Location: Browns Ferry - Wheeler Lake - Alabama
Air Temperature: 51 Degrees
Water Temperature:
Lake Level: 555.75' Strong current - 156,692 cfps
Weather Conditions: Light winds from NW - 6 mph. Storm rolling in. Moderate rain.
Yesterday I tried to fish Browns Ferry, but the wind was just too bad. I instead putted around in the bay by my house for a little while with minnows under a bobber. I caught one nice channel cat and one bluegill, but only stayed about an hour and a half. I turned the catfish loose, but kept the bluegill for potential bait. I went home and reworked my transducer on my depth finder. I've had trouble holding bottom at any decent speed, but I think I have it fixed now. I also put a new drag that I made in the boat.
As the day cleared up, I decided to try to put out a 50 hook trotline. I had a bluegill, some frozen shad, shrimp, and a handful of small bluegill I caught early in the week in a minnow trap. I headed down past Browns Ferry at 6 PM and dropped the line behind the island where the power line comes across in about 12 FOW.
I got up this morning and it was already starting to rain. I knew a storm front was coming in, but the weather forecast it to start a little later than it did. My goal was to get the line ran and in the boat as quick as I could before weather got really bad.
I made it out no problems and began pulling the line. I could see one fish splashing about 6-7 hooks down. Otherwise, it didn't feel like there was much on the line. As I got close, I saw the fish was pretty big... but I didn't realize how big!
I pulled this fat lady in and practiced CPR (Catch, Photograph, Release). She was a hawg! It weighted 40 lbs! That easily puts this fish in my top 5 of all time and possibly the top 2 or 3. I pulled in one more channel cat down the line and found an empty hook were I had lost one. Not a day full of lots of fish, but Bertha made the trip totally worth it!
Yesterday I tried to fish Browns Ferry, but the wind was just too bad. I instead putted around in the bay by my house for a little while with minnows under a bobber. I caught one nice channel cat and one bluegill, but only stayed about an hour and a half. I turned the catfish loose, but kept the bluegill for potential bait. I went home and reworked my transducer on my depth finder. I've had trouble holding bottom at any decent speed, but I think I have it fixed now. I also put a new drag that I made in the boat.
As the day cleared up, I decided to try to put out a 50 hook trotline. I had a bluegill, some frozen shad, shrimp, and a handful of small bluegill I caught early in the week in a minnow trap. I headed down past Browns Ferry at 6 PM and dropped the line behind the island where the power line comes across in about 12 FOW.
I got up this morning and it was already starting to rain. I knew a storm front was coming in, but the weather forecast it to start a little later than it did. My goal was to get the line ran and in the boat as quick as I could before weather got really bad.
I made it out no problems and began pulling the line. I could see one fish splashing about 6-7 hooks down. Otherwise, it didn't feel like there was much on the line. As I got close, I saw the fish was pretty big... but I didn't realize how big!
I pulled this fat lady in and practiced CPR (Catch, Photograph, Release). She was a hawg! It weighted 40 lbs! That easily puts this fish in my top 5 of all time and possibly the top 2 or 3. I pulled in one more channel cat down the line and found an empty hook were I had lost one. Not a day full of lots of fish, but Bertha made the trip totally worth it!
 |
| Big Bertha!! 40 lbs. |
 |
| Hitting the water to put out the lines. My community boat ramp. |
 |
| 50 Hook line boxed and baited. Ready to roll. |
 |
| A new line drag I built. |
 |
| Did some work on my transducer earlier today - Holding bottom now at 35 mph FULL SPEED!! |
No comments:
Post a Comment