Running the Delta back to 'HER SPOT', would I get this GIANT lunker that eluded me four times now, that I'd fought all the way to the boat once?
It was at sunset, the sun was just starting to touch the horizon, I remember it like I was there right now; I was fishing solo. This was nearby at a spot that I'd lost a couple of lunkers at three weeks earlier, that I never got to see-they both ran down into the weeds and I pulled too hard and pulled the frog out- ripped or they shook it off, what I don't know- a couple of days after the snag proof open.
"...so NOW I'm working two major lunkers..."
I worked the Super Spook I'd borrowed from Derek a year ago (sorry I forgot to give it back to you again when I saw you at the Snag Proof Derek, that's about 200 on this bait now
) away from the tulle point, nada. Worked my way around, working the shallows, nada. Noticed I could hit the point from a different angle, turned around and did so, working the Spook along the tulles parallel when SWOOSH, she flushes the toilet with my lure. Right away, after hooking her and then instantly seeing her jump (wallow really, so big they have a hard time getting the whole body out of the water), I wanted to turn around and say to someone, anyone, "did you see how big she is? GET THE NET". But it was quiet, all I could hear was my heart, not even all the swallows could be heard anymore, I was concentrating like nobody's business now."I cast it right on top of her area, twitched twice, and she SLAMS THE FROG..."
And during the fight I started to picture the photos I'd take of her before letting her go, and then shook those visions off, saying 'I could think about that after she's landed', IF she's landed- I had to concentrate on every movement- I knew that. The BIG ones are darn smart, having thrown a lot of lures in their life usually/probably. I had a heavy teener spool me on 17# mono when I was a kid at Otay Lake in Chula Vista, 6" Otay Special brown/black stripe T/R worm, never saw her- got nervous with the spooling and buttoned down too much- ouch), and one at DVL on the Punker a year ago, next cast after getting a fiver- she threw it underwater 5 seconds after coming up from 20' and annihilating it!
She ran down into the Frankenstein green slime covered weeds twice, 6' deep, plenty of them, from the tulles where she first crushed my Super Spook, and she ran taking line like I had no drag! BUT I had my 80# Power Pro braid buttoned down; it's just that 11#s of drag won't hold 'em too good when they decide to take off with 30 to 40#'s of brute strength they can dig up. But I pulled her back up out of them twice, thank God. She started to tire, she was all mine. A little closer to the boat and I'd take one hand off the rod and get the net, directly below my hand and ready to go, had been for days now, and used quite a few.
NOTE: It just really throws you when a monster finally hits and you are not mentally prepared. Yeah, sixers, sevens, the elusive eights and nines start to send shivers up your spine when you watch them jump when they are on the end of your line, BUT when you see how darn big the fish is when it jumps, and it's as big around as is is high, and it's darn high- as in a couple of feet high, you darn well know THIS ONE is a 10+ your brain just basically freezes up, at least mine did.
Again, I wanted to apply enough pressure to get her in but not overdue it- it now seemed like an eternity of a fight, probably only 15-20 seconds, and she was right at the boat when she took another run and shook her head just out of sight, and DISAPPEARED, line went limp- GONE! OH NO, my first 10+ gone AGAIN (a least the third time in my lifetime).
Anyways, after contemplating quitting fishing at that point for about 1/8th of a second, I turned around and cast right back out and went back to 'work', I'll get one over 10 someday I told myself, Lord willing.
Of course, I replayed the whole event a hundred times before going out the next day, that's the curse of missing them. My friends tried to console me 'at least you got to see her' they said, I agreed.
_________________
"Hunt for the Red October", or the elusive lunker as it may be in this case.
Well, I visited the spot four times more in a one week period (Got to fish there, and Clear Lake for one week after giving my photo workshop in Napa).
The first time, two nights later and with a friend, I was nervous as heck cause I knew she lived there now, and I'd spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to toss before we got to the spot. I decided to start with a big topwater swimbait first, not the Spook, she might remember it, but she did not come out to play. I held off a few minutes after she didn't go, then tried a big jig, nada. Then held off, and then the Super Spook again, what the heck, but still nada. Why nothing? Was it because we were there a half hour before sunset, was that the deal? Too early? We had a long way back to the ramp, so had to hit it a bit early. Oh well, maybe next time, if I get a chance to come back.
