What did you Catch Today?
- Thread starter troutspinner
- Start date
troutspinner
Nuts & Bolts Guy
You’re riot @Gremcat ! 
I don’t like catching big fish so I ain’t going back to try and get him again. I know I know, ya’all are scratching your heads “Don’t like catching big fish”. I’ll take a 10lb bass any day of the week or a 20lb striper or salmon but when they get bigger than that, ala the 25lb salmon that was the straw on the camel’s back that took out my right elbow years ago and the 40”+ stripers from last fall that took out my left elbow. They’re both healed now and I like them that way!
I don’t like catching big fish so I ain’t going back to try and get him again. I know I know, ya’all are scratching your heads “Don’t like catching big fish”. I’ll take a 10lb bass any day of the week or a 20lb striper or salmon but when they get bigger than that, ala the 25lb salmon that was the straw on the camel’s back that took out my right elbow years ago and the 40”+ stripers from last fall that took out my left elbow. They’re both healed now and I like them that way!
I can only hope I catch enough fish in my life to wear out my elbows. Bet those salty cows are what did it. I’ve fought schoolies all day as a teen and all but too tired to navigate the slimy jetties afterwards.You’re riot @Gremcat !
I don’t like catching big fish so I ain’t going back to try and get him again. I know I know, ya’all are scratching your heads “Don’t like catching big fish”. I’ll take a 10lb bass any day of the week or a 20lb striper or salmon but when they get bigger than that, ala the 25lb salmon that was the straw on the camel’s back that took out my right elbow years ago and the 40”+ stripers from last fall that took out my left elbow. They’re both healed now and I like them that way!
HenryDavid
Well-known member
Had something similar happen nearly 20 years ago with a musky that was way too big for the net. I was with my late father and we had the beast right by the side of the boat. He wanted to grab the head of it and I said no way you'll lose a finger or two. He had me try and lift the rod up so the head just came up out of the water but the second I did that it just turned it's head and snapped the line. Many days later we determined that we could've possibly snagged one of the exposed treble hooks on the crankbait with the net and tried to lift it up that way. Either it would've ripped the net to shreds, come off or maybe we would've boated it. We had 2 or 3 walleyes already boated 20-25 inches that fit in the net just fine.So this is going to sound like a fish story but I promise, it is real.
I went to Blue Marsh today around 10am when the rain cleared. Water temperature was at 52 degrees and rose to even 55 by time I left. A couple more nights and that place is going to be prime. As usual this spring, I blanked on Bass but I caught a Flathead for the ages. I do not have an official measurement because I could not get him into the boat. I yelled to a couple of guys across the lake if they could help me out, asking if he had a net, mine was not big enough. When he seen the behemoth, he laughed and said that ain't going to fit in my net!
I tried to pick him up by his tail 3 times, my hands aren't small and I could not wrap my hand around the area before his tail so I used both hands and failed, twice. Maybe getting 24" of him out of the water. I then got "smart" lol and held on tight to the tail with one hand and slid my other hand into his gill and I still could not lift him into the boat. I'm no wimp, I've got some arms to me but leverage from a boat deck isn't easy. I then thought, I'm going to have to take the wounds and just grab with both hands in his mouth, until I got both of my hands in his mouth, no, no way! I could have got 4 of my hands in that mouth and I do not kid, my head could have fit into his mouth, he was that large. I just called it a fail at that point, held him with one hand and popped the 3.5" Keitech from his mouth and watched him swim to the depths.
I can't even guess on length or weight but I caught several 40"+ Stripers last year, he was bigger! For yucks, I just looked up the Pa State Flathead record, this one is probably right there with it. So now the womp, womp, womp to this story. The only picture I could get of him has no scale to it, it could be 12" LOL but it was all I could do to hold the rod with one hand and take a photo with another. You can see my shadow, Head, Hand and Rod. My head shadow is actually bigger than my head, it's just how shadows work and notice that it is about the same size as his head. Just an absolute monster. I hope I never catch another.
View attachment 3115
Solitario Lupo
Moderator
Nice fish and got a good story out of it. Plus the fight of a lifetime lol. Hope you get another one haha.
So this is going to sound like a fish story but I promise, it is real.
I went to Blue Marsh today around 10am when the rain cleared. Water temperature was at 52 degrees and rose to even 55 by time I left. A couple more nights and that place is going to be prime. As usual this spring, I blanked on Bass but I caught a Flathead for the ages. I do not have an official measurement because I could not get him into the boat. I yelled to a couple of guys across the lake if they could help me out, asking if he had a net, mine was not big enough. When he seen the behemoth, he laughed and said that ain't going to fit in my net!
I tried to pick him up by his tail 3 times, my hands aren't small and I could not wrap my hand around the area before his tail so I used both hands and failed, twice. Maybe getting 24" of him out of the water. I then got "smart" lol and held on tight to the tail with one hand and slid my other hand into his gill and I still could not lift him into the boat. I'm no wimp, I've got some arms to me but leverage from a boat deck isn't easy. I then thought, I'm going to have to take the wounds and just grab with both hands in his mouth, until I got both of my hands in his mouth, no, no way! I could have got 4 of my hands in that mouth and I do not kid, my head could have fit into his mouth, he was that large. I just called it a fail at that point, held him with one hand and popped the 3.5" Keitech from his mouth and watched him swim to the depths.
I can't even guess on length or weight but I caught several 40"+ Stripers last year, he was bigger! For yucks, I just looked up the Pa State Flathead record, this one is probably right there with it. So now the womp, womp, womp to this story. The only picture I could get of him has no scale to it, it could be 12" LOL but it was all I could do to hold the rod with one hand and take a photo with another. You can see my shadow, Head, Hand and Rod. My head shadow is actually bigger than my head, it's just how shadows work and notice that it is about the same size as his head. Just an absolute monster. I hope I never catch another.
View attachment 3115
truecrimson
Well-known member
According to the guide we were with in 2019 mine was a small one. TS's flathead would eat mine.
Here we go;
Flathead catfish - Wikipedia
troutspinner
Nuts & Bolts Guy
I can't tell you how angry I am with myself for not getting pics of that catfish. I have an action Camera sitting on a shelf. I have to make sure I always bring that with me here forward.
This is a flathead I caught about 10 years ago. I cannot recall the exact measurement but I want to say 32" or so. This one is SMALL compared to the one yesterday. Just a freakishly out of place fish to see.
This is a flathead I caught about 10 years ago. I cannot recall the exact measurement but I want to say 32" or so. This one is SMALL compared to the one yesterday. Just a freakishly out of place fish to see.
