Reply With QuoteThat is a great story. I can't wait until my younger nephews are old enough for me to treat them to the same experience (only it will be on Norris or Watts Bar).
| Search Fishin.com |
Senior Member
Friday, my brother-in-law, who I will call Sam, and I got on the water around 5 p.m. with a little time left before dark to scout out some of our favorite places to fish for the next day. Nothing seemed to be moving until just before dark when the hoot owls began to communicate. On a rocky back a few good size bass were jumping. But before I could get to the spot all action had died down and after trying crank, top water and jig without success, we headed back to the dock. Saturday we got on the water around 8 a.m. and it was absolutely beautiful. We were looking for Ky's in the upper creek chanels but they were not active. We used live shad, nighcrawlers, jigs, spoons, cranks all without success. After lunch, we head to the main lake to fish for crappie. Found lots of crappie on the graph but only two 14 inch crappie was all we could get to bite. Later in the evening before dark we tried to crank gravel points with two 2 lb Ky's and one nice 3 lb smallmouth, which was released. Sunday we got on the water in a heavy rain around 9 a.m. and tried the creek channels once more with only 4 small Ky's. After lunch, we searched for fish on deep walls without success so we crappie fished for an hour or so with only two nice crappie around 12 inches. By then the sun came out and air temperature warmed up so we thought it was time to fish the gravel points again. As we made our way across the lake to the point, dark clouds began to gather in the southwest sky. As we approached the gravel point we noticed that the entire area was steaming with small pods of shad everywhere and the Ky's were tearing them up. Within 30 minutes I caught or hung approximate 8 Ky's...one going between 3-4 lbs. I was using a white glass shadrap 1.5 inch. Sam is what you call an "unploished fisherman." He is sitting in the back seat using an ultalight spinning outfit with new 8 lb test line on it. The reason I know tha is before we started to fish the night before he had just a half a spool of rotten line on it and I insisted that I change it. He was using some bait I had never seen before so I told him I would let use the white glass shaprap and I would put another shad favorite on my line. After attaching another shadrap to my line with white sides and black back, we began to fish again. We noticed some large fish hitting a small shad pod near the point so I put the trolling motor into high and sped over to the action. Just as were in distance of the shad, Sam cast over the shad and was pulling it through them just like told him to do when he got hit like thunderbolt with a fish that would change his life forever. There he was with an ultralight and a fish that stripping off line by the yards. Nothing I could do! I just told him if he lost white glass shadrap he was going walk on the water all the way back to the dock. In the mean time, Sam was gaining one yard and the fish was gaining three. I kept reminding him to keep his rod tip up and let the rod do it's work, but he was sweeting by now and very nervous. He tried to speak but the words just would not come out. I know Sam had never had a fish like this one on before, ultralight or not. Finally, after 15 to 20 minutes we got first sight of the fish...a very large smallmouth (approximately 5 lbs). We did net this beautiful fish and after pictures released the fish. Sam just sat there. I admittedldy and immediately cut the shadrap off his line. He looked at me. I looked at him. He said, "why did you cut the bait off my line?" After a long pause, I replied "you have to retie after a big fish!" But, you know what I was really thinking, don't you? But since I am a good guy, I retied the white glass shadrap back on for him and I turned my head to run the trolling motor when I saw my white glass shadrap hit water once more. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye I see this hug smallmouth streaking toward my white glass shadrap and hit it like ton of bricks, but sadly I was not holding the rod. Sam had done it again. There he sat trying to hold another monister bass with eyes as big as the full moon. Again the fish went deep and after approximately 15 minutes, we netted bookends (picures/released). This time the boy was realy sweeting and trimbling. I heard no words from his mouth for a long time. Again I had given up my bait to see this happen. I have fished with Sam for many years and he has sat there in the boat and watched me catch so many nice fish and he would go home empty. I can not tell you how much it meant to have watched him battle these two very nice fish with an ultralight rod and reel. It was day we both will not forget. -Bonefish
Senior Member
That is a great story. I can't wait until my younger nephews are old enough for me to treat them to the same experience (only it will be on Norris or Watts Bar).
Junior Member
really nice story!!!!!
Senior Member
Very nice report.
Billy
Redneckshadrap
www.thecreekbank.com
[email protected]
Member
OMG that was awesome, and I don't evan understand half of it. I am saving that on Word so that some day I can reference back to it with my own experiences.
Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledege, you and many others.
Senior Member
Great Report. Bring on the FNF season at the "Hollow". Had a 5-4 Smallie and 5-2 Smallie December 6, 2004 on FNF, back to back cast. Took forever to land both but well worth the fight. The very next day, by best friend landed a 6-1 from same spot. Had a ball watching him fight and land this BIGUN. He doesn't fish that much and may never get another shot at one this size. This is what I love about Dale, outstanding quality smallmouth action.
Tight Lines
Senior Member
Nice job Bonefish, thanks for taking the time to hack that story onto the board.
Hey Elnut, I've still got your email, and I'm looking forward to learning a little about that FNF. I don't have the rod or flies, so I'm trying to decide whether to go with some other technique while I watch and learn for a day, then get what I need, or just break down and buy a rod ahead of time. I probably should get a rod, it could be used for crappie fishing if it turns out FNF ain't my cup of tea. Any recommendations?
Senior Member
Don't worry about the rod or the flies. I've got a best friend and brother-in-law that bought the same rod that I did and I can borrow either of theirs for you to use. As far as flies, I have literally over a hundred of them. Plenty of tackle for both of us to use when the time comes. I plan on going down to Dale Hollow the first week of December or when the water temp hits around 50 for the best action, for a few days and then again a couple of times in December. The majority of my fishing will be done at KY Lake this winter after that. Email me with your address to stay in touch. I think I still have yours but not for sure.
Tight Lines
Senior Member
I called a guide at Dale Hollow who took me out my first day last year and he said the water temp was 58-59 currently. His opinion was that it would not get down to 50 or so until mid December. Last year it did not get down to 50 until the second week of December. I was there the first week of December last year and the temp was 54-55 with water at summer pool and it actually rose 2 feet over the 6 days I was there. I will put off my trip until then. He did say the lake is down the lowest he has seen it since 1982. Should not hurt the fishing any for my motto is the lesser the water the less room for the BIGUNS to roam.
Tight Lines
Senior Member
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Nov-15-05 AT 11:43AM (EST)[/font][p]That sounds good! I definitely feel a cold weather related illness coming on that will render me unable to work on one of those days you're over there. You may still have my addy on hand, but if not it's [email protected]. Long as the boat can be launched, the lower the water the better.
Posting Permissions