Lake X report 9-4-04

[tomegun]

[#804000]I met Predator at the Ranger Station about 5:20 and it was 48 degrees. The gate opened 20 mins later and we were heading down the lake in the pitched dark( I think he was wimpering) around 5:50. [/#804000]
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[#804000] I think I'll let Predator buy the Gunship so the Gunship II can be more guide friendly.[/#804000]
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[#804000] We were fishing before 6am and soon after Predator nailed a nice 17 3/4" 4lb plus thing a beauty, on what else but a 4" Predator by maniaclures.[/#804000]
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[#804000] A few mins later after the photo op, the was a zing from my rod. Predator got the flashlight a going and we saw a great big 20" 5lb Bronzeback dancing along side of the boat. Predator likes to take his time bringing his to the boat, but I ain't going to have that kind of tomfoolery. No siree! We got her in quickly measured/weighted/framed as fast as we could so she could be on her way. And you what? I caught her on a ........ " maniac lure,hehe![/#804000]
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[#804000] Predator can tell the rest... [/#804000]
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[senkonate]

It better have paid off to get there that early! Sounds like a good trip. I'm assuming Predator is going to post the pictures?

Were you guys fishing slow and on the bottom?

Senkonate
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[PREDATOR]

Some kids these days!

First off, let me start by saying "I met a hard core man today."
At about 5:20 in the morning, tomegun pulled into the lot at lake X.
The door to a maroon pickup opened up, and a tired man fell out of the truck onto his face.
Seems tomegun was suffering from some illness.
Sniffling, and coughing, with the look of death he tells me, "Dude, I didnt sleep at all last night."
Funny, cause I didnt either. Two men, ok, one man, one very old child, without sleep standing in the dark.
Someone said, "if you aint fishin, you aint livin." And it was on.

Now, most guys looking up at the overcast sky, with the cold, and nasty looking weather would have said, I am staying home, but not tomegun, not even when he can barley stand.

So, off we went into the night. The cloud cover was so thick no light was avaialable by wich to navigate, but tom says to me, "no worries, this is my home." Two seconds later, and 55 mph, we are on the spot.

It was so dark outside, you could barley even see the shore, but the fish could see our lures, and thats all that mattered.
I struck first, and boy was it fun.
Now, to clarify, the only reason it takes me so long to net a fish is because the net man likes to play around with the flash light, and look at the fish in the water, rather than net big fishies.
But it was cool to see that fish appear in the darkness of the water.
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So, it was now back to fishing.

Tomegun strikes next.
He hooks into the big one of the day, I look over and see his pole bent to the max, and his drag stripping, so I go for the net.
While the fight is on, I grab the flash light, and begin to search the water.
FLASH!
Oh my, thats a big fish.
Bigger than mine!
Down goes the flash light, and into the water goes the net.
See how that works there tomygun?
We put her on the tape, and the scale, and oh yes, bigger indeed.
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Now if we could just get tomegun to move his giant ogre hands, we could see the fish.
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Anyways, it was a fun trip. As always.
Cant wait for the next one.
But I tell you this, if you havent had the pleasure of hooking into a big smallmouth, in the dark, where there is no visual indicators, just feel, oh baby! Thats something to do. Then to see them in the light of the flash light running through the water. Man, what a beautiful expirience. Even if you are going on 24 hrs without sleep, in the cold, with threatening skies.
Hats off to sir tomegun. The man is truly a joy to fish with.
But, remember, its not skills that catches big fish on lake X, its superstition. You have to have a lucky hat, one that works, not some cheap knock off you just call your lucky hat.
If you go back through every single smallmouth pic over 4 lbs that I caught this year, I am wearing the lucky hat.
Also, my lucky hat transfers good karma to those in the boat with me, as you can see by tomeguns success today.
Thank god for lucky hats! Lucky hats that work that is!
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[senkonate]

Geez. You guys keep outdoing yourselves.

Good job of photgraphing those fish in the dark, that's easy to screw up. Tomegun does look like an excited kid who's landed his first fish in most of his pics. []

How can fish see when it is dark? Are they reaciting to the motion or sound of the lure rather than seeing it?

Senkonate
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[Hellsangler69]

Holy Cow !! Nice fish . I like big fish in the dark .
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[Theekillerbee]

Great fish there boys! I'll bet catching those two hogs was a rush! Thanks for sharing the pics.
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[wiperhunter2]

Wow, those are some hog smallies and I get the idea that you guys were there early but how late did you stay? Did you catch any other fish or did I miss that? Thanks for the great report. WH2
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[tomegun]

That can't be me I'm alot prettier than that. It must the Plague I contracted at work last week.
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