I beat the Extreme Dream derby winning fish by 2 pounds today at Lake Elsinore!
Sometimes in life, you miss the target but hit the tree anyway. (here is what I mean) When we went to Lake Elsinore a couple of weeks ago after their kids derby, we were very pleased with our results. The fish were a bit on the smaller side but more then made up for it with plenty of action. Now their big derby is the Extreme Dream with over $15,000 in cash and prizes available. (June 26) In several publications it was posted, their was going to be another catfish plant right before the derby. With all the cash and prize money at stake, I assumed they would plant a few bigger catfish to make the derby more exciting! (they had over 60 teams competing for the prize money) Well me being me, "my plan was to try to mop up some of those bigger catfish after the derby!" (July 1) Great plan I thought! Just 1 little problem, "their wasn't another catfish plant made prior to the derby!" (they did make another fingerling stocking of wipers) Which probably suppressed the LMB results for the derby! We didn't know any of this till we got down there and talked to someone in the know at the Lake!
We were just going to make the best of it, because we were already down there! That also explains why no one else was fishing in our area at Launch Pointe. A couple of weeks ago we found the best baits and techniques to catch the many but smaller fish in the area. Since I assumed we would be fishing for smaller fish, I started fishing with the lightest pole I brought with me. (A 7 foot UL trout pole with 4 pound test) The first fish I caught was an 1/2 pound native catfish. So it seems the pole I was using would be just right for our intended quarry. The next fish I hooked on that pole wasn't any Tommy Cod, but a real fish! By the big boil it made and the screaming runs it put on the drag, I knew I had a monster! This is the year I swear, I've hooked more big fish on the wrong tackle in my life! We didn't even have a proper net! Now I've got this big catfish running all over this very rocky area and I've only got 4 pound test and a trout rod! Well with just 1 exception this year, (a 200 pound sturgeon at Irvine lake) I've landed everything I've hooked on the wrong tackle. I some how landed this fish and it's a DD size catfish! Just so happens an Lake Elsinore big wig, just happened to be there at the time. We got to weigh this fish before you release her he said. She was right at 10 pounds and the winning Extreme Dream fish was an 8.2 pound catfish. Which would have made "this fish" the easiest winner by almost 2 pounds!
The story doesn't end there on this fishing trip. (this was just the first 30 minutes of the trip) Right after that, Racer X lands a nice 3 pound catfish! We also land a couple of ok size stocker catfish too. Plus every cast is getting pecked away by these 1/2 pound native catfish. Along with some small wipers and a lonely 12 inch LMB. We literally are getting bit on every cast! (hooking them is a different story) So I'm getting tired of missing bites, so I decided to hold my flyline rig and swing when I get the first big run. I do and hook not an 1/2 pound native catfish, but another real nice Big headed catfish. I've got a little heavier pole this time, so I'm a little more in control. It's a real nice 4-5 pound catfish! Racer X is getting a few nice ones too, but the 1/2 pound native catfish are off the hook! We got a bilzillion of those things! I'm not going to BS you, but this is what we caught in 4 hours of fishing. 4 small wipers, 1 12 inch LMB, 20 1/2 pound native catfish. The 10 pound catfish, the 4-5 pound catfish, 1 3 pound catfish, 3 2 pound catfish and 2 1 1/1 pound catfish. Needless to say, "we went for bigger catfish" and got some and plenty of dink fish to boot!