I made a run up to Clear Lake, heard the topwater was off the hook, 30 fish per day, averaging 3 to 4 lbs each, and did well the first night, getting a few 4's, 5's and even a six on the frog, but the next two days was slim pickins on it, should have gone plastics like most of the WON folks were already doing- hard headed- oh well.
"Well, that was a good sign this was the right bait, perfect!"...
So back to the Delta, 'she' was calling me, and now for a second time, four nights after the last try, I was praying again for success. After much comtempletation, I I thought I'd throw the frog. A low percentage bait, I know (but I've got 'em up to nine at the Delta already). And she had not seen it, not from me. I cast it right on top of her area, twitched twice, and she SLAMS THE FROG on the first cast, but somehow she got too excited and came flying out of the water trying to inhale it! OH NO, SHE MISSED IT (insert adult man crying here)
By midnight I was asleep in the van at the Denny's off Hwy 5 and the 12 (with about a dozen other folks in cars, mostly homeless my guess), up at 5.30 and at the ramp and launched by 6:15, so before sunrise I was giving her another shot, or was it me that was getting another shot? But again she hit nothing I threw at her. Even threw a big worm (12") this time, DANG.
But it was low tide (it's a tidal system here, eventually hitting the San Francisco Bay 50 miles away, rising and falling a few feet every 6 hours). I decided stay the day, instead of driving home, saying it would be too hot thru Hwy 5 thru Bakersfield mid-day (in actuality, giving myself ONE MORE CHANCE at getting her). So I then cut the tulles that were sticking out too far sideways around there so I could throw a swimbait and bring it right over the top of her that night (I'm getting smarter in my old age
), then went and fished elsewhere all day, coming back at 7.00 at night. "E-Gads man, NOT NOW, can't you do anything right?" ...
I ran through my list of dozens of baits to seduce her with first, then decided to tie on a Black Dog Shell Cracker, 6" wood. I practiced my cast and working of the bait before offering it to her, this had to be perfect this time, so I practiced about a mile away on a tulle point that had been good to me the past few days. I really hoped I could catch a fish on it before I threw it at her too, that way I'd know she too might be interested. My second cast got it caught up in the tulles, and as I pulled like crazy to get it off it caused a lot of splashing, and wouldn't you know it, another 10+ tried to inhale it while I was doing that, slamming it from the side, scarring the heck out of me! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? I almost got my 10+ practicing for my 10+. Well, that was a good sign this was the right bait, perfect! I know God has a sense of humor, that would have been funny to get my 10+ while practicing. I knew that could happen here, and was hoping so actually.
But the good part is NOW I knew where two major lunkers live, COOL! I then went to go get 'Big Momma #1', called the wife, prayed, (could he want it that bad, prayer? Yep, he says, that bad!) and then cast over the tulles and got stuck right above her area, cast was a foot or two off! "E-Gads man, NOT NOW, can't you do anything right?" I scolded myself, hoping it did not blow my final chance of this trip. I trolling motored around and tried to pull it off without much disturbance, but sure enough, more casts netted zero action. I left at dark, hitting Giant Momma #2 again at dark, for nada, then started my 10 hour drive back down to San Diego.
I'll get her next time.
Here's a couple of shots of other 'nicer ones' that did want to play last week.
Buzzbait action, early morning.
Five pounder on the Spro popper frog, my fav.
Delta spook fish
Got this one right after letting her twin sister go five minutes earlier, and taking the hook out of my thumb so I could continue on in the action. That shot below.
Yeah, the fish above I got five minutes after cutting the barb off and taking this out. First time I've ever had this happen, and hopefully the last (note to self, make sure to carry dikes next time). Notice I did not take a sharp photo, my have been the only one in my career.
:rolfmao:
Where is my frog rod, these tulles must have a 10 in there somewhere!!? :cheers:
Can't wait to go back, it's like Falcon, once you've been you can't wait to go back- lunker city!
The HUNT for the 10+ continues...
Advertising