I finished up my last work meeting at 1:00 and left about 30 minutes early to start the weekend. I knew they planted the puddles yesterday, so I planned on hopefully repeating the session I had a few days ago.
It was weird weather. Sunny spots, then howling rain on the trip home.
I grab my rods from the garage and head down. This annual pass thing is awesome. It should pay for itself by the end of spring! I see everyone packed around the stocked lakes and decided to zig from their zag. I was in a rush to claim my little patch of shoreline and didn't put my boots on first. As I walked out to set my rod holders in my slides... well that's what I did in the muddy grass. f@ck....
I lost a sock in the mud, so had to put my boots on with one sock and one bare foot.
I brought my net this time so I know I probably jinxed myself. That and only having one sock on seemed really wrong for some reason. It was an hour of nada... and I started to feel the curse of remembering my net. I even talked to Dave for 20 minutes trying to talk me into a bite. I told him his dark cloud was literally over my head, but he denied that was his cloud. One thing about the net.... I left it in the truck.
I decided to change things up and just make a "Sasquatch" lob cast instead of bombing it out there. Well, I'll be damned. It wasn't 5 minutes after the lob cast and the strike indicator literally goes flying up into the air! This was on the 2# rod, but knowing I had a net I put a little more pressure on it. I reached for the net and Son of a BITCH! I realized it's in the truck bed and no way I can get to it! I reach down to lip it as the line snapped and it was another fatty Blue Cat!
The damn thing clamped down on my thumb and I only got 2 quick pics before it was gone.
I then found myself short and long casting looking for the rogue trout and/or another big blue cat. I realized if I got bit again, I was going to be more patient fighting it because 2# test is unforgiving and the 4# rod doesn't go off nearly as much.
Another hour plus rolled by and nothing else, not even a turtle nibble. There was a little over an hour left until closing when my 4# rod gets pinned! I knew right away it was a blue cat! They don't do the back-and-forth roll like a channel but fight more like a big trout. Big screaming runs, but never really come to the surface. I played him well and only took what it could give me until I landed this butterball!!!!
I re-tie and re-cast when I hear flopping at the surface. I look over at the 2# rod and the strike indicator is gone! Trout on!
There are so many bird watchers with big telephoto lenses at the lakes these days, it's not hard trying to find someone to take my picture for me. This damn little 1.5# trout was all wrapped up on a branch and towed it as I was fighting it. I can't believe the line didn't break, but a gentleman was kind enough to grab a quick picture for me.
Just as I dropped him in the cooler, the 4# rod was SINGING!!!!!!! This was a crazy 30 minutes of fishing already, but I knew this one was going to take a bit longer to get in. It felt BIG, but at least was on the 4# gear.
I played it really slow, and it took like 15 minutes to get it to the net, but HOLY MOMMA!
I need to bring a scale with me to see how big these things really are, but 3-foot catfish in this this place just boggles my mind!
I was super satisfied with 3 big cats and the Rangers were on their last drive around kicking everyone out. As I was putting away the 4#, I heard splashing again and saw my 2# doubled over! Another trout at 5:00 on the nose! A little bigger, but maybe 2# and I dropped him in the cooler before rolling out for the night.
There were 3 ranger trucks rolling around making sure everyone left and soon as I dropped it in the cooler, I saw them waiting for me so they could push me out. hahahaha
I was home in literally 3 minutes... this is like fishing from my sofa! LOL
Thanks for reading!
