NMZ 12/7
Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 2:39 pm
Got out to the NMZ this morning for the first time in a few months. You could not ask for better conditions. Fish should have been everywhere, but they weren't. I spent the first few hours after daybreak slowly cruising the shallows searching out targets that might be interested in my deerhair slider, but only a couple small reds made an appearance. After the sun came up more, I found a small group of nice trout and caught a couple of those up to 4.5lbs or so. I started the paddle back to the truck about 9:30 and decided to head offshore a bit just for the heck of it. Nothing doing there either until a lone, barely distinguishable wake caught my eye. The regular cadence told me this was my intended target, and given the fact I was in 2.5' of water, I knew this was no slot size fish. I picked up the fly-rod, shot a bunch of line, and ended up with a big knot. Why does that only happen at the most inopportune times? Crap. Anyway, I quickly recovered and reached behind me and grabbed my trusty Chronarch with a weightless jerkbait. The fish engulfed it on impact and we were off to the races. I hopped out the kayak to fight the fish just to have more control. This fish took easily half my spool, and I had the drag cranked with 30lb braid. I've caught larger reds, but none that ran like this one. After I got him turned, I wore his butt out within a couple minutes. And the result...
A quick measurement showed that this big guy was 46-47" and probably a bit north of 30lbs. After that, I decided to pack it in. Not a great deal of action, but the one fish made the morning.
A quick measurement showed that this big guy was 46-47" and probably a bit north of 30lbs. After that, I decided to pack it in. Not a great deal of action, but the one fish made the morning.
. No long paddling days for me...