fishfnatic
03-11-2013, 05:48 PM
Haven't posted here in a while. Been fishing every week. Varied success rates but no skunks at least. I've been chasing a lunker pin since I read about them on these forums. I though I had it in the bag the week after the first Yosemite Red plats but failed with a 4.80 :(. Hearing all to often about trolling and how successful it is at Irvine I made my first attempt at it 2/22. A boat of 4 landed 11 with several farms because of inexperience with trolling. Decided my brother and I should give it another shot on 3/8. With absolutely horrible weather predicted I was excited to get out on the lake and face the elements. Word is Irvine goes WFO in the rain and I wanted to see it.
Unfortunately (fortunately?) there was only a slight breeze, 5min of rain and 5min of hail the entire day. We launched at 7:30 because someone (Patrick) had alarm issues. Trolled around the lake for a few pick ups. Most of them came in the flats. Switching out lures and speeds constantly we managed to boat 4 with 3 or so fish farmed. Passing through again my rod that had a CD5 Brown Trout Rapala on it get slammed. Not a bendo slammed, drag peeling, ZZZZzzzzZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz slam. Holy crap. Kill the motor grab the rod and the line goes limp. All of a sudden shamu (ok not really shamu just the biggest fish I have seen in a while) breeches the surface and lands with a monstrous thud. Let the fight begin. Run after run, he decides to breech again. All I can remember is repeating, "please don't come off, please don't come off". Little bugger decides to make me do circles around the boat. After a few minutes Patrick does what he does best :Secret: nets my fish.
I thought to myself this is it. This has to be it. Head over to the tackle shop to get the fishy weighed.
http://i1254.photobucket.com/albums/hh614/fishfnatic1/f373a7a9-135b-4297-98d7-ae8a07de0f63_zps3f79c55f.jpg
5.70 Lbs with a beautiful full tail. My 2nd biggest trout to date. Lunker pin recieved!
Head out to the damn for some catfish fishing since Patrick has been begging me for a while to do that with him. Long story short, one 1lber cat for me and 1 break off of what can only be considered a massive catfish. Patrick had hooked it on 6lb test faught it well. It went belly up 15yrds out and all you could see was a massive off white belly. Just then the knot to the hook pops, you see the fish for another 30 seconds before it rights itself and dives to the depths. Sigh. If I was a betting man Patrick would have had his 16+ lunker pin :(.
Unfortunately (fortunately?) there was only a slight breeze, 5min of rain and 5min of hail the entire day. We launched at 7:30 because someone (Patrick) had alarm issues. Trolled around the lake for a few pick ups. Most of them came in the flats. Switching out lures and speeds constantly we managed to boat 4 with 3 or so fish farmed. Passing through again my rod that had a CD5 Brown Trout Rapala on it get slammed. Not a bendo slammed, drag peeling, ZZZZzzzzZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz slam. Holy crap. Kill the motor grab the rod and the line goes limp. All of a sudden shamu (ok not really shamu just the biggest fish I have seen in a while) breeches the surface and lands with a monstrous thud. Let the fight begin. Run after run, he decides to breech again. All I can remember is repeating, "please don't come off, please don't come off". Little bugger decides to make me do circles around the boat. After a few minutes Patrick does what he does best :Secret: nets my fish.
I thought to myself this is it. This has to be it. Head over to the tackle shop to get the fishy weighed.
http://i1254.photobucket.com/albums/hh614/fishfnatic1/f373a7a9-135b-4297-98d7-ae8a07de0f63_zps3f79c55f.jpg
5.70 Lbs with a beautiful full tail. My 2nd biggest trout to date. Lunker pin recieved!
Head out to the damn for some catfish fishing since Patrick has been begging me for a while to do that with him. Long story short, one 1lber cat for me and 1 break off of what can only be considered a massive catfish. Patrick had hooked it on 6lb test faught it well. It went belly up 15yrds out and all you could see was a massive off white belly. Just then the knot to the hook pops, you see the fish for another 30 seconds before it rights itself and dives to the depths. Sigh. If I was a betting man Patrick would have had his 16+ lunker pin :(.