WhaT a night

[harvey lee]

It didnt look like I was going to make it fishing but boy did it all come together.I went to get the boat ready and load the bullies.The air pump had died and the bullies were floating.So I grab a sunnie rod and figured I would stop at a lake on the way to Jordan and catch some.I fish for a hour and only had 9 and figured I better get going.Got to the landing,unloaded and drove to the spot.From 10-11:15 I had 7 runs and caught 5 flatheads.All 5 of the ones I hooked hit the bully so hard I just had to start reeling.I did miss two because I was fooling around with the radio and livewell.The fishs weight was 8,12,14,17,and 21 pounds.Thats on a handheld scale with them wiggling so it might not be all that accurate as the weight went up and down a few pounds.I still have not caught a big one but boy for a rookie I had a blast.DTRO and GRUMP,I was fishing the same spot we were a few weeks ago.On the way back I beached the boat on a sand bar and then had to use the paddle to get off.Makes me want to go again tommorrow. Next time I am going to take 20 bullies.

[AQUAJOE]

Congrats, Sounds like you had a great night. Did you go by yourself? Shoot I was just sitting around on here.

[DTro]

Way to go Harvey!

We were out on that stretch, but didn't make it to that spot on Fri. No success, so we went to St.Peter last night and again.... it was S L O W . Everyone we talked to said the same thing.

Guess I should've stayed close to home

I bet you were surprised to see how much the river came down

[Dan Thiem]

We didn't get one either dtro. Your or Papa Grump's text to Hanson last night was true I think.

Here's a picture of some true cat guys! Sorry about the focus, I was zoomed in quite a ways.

[Papa Grump]

Way to go Tom !!!! Look out, you'll catch rabies from these things

[harvey lee]

River down,yes.I'am also not a very good riverrat.On the way back I thought I was as careful as one could get and still hit the sandbar and I had two thumps on the lower unit.Small twigs,I guess.

I dont know much about this catting,but I will bet it will be awhile before I get 5 in a night again.Still looking for big daddy.

[PierBridge]

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River down,yes.I'am also not a very good riverrat.On the way back I thought I was as careful as one could get and still hit the sandbar and I had two thumps on the lower unit.Small twigs,I guess.

I dont know much about this catting,but I will bet it will be awhile before I get 5 in a night again.Still looking for big daddy.

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Way to go Harvey.. ....Nothing like doing it on your own I can't wait for my first Flathead out of my newly up and running Cat Boat......thanks for the motivation....I think I'll stick to the Mississippi though.....back's not

ready for any sand bars..... speaking of bad backs good to see Dtro in an upright position.....

[DARK30]

That IS a good night! 5 mudeyes up to 20+ pounds for one guy aint bad at all.

[Dennis Steele]

Congrats Tom!

It always makes a guy feel great when he puts all the pieces of the puzzle together by himself and gets on a good bite.

[DTro]

Quote:

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speaking of bad backs good to see Dtro in an upright position.....

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yep, still a bit sore, but I would've like to have tested it out on a nice kitty.

Oh well, just getting my taste of the monkey over with before the cat league.

[harvey lee]

I figured 5 fish was a very lucky night.I will say this,for a rookie to go out on your own and try and catch fish and then land them in the dark is no doubt a very diffucult job.Also on the way back it would probably be better to have two guys in the boat for safety.I just needed to get cattin.I will hook up with big daddy sooner or later if I keep my bullies wet. There is a saying that --The sun shines even on a dogs backside every once and a while.

[rushing]

Nice goin harvey. Yep the spot we were fishing was slow missed maybe 3 strikes all night. I heard there was some river pro traffic in our spot and I think it spooked out all the fish away before I even got down to the river!

I got to hear Hanson scream in terror as he was laying on the ground and looked over to see this little guy trying to get into his cut bait cooler about 2ft from his head! HAHAHAHA

[harvey lee]

PierBridge

For the first few times I went out this year and my first year all I did was miss fish and catch one.One night DTRO and I were fishing and he hooked up with a great fish.Since then I will be fishing hard,good nights or bad until I catch one of those trophies.

After sturgeon fishing this spring and now cattin,I am having a very hard time hitting the lakes.Those other fish just are not in the same class as these.I love eyes and pannies but it looks like the river might be the place to be.If I can get this figured out then I'll be fishing my eyes on the river also.I am afraid I could turn into a riverrat.

Hanson--looks like your going to lose your bait.

[hanson]

Hey Tom-

Congrats on a great night of fishing. I don't think you'll experience success like that again for awhile now. I've been fishing hard this summer, and a 2 fish night is my best night which I've done 3 times now. I've also had countless no fish nights, including all last night and all friday night. But there were also those nights were I had multiple good runs and couldn't stick a hook into a fish.

The raccoon was hilarious last night, and surprised me a little as well. I was laying on the ground with my eyes shut trying to nap, when I heard a noise. I asked Rob if he heard it too and said yeah, its a raccoon. So I looked over to see where the raccoon was and it was 2-3' from my head digging into my bait cooler. I kind of freaked. I didn't think it was going to be that close to me.

So the coon provided some comedy relief sniffing our rods, eating sucker minnows, licking grease off the grill, trying to get into my tackle bag, crawling around on the net. It had no fear of us at all.

[harvey lee]

I will agree with you about that fish count.Last night within 1 hour they just hammered the bullies.You didnt have to even be good.They would hit the bait and go.If I would have had a rod not in a rod holder it would have been good-bye.When they hit the bait the rod just buckled over.Another question is why when the other times ive been out has it been tap-tap-tap,and last night they just drilled it?

[Papa Grump]

Tom- Current might have something to do on how they grab it and appear to just take off. Where you where fishing has a fair amount of current due to the river has only one place to go resulting in a "shute" of water, which is always one good place to set up on. Myself and Dtro set up in one of these shutes last night and while the action was slow, and mainly on cut bait, the runs were very sudden and swift. Past experiances seem to dictate that the slower the water , the lighter they seem to bite.

[mplspug]

Those raccoons are cute little guys, as long as you don't get too cute with them. Just be happy it wasn't a skunk Hanson.

[Caesarfishinguytoo]

We were on the MN River about a week ago and we had a little one (raccoon), just born this year swimming accross the river. Neither my brother nor I even noticed it until it was right up on us about 15 feet out. Just swam right up in between our rods, got on shore shook off and scampered off as fast as he could. He was pretty tired after swimming in that current, so it was more like a very slow scamper. It was the cutest little thing when we seen this poor fella trying to get to shore. My brother tried to get the camera but by the time he got it he was already on shore. I think he got a couple shots but the swimming ones were classics!!