SM Herding Shad - Biggest LM I failed to Catch

[Tatsu Dave]

Today the conditions were perfect, cloudy/calm/foggy with a huge rain front coming in tonight. Caught 2-3lb SM most everywhere herding shad, capped it off with a 3# that gave me a good tussle. I went up a pad line throwing a stick bait and switched rigs to rage craw when I saw a large swirl up line. When I got to that spot I threw the craw back on pads and skittered it to the edge to let it fall, a huge head appeared and lure was gone. He was big enough to move my 14' boat around so I worked him out to deep water and he jumped twice both times fully out and even though I kept the line tight, he threw it the second jump. Oh well I know there are 6# in here so its just a matter of time. Got one serious size pickerel also. Best day all year so far and a nice mix of both SM&LM.

[gunsinger]

Now you know where she lives.  Good luck.

[Tatsu Dave]

13 hours ago, gunsinger said:

Now you know where she lives.  Good luck.

Thanks, will fish that line diligently every trip there now. I told my son once that I'm real big on deep water next to pad lines or veggies close by. This drops from 3-4' to 20-22' in about the length of my boat. We'll see..........she didn't know I would have quickly and carefully weighed her and right back in. 

[gunsinger]

3 hours ago, Tatsu Dave said:

Thanks, will fish that line diligently every trip there now. I told my son once that I'm real big on deep water next to pad lines or veggies close by. This drops from 3-4' to 20-22' in about the length of my boat. We'll see..........she didn't know I would have quickly and carefully weighed her and right back in. 

I am constantly reminding these bass that I mean them no harm.  That it just a brief alien abduction w/o probing but do they listen?  Nooooo!!! ?

[TnRiver46]

59 minutes ago, gunsinger said:

I am constantly reminding these bass that I mean them no harm.  That it just a brief alien abduction w/o probing but do they listen?  Nooooo!!! ?

When I catch a small one, I say “take me to your leader”

[Tatsu Dave]

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

When I catch a small one, I say “take me to your leader”

They probably take you to the biggest carp they can find HeHe.......

[Tatsu Dave]

Wow! one more post on my phantom bass, I went past fishing yesterday and of course threw a rainbow trout stickbait back on the pads and skittered out to the edge.......it happened again right at the tiny gut in the pads where a small feeder seepage must come out. Yarded my line out and headed into the weedmat and I reversed the troller and started backing away as the old dobyns did its thing it was running along the edge and buried itself into a floating weed clump with a lone stick in it. Just held tension on the line and started in to try and net her, she made a terrible thrash and pulled the stickup under, got wrapped around the stick and bang pulled off the hook. Hmmmmm maybe braid isn't a bad idea to rig up to fish for her........third time is usually the charm.

[Sphynx]

So the grumpy old men named the mystical fish they were after Catfish Hunter...you picked out a name for this wily critter yet?

[Tatsu Dave]

No but I will if I catch her.