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Monster fish....

SahaganBetaSahaganBeta Member Posts: 291 ✭✭✭
edited February 2008 in The Fishing Hole!
Saw a television show the other evening about monster fish. And by that, they were talking about catfish over 100 pounds, and sturgeon even bigger. I didn't find the marlin fishing quite so interesting, as I have to fish fresh water ponds, lakes, streams and rivers. On the other hand, anytime a fisherman lands a fish weighing in the hundreds of pounds, he's got my full attention, and not a little respect and admiration.

I have some friends who are disappointed if they don't return from an overnight fishing expedition to either Kentucky or Barkley lakes with at least one or two 50 pound catfish.

I don't see myself, as a dedicated fly (only) fisherman, catching anything really big but I did manage to break the five pound limit last spring, several times in fact....with catfish.

But truth of the matter is, I've always followed the conventional wisdom and put a proper backing behind my flyline....and after 42 years of fairly heavy fishing, I've never had a fish to strip enough line to reveal the backing. Shucks, I'm either going to have to go after bigger fish, or start leaving that useless backing off my reels.

Sahagan
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Comments

  • AHansenAHansen Member Posts: 1,002 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Come fish the columbia river for sturgen and you'll catch more then one that big. Its a blast.
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  • jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    I saw that show too. I was impressed by the gar and glad they let it go.

    Biggest fresh water fish I've landed was a 9 pound Walleye. I've caught a fair share of sheephead, carp, and catfish in the 5-8 pound range, but nothing ridiculously huge.

    Biggest I ever tied into was a tiger muskie while trolling with a crankbait for walleye on lake erie. Muskie aren't common but aren't unheard of in western lake erie. I got him fairly close to the boat- not an easy job as I was using 8 pound line- but he thrashed and that was that. I guess he was maybe 40 inches or so.
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  • ljwrenchljwrench Member Posts: 5,053
    edited November -1
    The biggest fish I've ever caught were caught this summer and fall on the Ohio River. I finally bought a boat big enough to get out on the river safely. We were fishing for stripers when we caught these. They aren't huge but still the biggest for me.

    35lb flathead caught in November
    [img][/img]jcat352.jpg

    Longnose gar on the Ohio. I was by myself fishing for stripers when these guy's started a feeding frenzy and hit my Rat-L-trap on almost every cast.
    [img][/img]gar6.jpg

    [img][/img]gar4.jpg
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  • RKirschRKirsch Member Posts: 2 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I also fish fly only. In FW my PB is a King Salmon ~24#. IN SW my PB is a lemon shark of ~17 feet (not weighed) on a 12 wt rod. I've had 2 or 3 fish in FW take me into my backing, and several in SW. The most exciting was probably an 8# BFT on a 10 wt - took my fly line and half my backing off in about 12 seconds on tis first run.

    If you want a good fight and to go into your backing in FW - hook up a common carp in a big lake or stream. Carp are the strongest fish in FW.

    Rob
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  • SahaganBetaSahaganBeta Member Posts: 291 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hey IJWrench;

    Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about!

    I guess I'll never tie into anything that big, but I do sometimes dream about it.

    Sahagan
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  • SahaganBetaSahaganBeta Member Posts: 291 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hey Rob;

    Well Sir, you threw me there for a minute with the FW and SW....I was hoping you weren't referring to 'alternate' lifestyles.

    And you may rest assured my head is bowed in both admiration and envy at your record. That little 24 pounder you caught, only weighed like nearly five times what my largest fish weighed. So what am I complaining about, right?

    On the other hand, after 42 years of fly-fishing, I've never seen my backing unless changing fly lines. It would be might near heart attack territory if I hooked something big enough to run into my backing in 12 seconds.

    But if working at it, and keeping at it, will help bring it about, well, maybe one of these days I'll get lucky.

    Sahagan
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  • CubsloverCubslover Member Posts: 18,601 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Some of the best battles I've had...

    4-5lb Bowfin on a 5' Ultralight with 6lb test crappie rod. Caught many in Tennessee.

    165-180lb est. Nurse Shark (6'5")

    25 and 40lb stingrays off the surf in Florida on Medium Weight bass rods.
    Half of the lives they tell about me aren't true.
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  • flyfisher363flyfisher363 Member Posts: 69 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hey sahagan hope this wasn't said already but the bet thing your backing does is take up space on your reel which creates a larger diameter coil. You want larger coil, maller one from not having backing could develop memory and twist your flyline
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  • crowbeanercrowbeaner Member Posts: 40 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you really want to see a monster fish, take a look at the pics of the new record northern pike in another post here. THAT'S what I'm talking about.
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