The biggest fish of my life!

I used to work second shift hours, since my “work day” started at 3:30 in the afternoon I was able to slip out to the state lake near home to fish several times each week. Instead of re-writing the story, I will just post the exact email that I went to a few select friends on May 6, 2001……….Now for today’s report….. I ran myself out of time and didn’t even have enough time to stop and get ice on the way back home from the lake or even mess with them at home, so at the boat ramp I counted 27 crappie I returned to the water. One third of these were the finest crappie I had ever caught at the State lake. A couple of them were an even pound, with several around 3/4 of a pound!

The most memorable part of the day (and also the reason I was running so late) was when I hooked and fought the largest fish of my lifetime for a solid 35 minutes. (Real time, I noted the time on my watch when I realized how big he was!) On my favorite 11′ crappie pole with fresh 4 pound line and two 1/16 oz jigs tied 2 foot apart. He pulled me all over the open end of the lake, crossing the lake twice and running back and forth across the dam a few times. At one point near the beginning of the battle I could see only 4 wraps of line around the 140 yard spool, I had to kick the trolling motor in high gear chasing him to try and gain some line. For much of the time while I was in high gear he was swimming right below the boat at the same speed I was going, I’m sure he was looking for some cover to brush me off with. I tried to herd him towards the middle of the lake but really he just went where and when he pleased. I never felt a head shake, or a tail kick. Just a constant pull as if I was tied to the back bumper of a Jeep. I had everything cleared from the deck of the boat and was using every square inch as he circled the boat and often dove directly under and shot out the other side. I had the gas motor up and all the way out of the water to keep from cutting the line, and I had to keep switching hands holding the rod to keep them from falling asleep during this cruel workout. I have to tell you the same landing net that held 71 crappie at once last Saturday now looked like a useless minnow bucket dip net, I’m sure the fish wouldn’t have fit in it anyway.

The end of the battle came when he managed to snag the one free hook into a solid stump on the bottom, I felt the hook snag then I felt the line pop like thread between the two hooks leaving me tethered to the stump. I never got to see him, nor was I able to even pull him up from the bottom of the lake. I’m sure it was a big catfish, how big I’ll never know but I can tell you it’s the biggest fish this boy has ever been hooked to!

This will be something to tell my Grandkids someday, a day I’ll never forget. (Right now I’m grinning so big if I was wearing lipstick I’d have it on both ears!)