Post by 2 oars & a trash can on May 21, 2013 4:00:38 GMT -5
Something big took the smallest rod I had set out on the dock, spooled with either 8 or 10 lb test, I forgot which.
It took a while, a lot of give and take until I could see it was a flathead. I had no leader and when I saw what it was I figured there was no way I'd land it before it rubbed through the line with its jaw. My only net is a crabbing net -- totally useless in this case. Every time I tried to coax it into grabbing range from the floating dock I was on, it turned and dove and peeled of the same 10 feet of line. Then it saw the steps hanging off the floating dock and it dove between the bottom 2 rungs and swam under the dock. I angled my pull to keep the line away from the steps, but realized he'd never allow himself to be pulled back through those rungs.
So I checked my jeans pockets to be sure my phone wasn't there, dropped my shirt on the dock, took a breath and lowered the rod into the lake to pass it through the lowest 2 step on the floating dock the same way the fish had gone, about 3.5 feet down so I had my head and neck submerged while passing the rod through. I felt the fish take the slack this created and dive with it, but when I got my head back out of the lake with the line no longer going through the stairs, I think it resigned a little, and with a few more ups and downs, I pulled it to me at the surface, stuck four fingers into its mouth, thumb under the jaw and made a fist, or what I thought was a fist. The fish thrashed hard and yanked its head out of my grip. I tried to bring the pole back into play right away as it dove yet again, but I guess I was slow bringing it up. The fish shook its head hard on the way down and snapped the line.
It didn't look as big as one landed last year that went 25 lbs. Maybe 15 - 20, guessing. Epic fight though. He'll be back.
It took a while, a lot of give and take until I could see it was a flathead. I had no leader and when I saw what it was I figured there was no way I'd land it before it rubbed through the line with its jaw. My only net is a crabbing net -- totally useless in this case. Every time I tried to coax it into grabbing range from the floating dock I was on, it turned and dove and peeled of the same 10 feet of line. Then it saw the steps hanging off the floating dock and it dove between the bottom 2 rungs and swam under the dock. I angled my pull to keep the line away from the steps, but realized he'd never allow himself to be pulled back through those rungs.
So I checked my jeans pockets to be sure my phone wasn't there, dropped my shirt on the dock, took a breath and lowered the rod into the lake to pass it through the lowest 2 step on the floating dock the same way the fish had gone, about 3.5 feet down so I had my head and neck submerged while passing the rod through. I felt the fish take the slack this created and dive with it, but when I got my head back out of the lake with the line no longer going through the stairs, I think it resigned a little, and with a few more ups and downs, I pulled it to me at the surface, stuck four fingers into its mouth, thumb under the jaw and made a fist, or what I thought was a fist. The fish thrashed hard and yanked its head out of my grip. I tried to bring the pole back into play right away as it dove yet again, but I guess I was slow bringing it up. The fish shook its head hard on the way down and snapped the line.
It didn't look as big as one landed last year that went 25 lbs. Maybe 15 - 20, guessing. Epic fight though. He'll be back.
