Global Moderator Bluebasser86 Posted March 16, 2011 Global Moderator Posted March 16, 2011 Decided to go try for some early season smallies at wolf creek power plant lake. Smallmouth weren't cooperating and the largemouth that were biting were small. Caught a ton of white bass and crappie. A friend of mine had asked me to bring him back a couple crappie if I caught any keepers. The limit is 2 over 14 inches on this lake so it's not an easy thing to do. I was fishing right at the cables that you can't cross over and casting a little ways past them catching crappie in the 11-13 inch range pretty fast with one keeper 14 1/2 incher mixed in. I was getting them on a 2 inch power minnow on a 1/32 oz jighead under a bobber. I was tossing this rig on a 6' 8" medium light Shimano Crucial dropshot rod, a Shimano Symetre 750, and P-line 4lb floroclear. The crappie stopped biting all the sudden but I kept casting thinking I might find where they moved. I made another cast and the bobber plopped under after my second twitch of the rod. I thought I'd found them again as I set the hook, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! 100 yards of line flew off my reel and I was certian I was about to be spooled. Since I was already at the cables I couldn't follow the fish so I use my left hand to add a little extra pressure on the spool to try to get the fish stopped. It was give and take for the first 20 minutes with the fish doing a lot more taking than giving. 30 minutes in I got the fish back to the cable but then it took off under it so I had to pass my rod under the cable being very careful not to touch that light line on the wire. With the cable out of the picture I started to feel a little better about my chances. 40 minutes into the fight the fish started to empty it's air bladder to try to stay down. It was going through my head what it might be. The lake has big catfish of all 3 species, big wipers, huge longnose gar, carp, buffalo, drum, all fish that if they are big enough are capable of fighting for long periods of time on light line. 50 minutes into the fight I saw my bobber and finally was able to tell I had a big catfish! It made another slow but unstoppable run to the bottom and sat there for another 5 minutes. Once I got her moving again I dug in and used what little strength was left in my right forearm and got her coming up and trying not to let her take any line back. I got her to the surface and reached as far as I could with my net and finally got it under her! The fight had attracted the attention of another boat that motored over and loaned me their scale and took a couple pictures for me. She was 20lbs 11ozs, 34 inches long and 23 inches around. On 4lb test, a light rod and a tiny reel she was a heck of a fight! The powerplant and the bouys I hooked her by are both in the background of this one. The fish and the rod and reel I caught her on. I gave the guys that took the pictures the one keeper crappie I had for their troubles and the big catfish was turned loose after the pictures to maybe give someone else the fight she gave me! Quote
Uncle Leo Posted March 16, 2011 Posted March 16, 2011 Nice kitty! Boy that must have been a hecka of fight, good job landing her! Quote
GrundleLove Posted March 16, 2011 Posted March 16, 2011 Awesome story. Fantastic Fish. Excellent. Quote
Fishmaster10 Posted March 16, 2011 Posted March 16, 2011 The unexpected always makes for a great story, nice fish! Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted March 16, 2011 Super User Posted March 16, 2011 Nice story, fine fish and great pics! Quote
Super User Dwight Hottle Posted March 16, 2011 Super User Posted March 16, 2011 It sure sounds like you had fun. I'll bet your still pumped. Quote
Fish Chris Posted March 16, 2011 Posted March 16, 2011 Yea' buddy ! What a great catch ! And a great photo too ! Whooo Hooo ! Congrats ! Fish Quote
Big-O Posted March 16, 2011 Posted March 16, 2011 Oh Man that's a good'un... WTG Big O www.ragetail.com Quote
central.PA.bass Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 wow that is awesome!!! that catty woulda been good eatin though! Quote
Global Moderator Bluebasser86 Posted March 17, 2011 Author Global Moderator Posted March 17, 2011 wow that is awesome!!! that catty woulda been good eatin though! I know a lot of people eat them but I'm not a fish eater. I'll keep a walleye every once in awhile but pretty much everything else goes back. It's funny the reaction you get from some people when they see you put a keeper trout,walleye,crappie, or catfish back. I do keep some fish for family and friends by request occasionally also. Quote
SCangler91 Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 4lb Test? Gotta give props to ya my man. Nice job. Quote
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