08-28-2021, 03:37 AM
Yesterday, Aug. 26, Vi and I got on the water 0740 without a definite plan. Our last trip over to the Knowles was not so productive as mater of fact the last two. As we left the opening of the channel we thought, lets keep it simple and use our time closer to home port. when we reached 5.5" FOW I shut down the big motor and dropped the trolling motor, set it on a northerly coarse, put it on cruse control. No obstacles in sight so we were clear to concentrate on fishing.
We dropped our lines baited up with WB 0800 Vi hooked up. 15 min later another, 0825 it was my turn, 27.5, 10 min later I tied into a 30" bumper and so it went back and forth then at 1144 Vi hooked up with a 30", a bump for her as well. It wasn't a fast day but entertaining.
At one point Vi hooked up and I turned my attention to her forgetting that I had not locked the free spool on my rod until I heard the sound of a backlash and was it ever. We netted Vi's fish and while working to free the tangle between our lines I could feel a fish on mine. With the backlash I was not able to reel at all. Vi thought she could hand work it in hand over hand until I dismissed that idea. I handed her my rod and scrambled to find my crochet needle (must have item) I handed it to her to work out the rats nest while I kept the tension off the line all the time hoping the fish would be patient. She was able to get the mess cleaned up and the line back on the reel then handed me the rod. Good! the fish was still there. I didn't get far before I found another bundle of bunched up line, alas got that one out and continued the fight. That had to be the longest time I have had a fish on before landing it, and it ended up being a 29.5".
I brought another cat to the net that was 29.5", kind of a bummer when there not big enough to bump up the score. All of the cats we caught were good solid fish with a bad attitude. We ended our day releasing 22 cats. The 5 WB weren't so lucky.
Today I replaced the line that was so abraded and kinked, no reason to take a chance on loosing a fish that might be the one I have been waiting for.
The water level appears to be holding, about 1.6' at the low point in the channel.
Water temp early was 70 raising to 71-72.
Bait of choice, WB
We dropped our lines baited up with WB 0800 Vi hooked up. 15 min later another, 0825 it was my turn, 27.5, 10 min later I tied into a 30" bumper and so it went back and forth then at 1144 Vi hooked up with a 30", a bump for her as well. It wasn't a fast day but entertaining.
At one point Vi hooked up and I turned my attention to her forgetting that I had not locked the free spool on my rod until I heard the sound of a backlash and was it ever. We netted Vi's fish and while working to free the tangle between our lines I could feel a fish on mine. With the backlash I was not able to reel at all. Vi thought she could hand work it in hand over hand until I dismissed that idea. I handed her my rod and scrambled to find my crochet needle (must have item) I handed it to her to work out the rats nest while I kept the tension off the line all the time hoping the fish would be patient. She was able to get the mess cleaned up and the line back on the reel then handed me the rod. Good! the fish was still there. I didn't get far before I found another bundle of bunched up line, alas got that one out and continued the fight. That had to be the longest time I have had a fish on before landing it, and it ended up being a 29.5".
I brought another cat to the net that was 29.5", kind of a bummer when there not big enough to bump up the score. All of the cats we caught were good solid fish with a bad attitude. We ended our day releasing 22 cats. The 5 WB weren't so lucky.
Today I replaced the line that was so abraded and kinked, no reason to take a chance on loosing a fish that might be the one I have been waiting for.
The water level appears to be holding, about 1.6' at the low point in the channel.
Water temp early was 70 raising to 71-72.
Bait of choice, WB
