Watts Bar 7/18

[saltwatts]

Went fishing for a couple hours Tuesday evening on Watts Bar. Headed to one of my favorite points, and managed 3 LM--one keeper about 2 lbs. The bass were down about 10-15 feet. All bit a 5" watermelon senko on a 1/4 oz jighead.

I started working the senko on the same point out a little deeper, and felt a little tug so I set the hook. Hung on the rocks. At least that's what I thought. I pulled hard trying to free my jighead and felt it give a little. Felt like I was pulling up a tree limb. Then, I felt some head shaking. I knew right away I had a big cat.

I was only using 8lb test, so it took me about 25 minutes to get him in the boat. I put him on my 30 lb boga grip scale, and he bottomed it out like it was a toy. I estimated it to be around low to mid 40's. Definitely my personal best flathead.

I was by myself, so didn't get good pictures holding him up, but I did snap a few. The boards in the dock pic are 2x6's, so you can get a feel for the size.

 

[Guest]

That right there is one of the ugliest, yet purdiest fish swimming. And up, I would say that she's around 40 lbs.

I bet that you had fun pulling her in!

 

[Tr19]

I did the same thing back in Piney a few years ago . I was night fishing with a 7 1/2 in. powerworm on 8 lb line. Felt a tap , set the hook and thought I was hung on a stump . Then the stump moved . For the next 20 mins. it was a good tug-of- war . She weighted a little over 41lbs.

 

[jon the fisherman]

Awesome fish SW. I have caught a few big cats on the Bar, my biggest was a 34 lb 11 oz blue cat caught below the steam plant on a 10" skipjack. That one is bigger than the one I caught so I would say it is an easy forty.

 

[SNUFFY]

THAT IS A BIG UGLY CAT.KEVIN......IF I COUNT RIGHT IT`S ABOUT 5`4" ....NICE FISH ....

I CAUGHT ONE ABOUT THAT SIZE LAST SUMMER ON LOUDON ON A SMALL JIG..I GUESSED IT AT 30# BUT I NEVER EVEN TRIED TO GET IT OUT OF THE WATER IT WAS SO BIG....AT LEAST 4+FT LONG......I `VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE OTHER CATS THAT RSIMMS AND OTHERS POST AND NOW REALIZE IT WAS MUCH BIGGER THAN 30# ...NO TELLING WHAT IT WEIGHED...PULLED ME ALL OVER THE LAKE FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES ON 10# XL...LOOKED AT HIM FOR A FEW MIINUTES AS HE LAID BESIDE THE BOAT AND JUST PUNCHED THE JIG OUT OF HIS LIP AND WATCHED HIM SWIM OFF.!!

GOOD CATCH THERE PAL....SORRY BUT WE DON`T WEIGH THOSE IN AT THE CLUB TX`SSemoPoke

 

[craazyboutbass]

Dang what a catch! I hate it when you catch those cats while bass fishing! But RSimms love's it!!emoBigsmile

 

[saltwatts]

Here lately, I'm just happy to catch a fish no matter what it is.

 

[drumking]

Congratulations, saltwatts. What a hog!! Does anyone know what the Tennessee state record for 8lb test line is on a flathead?emoGeezer

 

[MadBomber]

Hey DK,
I don't think the State keeps line class records. Does anyone know for sure??

 

[JerDog]

Nice catfish, sounds like you had your hands full for a while with that one. What kind of boat you got? Looks like a center console.

 

[saltwatts]

It is a center console bay boat. I try to do as much saltwater fishing as I get a chance to.

 

[ranman]

nice fish!I bet that was alot of fun!

 

[Guest]

That is one nice flathead. Congrtats are in order for that one.emoThumbsup

 

[TennesseeTalker]

SNUFFY - 7/20/2006 9:01 PM

THAT IS A BIG UGLY CAT.KEVIN......IF I COUNT RIGHT IT`S ABOUT 5`4" ....NICE FISH ....

GOOD CATCH THERE PAL....SORRY BUT WE DON`T WEIGH THOSE IN AT THE CLUB TX`SSemoPoke

Okay .. I counted the boards .. fish looks to be about 3 1/2 feet long. Which one of us is right???

And .. boy that fish is UUUGGGGLLLLYYYYYYY! But fun to catch on 8# test I bet.

Nice job.

TT

 

[Fat Albert]

W A Y T O G O TT.... you can count and I believe you are correct... bet you didn't even pull off your shoes..... LOLemoUpsmile emoGeezer

 

[TennesseeTalker]

Who says girls suck at math????

emoToast

TT

 

[SNUFFY]

I concede TT you are nearly right...at least closer than me.....I must confess that I`m bad about not reading all the details and actually counted the boards and guessed they were 2x8`s......then went back after I posted and read the post again and saw the 2x6`s.

But you obviously didn`t account for the approximately 30 degree angle the fish is laying compared the the right angle of the boards and when factor in the angle 30x .902.687 divided by the cotangent angle of the reverse 60 degree .19872;x2.067923= approximately one more board ..... so we`re up to 8 boards and then you add in the .8072 gap between the boards (didn`t think about that did you !).....so we`re up to 54"

now I`m going to go with the excuse that it was a typo ......5'4" was actually supposed to be 54" or '4'6"

That`s my story and I`m sticking to it !!!!emoToast

 

[jon the fisherman]

SNUFFY - 7/21/2006 9:03 PM

I concede TT you are nearly right...at least closer than me.....I must confess that I`m bad about not reading all the details and actually counted the boards and guessed they were 2x8`s......then went back after I posted and read the post again and saw the 2x6`s.

But you obviously didn`t account for the approximately 30 degree angle the fish is laying compared the the right angle of the boards and when factor in the angle 30x .902.687 divided by the cotangent angle of the reverse 60 degree .19872;x2.067923= approximately one more board ..... so we`re up to 8 boards and then you add in the .8072 gap between the boards (didn`t think about that did you !).....so we`re up to 54"

now I`m going to go with the excuse that it was a typo ......5'4" was actually supposed to be 54" or '4'6"

That`s my story and I`m sticking to it !!!!emoToast

If you can't dazzle them with your brilliance, baffle them with B.S.emoPoke Just funnin ya Snuffy

 

[Fat Albert]

Snuffy, you recovered nicely.... however, I will read closely the next time.... you did dazzle um with something. LOLemoScratch

 

[TennesseeTalker]

Well all things considered, I'm assuming my calculation might be more correct with or without the excuse of a typo! After all you have to take into account the tajectory of the camera lens, the type of camera, what the actual lens setting might have been to account for any distortion. As well how tall the picture taker is as it might affect the outcome which actually makes a 3 D subject appear in no more than a 2 D format. Once the depth distortion percentage is calculated, the angle of the sun could be a potential problem since it produces a glare from the water which may also enhance or distort some of the actual measurements.

Hmmm ... let's see that's calculated at

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The ugly fish is in the position of a catenary -- a function of the form f(x) = fc - A(cosh[c x/L] - 1)
where A = fc/[(Qb/Qt) - 1] = 68.7672,
c = arccosh(Qb/Qt) = 3.0022,
fc = Max. Height of Centroid = 625.0925,
Qb = Max cross-section at fish head = 1262.6651,
Qt = Min cross-section from nose to tail = 125.1406,
L = half of centroid at each plank = 299.2239.
All measurements are given in geek format.

Yep ... 3 and 1/2 feet ... give or take a cm or two. Awe .. who cares. It's just numbers and the fish was big .. that's all that matters ... really?

TT