Wheeler Lake 11/19/06 (solo)

[minner]

I was able to sneak out of the house this afternoon for a few minutes to try a different prop on my boat. The anchor, errr... I mean motor, had been running a little high on the RPMs and with this cooler weather it was running especially high. BTW I grinded out 4.5mph by going to stainless and up 1" pitch. Since I was out on the water I figured I might as well take a rod or two.....or six and some bait and wet a line. emoBigsmile As you probably already knew the current was ripping through and I figured I would anchor instead of drift to get more bait in the water since I was by myself.

After I battled the wind for a while I finally got anchored and dropped four lines and settled in. I didn’t have to wait but about 10 minutes before one of the rods on the back started to bend over. At first I was unsure of it's size since I was pulling against the current, but it didn't take long to realize it was a big fish when it didn't wear down and started taking drag. After a long battle (maybe 5-6 minutes) I was able to overcome the current and bring the fish to the top. After missing the fish several hundred times with the landing net I finally scored and brought the beast aboard. After I weighed it in at 67lbs I took a couple self-pics and let'er swim. I only fished a few more minutes and had to head for the house.

Oh, BTW ignore my facial expression. That's what you get when you set your camera shot on timer and have to run to the other end of the boat and pic up a 67lb fish right before the flash goes off.

 

[DHaun]

Great Report Minner - Congrats on that cold weather fattie! I have come to learn from Your and BPrice many trophy posts that Big Cat Bliss has a number of ways of being expressed in a facial expression emoBigsmile Way to go emoThumbsup

http://www.chattanoogafishingforum.com/forums/get-attachment.asp?action=view&attachmentid=1961

 

[Bprice]

Way to go buddy... thanks for the phone call, jerk!

 

[shsimons]

Impressive Minner. I'm going to have a good day after seeing that fish.

 

[rsimms]

Holy Blue Cat... a self-portrait with a 67 lb. blue. That is more amazing than catching the darn thing. Woo hoo! Big Blues in November. Don't we love it.

 

[minner]

rsimms - 11/20/2006 5:14 AM

Holy Blue Cat... a self-portrait with a 67 lb. blue. That is more amazing than catching the darn thing. Woo hoo! Big Blues in November. Don't we love it.

Yep, I'll admit it was quit a cluster.....................

 

[jon the fisherman]

Nice Cat!

 

[CRAZYHORSE]

Great fish Minner!!! The weather looks rough!! Gives hope to all the catfish boys out there that the bite is on even if the weather isnt
very nice. Congratulations, CrazyhorseemoToast

 

[drc]

Congrats on the fish, but i don't envy you one bit minner.emoPoke
It looks cold and nasty to say the least... I bet boat positioning and anchoring in that wind and current was a real chore by yourself.emoWorthy I about cut my line loose on a fiesty 50lber last year, it took me longer to get him in the net than it did to reel him to the boat (I was anchored and the water was MOVIN). I try to keep a good "net man" around now.emoBigsmile

 

[minner]

drc - 11/20/2006 7:09 AM

Congrats on the fish, but i don't envy you one bit minner.emoPoke
It looks cold and nasty to say the least... I bet boat positioning and anchoring in that wind and current was a real chore by yourself.emoWorthy I about cut my line loose on a fiesty 50lber last year, it took me longer to get him in the net than it did to reel him to the boat (I was anchored and the water was MOVIN). I try to keep a good "net man" around now.emoBigsmile

You are right on DRC. It took about 4 tries to get the boat/anchor position just right. And I just knew I was going to knock him off with the net, since it kept getting swept away from him in the current. I was about 1 try away from trying to grab him "rsimms" style LOL. I would have dropped anchor (I always have a float on the line) and floated with him, but I had two of my poles that were hung on bottom in the heavy current.

 

[jason]

I'll have to second rsimm's "Holy Blue Cat"...that is a monster!

 

[cooperjd]

awesome catch man. where does that one rank with your all time rod and reel big fish?

 

[minner]

cooperjd - 11/20/2006 11:18 AM

awesome catch man. where does that one rank with your all time rod and reel big fish?

That would be #2 followed by a 62#, 72# being the largest.

 

[Southerncats]

Allen,

Thats a nice'un.....I tried it down there today.....the wind and current was Killer, I had clients......we tried to fish from about 8:30-12:30.....without one bite, the wind wouldn't let me go past paint rock......so I decided to try the big G out, which I'am not real fond of......but I some how set us right on them on the first anchor....we caught a 46,42,40,27,and 10 lber.....later we got a 38 lber on another anchor and by that time it was getting dark and cold.......I'am gonna go after them again tommorow, if the wind will let me....I might try down your way.....atleast I know there is one big girl down that way.

 

[minner]

Southerncats - 11/20/2006 4:39 PM

Allen,

Thats a nice'un.....I tried it down there today.....the wind and current was Killer, I had clients......we tried to fish from about 8:30-12:30.....without one bite, the wind wouldn't let me go past paint rock......so I decided to try the big G out, which I'am not real fond of......but I some how set us right on them on the first anchor....we caught a 46,42,40,27,and 10 lber.....later we got a 38 lber on another anchor and by that time it was getting dark and cold.......I'am gonna go after them again tommorow, if the wind will let me....I might try down your way.....atleast I know there is one big girl down that way.

Mike, glad to know there are good ones on G-ville too. Any tips on where to start looking I wouldn't mind giving Guntersville a shot?

Give it a try. One day they are there the next they aren't, let us kow how you do.

 

[WLG]

Awesome catch !!!!!!!!emoThumbsup emoThumbsup emoThumbsup

 

[Louie B]

Amazing.... I've always been a hard core bass fisherman but since I've been reading reports on this site I'm starting to think that the catfishing is where it's at LOL.

I still don't know about getting slimed though???

Very nice fish, thanks for the report.

LB

 

[churly]

All I can say is great picture! I needed a laugh!

 

[cooperjd]

triton, i'm a hardcore bass fisher myself, as is bprice, but it is quite fun to bring in a nice cat. The best i've done out of minner's boat is a 32lb blue, and that one pulled, i can't imagine a 60+. you should have heard bprice's phone call to me when he caught his 68#, i thought the guy was going to go into cardiac arrest. the bass are still #! in my book, but it is a lot of fun to go after the big cats. even if you don't catch much of anything, i enjoy night fishing in the summer for them. sitting out on the boat, relaxing, drinking 'sodas', pulling up a 5' gar, getting caught in a horrendous storm and anchoring under a bridge tied to bprice's boat, boats slamming into each other from the wind and waves, all good times

 

[Southerncats]

Here is some late pics.

Allen....to answer your question......I don't really like catfishing on the lower end of the Big G.....the upper end is more river like and I have had some good success up there......however these fish did come from the lower end, I think the heavy current had these fish drawn to the area we were at, because it was in an outside river bend and at one of the narrower spots of the lake...It just happened to be out of the wind....I went back the next day and they just weren't doing much caught a 22 and 8 lber.

I have fished fairly hard on several occasions around the lower 3-4 miles of the river on the deep bluffs, and had very little success....an occasional 20-40 lber.