy is finishing up his BS degree in wildlife at Clemson, but he's headed to law school and plans to specialize in environmental law.
We didn't meet up until 11 am (it was nice to sleep in for a change). We started out on my standard light tackle drift for "eater cats." As has been the case lately, we were smackin' good numbers of 5 to 10 pound fish but after a couple of hours Ashley said, "Let's go do something different."
That was my cue to first bring out the ultralights to catch a few fresh bluegill for bait, and then break out the heavier tackle for trophy cats. I had explained that "big fish fishing" is like playing the lottery -- sometimes you hit, sometimes you don't.
Well, before the afternoon was over Ashley said, "I think we should buy lottery tickets on the way home." emoBigsmile
She was right -- it seemed we could do no wrong, especially Tommy. He seemed to have the magic touch as we were drifting with the big tackle -- tangling with fish on a consistent basis, although for first couple of hours nothing really big except for a bragging-sized flathead about 12 pounds.
Not long after that however, Tommy hooks up with a freight train. That was another flathead that pulled the scales past the 31 lb. mark. CHECK OUT THE VIDEO!
Our bite slowed down for a while, and although she missed a couple of hard hits, Ashley still hadn't been able to hook up a big fish. We changed holes and that did the trick. In short order Tommy was hooked up to another freight train... a few seconds later, "BOOM goes the dynamite" and Ashley is hooked up to an even bigger freight train!
It was way too cool SHOOTING VIDEO OF THE 2 OF THEM DOING BATTLE!
As everyone knows by now, I still don't carry a net. But my Daiichi D84Z wide gap circle hooks never fail me and we put both fish in the boat, no problem. So while she was slow to start, Ashley whipped Tommy in the "big fish" department." It was a perfect end to a perfect trip ... and that means life is good and gettin' better every day!
Sunday was one of the greatest days guiding I've had in a LONG, LONG time... perhaps ever.
Ashley Conkle and her boyfriend Tommy Frick came to Chattanooga from South Carolina for a friend's engagement party, but knowing Tommy loves to fish, Ashley lined up an afternoon on the water with me. They're a cool couple. Ashley trains and rides horse professionally ... those horses that jump over stuff and kill people if they fall. emoEek Tommy is finishing up his BS degree in wildlife at Clemson, but he's headed to law school and plans to specialize in environmental law.
We didn't meet up until 11 am (it was nice to sleep in for a change). We started out on my standard light tackle drift for "eater cats." As has been the case lately, we were smackin' good numbers of 5 to 10 pound fish but after a couple of hours Ashley said, "Let's go do something different."
That was my cue to first bring out the ultralights to catch a few fresh bluegill for bait, and then break out the heavier tackle for trophy cats. I had explained that "big fish fishing" is like playing the lottery -- sometimes you hit, sometimes you don't.
Well, before the afternoon was over Ashley said, "I think we should buy lottery tickets on the way home." emoBigsmile
She was right -- it seemed we could do no wrong, especially Tommy. He seemed to have the magic touch as we were drifting with the big tackle -- tangling with fish on a consistent basis, although for first couple of hours nothing really big except for a bragging-sized flathead about 12 pounds.
Not long after that however, Tommy hooks up with a freight train. That was another flathead that pulled the scales past the 31 lb. mark. CHECK OUT THE VIDEO!
Our bite slowed down for a while, and although she missed a couple of hard hits, Ashley still hadn't been able to hook up a big fish. We changed holes and that did the trick. In short order Tommy was hooked up to another freight train... a few seconds later, "BOOM goes the dynamite" and Ashley is hooked up to an even bigger freight train!
It was way too cool SHOOTING VIDEO OF THE 2 OF THEM DOING BATTLE!
As everyone knows by now, I still don't carry a net. But my Daiichi D84Z wide gap circle hooks never fail me and we put both fish in the boat, no problem. So while she was slow to start, Ashley whipped Tommy in the "big fish" department." It was a perfect end to a perfect trip ... and that means life is good and gettin' better every day!
