tbinchrist
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2011
- Messages
- 273
tbinchrist, Below Watts Bar, Skipjack, Gar, White Bass, Joes new PB FLATTY!, 9-5-13, splitsnowberry
I was so motivated by Erics tactics for skipjack, I decided to have another go at it seeing my schedule changed... emoAngel
I went to Academy and purchased a catstick to haul skipjack in, as the rod Ive used for last 2 years to catch them suddenly felt very undergunned! I was blessed, and Eric had left me with a couple foley spoons.
Joe also by some miracle, had the evening available. He had no bait whatsoever, so I was sure armed with some new knowledge, we could get him a few for his freezer. emoRolleyes
Of course, no trip is quite complete with out a cat or two, so we stuck out after some gills. What a hoot (new found word
to catch gills on my little 1 foot micro pole. We put about a dozen or so in the boat and off to try and see what we could find.
Again, the evening started real slow, and after about an hour got several skipjack hit, but none boated. Then, like night before, right as "Black Water" time as I call it started, things changed. Skip jack started pounding those spoons on about every cast, and they were some of the largest Ive seen. At least 4 of them had to weigh around 3 lbs. I showed Joe the techniques Eric taught me for actually getting them in the boat, and what a difference! Ive caught a lot of skips in the last few years, but this is way better.
A gentleman at the ramp left us some shiners, and so we tied one on and threw him out in the current. The rod takes a lovely dip, and Joe does a great job boating a nice Gar. The video here shows how stinkin funny this was.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z821otC1Nd0
I never checked with Joe, but I think we boated about 30 skips. We battled lots of tangles both out and in the boat, and my frustration level was starting to go up. As it got darker we changed locations for some bigger critters. The bluegill went down to the depths, and right in a row I had three fish pull rod down and snap line or something. Ive managed to learn a few tricks to these guys, and honed in on a very specific spot. Started doing the "walk the bluegill" presentation, when the first couple flattys made it in the boat. Then we took a break from that for a few more skips or white bass. Right as it got black, I threw another gill out and started walking him....BAM!!! "Here Joe, have at it, Its a goodie!" What a fight! Joe said after about 15 minutes his lower back was starting to feel it. As the flathead gathered steam, Joe would rest and vise versa. "Its past 30, maybe 35...def past 40" "wow, possibly 50" Finally Joe won, and we hauled him aboard. Looking at it I knew it was about 50 or so. Sooooo, I stuck him on the scales....54 Lbs!!! Tied his flathead he caught earlier in the year with Mike Mitchell.
Video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_9oWyKQqsk&feature=youtu.be
But sadly for me, as I was finishing weighing him, the beast gave an almighty kick which transferred to my left arm, pulling it out of socket emoBawl
It snapped back in, but I had that moment of shock and almost emoVomit
The pain hadnt quite set in all the way, and so we rolled video and continued on. Encouraged by that dude, I took another gill for a walk. BAM!! My arm was really hurting, but I still managed to fight this one, and this time landed an awesome 39 lber!
A few more smaller flattys hit, and then the bite slowed, and the most interesting thing happened. We got invaded by gar, hundreds of them everywhere! Joe was struggling hard to hook up with one, but it wasnt to be with the hooks I had. He would through the shiner out, and within 10 seconds would connect with another. Then my bluegill started getting nailed. They were even striking the skippys.
After getting really aggravated with them, the pain in my shoulder set in, so we called it a night.
I think the fall bite is beginning!!
My arm popped out again loading boat, and I got it back in...needless to say its hurtin a bit. Pain meds help. I just know "I fought the flatty, and the flatty won" He also broke my scale.
emoRain emoRain emoRain emoRain emoRain emoRain
I was so motivated by Erics tactics for skipjack, I decided to have another go at it seeing my schedule changed... emoAngel
I went to Academy and purchased a catstick to haul skipjack in, as the rod Ive used for last 2 years to catch them suddenly felt very undergunned! I was blessed, and Eric had left me with a couple foley spoons.
Joe also by some miracle, had the evening available. He had no bait whatsoever, so I was sure armed with some new knowledge, we could get him a few for his freezer. emoRolleyes
Of course, no trip is quite complete with out a cat or two, so we stuck out after some gills. What a hoot (new found word
to catch gills on my little 1 foot micro pole. We put about a dozen or so in the boat and off to try and see what we could find. Again, the evening started real slow, and after about an hour got several skipjack hit, but none boated. Then, like night before, right as "Black Water" time as I call it started, things changed. Skip jack started pounding those spoons on about every cast, and they were some of the largest Ive seen. At least 4 of them had to weigh around 3 lbs. I showed Joe the techniques Eric taught me for actually getting them in the boat, and what a difference! Ive caught a lot of skips in the last few years, but this is way better.
A gentleman at the ramp left us some shiners, and so we tied one on and threw him out in the current. The rod takes a lovely dip, and Joe does a great job boating a nice Gar. The video here shows how stinkin funny this was.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z821otC1Nd0
I never checked with Joe, but I think we boated about 30 skips. We battled lots of tangles both out and in the boat, and my frustration level was starting to go up. As it got darker we changed locations for some bigger critters. The bluegill went down to the depths, and right in a row I had three fish pull rod down and snap line or something. Ive managed to learn a few tricks to these guys, and honed in on a very specific spot. Started doing the "walk the bluegill" presentation, when the first couple flattys made it in the boat. Then we took a break from that for a few more skips or white bass. Right as it got black, I threw another gill out and started walking him....BAM!!! "Here Joe, have at it, Its a goodie!" What a fight! Joe said after about 15 minutes his lower back was starting to feel it. As the flathead gathered steam, Joe would rest and vise versa. "Its past 30, maybe 35...def past 40" "wow, possibly 50" Finally Joe won, and we hauled him aboard. Looking at it I knew it was about 50 or so. Sooooo, I stuck him on the scales....54 Lbs!!! Tied his flathead he caught earlier in the year with Mike Mitchell.
Video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_9oWyKQqsk&feature=youtu.be
But sadly for me, as I was finishing weighing him, the beast gave an almighty kick which transferred to my left arm, pulling it out of socket emoBawl
It snapped back in, but I had that moment of shock and almost emoVomit
The pain hadnt quite set in all the way, and so we rolled video and continued on. Encouraged by that dude, I took another gill for a walk. BAM!! My arm was really hurting, but I still managed to fight this one, and this time landed an awesome 39 lber!
A few more smaller flattys hit, and then the bite slowed, and the most interesting thing happened. We got invaded by gar, hundreds of them everywhere! Joe was struggling hard to hook up with one, but it wasnt to be with the hooks I had. He would through the shiner out, and within 10 seconds would connect with another. Then my bluegill started getting nailed. They were even striking the skippys.
After getting really aggravated with them, the pain in my shoulder set in, so we called it a night.
I think the fall bite is beginning!!
My arm popped out again loading boat, and I got it back in...needless to say its hurtin a bit. Pain meds help. I just know "I fought the flatty, and the flatty won" He also broke my scale.
emoRain emoRain emoRain emoRain emoRain emoRain
