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View Full Version : I thought I had my first real canal striper....



Geraldlim
11-04-2010, 08:53 PM
Checked out a new area of the Coachella Canal this morning. Started at 6 a.m.
Tried bait fishing with shrimp as well as the lipless crank. Pulled up a couple of channel cats 14" & 18" on the shrimp, as well as a bunch of micro stripers (so cute!).

No luck on the crankbait until about 10 a.m. I cast diagonally upstream to just off the opposite bank and started slowly retrieving to allow the lure to sink down as I retrieved when, WHAMM! I get hit hard. It peels line off briefly then suddenly the line goes limp. #@---*&! It's come off, I think. I wind up the slack line then notice the line is now actually coming from downstream instead. There's hope! I keep cranking furiously until the line comes taut, the fish is still on! I'm thinking I have my first decent canal striper, until I get my first glimpse of the fish. It's an 18 inch catfish! I can't believe it! I land it and take a photo:
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That was a pretty impressive performance for a little catfish.

I end up with 3 cats, which I decide to keep, and a bunch of micro stripers which were released. First one was throat hooked so I changed to a circle hook and the rest were all lip hooked.
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I bled and filleted the cats, trimmed all the fatty bits off, soaked the fillets in soy milk as recommended and pan fried some for dinner. They were delicious! Thanks for all the cooking tips guys.
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oatums
11-04-2010, 09:48 PM
Thanks for the report. Good job out there, soon you will catch that big striper you been after......

Oatums <((((><

VietReefer
11-04-2010, 11:13 PM
Wow .. catfish on the crankbait .. that dude must be really hungry .. hehe
Good job out there Gerald. I thought you already caught a striper the other day at the canal? why still after the first??

Geraldlim
11-05-2010, 05:06 AM
They have all been "micro" stripers 7-8". Anything big enough to eat, say 14" and up, a pound plus would be a real striper, like yours:Big Grin:

Desertfishen2
11-05-2010, 11:18 AM
very nice never caught one on a lipless crank but i have had a few on flukes. lol I really need some kitties that size for my freezer

P1M
11-08-2010, 04:30 PM
Gerald, I hope that was the spot I told you about. If it is I have never hooked up to any kitties there so good job. I found one more spot close by but 2 of the 3 times I have been I got stuck. The second time I slept out there.