Bako Duct - went solo - Cutbait was too tired from slayin panfish all day !
After 9 days w/o fishing, my plans were to hold out till after my Texas pilgrimage to return to the duct….
well, I got the itch !
Had ta scratch…..!
My last few outings were tough in bako but I was still scratching fish out…but conditions have changed and veggies reduced so I figured odds were working in my favor…
Outlook was good !
Current was Ripping….gates full open…
No algae but periodically I would get some grass on my line or lure but nothing too bad to deal with !
1st 30 minutes or so found me getting 1 short striker ! VERY dosile bump….almost dismissed it as something floating through the current but I was about 70% sure it was stripey….
Then next cast….about the same zone…..
The same dosile bump…in fact it cannot even be described as a bump, it was more like the feesh simply slid up behind it and “SLURPED” my lure up !
Not falling for it this time !
I drove steel with a vengeance that would make Roland Martin PROUD !
Hookup !
Ripping my drag in the strong current downstream then ripping upstream !
As I turned ‘em …dead stop in the swift ripping flow, he swiftly came to the surface and did the infamous duct n’ roll..
Spinning and sloshing right on top…..
AND…it shakes Off ! (wamp wamp wamp,,,,,wahhhhhhhh!)
Close inspection of my lure revealed 1 bent shank on my tail-hook…that’s how that smart strong sucka bested me : (
I fished on for another 30 minutes w no action….
Off to a few other spots…exploring..
10 days ago, I broke my favorite duct pole…a 7.6 medium HEAVY crucial and I have to send it back to shimano …..
So… I was using a half arse medium action “spinning pole” as a baitcaster with my baitcasting reel….
Got snagged but drove hard thinkin’ it was a feesh and with my 65 lb braid…
Something was gonna give and IT WAS THAT PC O Doody POLE !
Snap !
Oh well….no use cryin over it…I didn’t care for that phenix blank.. pole anyways !
I didn’t bat an eye and immediately went to my spinning pole I use with my Lucky crafts out in Bako !
Another 30 minutes or so found me experiencing one of the ‘ol “textbook” “Crushing strikes !” !
Wooo-hoo………!
Wham…..Bam…..thank you ma’m !
(Gary’s mind says this while the action is happening…)
See this here’s a hook…..mmm-Hmmmmn !
and see it RAM ! ….Yeah….
Ahhhhhh…..It Hurts…..doesn’t it !
YES !…..It’s PAYBACK TIME !
Ahhhh ha ha ha !
I musta’ drove that sucka’s jawline back 3 inches when I drove steel with my LC and the battle was ON !
Through the swift sweeping riffs he went…
I let out an Audible….”Oh ! Yeah ! and that sucka ripped drag HARD downstream and didn’t stop !
Turns out that I had hooked ‘em with the tail hook in the upper jaw but the belly hook swung around and stuck ‘em good solid in the skull and pinned the lure tight to his cranial…
Leaving the eyelet of the lure and therefore my line leading away from his dorsal fin !
He delivered MAX power being hooked like that since I really couldn’t steer the fish by his jawline….
The battle was one I won’t soon forget….seemed MUCH much bigger that way, almost as if when you tail hook a fish in that current…
EITHER WAY……he had to hit cement and pose for a quick cell phone shot B4 he went back in….
As he returned to the water I think he did a fish version of a “Nod” as he respected me as much as I respected him after that epic battle that took me downstream 30 to 50 yards !
Next cast…..
Same spot…
Same Zone
Same Lure (LC)
SLAM !
HooK-up !
Nice battler…
Got ‘em in about 8/10th’s of the way and he decided to SURFACE and….
HE Sang me a SONG !……..
Twist & SHOUT !
And threw the hook OUT !
As he gyrated on the surface....and escaped, I heard my inner being… sigh, in disappointment…
Many more casts to that region did not produce any more activity….
So I looked for a different patterning…
In a different zone
In a different current…
With a different lure…
Found a nice current break that I could pick out if I leaned down and looked at the water crouching low….using the moonlights illumination !
In the bright moonlight, I creatively slung out deeper and past that break and diligently worked my KPN down deeper and in an arcing pattern into that Zone..
It wasn’t easy to attain the depth I was targeting and the arc needed with the extreme current but after a good 10-12 casts…..
THUNK ~!
Anutha’ HooK~Up !
BUT….. the California Aqueduct Striper school musta’ taught these fish well cause about 3-4 seconds into it ……. another one shakes me off !
(Dayam !)
More creative casting produced 2 more short strikes so I said to myself….
YOU MOTHA’S musta failed one of your classes in ur school….cuZ…
YOU Messed UP~!
YOU SHOWED ME WHERE YOUR AT !...
Yu musta missed that class in school….
“NEVER” ! GIVE UP YOUR CO-ORDINATES…….
I’m gonna’ SINK YOUR BATTLESHIP !
Another 10 casts or so…
BENDO !
And this one’s fate was not that of the last…..AND he hits da DECK….!
Ahhhh yes…
Good to be Victorious : )
I continued on in this manner for a while…
I found the fish….I found the pattern…..
many casts into it then I’d get the right retrieval run and Slam another one…
(runt of the pack)
Got real late, later than I had planned so I left immediately after decking the 5th Feesh !
Landed 5
Lost 3
Broke one pole
Gained another wonderful memory
Now I can go on my pilgrimage to Texas……
……………….and beat up on something ELSE that swims out there : )
Here's pics of the 2 I kept
Good times..solo huntin’
Gary
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Originally Posted by trail blazer
