Rooster
08-29-2004, 03:51 PM
I had been planning all week to try for some flatheads on Sunday with a couple of guys. The weather forecast and the dark sky on Saturday was enough for me to cancel. However, I started reading OGF and it got my fever going again. The sky still looked suspect at 11PM, but I decided to get some goldfish just in case the weather broke.
Woke up around 2AM, I could see the moon, and decided to give it a shot. My first line was in the water by 3AM and I started to immediately to get some short slow runs. After about a half an hour of this, I finally pulled in a turtle. Those guys REALLY don't like people! I almost lost a finger getting the hook out of it's leg (who would have thought they could extend their neck that far). I decided to move upstream about a hundred yards to fish some faster current and hopefully get away from the turtles.
After only a few minutes I had a nice fast run. I could feel the turning of a channel cat in the current. Not what I was looking for (26? channel), but it was much better than a turtle!
Then NOTHING! Fought off sleep for an hour and a half thinking about how comfortable my bed would be. Then it happened.....a series of short runs on the clicker. I knew it was a flat before I even engaged the reel. It was too small to weigh but I would guess it at around 8LBS. Only a few minutes after getting the rod back into the water There was another series of short runs on the second rod. This was a much better fish and it had no intentions of leaving the river. I kept my cool and let the fish dictate the pace. My location did not give me much assistance as the entire shoreline is concrete about two feet above the water line, and at a 45 degree angle with a film of mud about 3 feet from the water. I finally got a hand in it's mouth and pulled it up on shore. Although I landed the fish, I have a feeling that he won in the end. I was exhausted! I struggled with getting the camera out, the batteries in my head lamp died, and the flathead really wanted to get back in the water, but I finally was able to get the timer to work and a few pics. It was a personal best at 23LBS. I finally made it to level two! I was too tired to bait the rod and just put it in the holder. I needed to set down!
http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/photopost/data/500/1768-29-04_23lbs-med.JPG
Woke up around 2AM, I could see the moon, and decided to give it a shot. My first line was in the water by 3AM and I started to immediately to get some short slow runs. After about a half an hour of this, I finally pulled in a turtle. Those guys REALLY don't like people! I almost lost a finger getting the hook out of it's leg (who would have thought they could extend their neck that far). I decided to move upstream about a hundred yards to fish some faster current and hopefully get away from the turtles.
After only a few minutes I had a nice fast run. I could feel the turning of a channel cat in the current. Not what I was looking for (26? channel), but it was much better than a turtle!
Then NOTHING! Fought off sleep for an hour and a half thinking about how comfortable my bed would be. Then it happened.....a series of short runs on the clicker. I knew it was a flat before I even engaged the reel. It was too small to weigh but I would guess it at around 8LBS. Only a few minutes after getting the rod back into the water There was another series of short runs on the second rod. This was a much better fish and it had no intentions of leaving the river. I kept my cool and let the fish dictate the pace. My location did not give me much assistance as the entire shoreline is concrete about two feet above the water line, and at a 45 degree angle with a film of mud about 3 feet from the water. I finally got a hand in it's mouth and pulled it up on shore. Although I landed the fish, I have a feeling that he won in the end. I was exhausted! I struggled with getting the camera out, the batteries in my head lamp died, and the flathead really wanted to get back in the water, but I finally was able to get the timer to work and a few pics. It was a personal best at 23LBS. I finally made it to level two! I was too tired to bait the rod and just put it in the holder. I needed to set down!
http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/photopost/data/500/1768-29-04_23lbs-med.JPG