Pacemaker Fishing Forum

It was a long day.  Wore me out so much there was no way I was heading anywhere this morning, maybe in the evening.   I was on the water at 0630 and was loading the yak back into the truck about 1900.

I didn't waste anytime getting to the clear water in the back of the creek.  I caught a few small ones just before I got to where the water clears up.  I was about high tide and I wasn't seeing too many fish.  I headed back into an area I had not been before I found a decent creek that was a little muddy.  Through this section I picked up two that were over 16".   Also caught a 9" white perch.  In the same spot, just 10ft from me I saw a bass launch out of the water to try to catch a flying dragonfly.   Yeah right!  They can't even get my Booyah frog that I ended up throwing when I came back to the main creek.  I was getting lots of blowups but only once did a fish really get it and take it under.  It didn't stay on though.

Around this time a boat boat came up from the back channel.  I had seen it earlier on the way up and even from a few hundred yards away the one guy I could see looked familiar (size, bald head and complexion), like Dale from NHBA. Didn't think much of it.  But now that the boat was closer I was able to see the other guy on the book who is unmistakeable.  It was Tony Choe and Dale.  For those that don't know him Tony is paralyzed from the waist down after being shot and in a wheelchair.  He was the PVA fisher of the year in 2012.  I chatted with them for a bit.

I stayed in the area of the split all day.  I tried up the creek without any luck despite seeing loads of good fish.  Must of been the time of day/tide period.  In one shallow area there were loads of snakeheads.  Some I could see buried in the grass and if there head was under it I could get right up to them.  After casting a frog to a spot a whole bunch I would move towards that spot and of course a snakehead would blow up right next to/in front of/under me when doing so.  Arrgh. I think I need a bow.  There were a few boats with pair of guys doing just that. For carp and cats too.   One pair had hit a big cat but it got away after yanking the gaff out of the guy's hand.  They asked for me to be on the look out.

Moving along shore I spotted a big cat with it's head poking out of a hole.  I dropped a Ragetail craw jig right in front of it.  It bit, I pulled it out and all hell broke loose.  I got a good splashing.  I had it next to the boat and up against the bank trying to figure out what to do next.  I didn't have my leather glove so I wasn't keen on sticking my hand in its mouth.  But then the hook straightened out and it came off.  But it just swam down to a hole.  This was the fish the guys had hit with arrow earlier and it was wounded.  I was able to snag it and land it for a picture.  This time I used a plastic bag over my hand to grab it by the mouth.  When the guys came back through I showed them where it was and they were able to get it.  For a while I helped spot snakeheads for them but no luck in getting any.

In late afternoon once the tide started coming in again the bass started to bite well.  Caught a bunch more and lost some good ones to a big submerged root system.  I also lost something else that was big.  I didn't think the drag was too tight, maybe the line just got by it's teeth.  The line shouldn't have been weakened since I had just re-tied twice after having to break off from the roots.   It happened really quick.  I'm doubting it was a bass, probably a cat.