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Latest personal best

Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2024 5:52 pm
by TaBASSco
As winter progresses and the water up here freezes over, ice creeping further south every day, I have been having to go fishing further south also. la winter I caught a 6 pound lake trout, then a 29 inch 9(and some change) laker, then a 33 inch 12.95 one in the spring. I was looking forward to my next personal best....which arrived last Sunday. Fishing the shoreline near Anvil Draw, along with a fishing buddy, we were both working a wind blown point. I had caught one rainbow trout that weighed maybe three pounds, and was throwing the usual half ounce spoon on 6 lb line. I felt the strike and realized that it would not be a small fish. I did not think it would be too big though, because there were no long searing runs that peeled line off the spool. But when I caught a glimpse of the fish, I knew that it might rival the last big'un hat I hauled in. I called out to my friend, who immediately reeled in her line and moseyed up the shoreline, phone camera in hand. It took a little over 5 minutes to bring the fish to the bank, where I prepared to lip it with a pair of plastic fish pliers The fish tried to make one last desperate lunge towards deeper water, yanking the pliers out of my hand and and at the same time, snapping my line. He was now pointed towards open water with both the pliers and the lure attached to his mouth. I quickly grabbed the pliers and turned him around
My friend was taking pictures and video the whole time, so I held the fish up, and shoved it head first into the camera, then held it lengthwise for a shot, then laid it down next my rod to get a measurement, as I did not have a tape measure and scale with me. Satisfied that we had enough documentation, I let the estimated 17.75 pound fish go and watched him slowly disappear into the lake. He measured out at 35.5 inches on my fishing rod.
We fished a while longer. I caught a small cutthroat and my friend bagged 6 pan sized rainbows before it was time to go home. When we got back in the truck, I said "let's see those pictures of that fish". My friend said "I took mostly a video", to which I answered "Well then, let's see that video".
Her "I'm trying to find it."
Me "What do you mean?"
Her "I can't seem to find the video on my phone."
Me "Well then, there is no video."
And there wasn't any. Disappointed, I put the truck in gear and we started our snow covered exit from the point. There were a few photos though, so here they are. My personal best trout (of any kind)so far.
And then it's onward and upward to my next personal best. The lakers top out at over 50 pounds up here in Flaming Gorge.
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Re: Latest personal best

Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2024 5:53 pm
by camobass
Wow!!!!!!

Re: Latest personal best

Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2024 6:06 pm
by Just_Bass
Nice, I really wanna try some trout fishing again but not sure where to go around here.

Re: Latest personal best

Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2024 8:24 am
by Midnightpass
Whoa!!! You sure that's not a floating log?... Great PB.. Now, you need to give your photographer/videographer some lessons. ;) .....
Butch

Re: Latest personal best

Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2024 3:24 pm
by TaBASSco
Midnightpass wrote: Sat Dec 14, 2024 8:24 am Whoa!!! You sure that's not a floating log?... Great PB.. Now, you need to give your photographer/videographer some lessons. ;) .....
Butch
I did. We went back and lightning struck twice. Pic of NEW personal best as soon as I get a hold of it. This one measured an even 18 pounds on the scale, but was half an inch shorter than the last one.

Re: Latest personal best

Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2024 4:53 pm
by TaBASSco
We went back to the lake today for another sesh. I was way down the shoreline after catching a few small trout when my phone rang. It was my fishing partner. She said "Guess what, I almost caught a laker, but it broke off. Come down here quick and get my lure back!"
Me: "uh....where is your lure?"
Her: "in the fish's mouth!"
Me; Emmm....alright, but it will take a while because I'm way far away from where you are at."
I trudged back up to the point and prepared to cast a lure right there. Kim showed me her video of the fish, an estimated 8 pound lake trout snapping her line. I explained that it was unlikely that I would hook THAT fish (and I didn't), but started to fish a few yards away from where she was fishing By and by, nothing happened, so I switched up spoons and decided to use a little "chemical warfare" by dipping my spoon into some Trout Feast Smelly Jelly. I figured that it might just be the thing to entice these cold water lakers to gobble up my offering. A half dozen casts later, the fight was on and I knew it was no 8 pounder. Unlike last weekend's fish, this one put up a drag burning fight that took around 15 minutes to conclude. I also had a scale and measuring tape ready to deploy. The fish was a chonky. He really swallowed that spoon, so he bled a troubling looking bit even though we were careful when removing the lure, but he revived quickly and swam away. Lakers are hardy and tough. Welp....on to my next personal best. I hope it's over twenty pounds.
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Re: Latest personal best

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2024 6:36 am
by foulhook
Wow them mackinaw are a beautiful fish, next summer I have a trip where that will be a target species

Re: Latest personal best

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2024 7:21 am
by VinnyBass
Congratulations on your new PB!!!
Dang that must of been exciting as heck catching that as that trout was huge!
Even without the video it is plain to see just how big that trout was. Again a great post with great
pics as always and so happy that you share your adventures with us here. This one especially :-)
Tight lines and Best Wishes Always!
Vinny

Re: Latest personal best

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2024 8:08 am
by Midnightpass
Those are "A-Whole-Lotta-Fish"... Nice...
Butch

Re: Latest personal best

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2024 8:18 am
by TaBASSco
VinnyBass wrote: Sun Dec 15, 2024 7:21 am Congratulations on your new PB!!!
Dang that must of been exciting as heck catching that as that trout was huge!
Even without the video it is plain to see just how big that trout was. Again a great post with great
pics as always and so happy that you share your adventures with us here. This one especially :-)
Tight lines and Best Wishes Always!
Vinny
It's always exciting to catch big fish on light tackle. Tackle used here was a BPS Microlite 7 ft. 2 piece 4-10 fast action, paired with a Mitchell 308X reel, Izorline XXX smoke #6 test. Lure was a half ounce Apex trout pattern (with eyeballs all over it). This is standard trout tackle for fishing up here...at least for me. I noticed that other people seem to use heavier rigs. But where's the fun in that?

Re: Latest personal best

Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2024 2:45 pm
by Moose
Those are on my bucket list of fish to catch one day. Beautiful fish!

Re: Latest personal best

Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2024 4:33 pm
by TaBASSco
Welp, I decided to post the video that shows most of (ten minutes) of the fight with the tubby laker