Just Enough Action to Keep My Spirits Up

I got a chance to sneak out on Sunday after the kick off picnic for Vacation Bible School.  Hayden and Luke have that every night this week.  So far, they love it.  Back to Sunday night.  I got to the river at around 7:00.  I had no bait in the livewell, so my first mission was to catch a few suckers and rock bass.  I struggled at first, but finally found the suckers in some skinny water.  The depth finder read just 3 feet.  I quickly caught a couple and then headed up above the elbow to catch a few rock bass.

I was set up for flatties by 9:30 with a tub full of cut sucker and 5 or 6 rock bass in the tank.  I spent my first hour on that “perfect” spot just above the elbow.  Nothing was going on up there and the bugs were so thick I was breathing them in, so I decided to motor down to the big basin above the bridge where I anchored in 9 feet of water.  I dropped a rock bass right under the boat and threw the cut sucker straight back on one pole and out to my left into the middle of the river on the 3^rd rod.  It was that rod that came to life first.  I noticed the end of it twitching, so I moved into position where I could grab it quick if the fish committed.  It finally grabbed the bait and flew down river at 90 miles an hour.  The clicker was singing like a choir boy.  I knew that it was a channel cat.  I had a huge piece of bait and an 8/0 hook on this rod, so I didn’t hold out much hope that I’d hook up with this fish.  It ended up dropping the bait and scurrying away before I even attempted a hook set.  

I decided to skip the clicker and leave the reel engaged when I put the rod back in the holder.  Before too long, it got jumped on again.  This time it was bouncing violently and I was pretty sure that the fish had hooked itself.  I gave it a good jerk anyway and went to battle with a heavy fish that was flying all over the river.  When the fight ended, I hauled what I think was about a 9 or 10 pound channel into the boat.  I've hit 8 pounds several times in this part of the river, but have never topped it.  This fish looked bigger, but not quite as big as the 11 pounder that I caught earlier in the year down by the bayous.  I don’t know for sure because my battery died in my scale and I didn’t want to make the fish sit in the boat while I dug through my tackle box to find a replacement.  I took the above picture and released the fish healthy.

My only other action for the night was a very small flattie that ate the live rock bass.  I’m amazed at the size of bait a small flattie will take.  It makes me think that a grown flattie will eat a pretty good sized redhorse.  If I catch a one to two pounder next time out, I may just put it out on a 10/0 hook instead of cutting it up.  It might improve my personal best.  I’d be ecstatic to get above 30 pounds.  Might be a pipe dream.  There are probably a few over 30 in there, but there can’t be many.  The only way to find out is to put in my time, so Lincoln and I are going to catch some bait tonight and I’m hitting the river again tomorrow.  I’m still waiting for the big boys to wake up.  Hopefully tomorrow I’ll find them on the feed.